Credit: Netflix

Oh, don’t we all just hate Sunday evenings. Thinking about that anxious feeling that creeps in after 6 pm, when the weekend starts slipping away, and the thought of Monday comes back to mind, makes most of us nauseous. But that’s where Netflix comes into play, because it’s the only place where you can reach out for a film that lets you forget about that anxiety for a few hours.

But what exactly do you want in those few hours? Not noise, of course, because you are going to get plenty of that the next day, but also not something you’ll forget as soon as it ends. And hence, this week’s pick is Scent of a Woman.

Released in 1992 and directed by Martin Brest, Scent of a Woman follows Charlie Simms (Chris O’Donnell), a scholarship student trying to keep his place in an elite prep school while dealing with financial pressure. And that leads him to take up a Thanksgiving job that seems simple at first but turns into something far more intense when he meets Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade.

When we meet Frank Slade, played by Al Pacino, we don’t like him at first because he makes things very difficult instantly. He is this rude guy who is clearly angry about his situation, but you realise that every scene with him is going to matter.

Now think about this for a second: what happens when someone as careful and morally aware as Charlie is placed in constant proximity to someone who challenges everything? Pretty contrasting, right? Nothing about this is simple anymore.

As the two spend time together in New York City, their dynamic begins to evolve, and you see it happen gradually. Charlie starts to understand Frank beyond the surface, while Frank, in his own manner, begins to respond to Charlie’s presence in ways he doesn’t openly admit.

And then you realise that it wasn’t just about a weekend job; it was about two people at completely different stages of life, both facing decisions that define who they are.

At the same time, Charlie’s situation at school keeps building in the background, and you can feel it getting closer and closer to a breaking point until it all comes down to that one disciplinary hearing. So, think about it for a second: what do you do when you are asked to protect your future by giving up what you believe in? Because that’s exactly where Charlie finds himself, and the choice he makes in that room isn’t just about what happens next; it’s about who he decides to be.

It all comes down to one question, and that’s whether you protect your future or your principles. Because that’s where things change in the film, we’ll leave the rest on you.

Most of you have watched it before, but there’s no bad time to revisit this classic.

So the next time that Sunday evening starts feeling depressing and you are deciding what to watch, ask yourself what you actually want from that time, because if you’re looking for something that stays with you, Scent of a Woman is exactly where you should land.