313 Best Feel-Good Movies to Watch (Page 17)

When times get tough, it can feel especially lucky to be in alive during the age of streaming. Thankfully, there are various movies and shows that were made to uplift. Here are the best feel-good movies to stream now.

Read also:

241. With Love, 2023

It’s easy to see With Love and mistake it for a Hallmark special; both are filled with pretty people who spend the holidays looking for love. But where Hallmark tends to be simple and sappy, With Love is refreshingly complex and earnest. The characters, mostly Latino and queer, rarely sugarcoat their problems and desires, even though each episode ends on a relatively sweet note.

In a joyous move, every one of them takes place during a different holiday too—Christmas, New Year, Valentine’s, Día de los Muertos. And every time, we delve deeper into the lives of our leads and witness the ways they take on universal problems with modern and diverse approaches. It’s breezy and at times raunchy, making it a fun companion for any holiday.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Emeraude Toubia, Rome Flynn

Rating: TV-14

Read also:

242. When Frank Met Carlitos, 2023

	
Based on the rumors, When Frank Met Carlitos is a fun reimagination of how the meeting between Carlos Gardel and Frank Sinatra went. While the meeting is entirely fictional, it’s an interesting what-if scenario, as the real-life Sinatra went into music because of American singer Bing Crosby, who in turn, was notably inspired by Gardel, the Il Muto. Split between their languages, Gardel and Sinatra still have a shared understanding, piecing together each other’s thoughts through shared loan words, and imparting knowledge through dramatic song. As the fictionalized versions of the best singers from the American continent interact, the TV special seems like a send-off from a wiser generation to their younger counterparts.Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Actor: Antonella Misenti, Oscar Lajad, Pablo Turturiello
Director: Natalia del Castillo

Read also:

243. Tune in for Love, 2019

	
This slow romance is set in a Seoul bakery during the 1990s. A boy fresh out of juvenile detention and a part-time employee fall for each other while working there. For a while, their existence is joyful and quiet as they sell bread and bond.

However, the Asian financial crisis of 1997 forces the bakery to close. This makes them seek different jobs away from each other.

As a romance, Tune in for Love is not original but it doesn’t need to. It’s just easy and enjoyable.Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Choi Jun-young, Hae-In Jung, Heo Ji-na, Hong Xa-bin, Jang Se-won, Jung Eu-gene, Jung Eugene, Jung Hae-in, Jung Ji-woo, Jung Yoo-jin, Kim Go-eun, Kim Guk-hee, Kim Hyun, Kim Kuk-hee, Na Chul, Nam Moon-chul, Nam Mun-cheol, Oh Chae-eun, Park Hae-joon, Park Hae-jun, Park Se-hyun, Shim Dal-gi, Sim Dal-gi, Song Duk-ho, Yoo Yeol
Director: Ji-woo Jung, Jung Ji-woo

Read also:

244. The InBESTigators, 2020

So this is what City of Ghosts feels like in live-action. This series is just as candid, but it definitely takes the piss more. Maudie (Anna Cook) has excellent timing, loads of charm, and is far and away the most consistent character and performer. The show’s choppiness—you’ll know when you see it—can feel repetitive, cycling around to being memorable, then cycling back around to being a challenge, ad infinitum. But generally, it’s an investigative mockumentary delivered like an over-the-top cartoon (complete with the 2-in-1 episodes). It's got its challenges, but the sarcasm and earnestness makes it worth seeking out.

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Kids

Actor: Abby Bergman, Anna Cooke, Aston Droomer, Eliza Ong, Hana Struckett, Hannah Johnston, James Saunders, Jamil Smyth-Secka, Maria Angelico

Read also:

245. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, 2018

Based on the novel of the same name, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is as comforting as the title suggests. It's a pleasure to meet the society—getting to know each character feels like getting to know some welcoming neighbors. Despite their trauma from the German occupation of the British island, these club members remain their bookish albeit secretive selves. Lily James is just doe-eyed and charming enough to make us care about the book club, the same way her character Juliet does. The streamlined plot still keeps the intrigue and comfort of the original novel. And while its romance doesn’t quite take off, the real gem of the film is the earnest assertion that family can be best found in terrible times.

