Movies are empathy machines, as Roger Ebert once wrote. The best films allow us to experience emotions we may not have felt otherwise through a particular character’s story. But some movies conjure emotions that we’re actively seeking out. Happiness. Joy. Love. We call these “feel-good movies.” Everybody has their go-to stable of films they return to over and over again when they need a boost — or maybe just an escape.
If you’re looking to expand your horizons beyond whatever’s streaming on Netflix, or if you just need a pick-me-up ASAP, we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ve assembled a list of some of the best feel-good movies to watch when you’re feeling down.
One of the all-time great feel-good movies, Rob Reiner’s “The Princess Bride” endures as the platonic ideal of a romantic fantasy adventure. Carey Elwes stars as the devastatingly charming Westley, the farmboy turned Dread Pirate Roberts, who returns to save his one true love, Buttercup (Robin Wright), before she gets trapped in a dreadful marriage. Presented as a bedtime tale read by a loving grandfather (Peter Falk), “The Princess Bride” truly feels like being wrapped up in the warm embrace of one who loves you and being whisked away to a fairytale land where love is true and good guys prevail. It’s the rare genre hybrid that fulfills every beat – romantic as heck, laugh-out-loud funny and full of swashbuckling adventure – with an all-time great ensemble cast that includes Andre the Giant, Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane. – HF
“The Princess Bride” is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
If you thought the first “Paddington” movie was sweet and heartwarming and cozy as can be, the sequel multiplies those charming elements to an exponential degree. Besides the undeniable charms of our favorite Peruvian bear, his colorful adoptive human family The Browns and all their eccentric neighbors, we get Hugh Grant in possibly his most enjoyable role ever as villain Phoenix Buchanan, a vain, washed-up actor who is defeated only by the ingenuity of the entire Brown family, and Brendan Gleeson as intimidating (but secretly soft) prison cook Knuckles McGinty. Definitely stick around for the delightful end credits sequence.
“Paddington 2” is streaming on Prime Video.
It’s always a great time to revisit Amy Heckerling’s perfect ‘90s comedy, Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) and her fabulous wardrobe, her well-intended matchmaking and, of course, the reminder that, “It does not say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty.” – SK
“Clueless” is streaming on Prime Video and Fubo.
Rom-coms have kept society afloat emotionally for decades. This Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey-led saga ticks all the boxes for a hilarious and heartwarming escape. After pitching a bold advice column exploring the ways a beautiful woman could still drive a man away in 10 days, Andy (Hudson) lures the attention of a man with his own hidden agenda — proving that he can make a woman fall in love with him in the same amount of time. The premise is prime for hilarity, chaos and dead “love ferns” galore. There’s a reason why “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” remains a top rom-com after more than 20 years, so sit back and enjoy the love vibes. — JAB
“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” is streaming on Prime Video and Paramount+.
“National Treasure” is just that – a national treasure. Nothing in this movie has any right to work half as well as it does, but the final product sings and has managed to be the perennial “I stumbled across it on TV and just have to finish it” movie. Nicolas Cage plays Benjamin Franklin Gates – a historian/treasure hunter/expert diver/etc. – who has lived his life in the obsessive pursuit of finding a lost stash of loot connected to his founding father family members. It turns out the biggest clue is hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence and that jumpstarts a caper that is impossible to turn away from or watch without a smile. – JB
“National Treasure” is streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
I mean, it’s all in the title. Who doesn’t love when it’s Friday? Most people do, except for Craig (Ice Cube) who was just fired from his job…on his day off. With nothing but free time, Craig gets wrapped into drama involving his marijuana-addicted best friend Smokey and his drug dealer whom he owes money. While dodging his miscreant kids, an unholy pastor, neighborhood bullies and a disrespectful girlfriend, Craig finds himself in a whirlwind of drama by 12 p.m. – RH
For the rom-com faithful, 1998’s “You’ve Got Mail” is a giant hug of a movie. Nora Ephron’s film stars Tom Hanks as the heir to a big book chain that threatens to put an independent kids book store – owned by Meg Ryan – out of business. The magic of “You’ve Got Mail” is in the complicated relationship between the two: while the characters hate each other in person, they begin connecting anonymously on the world wide web, oblivious to who each person really is. It’s cute, it’s sweet, its technology is hilariously outdated. It’s “You’ve Got Mail.” – AC
Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried, dancing and singing: What more could you want? The entire cast — even Pierce Brosnan — is having the time of their lives in this effervescent staging of the ABBA-inspired musical. It’s packed with your favorite ABBA songs, a sweet central romance and it’s set on a beautiful Greek island. One of the happiest, brightest cinematic escapes where the only real worry is having too many potential fathers. – SK
“Mamma Mia!” is streaming on Max.
