Filling the Space: Clue Is the Perfect Rainy Day Movie

Clue movie still featured all the characters looking at something.

[Filling the Space is a flexible column where our writers could vent, deconstruct, and work their way around the emotions brought on by TV, films, books, music, and key moments in pop culture. This isn’t meant to be analytical, but instead, a way for us to explore our feelings.]

When it comes to rainy day movies, I have two frequent contenders: Pride and Prejudice 2005 or Clue. They’re so vastly different, but in my brain, they both make sense. (It actually doesn’t. There’s no logical reason.) However, with the spooky season right around the corner, it’s an appropriate time to remind people that Clue is best when it’s pouring outside and you have a cup of tea (wine or whatever drink of choice) in hand. It hits different.

While murder isn’t exactly a cozy concept, Clue as a film is. The large estate, the pouring rain outside, and the hilariously chaotic characters make the film an exemplary whodunnit. It’s about the vibes™️. And Clue very much has rainy day vibes. Bonus point if there’s thunder and lightning.

Personally, I think a lot of this also has to do with the fact that Clue is somewhat of a period piece. Sure, it’s a cliched version, but it still provides the exact type of escape most people are looking for when they turn to a period piece. We aren’t living in 2024 for a beat, but we’re transported. This is part of the appeal in Clue on top of the forced proximity, which generally adds a layer of coziness within the property line, even when there’s animosity inside. And said animosity is harmless in movies like this because the bickering distracts from real-life issues, even when rooted in authentic troubles.

There’s also something about how whodunnits tame the gruesome elements in murders, vastly differentiating them from slasher films. It’s knowing that the good guys prevail in the end, which makes it easier to rewatch when we already know the ending. Plus, with Clue specifically, the coziness has much to do with the board game many of us grew up with and still adore. The same vibe is present in the film, which oddly works even when it doesn’t take itself seriously.

So, put on Clue next time it’s raining where you are. The vibes are different, cozier, and far better. There’s a reason we appreciate this film far more today than people did when it initially came out. Much of it can also be tied to nostalgia or because the jokes are still so quotable and hilarious. Either way, it’s a good time.