Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Aaron Fa'aoso, Bob Morley, Emma Harvie, Georgina Naidu, Jane Harber, Lena Cruz, Russell Dykstra, Ryan Corr, Shabana Azeez
Sometimes we want to bask in drama, other times all we want a movie to make us feel fuzzy inside. If you’re looking for a lovely and sincere watch, here are the best sweet-themed movies and shows to stream.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Aaron Fa'aoso, Bob Morley, Emma Harvie, Georgina Naidu, Jane Harber, Lena Cruz, Russell Dykstra, Ryan Corr, Shabana Azeez
Harlem follows four 30-something friends trying to live their best lives in their New York neighborhood. It sounds cliché—another group of women navigating work, love, and personal growth in NYC?—but thanks to the deft direction of Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) and the dynamic performances of the show’s leads, Harlem is a blast to watch. The women are at once prickly and sparkly as they dive headfirst into romantic escapades, sexual explorations, and career ambitions. Their chemistry with each other is a scene-stealer, and you almost wish you can just sit with them all episode as they spill the beans over cocktails and brunch. Raunchy, ridiculous, and relatable, Harlem is delightful through and through.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Grace Byers, Jerrie Johnson, Meagan Good, Shoniqua Shandai, Tyler Lepley
As classic children's TV done in the same style as The Muppets, this reboot of Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock manages to thread together wacky adventures, an environmental message, lots of music, and light satire about human behavior in less-than-30-minute chunks. This show is firmly for kids first, with the carefree, somewhat naive subterranean Fraggles meant to be childlike in nature as they learn how to accept others' differences and their own complicated feelings through kindness and community. But parents who are at all interested in colorful variety shows should still find lots to enjoy, be it in the intricate craft of puppetry across various species of creatures, or in the genuinely catchy songs that range from innocent earworms to beautifully composed anthems straight out of the musical theater tradition.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Kids, Music
Actor: Dave Goelz, Donna Kimball, Karen Prell, Lili Cooper
Genre: Drama, Family
Actor: Guan Xiaotong, Jiang Hongbo, Jiang Shan, Li Haibin, Wang Zhengjia, Yu Xia, Zhongyang Qi
Director: Jiang Xiao
Primarily, Cha Cha Real Smooth follows Andrew (Cooper Raiff) as he figures out what to do with his life post-college. But peripherally, it’s also about love, friendship, coming of age, and parenthood. Sometimes the movie wobbles under the weight of all it wants to be and you start to wonder whether it would benefit from a leaner script and a tighter focus.
But ultimately, Cha Cha Real Smooth is endearing and a breeze to watch. Andrew is relatable as a know-it-all who doesn’t actually know it all, and Domino (Dakota Johnson) is moving as a young mother consumed by both her envy and love for Andrew. Despite its occasional unevenness, the film’s big emotional heart triumphs, and sometimes that’s the best that you can hope for in a story about one’s 20s.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Amara Pedroso, Brad Garrett, Chris Newman, Colton Osorio, Cooper Raiff, Corrie Danieley, Dakota Johnson, Davina Reid, Evan Assante, John Paul Hurley, Jonathan Berry, Kelly O'Sullivan, Leslie Mann, Lisa Velten Smith, Odeya Rush, Raúl Castillo, Tommy Lafitte, Vanessa Burghardt
Director: Cooper Raiff
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Bae Gang-hee, Cha Hak-yeon, Chae Jong-hyeop, Kim Hyo-jin, Kim Joo-heon, Kim Ju-hun, Kim Min-seok, Lee Jung-ok, Lee Re, Lee Seung-joon, Lee Yoo-jun, Moon Woo-jin, Oh Gyeong-hwa, Park Eun-bin, Seo Jeong-yeon, Shin Joo-hyup, Yoon Jung-hoon
Director: Oh Choong-hwan