Inarguably one of Amanda Bynes’ best films, “She’s The Man” is also one of the best teen movie adaptations of a Shakespearean work (it’s based on “Twelfth Night”). In short, Viola (Bynes) poses as her brother at a new school, trying to earn a spot on the boys soccer team after the girls team at her own school gets cut. Obviously, complications come up when she starts to fall for one of her teammates. Said teammate is a baby Channing Tatum, and though he only refers to it as “a movie about soccer” that he did, it also shaped an entire generation. – AO
“She’s the Man” is streaming on Paramount+.
There is a very real desire, at present, to get away from our own circumstances. And Pixar’s “Luca,” perhaps one of the vaulted animation studio’s most underrated movies, offers a perfect, picturesque vacation from the real world. What makes Enrico Casarosa’s debut feature so special is how low stakes it is; the world is not in jeopardy, humanity does not hang in the balance. Instead, it’s about a couple of adorable sea monsters who wander into a quaint seaside postwar Italian village and want to win a race in order to afford a Vespa. That’s it. The movie has a wonderful, handmade design sensibility that is halfway between an Aardman classic and whatever your favorite Studio Ghibli movie is, and its cuddly design is only matched by its warmhearted tenderness, both between the two main characters (who have rightly been acknowledged as being queer-coded) and between a father figure and one of the monster boys. This is ultimately a movie about acceptance and understanding, two things that we seem in desperately short supply of right now. And if the ending doesn’t provide you with a chance to let out a cathartic sob, then we might have directed you to the wrong movie. – DT
“Luca” is streaming on Disney+.
Nothing says dissociation quite like immersing yourself into a fantasy franchise, and the “Harry Potter” series is just the ticket. Nostalgia-fueled rewatches are like a warm blanket, especially for those who grew up on the books, and the first few films nail the awe and wonder of learning there’s an entire magical world out there just waiting to be discovered. – AC
“Harry Potter” is streaming on Max and Peacock.
If you’re really looking to disappear into a film series for a while, for a certain type of person there’s nothing better than mainlining the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic tale of good vs. evil resonates deeply, and Peter Jackson’s sweeping, immersive and Oscar-winning take on the material is nirvana. If you’re really gonna do this, why not go all-in with the superb Extended Editions? – AC
“The Lord of the Rings” is streaming on Max.
Shakespeare was never this much fun: Julie Stiles is iconic as Kat Stratford, a “heinous bitch” at Padua High School who refuses to date or do anything else people expect of her. Until someone pays Heath Ledger’s equally nonconformist Patrick Verona to take her out. The best soundtrack, snark, and ‘90s-era Seattle romcom for your money. We could quote just about every line, but we keep coming back to the poem Kat writes for Patrick before she bursts into tears and runs out of the room. Because you need a really good cry to make that happy ending even better. And don’t forget the brie. – SK
“10 Things I Hate About You” is streaming on Hulu.
Indie critical darling turned TikTok sensation, “Dinner in America” is worth the hype. Kyle Gallner (currently coming off the success of another indie hit, “Strange Darling”) and Tony-nominated “Fun Home” star Emily Skeggs as an unlikely duo of outcasts who find crusty, cutesy punk-rock love while on the lam. Gallner plays rebellious dgaf rocker Simon to Skeggs’ timid, tread-on Patty, both outcast in their own ways, who find their people in each other, and create some stellar music along the way. It’s a darkly funny, super sweet and unabashed celebration of staying true to yourself and being loved for who you are. What’s feels better than that? – HF
“Dinner in America” is streaming on Hulu.
