She is walking down the street—coffee in one hand, AirPods in, the La La Land soundtrack blasting through her ears. She smiles at everyone she passes, effortlessly glowing, while her best friend trails behind, snapping the most aesthetic photos for her Instagram.

The post goes live and it immediately blows up. Comments flood in: “Your life looks like a movie!!”

Well, that’s the point.

This is the essence of main character energy—an aesthetic rising rapidly across social media, inspiring people to romanticize their everyday lives as if they are the superstars of their own cinematic universe.

What Is Main Character Energy?

Main character energy is simply when someone feels like they’ve stepped straight out of a movie—confident, quirky, and absolutely central to the story! This trend originated on TikTok but has now spread across the larger platforms and cultures, becoming a lifestyle aspiration.

Everyone loves thinking of an ideal life—and pretending to be in a film. What could be a more whimsical, feel-good way to see the world?

Image Credit: Ayşe Nur Gültekin on Pexels

Curated routines, beautiful clicks, and dramatic experiences are the visible parts of the trend. But beneath that, it is also a tool for practicing self-love, building confidence, and crafting a narrative (as they love to say, fake it till you make it!).

Some say it romanticizes life and makes the most of it, while others criticize it as the newest form of social-media-fueled narcissism.

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How Media Shaped The Fantasy

Aesthetic TikToks with voiceovers, dreamy edits, and cameos from iconic movies were the blueprint of it all. Characters in Lady Bird and Frances Ha embody this energy in all its indie, emotional glory. And of course, Lana Del Rey’s vintage-toned music videos helped define the melancholic but romantic vibe.

The visuals of arthouse cinema—soft filters, golden hour lighting, sad music, and a little chaos—became a template for this aesthetic.

Image Credit: Clément Bonnet on Unsplash

Social media allows anyone to curate highlight reels of their life, making the far-fetched idea of the picture-perfect life accessible. Influencers use this to sell a brand, yes, but, it also gives everyday users incentive to make the most of life and find magic in the mundane: going out for a latte, journaling at sunset, studying at a candlelit desk, or dancing in the rain or even go on a run at the beach.

Fun fact: On Spotify, there is a personalized main character energy playlist like the On Repeat ones called My Life Is A Movie.

The Psychology Behind Romanticising Life

So why are people really doing this?

Well, some of them are bored and like the aesthetics of it, and some are just lonely or emotionally drained. It gives people the opportunity to craft the narrative and feel more in control of their lives which has become increasingly important in the post-COVID era. The narrative nature of this trend helps people understand their lives better or tell the stories of the lives they want and oftentimes for people who might have been overlooked or not necessarily popular, this is their way to really remind themselves of their worth.

The Other Side: Criticisms

While it is generally seen as a positive trend—I mean, after all, pretty pictures and healthy lifestyles? Who doesn’t love that?

Apparently, quite a few people—and they may have a point.

The criticisms of a main character's energy call it out for being performative and inauthentic. Are people really doing all these things or just promoting a pleasing-looking perspective of their lives? Posting things that make people comment about the perfection but doesn’t it just create a new standard of how life “should” look and create another measure that people compare themselves against?

The aesthetic mainly relies on luxury and money because those are the things that are visually appealing which creates a pressure to constantly perform.

My Take on Main Character Energy

I am definitely guilty of getting caught up in the aesthetic. Scroll on my Instagram, I’d be surprised if you didn’t find at least a few main character moments.

However, I’ve realized that it makes me show up for my life. I take the walks. I light the candles and journal. I make the effort—and yes, sometimes I post about it.

Image Credit: cottonbro studio on Pexels

I feel accountable, creative, and just a little more present (and I also like sharing my life with people I know).

But it makes me wonder, am I just showcasing a main character aesthetic aspect of my life? And while it is not untrue, it isn’t the whole truth either.

My thoughts, I think it can help individuals and motivate them but it may foster an unhealthy outlook on life. But also consider why you’re doing it.

Is it to make yourself feel more motivated or is it to just gain online validation?

Romanticism or Reality?

While I think that curating your life like a movie is a great aesthetic, presenting a heavily filtered life in the larger public domain can impact perceptions and expectations of impressionable minds and perhaps impact them negatively. Maybe you don’t need to show everyone how you’re the main character but just feel like one to find joy and meaning in everyday life despite its imperfections.

So yeah, life isn’t a movie. But sometimes, the right soundtrack, a little sunshine, and just enough drama can make it feel like one.