Bank of Dave is a simple but well-told film that feels utterly satisfying from start to end. Dave is the little guy who only wants to give back to his community, but stopping him from achieving his noble goals are the big guys in suits with vested interests and too narrow a focus to appreciate the good that Dave is after. The film is David versus Goliath, countryside versus cityside, socialist versus capitalist (or, if you like, ethical capitalism versus unethical capitalism). You know who will triumph in the end, but that doesn’t detract from the film’s overall enjoyability. The dialogue is smart and stirring, and you can’t help but root for the film’s small heroes to win big.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Adrian Lukis, Angus Wright, Cathy Tyson, Drew Cain, Florence Hall, Freddie Bolt, Harry Michell, Hopi Grace, Hugh Bonneville, Jo Hartley, Joe Elliott, Joel Fry, Naomi Battrick, Paul Kaye, Phil Collen, Philip Gascoyne, Phoebe Dynevor, Rick Allen, Rick Savage, Roger Morlidge, Rory Kinnear, Simon Manyonda, Steve Edge, Vivian Campbell
Director: Chris Foggin
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Bang Woo-ri, Byeon Woo-seok, Choi Kyo-sik, Gong Myeong, Gong Myoung, Han Hyo-joo, Jeon Hye-won, Jeong Min-jun, Jeong Seok-yong, Jo Ji-hyeon, Kang Chae-young, Kim Nu-rim, Kim Sung-kyung, Kim You-jung, Lee Beom-soo, Lee Beom-su, Lee Cheon-mu, Lee Woo-sung, Ong Seong-wu, Park Hae-jun, Park Jung-woo, Roh Yoon-seo, Ryu Seung-ryong, Shin Dong-ryeok, Yoon Yi-reh
Director: Bang Woo-ri
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Aaron Dominguez, Andy Garcia, AnnaSophia Robb, Beth Grant, Blaque Fowler, Charlie Plummer, Cruz Abelita, Devon Bostick, Drew Scheid, Evan Whitten, Iain Tucker, Jeris Donovan, Justin Matthew Smith, Lobo Sebastian, Molly Parker, Reinaldo Faberlle, Sean Michael Weber, Taylor Russell, Walton Goggins
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Ang Lee, Dion Birney, Gua Ah-leh, Hannah Sullivan, Jennifer Lin, John Nathan, Lung Sihung, Mason Lee, May Chin, Michael Gaston, Mitchell Lichtenstein, Neal Huff, Sihung Lung, Winston Chao
Director: Ang Lee
The Queenstown Kings is a sports film that has plot points we’re all familiar with – alcoholic father trying to seek forgiveness from his son, a tempting offer for fame and riches, the standard training montage and more. These plot points sometimes go into melodramatic territory, but the film’s relationships make these scenes feel sincere, especially with the family dynamic that drives the film. And as Buyile strives to better himself to become a good example to the team, and Fezile makes different choices from his father, The Queenstown Kings feels sincere as a reminder of the better side of South African men, one that can be uncovered if they, and their community, believe in a higher dream.
Genre: Drama
Actor: Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa, Likhona Mgali, Patrick Ndlovu, Sandile Mahlangu, Tessa Twala, Thoko Ntshinga, Unathi Platyi, Zolisa Xaluva
Director: Jahmil X.T. Qubeka
In Reboot, a famous sitcom from the early 2000s is revived for a modern audience. While members of the cast attempt to rekindle their fame, the writers behind the show stir up endless debates about what constitutes "funny" in an age of political correctness. The hijinks and meta-humor that arise from this are admirable, but what really makes Reboot tick is its obvious love for the sitcom format. Underneath all the jokes is a commitment to TV comedies; like the most typical of them, Reboot switches from laugh-out-loud hilarity to tender moments of joy and sorrow. The only difference is that Reboot benefits from being self-aware—it's unafraid to make fun of itself and all the people and shows that came before it.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Calum Worthy, Johnny Knoxville, Judy Greer, Keegan-Michael Key, Krista Marie Yu, Paul Reiser, Rachel Bloom
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Belinda Davey, Cliff Ellen, Daniel Pollock, Frank Gallacher, Frankie J. Holden, Geneviève Picot, Heather Mitchell, Hugo Weaving, Jeffrey Walker, Russell Crowe, Saskia Post
Director: Jocelyn Moorhouse
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Annelise Hesme, Audrey Tautou, Blandine Pélissier, Charlotte Vermeil, Claudine Baschet, Didier Brice, Frédéric Bocquet, Gad Elmaleh, Guillaume Verdier, Jacques Spiesser, Jean de Coninck, Jean-Michel Lahmi, Laurent Claret, Laurent Mouton, Marie-Christine Adam, Vernon Dobtcheff
Director: Pierre Salvadori
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Actor: Adrian Martinez, Alice Drummond, Alison Pill, Anney Giobbe, Armando Riesco, Birdie M. Hale, Derek Luke, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Jamari Richardson, John Gallagher Jr., Katie Holmes, Leila Danette, Lillias White, Oliver Platt, Patricia Clarkson, Rusty De Wees, Sally Leung Bayer, Sean Hayes, Sisqó, Stephen Chen, Susan Bruce, Vitali Baganov
Director: Peter Hedges