The ultimate bromance comedy, “I Love You Man” stars Paul Rudd as a happy but uptight and friendless realtor, Peter, who needs a new BFF to be his best man so his wedding won’t be weird. That’s when he meets the uninhibited, unbothered Sydney (Jason Segel) and sparks up a real-deal friendship that challenges his whole way of seeing things, encouraging him to break out of his shell. The 2009 comedy holds up better than it has any right to considering how holistically ick-inducing Sydney is as a character, but Segel’s got the charisma to pull it off and his comedic chemistry with Rudd is undeniable. “I Love You Man” doesn’t get mentioned that often in the ranks of the best early 2000s comedies, and it definitely doesn’t get enough credit for how endlessly quotable it is, which is surprising because its got more laughs-per-minute than most, with a surprisingly moving undercurrent of friendship and self-acceptance. – HF
“I Love You Man” is streaming on Paramount+.
“Spy” is one of the purely funniest comedies of the century so far, and if you’re looking for something to put you in a bit of a laugh coma, look no further. “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat” filmmaker Paul Feig took on the spy genre with this 2015 Melissa McCarthy vehicle, which follows an espionage analyst – you know, the person in the chair at the computer who guides the spy around – who is thrust into the field after her agent (played by Jude Law) is killed. McCarthy is incredible, Rose Byrne has some of the funniest deliveries ever put to film and Jason Statham is hysterical as a macho “go it alone” spy without a brain. – AC
Based on the book of the same by Terry McMillan comes a tale of four friends who are navigating their careers, romance and their personal flaws. Doubtful that any “good” men are left, Savannah (Whitney Houston) and Robin (Lela Rochon) don’t mind entertaining a relationship with married men. Both of them naively think they’ll be chosen over their wives. Meanwhile Bernadine’s (Angela Bassett) marriage has ended after her husband left her for his mistress. And then there’s Gloria (Loretta Devine) who’s locked eyes with a new handsome neighbor. As the women take on their individual love lives, they soon learn to rise up from their shortcomings and leave a life of drama behind. – RH
“Waiting to Exhale” is streaming on Hulu.
There’s something magical about the best feel-good movies that’s hard to pin down. It’s tough to say exactly why “School of Rock” works so well, but the Jack Black-fronted 2003 comedy is endlessly rewatchable, charming and tremendously warm. Black plays a guy who gets kicked out of his band, only to impersonate his roommate as a substitute teacher at a fancy school. When he learns his students are musically inclined, he decides to teach them about rock-and-roll with the aim of using them to get back at his band in a Battle of the Bands contest. It’s Richard Linklater’s most commercial movie yet while losing none of his signature warmth and wit, and the entire ensemble – including Joan Cusack – is terrific. – AC
“School of Rock” is streaming on Paramount+, Prime Video and Fubo.
“Ocean’s Eleven” may be a perfect movie. Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 remake is effortlessly cool, hilarious and surprising no matter how many times you watch it. George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts anchor the star-studded heist film about a group of criminals who band together to steal money from the vault inside the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. The film threads a needle between hang-out movie and thrilling caper, but it’s also just so incredibly funny. – AC
You might not have expected college a cappella to make this list, but here we are. “Pitch Perfect” has the elements of a true comedy (i.e. Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson)’s horizontal running) along with jam-packed medleys for the musical lovers. The lovable yet sometimes cringe-worthy cast, including Anna Kendrick, Ben Platt, Skylar Astin, Brittany Snow, to name a few, pulls at your heartstrings while also giving you a big laugh. – TP
“Pitch Perfect” is streaming on Peacock.
