Little Women & 9 Other Movie Recommendations For The Fans Of Light Academia Aesthetic

White linen sheets, flowers, teapots, soft dresses, love for nature – these are some elements that transport one into the bright and lively world of light academia aesthetic. As the opposite of dark academia, light academia aesthetic focuses on lighter themes, visuals, and the simple joys of life.

Unlike dark academia aesthetic, this particular subculture romanticizes the outdoor life, the company of family and friends, the coziness of nature and the weather, and other positive things that bring comfort and bliss. In order to better have a grasp and understanding of this unique lifestyle, here are ten recommended films to check out:

10 Little Women

Little Women follows the lives of the four March sisters—Jo, Beth, Meg, and Amy—and their transition from childhood to adulthood. Written by Louisa May Alcott, the story is loosely based on her life and her three sisters, making it a semi-autobiographical narrative.

The movie oozes with appealing visuals including cinematography, costumes, hairstyles, and set design. Jo dreams of becoming an author; Amy wants to be a painter; Meg likes all things luxurious, and Beth loves to play the piano. It Is an endearing tale of sisterhood full of warmth and love.

9 Pride And Prejudice

Based on Jane Austen’s classic novel, Pride and Prejudice is a story of the five Bennet sisters who are off to marry well-endowed gentlemen. Elizabeth Bennet, the most stubborn of the siblings, met Fitzwilliam Darcy, a boastful aristocrat, and forms a turbulent relationship where they have to conquer the sins of their pride and prejudice.

In this film’s scenic views and exquisite use of language in its dialogues, viewers would immediately feel transported to the 19th-century English countryside. The cast’s costumes and props are all on-point and ladies would definitely wish they could wear those dresses in this modern time.

8 Atonement

Young lovers Cecilia Tallis (played by Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner’s (portrayed by James McAvoy) relationship was tarnished after Cecilia’s younger sister, Briony, made a lie out of jealousy. Her deception brought so much damage that Robbie was sent to prison. The two lovers found their paths towards each other again at the onset of World War II.

Atonement’s underlying theme and message centers around one’s perspective and how it could distort or fix reality. Knightley and McAvoy proved to have the utmost chemistry which made the latter leading man-worthy.

7 Anne Of Green Gables

For children’s films, this movie adaptation of Lucy Maud Montgomery will surely make everyone relive their best childhood memories. This is a sentimental and charming story of an orphan girl who was adopted a family and brought an unforgettable adventure in their lives.

The film oozes with good philosophies about growing up and learning to accept ourselves, including mistakes and flaws. Anne teaches the viewers that committing errors won’t make one a bad person. It is only a matter of perspective and how they assimilate those lessons in life. This film is definitely recommended for all ages.

6 The Age Of Innocence

In this so-called romantic film, The Age of Innocence follows the lives of a lawyer engaged to a socialite in New York City. But when the fiancée’s cousin, a countess, arrives and meddles with their lives, the lawyer finds himself attracted to the countess. Fans might say this is quite a usual plot but the themes and exemplified cast make it all worth it.

One of the main focuses in the movie is the depiction of familial anthropology which is quite an interesting topic for light academia aesthetic fans. Anything about family and kinship is precious to them.

5 Anna Karenina

If the audience fancy Russian literature then Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina is a must-watch. The story centers around the extramarital affair between Anna and a cavalry officer. When their secret relationship was discovered, Anna’s husband offers her a tough choice: go to exile with her lover and never see her son, or stay in the family and abide by the rules.

The luscious opulence of 19th century Russia paired with the breathtaking view of St. Petersburg and the heart-wrenching tragic story of love and loss will always leave the audience to crave for more.

4 Sense And Sensibility

One of the sister aesthetics of light academia is cottagecore, which is simply the appreciation of the countryside life. In this movie, the lead moves to a cottage in Devonshire after their family experienced financial problems due to their father’s death. The rural area is filled with luscious greenery and a majestic view of the ocean.

This is basically a romance movie but aside from the usual ropes of its narrative and predictable plots, the viewers could appreciate the simplicity of their costumes, the lovely soundtracks, and the overall ambiance of the film.

3 Emma

For the loyal fans of Jane Austen, this novel turned movie is quite a popular title among the author’s roster of literary works. Most of Austen’s novels feature the Regency Era of England and the twists and turns of love.

In this comedy-drama movie, it stars Anya Taylor-Joy (popularly known from Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit) as Emma Woodhouse, the rich and precocious queen bee of a sleepy town, who has a knack for matchmaking and interfering with her friends’ lives. The film displays a copious amount of scenic backgrounds and lavish estates filled with hues of pastels and everything sunshine.

2 Call Me By Your Name

Set somewhere in northern Italy, this film transcends all barriers and transforms love into this warm and bitter summer feeling. Elio lives in a 17th-century villa in a small town called Lombardy with beautiful nooks and crannies straight out of an indie film.

Oliver, an apprentice of Elio’s father arrives at their home to work on his internship. The two formed a friendship that turned into something extraordinary and changed their entire lives over the course of summer. This English-Italian film will surely make fans relive their favorite summer romances.

1 Far From The Madding Crowd

In this classic tale by Thomas Hardy, a story set in 1870 Britain features Bathsheba Everdene working on her aunt’s farm and meeting a farmer named Gabriel Oak who later asked her hand for marriage. The woman refused, and this continues to bring them contrasting fortunes to one another.

Movies set in farmlands with lush greeneries and forests are part of the cottagecore aesthetic which is closest to light academia. The lightness of the story and the strange ambiance it gives will certainly make the audience feel at ease while watching.