Nerd Out Trend

Hey and welcome to 'diaryofanoverthinker. Today, I’m diving into the “You Need to Nerd Out” trend — but with a twist. Instead of just listing the things I’d include, I’m going to go into immense detail about why they matter to me. Because let’s be honest: I can’t just list them. That would be too simple for the overthinker in me and I mean this is a blog.

For anyone who hasn't seen it, the “You Need to Nerd Out” TikTok trend is all about celebrating the things you're super passionate about — usually niche interests, hobbies, fandoms, or really specific areas of knowledge that light you up inside.

Now, I’ve seen a lot of comments on these videos saying things like, “This isn’t nerdy,” and then praising ones about coding or science with, “Finally someone did this trend right.” So before I get into mine, I just want to say some of the things I include here might not seem traditionally nerdy or “on brand” for the trend. But they’re things I genuinely love — things that people have sometimes called nerdy about me — and honestly, that’s enough for me.

Now that all that is out of the way (because I think this has been my longest intro ever) sit back, relax and enjoy me yapping about my interests.

Shows/Movies

So I'm going to start with shows or movies that have been considered nerdy or people have joked I'm a nerd because I love them.

Free Willy

So, the first thing I have to include is Free Willy. I watched it for the first time when I was really young, and I still remember that it was one of the few movies I ever cried for — but also how much I loved it. I also remember my dad teasing me afterward, saying, “You’re such a nerd,” which honestly just made me love it more.

I rewatched it recently, and guess what? I still love it. Like, it’s genuinely one of my all-time favourite movies. There’s something about it — the story, the connection between Jesse and Willy or something that I just love.

I seriously think Free Willy deserves to be talked about way more than it is. It’s emotional, nostalgic, and just so good. If loving it makes me a nerd, then so be it.

Dead Poets Society

Okay, this one? I can definitely see why people call it nerdy — and honestly, fair enough. It’s also a bit older, so I totally get why my friends tease me about liking it. But the moment Ted and Barney mentioned it in How I Met Your Mother, I was like: yep, confirmed — this is 100% a nerd movie. And let’s be real, Barney is the biggest nerd ever.

But despite the teasing, I love this movie. It’s so deep and angsty, yet somehow manages to stay light-hearted at the same time — and I don’t even know how or why that works, but it just does. And it made me love it even more. It’s one of those rare movies/books that sticks with you. I rewatch it all the time, and I probably always will.

And don’t even get me started on Todd. He’s so relatable. I love how he slowly comes out of his shell as the story progresses — the quiet, observant character who’s way smarter than people realize because he never tries to show off. That’s one of my absolute favourite character types in any movie or book. And when he stood up in front of the class and came up with that poetry on the spot? Chills. That scene was everything.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Again, I get why people call this one nerdy — but honestly, I don’t think it should be. This is one of those rare movies that makes you feel like a completely new person by the time the credits roll. It's raw, emotional, and deeply human.

Charlie, as a character, means so much to me. He’s another example of that quiet, observant, smart type — the kind of person no one really sees until he starts to come out of his shell. I’ve always related to that. He made me feel so seen, and not in a cliché way, but in a genuinely personal, emotional way.

And the fact that he’s a bookworm and loves writing? That hit deep for me for obvious reasons. It wasn’t just a character trait — it felt like a mirror. Those were the parts of him I saw the most of myself in.

This movie is easily one of the best coming-of-age movies I’ve ever watched — and of course, the book is even better. The letter format adds this whole other layer of intimacy that just makes the story hit harder. Honestly, I could go on about it for hours — and maybe one day I will. A whole blog post dedicated to it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Se7en

Okay, I wouldn’t call this one nerdy at all — it’s just one of those movies I can go on and on about for hours in excruciating detail because I’ve seen it so many times. Like, I basically know it off by heart at this point.

This was the movie that got me into thrillers, and it’ll always have a special place in my heart because of that. It was genuinely so good — full of twists I absolutely did not see coming. Movies just don’t hit the same way anymore, but this one? This one was something else.

Spoiler alert — if you haven’t seen the movie, you might want to skip this paragraph!

One detail I obsess over every single time is the intro. It’s so well done — they show the blades and someone cutting off their fingerprints, which is literally a huge hint about why they couldn’t track him down. Like?? That detail gives me chills every time I remember it. It’s so subtle but so smart.Also I just love the intro because its super cool.

And then there’s John Doe’s journal — the fact that they actually created it, fully written out, filled with disturbing, intricate detail? It added this terrifying realism that made the entire serial killer vibe feel way too real… and I loved every second of it.I also lowkey want that journal but it's probably never gonna happen.

Spiderman (specifically Andrew Garfield's one)

Nobody — and I mean nobody — can deny that Spider-Man is the ultimate superhero for every science nerd out there. He’s literally a high school kid who loves science, builds his own tech, and fights crime in between solving equations. Like, come on. Peak nerd energy.

Also, full disclosure: it’s the only superhero movie I’ve ever really gotten into — but I love it so much. And yes, I’m specifically talking about The Amazing Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man? Absolute perfection. He’s the best Spidey argue with the wall.

Stranger Things

Even though this show is super popular and a lot of people watch it, let’s be real — it’s definitely a nerd show. And I absolutely love it. Like, I was hooked from the beginning, but Season 3? That was peak TV. Still, every single season had something I adored.

Any show that references Dungeons & Dragons automatically earns my respect. I’ve never actually played it — not for lack of trying, I just don’t have anyone to play with — but we all know it’s the ultimate nerd game. So yeah, major points for that.

But what truly sealed the deal for me was the science. The amount of actual science woven into the show? Respect for life. I can't emphasize enough how much I appreciate that. It's smart, funny, emotional, and full of references that make the inner nerd in me feel seen.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

No one — and I mean no one — can convince me otherwise: this is the ultimate nerd show. It’s so painfully underrated it honestly hurts. Like, how are more people not obsessed with this?

The entire show was phenomenal. From the storytelling to the characters to the little details that most people probably missed — I valued every second of it. I haven’t read the books (yet), but I already know they’re amazing too. You can just tell there’s so much depth to this world.

This show? I will never get over it. Ever. Words barely do justice to how much I loved it. It was clever, emotional, intense — everything I want in a show. Honestly though my favourite part is the intro and no one can change my mind.

ok theres a lot more but these are the main ones and I still have other areas to cover so I'm going to stop here.

So I was going to do other genres but honestly this feels a bit lengthy so I'm going to stop here and make a part 2 next week that'll consist of things like books, true crime, other general things, clothes, characters/comfort character, school things etc.

Anyways thank you for reading my yap session and I really hope you're as excited as me for next weeks blog.

Until next time

Byeee<333