Happy Monday!
We’re taking a tiny break from Anthony’s Balls this week, but don’t worry - lots of new content is being cooked up in the lab! (Make sure you are following anthonysballs.mov on Instagram and TikTok).
I couldn’t resist talking about a debate that Adrien and I speak of quite often: why some people watch the same movies or shows over and over, while others chase something new every single time. It’s a bigger question than it sounds and it isn’t really about movies, it’s about risk, mood, and how much control we want over our own evenings.
I’ve split these kinds of people up into two categories:
Comfort Movie Son knows exactly what he’s getting. He presses play on Shrek, Harry Potter, or an old favourite episode of The Office because he already knows how it hits. There’s no anxiety, no chance of regret, no “why did I pick this?” mid-way through. It’s predictable and safe, and let’s be honest, sometimes that’s exactly what you want after a long day. There’s a reason people go back to these comfort picks: they deliver the feelings you want, every single time.
New Movie Daughter, on the other hand, thrives on risk. She scrolls endlessly, hoping the next pick is brilliant, fully aware it could also be a total waste of two hours. There’s suspense and uncertainty. There’s that thrill when a random pick actually lands perfectly. That moment of discovery, when a film surprises you, unsettles you, or makes you rethink something, is addictive. And yes, sometimes it’s boring, confusing, or just plain bad, but the risk is the whole point.
Here’s the kicker: most people think one is “better” than the other when they are really not. They’re just optimizing for different outcomes. Comfort Movie Son wants certainty while New Movie Daughter wants possibility. One avoids disappointment and the other embraces it as the price of adventure.
And here’s the real test: most of us say we’re the second type, but after 10 minutes of scrolling, we go right back to what we already know works. There’s a reason these old favourites exist, they’re comforting, reliable, almost like a warm blanket for your brain.
Adrien and I discuss this quite often as I like to lean into genres and films that I would consider comfortable, but that’s not to say I don’t like experiencing new cinema to expand my palette. Adrien believes that although there are some greats that deserve rewatching, it’s better to learn more from new films and take those risks more often. In the end, we’re both happy and perhaps not so different.
So, which one are you tonight? The safe bet, the guaranteed feeling, the warm nostalgia of Comfort Movie Son? Or are you willing to gamble, scroll past hundreds of titles, and roll the dice on New Movie Daughter, chasing that rare thrill of discovering something unforgettable? If you need some recommendations, we post our weekly ones at the bottom of each newsletter :)
All that to say, we’re excited to make Anthony’s Balls your new comfort film that deserves as many rewatches as many times as we show balls on screen. Which is a lot.
Till next week friends,
Pat and the Marquet Films Team
MOVIE (SHOW?) OF THE WEEK:
Pat Recommends: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Adrien Recommends (bending the rules): How To With John Wilson (2020)