As Sagittarius Season sizzles out, the sun moves into Capricorn bright and early on December 21, staying there until January 19. Coffee in hand and thinking cap on tight, this is a sign that means business—at least from nine to five. After five, it’s a whole different ballgame. Capricorn Season is the time of celebrations, but it’s also when many of us set goals, organize calendars, and reach for the stars.
Naturally, Capricorns have mastered the art of pivoting from the festivities in December to the seriousness of January. These ten movies will help channel that signature energy as you sashay away from your celebrations and into a world of endless possibilities.
Carol (2015)
Since the sign officially marks Christmas, there have to be a few holiday movies on this watchlist. In 2015, Capricorn director Todd Haynes gifted the world a queer Christmas miracle with Carol. The film is an adaptation of “The Price of Salt” by fellow Capricorn and author Patricia Highsmith. In 1950s New York City, a shopgirl unexpectedly catches the attention of a wealthy, older woman, Carol (Cate Blanchett). A quiet forbidden romance unfolds against the pastel red-and-green backdrop of Christmas past.
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
One more festive film to watch this season is the other Jimmy Stewart Christmas movie, The Shop Around the Corner. Six years before he starred in that other wonderful holiday film, Stewart was busy in an enemies-to-lovers story set in Budapest. Anonymous pen pals fall in love through long letters; however, those same two people can’t stand each other at the gift shop where they both work. Sound familiar? It’s based on the same 1930s play that inspired modern-day rom-coms like You’ve Got Mail (1998). As known workaholics and career ladder-climbers, Capricorn Season loves to see a workplace romance hard at work.
Strange Days (1995)
Dodge those post-Christmas blues by immersing yourself in a futuristic, turn-of-the-century technothriller this New Year’s Eve. Strange Days, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, stars Capricorn actor Ralph Fiennes as Lenny, an illegal dealer of dream-recording devices. Lenny attempts to infiltrate an underground criminal ring while his former partner, Mace, played by Angela Bassett—who, yes, did the damn thing—struggles to protect him while emotional tension builds between them. Dripping with dark ‘90s neo-noir elements and Bigelow’s signature intensity, Strange Days will keep you awake and on the edge of your seat far past midnight.
Whiplash (2014)
If you’re having whiplash going from December’s holiday cheer to the bleak dregs of January, then boy, do I have the movie for you. As a Capricorn, Damien Chazelle knows a thing or two about perfectionism and ambition. Whiplash showcases that never-ending strive to reach your “full potential” in Chazelle’s story of a student studying music under a cutthroat teacher. Chazelle created an all-time cinematic villain in fellow Capricorn J.K. Simmons as Terence Fletcher, the instructor who hurls abuse at every beat of the drum. It’s one of the best portrayals of the fine line between ambition and obsession.
Working Girl (1988)
For a lighter shade of workaholic, visit a Mike Nichols classic, Working Girl. Melanie Griffith stars as Tess, an up-and-coming ‘80s career woman, working her way to the top. After being undercut by her boss (Sigourney Weaver), who then has an accident and is out on leave, Tess takes the initiative to prove her talents to the company. A potential business partner, Jack (Harrison Ford), simultaneously supports her career moves and thwarts them after the three end up in a workplace love triangle. With just the right amount of camp and comedy, Working Girl is a light-hearted look at the challenges of an ambitious career woman.
American Psycho (2000)
Back to the extreme end of the spectrum, a workaholic-turned-serial-killer just screams “Capricorn” to me. Watching American Psycho will scratch that horror itch, plus there’s a Christmas scene! Besides the bloody killings, there’s some serious silliness in this film. Director Mary Harron, a Capricorn, brought a satirical approach to the source material, turning American Psycho into a commentary on capitalism and a feminist critique of toxic masculinity.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)
The biggest giveaway that Steven Soderbergh is a Capricorn is that he never stops working. As of writing this, he’s directed over 30 films in about 35 years of working. There’s no better way to celebrate his body of work than with his directorial debut and the film that kickstarted the indie film boom of the ‘90s. In a catalogue as big as Soderbergh’s, it’s hard to be the standout film, but that’s exactly what his debut Sex, Lies, and Videotape is.
The film is an exploration of the taboo nature of sex, infidelity, and voyeurism. Graham (James Spader) brings his prying VHS camera to suburban Baton Rouge, where he attempts to crack open the hardshelled housewife Ann (Andie MacDowell). The two become entangled with Ann’s husband and sister in a web of sex, lies, and—you guessed it—videotape. Soderbergh was only twenty-five years old when he wrote Sex, Lies, and Videotape. If that doesn’t motivate you going into the New Year, I’m not sure what will.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
The last three films on this list are three of the greatest directors of all time, who all fall under the sign of Capricorn. It’s no surprise that some of the most prolific creatives in the industry were born under this hardworking sign. First up, everyone’s favorite builder of magical worlds: Hayao Miyazaki. While any of his films would make for great Capricorn Season viewing material, one stands out as a bit more in line with the sign: My Neighbor Totoro.
One of Miyazaki’s most iconic works, Totoro has become one of the most popular figures in anime and even serves as the logo for Studio Ghibli. The loveable creature symbolizes childhood imagination and acts as a sort of guardian. Capricorns are the “fathers” of the zodiac. Their grounded, determined spirit makes them natural leaders, pioneering forces, and protectors. In the film, Totoro protects two young girls as they deal with moving homes, an ailing mother, and the hardships of growing up.
8½ (1963)
Next up in the list of legendary Capricorn filmmakers is Federico Fellini. After the success of his film La Dolce Vita, Fellini reflected on his career. Looking inward, for his next feature, he created a self-reflexive meta-text about his life as a director, a dissection of the creative process, and the ultimate movie-within-a-movie narrative. In 8½, Fellini lets us into his world through the eyes of Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni), a director struggling with his latest film. In a string of farcical scenes, dreamlike sequences, and meditations on the director’s life, 8½ offers a glimpse into the mind of one of cinema’s greats in an inimitable feat of a film.
The Straight Story (1999)
Lastly, the late, great David Lynch created a singular body of work that was strange, surreal, and subversive. However, the one that stands out among the others is his 1999 Disney film The Straight Story—and it is arguably the only straight story Lynch ever told. Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) might not have been a Capricorn, but he had the willpower and tenacity of one. Based on a true story, Straight sets out to drive his lawnmower across Iowa to Wisconsin.
Straight is old, in poor health, and isn’t allowed to hold a driver’s license due to his failing eyesight. Nevertheless, when his brother in Wisconsin suffers from a stroke, he sets out on his lawnmower for the 240-mile voyage. Out of all of his films, The Straight Story is the most Capricorn film Lynch ever made. It’s about the sheer determination of one man to do what he feels is right, despite what anyone else thinks, allowing himself to enjoy life’s little pleasures along the way—something that could be said of Alvin Straight or David Lynch.
List and Feature Image Courtesy of Kasey Dunifer