1. Happy new year! Greet 2022 by either watching a film that makes you happy, or choosing something from my Mood Booster list.
2. Watch a film you’ve been putting off for ages. If you can’t think of anything, watch the film that was added to your watchlist the earliest.
3. Sometimes I watch a film solely because I think the cover looks nice. Watch a film with a poster that you feel drawn to.
4. Watch any biopic/documentary about someone you find particularly interesting.
5. Some of my best movie experiences have come from a good movie about growing up, and yet I still haven't seen many of them. Watch a coming-of-age film. (I found this great list if you’re in need of ideas.)
6. I find the French New Wave a really interesting period for cinema, and yet I haven't actually seen anything regarded as French New Wave. Watch a French New Wave film. (This is the list I used for my pick.)
7. I find that a lot of the films I watch are often remakes, and sometimes I don't even realise, so it's good to turn back the clock and see what inspired some more recent films. Watch a film that became the basis for a remake. (Again, this original-remake ordered list has some great films on it.
8. Takashi Miike is one of my favourite Japanese directors, and his filmography is so vast and multi-genre that you're bound to find a film of his you'll love. Watch a film directed by Takashi Miike.
9. So many friends recommend films that just sit and gather dust in my watchlist forever. Watch the film you think you've been recommended the most, or, if you can't think of anything, ask a friend or family member for a recommendation and watch that film.
10. Embrace some of the January blues and watch something moody from my Grey Days list. If nothing appeals to you, feel free to pick a dark or moody film of your own, whatever you think fits.
11. This prompt is dedicated to the queen of the period drama, Keira Knightley. Watch something starring Keira Knightley.
12. It's Rob Zombie's birthday! He's a director many find somewhat subversive, but I love his approach to grindhouse horror and his ability to craft some genuinely painful and hard-hitting stories. Watch a film either directed by him or featuring him as an actor.
13. Giallo is such an enigmatic genre that I still don't have much experience with. Mr. Argento is often credited as the "King of Giallo". Watch a film directed by Dario Argento.
14. I love a lot of video games, and something I love almost as much is a nice, cheesy movie adaptation of one of my favourites, like Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider, or the Resident Evil CG movies. Watch a film based on a video game. (Check my list for ideas.)
15. My sporadic movie-watching pace often leads me to unintentionally skip out on films that I'm led to believe are masterpieces. Watch any film with an average rating of 4.0 or higher that you haven't yet seen.
16. Despite having a more limited filmography, I really love Mike Flanagan as a horror director. His Stephen King adaptations are really solid films, and some of his original horror films such as Oculus stuck with me for quite a while. Watch a film directed by Mike Flanagan.
17. Neo-noir is such a flexible genre, with such a distinctive style that has lent itself well to some of my favourite film experiences, such as Perfect Blue, Mulholland Drive and Fallen Angels. Watch a neo-noir film. (This is my favourite list for neo-noir picks.)
18. As much as I love discovering new directors, I enjoy broadening my knowledge of and discovering new material from directors I already love. Choose one of your favourite directors and watch the film of theirs that has the lowest average rating.
19. As of late I’ve been trying my best to catch up with the 30+ superhero films that I’ve missed in the past 10 or so years. Watch a superhero film.
20. This has more than likely been a prompt before, but I have to dedicate a day to the mental man himself. Today is David Lynch’s birthday! He's one of the first film directors to introduce me to non-conventional storytelling in both film and TV, and really inspired me to venture out of my cinematic comfort zone and watch things that I otherwise might have not. He's also one of the most entertaining filmmakers to watch in interviews. Watch a film directed by him.
21. Africa is the one continent that I haven't yet watched a single film from. Watch any film made or set in Africa.
22. On the same stretch, it's always nice to fall back on familiar faces. Watch a film starring one of your favourite actors that you haven't yet seen.
23. Studio Ghibli make such beautiful and consistently great animated features. I don't think I have disliked a single one of their films. Watch a Studio Ghibli film.
24. Even the best genre of film has a few duds. Watch a film from your favourite genre that has an average rating of 3.0 or below.
25. I love Sofia Coppola’s quaint little films and their unique blends of romance, comedy, mundanity, and genuinely skilled filmmaking. The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation are SO good. Watch a film directed by Sofia Coppola.
26. Road movies are possibly my favourite movie niche. Watch a film that features, or centers around, a road trip.
27. I absolutely love J-horror, and I love scouting out hidden gems within the genre. Watch a J-horror movie.
28. 2021 marked the year that I finally got into Game of Thrones in a big way, only 10 years too late. It's probably the only new TV show I actually binged start to finish all year. To say goodbye to my abysmal 2021 TV track record and wipe the slate clean, watch a film starring any member of the cast of Game of Thrones.
29. I love a good action movie. Watch any action film made in the 1980s.
30. I really want to experience some more pre-1960 cinema. There are so many films now regarded as classics that I'm still yet to see. Watch any film released before 1960.
31. Let's end on a high and take ourselves back home for the end of January. Watch any film that takes place in your home country.