What is better than watching a movie when everything feels like it’s a bit much and you need something to lift your spirits?
Maybe seeing bad guys get their just deserts makes you feel good. Or maybe it’s getting swept away as two enemies fall in love. Or perhaps getting scared by a horror film makes you feel alive.
Whatever does it for you, there is no better time to crash out on a couch – or even better, head to your local cinema – and get lost in an imaginary world.
We asked our team of entertainment experts to share their favourite feel-good movies.
Space is cool again, what with Nasa launching a new mission to the moon this week (in this economy? With the price of fuel? Outrageous!) and Ryan Gosling’s new sci-fi movie screening in a cinema near you. A man alone in space with only a rock to talk to while he tries to save humanity’s future might not sound like pure joy, but this film had me grinning like a loon from start to finish. Gosling is even better than he was as Ken in 2023’s Barbie and has bucketloads of charisma – more than enough to hold your attention as the only person on screen for most of the movie. Other highlights include a karaoke version of Harry Styles’ Sign of the Times and an excellent supporting cast, including Anatomy of a Fall’s Sandra Huller and Industry’s Ken Leung. And yes, I know going to the movies can be expensive and many of us are trying to keep costs down, but take the opportunity to support your local independent cinema (and smuggle in your own snacks).
And here’s a bonus feel-good moment for you: Gosling performing I’m Just Ken at the 2024 Oscars ceremony. You’re welcome. – Stephanie Holmes
Pure nostalgic escapism at its finest. Feel-good because it makes us forget the flashy AI special effects and boring subplots of modern blockbusters and revisit what made us fall in love with the magic of movies in the first place. Auto-lacing shoes, hoverboards, epic guitar solos, Doc Brown’s hair... the list goes on as to what makes this film one of the most rewatchable and enjoyable films of all time. – Mitchell Hageman
Where to watch: Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and for rent on Apple TV and Neon – or get into the Back To The Future spirit and buy a DVD
Louisa May Alcott’s novel was one of the first books I ever read, and to me, Greta Gerwig’s 2019 movie adaptation is the perfect retelling. The tale of four sisters in Civil War-era America is my go-to when I need a comfort watch – funny, heartfelt, and reminds me of my own three sisters. – Bethany Reitsma
Where to watch: Prime Video, Netflix, or rent on Apple TV
The Intouchables is based on a true story about the friendship between two men – a wealthy French quadriplegic and a man from the projects who is hired to care for him. It’s been one of my favourite film recommendations for years, giving depth, heartache, humour, beautiful character arcs and ultimately joy in unimaginable situations. Be sure to watch the French subtitled version, not the American version featuring Kevin Hart. – Jenni Mortimer
Where to watch: Lionsgate+ on Prime Video, or rent or buy on YouTube and AroVision
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched 2014’s What We Do In The Shadows. There is so much genuine creativity throughout this movie – hyper-realistic oil paintings, original vampiric tunes and special effects that subvert expectation. Phrases from this film have wormed their way into my everyday life, exchanged knowingly with loved ones. These moments are silly, but earnest – used to acknowledge that times are hard but our spirits can still be high. – Madeleine Crutchley
Where to watch: Apple TV+ and NZ On Screen
What better way to feel good than watching crack-up Kiwis saying and doing crack-up s***. I first saw this film while living abroad, feeling down during what seemed like the end of times during lockdown. The Breaker Upperers was medicine for me then. It is medicine for you now. The film revolves around two friends running an agency that breaks up with someone on behalf of a client, using unconventional means. Directed, written and starring our national treasures, Madeleine Sami and Jackie van Beek, you can imagine the kind of mischievous and ha-ha funny lines the movie would be filled with. – Varsha Anjali
Where to watch: Free on TVNZ+
For me, feel-good means rom-com. And rom-com means Meg Ryan. And Meg Ryan means Tom Hanks (although, yes, Billy Crystal’s Harry to her Sally is easily my favourite on-screen relationship). But back to Meg and Tom and their anonymous online love that is at odds with their real-life rivalry. You’ve Got Mail is a time capsule of a world where email was a novelty, not a dead weight around every office worker’s neck. Where people read physical books often enough to make them something worth fighting about. And where writer Nora Ephron was still here, giving us some of the best films you’ll ever have the joy of watching. Come for the romance, stay for the comedy – and enjoy the throwback soundtrack of dial-up internet. – Bridget Jones
Where to watch: Stream on Neon. You can rent or buy it on Apple TV+ or Prime Video