362 Best Lighthearted Movies to Watch (Page 20)

Sometimes, you just need a good movie that poses neither an emotional rollercoaster nor an intellectual challenge. Here are the best lighthearted movies and shows to stream now for a carefree and uplifying watch, from the funny to the offbeat.

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286. The Archies, 2023

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion, and it’s the main reason why filmmakers keep cashing in with old media franchises. Archie has been reimagined before, with the bewildering twists and turns of the CW’s Riverdale, but this time, it’s India’s turn with the franchise, and Graphic India and Tiger Baby Films partnered with the original publication to reimagine the town as an Anglo-Indian community in The Archies. The production design is undoubtedly stunning, with the maximalist Bollywood spectacle borrowing from 60’s Americana, and the musical numbers aren't half bad either. However, it’s the story and characterization that falters, as it feels like the leads are just going through the motions of the familiar love triangles. The film is still fun to watch, but ultimately, it feels like The Archies relies on spectacle to make up for its shortcomings.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance

Actor: Aditi Saigal, Agastya Nanda, Alyy Khan, Ankur Tewari, Ashok Banthia, Avan Contractor, Delnaaz Irani, Deven Khote, Dianne Commissariat, Dot., Farhan Akhtar, Kamal Sidhu, Khushi Kapoor, Koel Purie, Lovely Sharma, Luke Kenny, Mihir Ahuja, Nikos Andritsakis, Prerana Poddar, Puja Sarup, Satyajit Sharma, Sheena Khalid, Suhaas Ahuja, Suhana Khan, Tara Sharma, Vedang Raina, Vikram Kapadia, Vinay Pathak, Yuvraj Menda

Director: Zoya Akhtar

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287. Renegade Nell, 2024

	
Renegade Nell is an upbeat historical fantasy series boasting great chemistry from the main cast. It's anchored by our fiery lead actress Nell (Louisa Harland), whose colorful bloodlust and banter always bring a lot of energy to the show. Her fun, easy dynamic with her siblings and allies on the run is reason enough to make this a light, comforting watch. Plus, with a plot revolving around murder, revenge, and accusations, it is easy to be invested, with all its moving parts leaving you curious and wanting more. Episodes can feel a bit stuffed, but if you stay beyond the second episode, you're probably staying for the whole thing.Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Adrian Lester, Alice Kremelberg, Bo Bragason, Craig Parkinson, Enyi Okoronkwo, Florence Keen, Frank Dillane, Jake Dunn, Joely Richardson, Louisa Harland, Nick Mohammed, Pip Torrens
Rating: TV-14

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288. Paging Mr. Darcy, 2024

	
Despite the fact that this isn't the light fantasy romcom it seems to present itself as at the onset, Paging Mr. Darcy nevertheless becomes a breezy, likable little TV movie because it allows its main characters to be adult human beings. The story is still mostly fluff that ends far too abruptly, but for the most part, watching these two walk around and flirt from the very beginning makes for pleasant viewing. There isn't any pressure placed on these people to fabricate some sort of will-they-won't-they dynamic or to act accordingly to Jane Austen's work, and the result is a romance that feels so much simpler and so much more authentic than a Hallmark movie probably deserves.Genre: Comedy, Romance, TV Movie
Actor: Benjamin Ayres, Carolyn Scott, David Pinard, David Rosser, Jinny Wong, Lillian Doucet-Roche, Mallory Jansen, Steven Vlahos, Will Kemp
Director: Peter Wellington
Rating: G