Genre: Drama, History, Romance

Actor: Alexa Povah, Andy Gathergood, Bernice Stegers, Bronagh Gallagher, Clive Merrison, Dilyana Bouklieva, Florence Keen, Glen Powell, Gregory Mann, Jack Morris, Jessica Brown Findlay, Joanna Hole, Katherine Parkinson, Kit Connor, Lily James, Marek Oravec, Matthew Goode, Michiel Huisman, Mike Newell, Nicolo Pasetti, Penelope Wilton, Philip Ridout, Pippa Rathborne, Richard Derrington, Stephanie Schonfield, Steve Morphew, Tom Courtenay, Tom Owen

Director: Mike Newell

Rating: TV-14

Read also:

246. The Great Seduction (2023)

In the Great Seduction, locals of a small town trick a bigshot doctor into thinking that despite the place’s insufficiencies, it’s still worth settling into. They pretend to love American football because it’s his favorite sport. They leave paper bills to make him think he’s lucky. They eavesdrop on his calls to learn what dish he’d like for the day. But as the schemes escalate from amusing to immoral, the audience along with German are forced to wonder: does the end justify the means? Unfortunately, the film never answers its own ethical dilemma, nor does it offer meaningful insights or fresh perspectives about it. There’s also the lesser but equally distracting problem of Mateo’s medical background serving very little purpose in the film. The townspeople bend over backward to secure Mateo not because he’s a doctor who could literally save lives, but because the company they’re pitching to requires a doctor to be present for legal purposes. The film doesn’t always make sense, although when it does, it absolutely shines. It’s offbeat and jubilant, with a lot of charm to spare. It’s the type of film whose omissions you’d easily forgive because of how often it’ll make you smile.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Actor: Eligio Meléndez, Guillermo Villegas, Héctor Jiménez, Joaquín Cosío, Yalitza Aparicio

Director: Celso R. García

Rating: R

Read also:

247. The Beauty Inside, 2015

	
When we love a person, most of us are convinced that we love them for their personality, and if we truly love them, love would remain even if their beauty fades away. The Beauty Inside, a Korean remake of the 2012 American interactive Internet series, challenges this notion. As Woo-jin’s body changes regularly, he’s unable to live a normal life because of a lack of a consistent appearance, a lack of a visual reference point that allows him to be recognized by the people he loves. While more can be explored with the premise's metaphysical elements, and Woo-jin’s characterization is mostly a neutral, blank canvas, The Beauty Inside is still a sweet, feel-good romance that makes the impossible feel wonderfully possible.Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Actor: Bae Hyun-kyung, Bae Sung-woo, Baek Seung-hwan, Choi Yong-min, Chun Woo-hee, Do Ji-han, Go A-sung, Go Gyu-pil, Gong Min-jeung, Ha Si-yeon, Ham Tae-in, Han Hyo-joo, Jang Eui-soo, Jeon Young-woon, Jeong Seung-won, JJ Graham, Jo Dal-hwan, Jung Young-ki, Juri Ueno, Kim Dae-myung, Kim Gwang-seop, Kim Hee-won, Kim Joo-hyuk, Kim Lok-kyoung, Kim Mi-hui, Kim Min-jae, Kim Sang-ho, Kim See-eun, Kim Tae-hyun, Kim Won-Jin, Ko A-sung, Ko Dong-hyoung, Lee Beom-soo, Lee Bom, Lee Dong-hwi, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Hyun-woo, Lee Jae-joon, Lee Ji-min, Lee Ji-won, Lee Jin-seong, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Kyung-young, Lee Mi-do, Lee Myung-ha, Lee Sang-won, Lee Seung-chan, Moon Kyung-min, Moon Sook, Ok Joo-ri, Park Keun-rok, Park Seo-jun, Park Shin-hye, Seo Kang-joon, Shin Dong-mi, Son Seong-chan, Yeom Ji-young, Yoo Yeon-seok, Yoon Hwan, Yun Ki-chang
Director: Baik

