For every young adult who prefers thriller films, fantasy films, and slasher films, there is one who loves period films just as much. Period films have the awe-inducing ability to transport the viewer into different decades, and immerse him or her into a completely different culture from what we know today. Viewers can learn about the architecture, clothing, and etiquette from any time period since the beginning of history, and the best part is that you never realize you’re actually learning. Read below to find a film in the one, or two, or three categories you like best!

If You Like Family Friendly Films:

• Anne of Green Gables (1985, 1987, 2000)
  • Spunky Anne is an orphan who comes to Prince Edward Island to live with brother-sister pair Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Anne’s imagination and her ability to always get into trouble propel the story of her transition from child to young woman, and the world of Green Gables would not be complete without a cast of characters who make it funny, heartfelt, and memorable.
• The Love Comes Softly Series (2003 - 2011)
  • Focusing on multiple generations of the Davis family, the eight film series (along with three prequels) give a glimpse into the life of Pioneers in 1800s America. From the town of Anderson’s Corner to the Wild West, these stories are filled with excitement, romance, and the family’s ongoing faith in God despite all of their struggles.
• Ballet Shoes (2007)

• Set in 1930s England, three adoptive sisters pursue their dreams of becoming an actress, aviator, and ballerina amidst their financial hardships. When their grandfather disappears while travelling, their adoptive mother, Garnie, opens the home as a boarding house to make extra income. The family is joined by two professors, a dance instructor, and a mechanic, sparking new opportunities for the girls and Garnie. (Ladies, this one is perfect to watch with a little sister!)

If You're Into Classics:

• Pride and Prejudice (1995 and 2005)
  • Jane Austen’s classic tale of five sisters and their hunt for a “man in possession of a large fortune” (which is driven by their wealth-obsessed mother), has captivated audiences for hundreds of years. Beautiful Jane, intuitive Elizabeth, realistic Mary, kind Kitty, and manipulative Lydia experience love, disappointments, stand-offish suitors, and the possible ruin of their family in Regency England.

• Sense and Sensibility (1995 and 2008)

• Eleanor and Marianne Dashwood find themselves destitute and their lives invaded after their father’s death, when his son, the heir, and his family move into the Dashwood home. The girls, their mother, and their younger sister are quite put out until the arrival of some handsome strangers brightens their prospects, and both Eleanor and Marianne must learn to evenly delegate their sense and sensibility in order to navigate their tumultuous love lives.

• Little Women (1994)

• Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are four girls growing up in Concord, Massachusetts with their mother and housekeeper, while their father fights in America’s Civil War. The sisters perform Jo’s plays as a means of escaping their everyday lives, which are turned upside down by the introduction of Theodore “Laurie” Lawrence, their next-door neighbor, who is soon inducted into their group. As the girls grow, viewers share in their sorrows, joys, and loves in this beautiful story, based on Louisa May Alcott’s own life.

If You Love History and Culture:

• Downton Abbey (2010 - 2015)

• The television series that took the world by storm, Downton Abbey is perfect for anyone fascinated by the British social hierarchy. The series focuses on the Grantham family and their servants, who live in the grandiose Downton Abbey castle. Scandal, tea time, beautiful costumes, and twisting plot lines for characters both upstairs and downstairs will hold your attention until the very end.

• The Paradise (2012 - 2013)

• • Set in 1870s England, this show gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of the owners and workers of England’s first department store, dubbed The Paradise. A far cry from department stores today, the show’s protagonist, Denise, works in the ladies’ department, fitting customers and modeling different dresses. She catches the eye of her employer, much to the disdain of some of the other ladies, and the streets of the English town experience the phenomenon, and consequences, of the booming store.
• Mercy Street (2016 - )

• • Living in a Virginia city torn between Northern and Southern convictions during the Civil War, the Green family’s hotel is turned into a hospital for Union soldiers. As the characters face power struggles and the effects of war on the Home Front, tensions rise between the two sides and everyone must question what they believe. (WARNING: This program does show quite a bit of graphic surgeries, blood, and gore