Water…it’s such a common commodity yet we couldn’t live without it. Perhaps because of its vital nature, there have been many films made about water, or featuring water, as the central theme. Whether a romance or a drama, pictures with water as a central character are fairly common and most of them critically acclaimed. Here is a recap of a few of the most popular cinema features of recent years; you may want to add one or more to your list of must-watch films.

Water (2005)

This picture takes place in the 1940s in the cultural capital of India, Varanasi. The action follows a group of impoverished widows who are all living in the same ashram. One of the widows, who is only seven years old, rails against the social restrictions of women in her situation and over time falls in love with a man who is from the highest Indian caste as well as a follower of Gandhi. The water is a river that represents freedom from their oppression. This Canadian film won 13 awards including the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film 2007.

Like Water For Chocolate (1992)

This Mexican film relates the romance between main characters Tita and Pedro, who are in love with each other but forbidden to marry. Set in the last century, it depicts the strict social mores of the time. The film’s title refers to a Mexican expression that relates the inferiority of something because a hot chocolate drink can be made with milk and thus taste rich, or water, which dilutes the flavour. It can also refer to the passion between two lovers. In this picture, based on a debut novel by Laura Esquivel, it probably references both meanings. It earned 11 awards from the Mexican Academy of Motion Pictures.

Water For Elephants (2011)

A travelling circus is the setting for this romantic drama. It takes place during America’s Great Depression and follows a veterinary student as he gains employment with the circus to heal the show’s star performing horse. He also enters a dangerous love triangle involving the cruel circus owner’s wife. The film’s title refers to the protagonist’s duties in caring for the elephant who takes the place of the horse as the show’s star. Although it received mixed reviews, this picture won three major awards.

Lady in the Water (2006)

This mystery/thriller was written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It focuses on the superintendent of a complex of flats who rescues a young woman from the swimming pool. Later he discovers that she isn’t what she seems and he must rescue her again from creatures determined to keep her in the “Blue World” of stories from whence she came. Critics loathed the movie and it was actually voted as the Worst Film of 2006.

These films featuring water in the titles and plot lines are just a handful of those you may wish to watch if you are intrigued by water. Whether you prefer a mystery, a romance, or a drama, you will find plenty of pictures based on water in addition to the ones outlined here. Why not rent a handful this weekend and enjoy your own water cinema marathon?

Damien Higgins writes for Eden Springs, the UK’s No. 1 bottled water cooler supplier. Eden Springs office coolers provide a refreshing drink at work.