Read also:

248. The Accidental Influencer, 2024

	
When life gives you heartbreak, sometimes the grief can push you to do stupid things, but in The Accidental Influencer, it becomes a surprise social media sensation that changes the life of Red Ho. Based on the real life story of Taiwanese blogger Jhai Nyu Siao Hong, The Accidental Influencer isn’t afraid to get goofy with the story, turning a break-up that was devastating at the time, to something silly to laugh at, especially with Red Ho’s over-the-top imagination. While the show is a familiar story, it’s certainly a relatable one, and it’s executed in a fresh, if a bit ludicrous, way that makes it a decent pick. If, like Red, you happen to break up just before an important occasion (like this Valentine’s day), then The Accidental Influencer might be the show to watch to soothe your woes.Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Aviis Zhong, Ken Lin, Shu-yao Kuo, Sun Ke-Fang
Director:  Pei-Ju Hsieh

Read also:

249. Soundtrack #1, 2022

	
Look, Soundtrack #1 will not be the most outstanding, unique, heart-wrenching, tearjerking Korean drama you will ever get to watch. It’s full of tropes, with a childhood friends-to-lovers romance that blooms because they end up sharing the same house. Of course, they aren’t together because of miscommunication. But there’s a simplicity to the series that makes the romance work– the two friends have been written in a way that makes them understand each other’s aspirations, and so they would act to make sure the other person can go for their dreams, or at least, to make that journey a bit easier. Soundtrack #1 won’t have the melodrama plenty of K-dramas have, but there’s true love nonetheless, and it plays out in just four episodes.Genre: Drama
Actor: Han So-hee, Kim Ju-hun, Lee Jung-eun, Park Hyung-sik, Yoon Byung-hee
Director:  Kim Hee-won

Read also:

250. Somers Town, 2008

In this sweet-natured British comedy filmed mostly in black and white, Marek is a Polish boy who lives with his alcoholic father in London. He meets Tomo, a kid from the British Midlands who escaped his family and came to London alone.

They form a friendship that this movie follows for a few days. With nowhere to stay, Tomo moves in with Marek without Marek’s father noticing. The two end-up plotting a scheme that turns things around both for them and for the styling of the movie.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Elisa Lasowski, Huggy Leaver, Ireneusz Czop, Kate Dickie, Mark Monero, Perry Benson, Piotr Jagiello, Steven Hillman, Thomas Turgoose, Trevor Cooper

Director: Shane Meadows

Rating: Not Rated

Read also:

251. Skip and Loafer, 2023

Simple yet captivating, Skip and Loafer is a slice-of-life anime with a refreshing approach to the high school experience. While the anime genre is mostly known for its bright, high-saturated colors and action-filled, fantastical plots, this show celebrates the ordinary, with its pastel toned design, sweet humor, and clean animation. The series is centered around the main duo Mitsumi and Sosuke, but it never skimps on their friendships with their group. In fact, despite the classmates’ different backgrounds, the show’s thoughtful introductions make it easy to see why they would all care for each other, even as we get to know their insecurities. Skip and Loafer feels like a hug from the childhood best friend you had (or the one that you wished you had) – the one who you hung out with after school, the one who inspired you, and the one that changed your life for the better. Every episode is just full of pure, simple joy.

Genre: Animation, Comedy

Actor: Akinori Egoshi, Ayumu Murase, Hikaru Tanaka, Maaya Uchida, Megumi Han, Minami Tsuda, Mitsuki Saiga, Ryohei Kimura, Tomoyo Kurosawa, Yuka Terasaki

Read also:

252. Sink or Swim, 2018

A funny, feel-good French movie about a man who joins a synchronized swim team to get over his depression. Comprised only of other middle-aged men, they decide they want to compete for the world championship. Sounds like an unlikely story? It's actually based on a real-life documentary from Sweden called Men Who Swim. If you get French humor, this will make you laugh (a lot), and if not, you'll surely enjoy the easygoing tone of Sink or Swim.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Alban Ivanov, Alexandre Courtes, Anderz Eide, Audrey Quoturi, Benoît Poelvoorde, Benoît Poelvoorde, Caroline Grant, Charlotte Levy, Christian Gazio, Claire Nadeau, Élodie Hesme, Erika Sainte, Félix Moati, Felix Moati, Fiorella Campanella, Guillaume Canet, Guillaume Cloud-Roussel, Ibrahim Koma, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Jonathan Zaccaï, Karim Adda, Leïla Bekhti, Leila Bekhti, Marina Foïs, Marina Fois, Mathieu Amalric, Mathieu Torloting, Maximilien Poullein, Mélanie Doutey, Michèle Clément, Noée Abita, Philippe Katerine, Pierre Pirol, Sam Chemoul, Stéphane Rouabah, Vincent Darmuzey, Virgile Bramly, Virginie Efira, Xavier Alcan

Director: Gilles Lellouche

Rating: N/A

Read also:

253. Set It Up, 2018

This movie is a complete no-brainer.

It follows two assistants in busy New York City, both of them overworked and underpaid. They come up with a plan to set up their bosses (Set it Up) so that when their bosses finally take some personal time together, they could too. In a lot of ways, it’s the perfect argument to anyone who says that the rom-com genre is dead. It’s light, it’s easy, and it’s entertaining.

At the same time, there is a heartwarming vibe that’s not too cliché, and a couple of well-known actors — Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs — that help carry the plot. Don’t expect to be mind-blown but this film will leave you feeling content.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Actor: Aaron Costa Ganis, Anna Suzuki, Annie Pisapia, Ching Hoh-Wai, Cody Calafiore, Doris McCarthy, Emilia Clarke, Evan Parke, Fabrizio Brienza, Glen Powell, Jaboukie Young-White, Jacqueline Honulik, Jake Robinson, Jeff Hiller, Joan Smalls, Jon Rudnitsky, Kate Middleton, Leonard Ouzts, Lucy Liu, Meredith Hagner, Noah Robbins, Paulie Deo Jr., Pete Davidson, Ralph Byers, Shana Solomon, Shyrley Rodriguez, Stacey Alyse Cohen, Stephanie Hsu, Taye Diggs, Tituss Burgess, Wai Ching Ho, Zoey Deutch

Director: Claire Scanlon

Rating: TV-14

Read also:

254. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, 2012

	
A light and simple feel-good movie with great performances from an impressive cast. Ewan McGregor plays the country's best fisheries expert who is approached by a consultant (Emily Blunt) to help bring the sport of fly-fishing to a desert in the Middle-East, a place at the peak of tensions. The Prime Minister's office, with the help of the media, try to then bring this story to the public as a show of something good happening in the region. It's a quirky movie with a beautiful love story and a few interesting ideas on the current state of journalism. Both leads are absolutely charming together.Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Amr Waked, Catherine Steadman, Conleth Hill, Emily Blunt, Ewan McGregor, Hugh Simon, Jill Baker, Kristin Scott Thomas, Peter Wight, Rachael Stirling, Tom Beard, Tom Mison
Director: Lasse Hallström
Rating: PG-13

Read also:

255. Rookie, 2023

If there are parts to Rookie's story that seem too easily resolved—for the sake of making this more of a feel-good movie—these shortcuts still serve a genuinely romantic central relationship that develops in the most organic way possible. Besides the school's stifling conservatism, there's nothing that really stands in the way of Ace and Jana's blossoming connection. By immediately advancing its depiction of queer love beyond the self-acceptance stage (where so many other films get stuck), Rookie is allowed to show us two girls in love and supporting each other, as the normal and beautiful thing it should be. It doesn't hurt either that the movie is pretty entertaining as a sports film, with just enough flash in its editing and sound design to sell the frantic energy of a game wherein you want to impress the person you have a crush on.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Actor: Agot Isidro, Alyssa Valdez, Aya Fernandez, Che Ramos, Jelaica Gajero, Mikoy Morales, Pat Tingjuy, Simon Ibarra

Director: Samantha Lee

Read also:

1 … 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21