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289. Mean Girls, 2024

	
After being blindsided by the trailer, it’s no wonder the newest Mean Girls shocked cinema viewers who were just expecting a rehashed version of the original, rather than a film version of the Broadway musical hit. This version misses some moments, like the iconic four-way phone call, and some of the numbers were staged quite strangely, but all-in-all, this film was not that bad. It still captures the core of the original, making the message of being one’s self more clearer, while making some updates to better match its new and younger audience. Mean Girls might still be trying to make fetch happen, but it’s still fun enough to watch, especially with its talented cast.Genre: Comedy
Actor: Alan Chow, Alexandra Witek, Alexis Frias, Allison Winn, Amann Iqbal, Angourie Rice, Ari Notartomaso, Ashley Park, Auli'i Cravalho, Auliʻi Cravalho, Avantika, Bebe Wood, Ben Heineman, Ben Wang, Brian Altemus, Brooke Johnson, Busy Philipps, Calidore Robinson, Calysta R. Eachus, Camille Umoff, Christopher Briney, Colin J. McTernan, Connor D. Paul, Connor Ratliff, Daniela Cassano, Danielle K. Catalano, Ellena Eshraghi, Emely Moreno, Énola Bédard, Eric Patrick Cameron, Fernell Hogan, Francesca Castro, Gabriella Cila, Garid Garcia, Grace Slear, Grant Harrison Mateo, Ian A. Boyce, Isabella Bria Lopez, Ismael Chino, Izzy Bank, Jake Schwencke, James Jones, Janna Graham, Jaquel Spivey, Jazz Jennings, Jenna Fischer, John El-Jor, Jon Hamm, Jordan Gallimore, Jordi, Joshua M. Baer, Joshua P. Doody, Julien F. Miller, Kasey L. Ericson, Kayla LaVine, Kaylee Kaleinani, Kaylin E. DeGroff, Kelsie Daniels, Lindsay Lohan, Mahi Alam, Malachi I. McLean, Mars Avila, Matilde Heckler, Megan Thee Stallion, Meredith Dunbar, Meryem G. Oldro, Morgen McKynzie, Nahscha, Nia Sioux, Nico A. Varone, Nuri Park, Olivia C. Tona, Orlando A. Galazara, Pierson Wodzynski, Reneé Rapp, Ryan J. Horgan, Samantha R. Borsari, Sean G. Haight, Sofia Dobrushin, Soona Lee-Tolley, Stephanie Mincone, Teresa Kissel, Thomas R. Wilson, Tim Meadows, Timothy S. Fletcher, Tina Fey, Vanessa Merrell, Veronica Merrell-Burriss, Veronica S. Taylor, Victoria G. Russo
Director: Arturo Perez Jr.,  Samantha Jayne
Rating: PG-13

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290. Mavka: The Forest Song, 2023

Dropping on DVD and digital download in America at the end of summer 2023, Mavka: the Forest Song made its Hulu debut this November. Taking the plot of the 1912 poetic play and rewriting the tragic deaths into lighthearted, fantastical adventures, the film is precisely the sort of generic, child-friendly fairy tale that we’ve come to expect from Disney, albeit with a Ukrainian twist. The plot is predictable, and the humor is rife with cliche, but it’s still a fairly entertaining watch for young audiences.

Genre: Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasy

Actor: Andrii Mostrenko, Artem Pyvovarov, Julia Sanina, Kateryna Kukhar, Mykhailo Khoma, Nataliia Denysenko, Nataliia Sumska, Natalka Denysenko, Nazar Zadniprovskyi, Oleh Mykhailiuta, Oleh Skrypka, Olena Kravets, Serhii Prytula

Director: Oleg Malamuzh, Oleksandra Ruban

Rating: PG

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291. In Search of a Midnight Kiss, 2007

	
The New Year’s kiss at midnight is a fun little tradition to share with your lover, but if you’re single, it’s just a reminder of your current relationship-less status. Of course, it’s not the end of the world if you can’t find someone by the 31st, but it’s this what-if, this hope, this deadline that drives the romantic stakes of In Search of a Midnight Kiss. It’s a cute premise, and leads Scoot McNairy and Sara Simmonds share real chemistry here, but the characterization made to introduce Wilson comes across as creepy rather than quirky more than a decade later. Even if the film reckons with that choice later on through Vivian’s reaction, it felt like that choice could have led to a more fruitful realization… Or at least, the idea that Wilson should consider making a change. (It’s the New Year, after all.) Still, In Search for a Midnight Kiss effectively captures how reaching out to someone new can be something good, even despite all the hurt you once felt.Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Bret Roberts, Brian McGuire, Cindy Drummond, Justin Huen, Kathleen Luong, Robert Murphy, Sara Simmonds, Scoot McNairy, Twink Caplan
Director: Alex Holdridge