You could watch it just for the jubilant title number where Gene Kelly joyfully dances with his umbrella and splashes like a kid as the camera zooms down into his unforgettable smile, because you can’t get much happier than that. The rest of the movie is pretty great too, with hilarious numbers like “Moses Supposes,” Donald O’Connor flopping around with a dummy in “Make ‘Em Laugh,” and, of course, the brilliant (and Oscar-nominated) Jean Hagen as ditzy silent star Lina Lamont. “I make more than Calvin Coolidge. Put together!” – SK
“Singin’ in the Rain” is streaming on Max.
Something about heading back to camp and reuniting with your long lost twin makes “The Parent Trap” a comforting classic. Whether you love Lindsay Lohan’s 1998 version or the 1961 original, this timeless story never fails to lighten the mood. This movie has everything from cabin pranks, double lives and even a second wedding. Cozy up on the couch, whip up some peanut butter and Oreos and enjoy. – TP
“The Parent Trap” is streaming on Disney+.
While the film spotlights the various dysfunctions of a family, in the midst of their chaos lives a support system that’s unwavering, even when the time comes to illegally carry a dead family member’s body out of a hospital. And that’s exactly why it makes for the perfect feel-good movie, because no matter, this family is ride or die – figuratively speaking. In an effort to make it in time to take their daughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) to her very first beauty pageant, the Hoover family bands together inside their nearly broken down hippie van and travel from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Redondo Beach, Calif. in blazing heat. Between a foul-mouthed grandfather, an aspiring jet pilot who learns he’s colorblind and no AC, the trip makes for one wild and hilarious ride. – RH
If early 2000s teen movies are your bag, you need to check out “Stick It.” It’s one of the few gymnastics movies out there, and it’s just delightful from start to finish. At its core is a story about a young woman who just wants to be respected – particularly by men actively betraying her trust and causing damage in her life – and make her own decisions. Sure, it’s teen angst in a lot of ways, but we promise, you’ll laugh a lot in this one. – AO
While John Waters’ original “Hairspray” is great, the 2007 adaptation is a delight. Zac Efron really leaning in on his newly cemented heartthrob status, John Travolta having the time of his life being married to Christopher Walken, catchy songs, and absolutely incredible choreography? It just feeds the soul. And, as an added bonus, it comes with the promise that the world can change and be better. It’s nice to have that hope at any time, but particularly uh, now. – AO
This feel-good, early 2000s romance about mermaids coming to life is the perfect escapism tool. A young Emma Roberts and JoJo meet Aquamarine (Sarah Paxton), a real-life mermaid who washed up during the storm in their small beach town. Her one mission is to prove to her father, the king of the sea, that true love does exist and convinces the two teenage girls to help her. The beachy vibes, Y2K fashion and starfish earrings that give you compliments are surely enough to lighten the mood and give you the mindless break you need. – TP
“Aquamarine” is streaming on Hulu.
In Chris Sanders’ delightful, profoundly moving “The Wild Robot,” a robot (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) washes ashore on an island populated only by animals. She feels stuck and is in disarray – what is she supposed to do? How can she go on? Is there any way to fulfill her purpose? – questions that we have undoubtedly been asking ourselves recently. She finds direction in the stewardship of a young gosling, whose family she accidentally destroyed. At first, it just gives her something to do. Again, this is relatable in our post-election climate. The dog still needs to be walked and somebody has to make lunch. But eventually the robot starts to rewrite her programming, insisting, against all odds, that kindness is the survival skill required for her success on the island. She becomes invested not only in the life of the young gosling but in all the animals on the island, who come under threat from both environmental change (a particularly withering storm) and technological oppression (when the robot’s company comes looking for her). What makes “The Wild Robot” so powerful is its refusal to sugarcoat the dog-eat-dog nature of the island. Things die and get eaten constantly. And there’s a streak of bleak environmentalism that runs just beneath the surface. But that darkness only serves to reinforce how truly important the underlying message of the movie – that if we don’t work together, then we’re really in trouble. – DT
The post The Best Feel-Good Movies to Watch When You’re Feeling Down appeared first on TheWrap.
