Sama Farrag I’d like to think that most of my childhood memories are intact. I can look at pictures from 2006 and remember the exact moment they were taken. I can get a whiff of a strawberry scented candle and immediately pinpoint where I’ve smelled it before (Strawberry Shortcake lip gloss in the Mcdonalds Happy Meal toy, hello!). I grew up in that grey area between the Millennial era and Gen Z, where I can’t really identify as fully one nor the other: so I experienced the best of both worlds. I had cassette tapes and a rotary phone, but I also had a tumblr account and a rose-gold Iphone 6s.
The one thing I remember the most is VHS tapes. Nothing will ever replicate the feeling of waking up on a Friday morning, drinking my chocolate milk, and popping in a tape to watch a movie while my family was still asleep. According to my mother, the first ever VHS tape I owned was Tarzan (which, fun fact, came out 5 days before I was born). And while I don’t necessarily recall the first time I watched it, I do fully recall the way it felt. The grainy quality of the tape, the gentle sunlight seeping in through the curtains, and Phil Collins blasting through the TV.
So, in honor of that very niche kind of nostalgia, here’s a list of semi-niche animated films that take me back to 2004 and make me want to stay there.
Spirit
Starting off with what is probably the strongest contender on this list. Spirit is one of those movies that touches a person’s soul, and definitely gets better with age. I am reduced to a puddle of tears every time I watch it. Bryan Adams’ soundtrack is just the cherry on top.
Anastasia
Blatant tsarist propaganda that I ate up every single time. I’m still dying for the blue sparkly dress she wears in the third act.
Tarzan
My crème de la crème. As a child, I used to tell people my name was Jane. It was that serious. The soundtrack? Phil Collins’ magnum opus.
Lilo & Stitch
“Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” And that’s all I have to say about it.
Treasure planet
This is one of those if-you-know-you-knows. I think this might be the second- most niche entry on this list, and is most definitely severely underrated.
Shrek
Every single person I know can quote at least one line from this movie against their will. “Do you know the Muffin Man? The Muffin man? The Muffin Man!!” is my go-to. All Star by Smashmouth during the opening scene goes down in pop culture history.
Sinbad
Another criminally underrated entry. I was fully convinced the pirate life was the coolest thing imaginable because of this movie. The Greek mythology, the ships, and Eris casually existing as the hottest animated villain ever created.
Ice Age
I forgot how weirdly emotional this movie was until I rewatched it recently. Who can forget about Manny’s tragic backstory, and having a shameful and slightly disconcerting crush on Diego (yes, the sabertooth.)
Pocahontas
Last but certainly not least, the historically inaccurate and heavily romanticized but still manages to warm you up inside Pocahontas. Colors of The Wind is top 10 on my Spotify Wrapped every year.
Maybe that’s why comfort films stick with us the way they do. They’re not just movies — they’re timestamps. Tiny portals back to living rooms with chunky TVs, pajama mornings, cereal bowls balanced on our knees, and that very specific feeling of being a child with absolutely nowhere to be.
So this Eid, while everyone else is out, I’ll probably be hunkering down with a comfort movie, something sweet to drink, and a dangerous amount of nostalgia. The real question is: what are you pressing play on?