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292. Hidden Love, 2023

Based on the novel by Zhu Yi, Hidden Love has the same aesthetic sensibilities as Yi’s other adaptation When I Fly Towards You. However, due to certain characterizations, the series doesn’t have the same charm. While it’s totally understandable for Sang Zhi to crush on her older brother’s cute best friend, the age difference feels uncomfortable as Zhi is in high school and Jiaxu is a college student. Jiaxu keeps his behavior platonic, but every consideration and kindness Jiaxu does for Zhi is undermined by the fact Jiaxu is aware of Zhi’s crush. Because of this, it’s hard to root for their later adult relationship.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Chen Zheyuan, Ding Xiaoying, Victor Ma, Zhang Baijia, Zhao Lusi

Director: Li Qing-Rong

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293. Geek Girl, 2024

	
Based on a romantic YA novel, Geek Girl asks us to believe in its unlikely world, where a plain—beautiful, but plain—girl like Harriet can wow a top model scout (to the point where he begs her to join his agency) and have an in-demand fashion designer have her wear her latest design, all while Harriet barely even tries, much less cares, to join. In this world, too, models aren’t gig workers subject to harsh working environments, but wealthy beautiful people flitting by. This sort of premise could’ve worked in the 2000s, but as cute, wholesome, and occasionally enjoyable as Geek Girl is, it’s hard to overlook these ridiculous instances when more effective teen shows are readily available. There are some missed instances too, like when the show could’ve enlightened us on the seemingly nebulous process of deciding who has “the it factor,” because I’m having a hard time understanding why Harriet has got it. She’s not even interesting-looking in the way, say, Anya Taylor-Joy is, or knowledgeable like her friend Nat (Rochelle Harrington) is. She doesn’t strike impressive poses (come on, the lip bite?) or walk decently. I suppose that’s the point of the show; to rephrase Ratatouille, anyone can model. But I wished they gave someone genuinely different a chance.Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Actor: Daisy Jelley, Emily Carey, Emmanuel Imani, Hebe Beardsall, Jemima Rooper, Liam Woodrum, Rochelle Harrington, Sandra Yi Sencindiver, Sarah Parish, Tim Downie, Zac Looker
Director: Declan O'Dwyer

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294. Chastity High, 2024

Chastity High is a lovely concept to begin with, from its basic premise to its episode titles being so unapologetically saccharine. Once you do see an episode and get a feel for characters that are childlike/childish in presentation mixing it up in these adult scenes, it can be tonally confusing who the show’s audience is. Those two extremes aside, the show does present a good mix of money drama and teen drama on the journey back to the flash forward prologue, and overall feels like a light, easy watch with enough storylines to potentially keep you hooked for multiple episodes.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Ai Mikami, Honda Kyoya, Rintaro Mizusawa, Ryubi Miyase, Yudai Toyoda

Director: Ryō Ōta, Soushi Matsumoto, Yuka Yasukawa

Rating: TV-MA

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295. Blind Date Book Club, 2024

	
Blind Date Book Club packs many times unnatural mouthfuls of dialogue and writing, but at the same time conveys an incredibly wholesome, adorable earnestness at its core. The movie has such a pure meet cute, thanks to the chemistry of Meg Tompkins (Erin Krakow) and Graham Sterling (Robert Buckley), which is all it really needed to succeed. Writing critique scenes and author characters almost always come with a mild cringe—always seems like the lines are aimed at the work itself, or a tool for deflection—but when the world around it is wrapped in a nostalgic young love à la Flipped, that stuff makes it even better. It's light fun, and it stays tonally the same throughout, but it's so unapologetically sweet you've got to respect it.Genre: Romance, TV Movie
Actor: Chiara Guzzo, Daniel Bacon, Erin Krakow, Faith Wright, Glynis Davies, Hilary Jardine, Johannah Newmarch, Paolina van Kleef, Robert Buckley, Rochelle Greenwood
Director: Peter Benson

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296. Becoming King (2024)

	
As emotional and personal as it is, Becoming King is just too dewy-eyed and close to the source to have any bearing on those who are not all that interested in learning about the immersion process a Hollywood actor goes through. Jessica Oyelowo admittedly has an interesting story on her hands: that of her husband David Oyelowo (whose name literally means “respect the king”) fulfilling his seven-year dream of playing Martin Luther King, Jr. His journey is a combination of grit, talent, and what appears to be fate and destiny, and it is nothing short of inspiring, especially for aspiring actors. But there is an inherent bias in depicting this story as magical and heroic, without the thorny nuances other more distant filmmakers might’ve included. For one, it barely tackles class and race, and when it does, the discussions are short, superficial, and only in service to the real conflict of the documentary, which is whether or not Oyelowo achieves his acting dreams. It feels shortsighted in the way some passion projects can be, bolstered by limited funds and even fewer eyes to critique it. It’s well-meaning and personal, and it can serve as a helpful resource to those who want to know how to get into the industry. But for the general viewer, the documentary offers little more than standard information on the actor and his breakthrough film.Genre: Documentary
Actor: Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo, Jessica Oyelowo, Martin Luther King Jr.
Director:  Jessica Oyelowo

