Whether it’s about a high school reunion, returning home from a long absence, caring for a loved one or just going home on a whim, films about being home again can evoke a lot of nostalgia, angst or both. For these characters thrust into their old worlds again, audiences can be reminded of their own hometowns where the memories linger.

“Cinema Paradiso” (1988) — When Italian filmmaker Salvatore Di Vita (Jacques Perrin) learns that his childhood mentor has died, he recalls his life spent at the Cinema Paradiso, his hometown movie theater, as a young boy (played by Salvatore Cascio) enamored with movies, then as a young man (played by Marco Leonardi) who dreamed of making them. A love letter to filmmaking and the power it can have as well as an homage to traditional movie theaters, which right now are having a rough time again, it’s a fitting time to revisit the Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film. Stream it on HBO Max or rent it from Amazon Prime, iTunes or Vudu.

“Grosse Pointe Blank” (1997) — A fun twist on the traditional high school reunion-based movie with John Cusack starring as hitman Martin Blank who takes a break from killing after a failed assignment and returns to his hometown for his 10-year high school reunion. While there he runs into his old girlfriend (Minnie Driver) who he stood up at the prom. Meanwhile, another hit has been scheduled but Martin begins to reexamine his life and the choices he’s made. Rent it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu and YouTube.

”Garden State” (2004) — A favorite for high school “weird” kids upon its release, it’s now like a time capsule of mid-2000s angst and storytelling. Does it hold up? Not really, it’s pretty cringy and has a very much stereotypical “indie” plot. Does it mean you should rewatch/watch it? Sure! Written, directed and starring Zach Braff as plays Andrew Largeman, a man living his life on a plethora of prescribed medications to help with mood swings and depression, but the pill cocktail leaves him numb to the world. When his mother dies, he flies back to New Jersey to attend her funeral and also ends up catching up with his high school friends and meets compulsive liar and standard manic pixie dream girl Sam (Natalie Portman), whom he falls for as he slowly comes out of his pill-induced haze and begins to see things clearly for the first time. Stream it on Starz or rent it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

”Hook” (1991) — The Robin Williams-led classic fantasy explains what would have happened if Peter Pan grew up. Well, it turns out he becomes a career-obsessed and somewhat absent father. But when his own kids are taken in one night and it turns out the infamous Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) is the culprit, he is taken back to Neverland to rescue them and reminding us all that you don’t have to completely grow up when you grow up. Stream it on Showtime or rent it Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

”Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) — More than just returning home, the very ’80s style romance goes another step and returns its protagonist Peggy Sue Bodell (Kathleen Turner) back 25 years in the past to relive her high school days in 1960. She jumps at the chance to try and change the things that she ended up regretting, like marrying her high school beau (Nicolas Cage) after she gets pregnant, but she finds that changing the past is much more complicated than she thinks. Rent it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

”The Royal Tenenbaums” (2001) — While director Wes Anderson had been making quirky indie-dramedies before, “The Royal Tenenbaums” really got him on the radar of more mainstream cinema followers. When patriarch Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) tells his family he has cancer, his genius children (Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson and Gwyneth Paltrow), who are all in a post-success slump, and his ex-wife (Anjelica Huston), who’s soon to remarry, flock to him again. More dramatic than Anderson’s recent ventures, the plot twists and turns dealing with weighty subjects while still having those Andersonian eccentricities that he is now known for. Stream it on Amazon Prime or rent it from Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

”Young Adult” (2011) — The dark dramedy sparked a lot of buzz on its release for it’s star Charlize Theron and its blunt depiction of the prolonged adolescence that many young adults find themselves in. Theron stars as Mavis Gary, a 37-year-old YA novel ghostwriter who lives her days in a half-drunken (or at least hungover) pattern where she simply goes through the motions of a normal adult-ish life. When she gets word that her high school boyfriend has had a baby, she travels to her mid-size home town to try and win him back. Her plan is devious, and her personality is toxic and when paired with a dour Patton Oswalt as Matt she slowly begins to unveil her truth and her inner demons. Both performances are heartbreaking and the script is surprisingly good from Diablo Cody. Stream it on Amazon Prime or rent it from Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.