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297. 007: Road to a Million, 2023

While the identity of the post-Daniel Craig James Bond hangs in limbo, the franchise is branching out into TV with this mid-octane game show, which riffs on tried-and-tested reality TV competitions: its multiple choice questions and climb-the-ladder approach to prize money are evidently borrowed from Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, while its globetrotting recalls The Amazing Race.

For all its snazzy backdrops, though, this still feels like a half-hearted effort. The editing is partly to blame: in the first two episodes, for example, we only meet four of the nine pairs, and we’re constantly jumping back to the opening challenge in the Scottish Highlands for their introductions. There’s also zero interaction between any of the duos: they never meet or even acknowledge each other's existence, which dulls the drama and leaves you to suspect their scenes were all shot entirely in isolation. (You get the same impression from Brian Cox, who plays the mysterious mastermind behind the challenges and whose vague commentary is clearly designed so editors can slot it in wherever.) While there are plenty of Easter eggs for eagle-eyed Bond fans to spot, the show is definitively of the background-watch kind of TV: moderately interesting, but never as gripping as the movies whose coattails it’s plainly riding.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Reality

Actor: Brian Cox

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298. The (Almost) Legends (2023)

Unabashedly proud of its own weirdness whether you like or not, The (Almost) Legends falls somewhere between being a surreal comedy, a Mexican banda musical, and a racing movie without really fully committing to any one of these identities. The result is a film that thrillingly plays to the beat of its own drum, but also frequently struggles to have all of its flashiness mean something coherent and insightful. Still, while the emotions it hopes to inspire—about coming to terms with grief and taking pride in one's true self—fall somewhat flat, the film's vivid colors, meticulous production direction, and sentimental heart make this kaleidoscope consistently worth keeping an eye on.

Genre: Comedy, Music

Actor: Benny Emmanuel, Dagoberto Gama, Harold Azuara, Nora Velázquez, Silverio Palacios

Director: Ricardo Castro Velázquez

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299. Oregon, 2023

For a film with virtually no plot, there’s a lot of fuss going on in Oregon. The characters are constantly yelling and complaining, but the noise—like the plot, the set, and everything else about the film—is empty. The beauty of a Turkish summer is reduced to indoor sets, where much of the film takes place, and there here’s barely any movement, leaving us stuck with dialogue and half-baked backstories that don’t seem to serve any real purpose other than to fill in the film’s overlong runtime. The problems are superficial and solved almost immediately, purely by talking it seems, and there’s no attempt to connect the many disparate stories it shows. A farce like this could’ve worked if it got sillier and more ridiculous by the minute, but Oregon just goes in repetitive, unfunny circles.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Actor: Ali İpin, Alper Baytekin, Alper Saldıran, Aslı İnandık, Burcu Biricik, Ferit Aktuğ, Gün Akıncı, Melisa Doğu, Nazlı Bulum, Nejat İşler, Nevra Serezli, Onur Özaydın, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Selen Uçer, Serkan Çayoğlu, Zihni Göktay

Director: Kerem Ayan

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300. Comedy Chaos, 2024

	
As is oddly common for TV shows revolving around stand-up comedy, the actual jokes in Comedy Chaos are mostly duds—or in this case, may have been greatly lost in translation from the original Indonesian. But while the show's humor is only ever mildly amusing at best, it opens with a pretty compelling set-up: a protagonist fired for speaking up for labor rights, a marriage that has its miscommunications but remains firm, and characters who are all constantly plagued by money problems. So there's a relatability to Comedy Chaos that keeps it intact, and it's refreshing to see this series resist the usual cliched conflicts you'd expect to see early on.Genre: Comedy
Actor: Mentari De Marelle, Mo Sidik, Muttaqiena Imaamaa, Pamela Bowie, Raditya Dika, Soraya Rasyid, Susan Sameh, Temi Diya
Rating: TV-14

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