No tears allowed here. Just pure joy...
Feel-good movies are criminally underrated. Sure, we love a hard-hitting blockbuster as much as the next person, but—after a difficult few years—it's no surprise we're craving as much lighthearted entertainment and feel-good films as possible. So, to relieve any anxiety you may be feeling right now—or if you’re simply looking for a pick-me-up—we've rounded up the best flicks that will give you a much-needed mood boost.
Sure, you could go for a run and get those endorphins flowing. Or you could instead grab your favourite person, your comfiest loungewear, a glass of wine and/or some delicious snacks, and stick on a bloody good film.
None of these films will make you cry, and they possibly won’t exercise your brain cells, but doesn’t our mind need a much-needed break RN? We're not here to judge how anyone spends their free time.
So, we have delved into the vaults of Netflix, NOW TV, Amazon Prime, Disney+, the lot… and found some seriously feel-good movies, from those pom-pom dazzling cheerleading routines in Bring It On to the hilariously cutthroat world of fashion in The Devil Wears Prada. Also, how about The Terminal starring Tom Hanks (because doesn't Tom Hanks make everything better?) to Will Ferrell's LOL-worthy hit Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, also starring Rachel McAdams. Or how about guaranteed laughs with Tiffany Haddish and Regina Hall in Girls Trip?
We even included the classics, like the very first Harry Potter movie, which has single-handedly united generations, created a colossal following, and disrupted the world of fantasy and storytelling. After all these years, no matter what age you are, it’s still a good watch!
So, if you are looking for an easygoing flick—something to make you laugh, inspire you or generally restore your faith in humanity here are the feel-good movies for you…
This story first appeared on glamourmagazine.co.uk
TM & Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.1/61How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days (2003)
Who: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey
What: Magazine advice columnist Andi Anderson pushes the boundaries of love when she plans on writing a quirky piece on how to get your boyfriend to leave you in ten days. However, she doesn't expect to develop feelings and have her plans backfire when she crosses paths with hunky-yet-arrogant executive Benjamin Barry.
Feel-Good Rating: A fun, enjoyable and quotable watch. 8/10
© Disney Media Distribution | All Rights Reserved2/61The Princess Diaries (2001)
Who: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews
What: Awkward San Francisco teenager Mia Thermopolis' life is turned upside down when she learns that she is a real-life princess from the tiny European principality of Genovia, and her grandmother is the super strict Queen Clarisse Renaldi, who arrives in town to give the glamorous princess a makeover.
Feel-Good Rating: We consider this a teen classic, and a right of passage for every woman growing up, so it's def a 10/10
TM & Copyright © 2002 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.3/61Grease (1978)
Who: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John
What: The all-singing, all-dancing world of a fifties high school always makes us feel good! Grease focuses on the summer romance between edgy leather-wearing Danny and wholesome exchange student Sandy, who both ruffle a whole load of feathers with their clique-crossing relationship.
Feel-Good Rating: We'll give it a toe-tapping 9/10
© Columbia Tri-Star4/6113 Going on 30 (2004)
Who: Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Christa B. Allen, Judy Greer
What: A young teenager is fed up with life in junior high and prays to be transformed into a grownup with a glamorous job and a handsome boyfriend. So when her wishes are answered, she quickly realises that adulthood comes with its own set of problems and challenges.
Feel-Good Rating: You can't go wrong with this classic, so a definite 10/10
© 2006 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.5/61Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Who: Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, Toni Collette, Steve Carell
What: Upon her daughter's request to participate in a beauty pageant, a family make the adventurous cross-country road trip to get her on stage.
Feel-Good Rating: How can you not smile while watching this family go to extreme lengths to make their daughter's dreams come true? 8/10
Maximum Film / Alamy Stock Photo6/61Bring It On (2000)
Who: Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Union, Eliza Dushku
What: There's some drama as a cheerleading group discovers that their former captain stole all of their best routines, leaving them scrambling ahead of the upcoming championships.
Feel-Good Rating: Anything with energetic cheering and dance routines instantly puts a smile on our faces. 9/10
Maximum Film / Alamy Stock Photo7/61Easy A (2010)
Who: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Stanley Tucci, Lisa Kudrow
What: When Olive tells an innocent lie about losing her virginity to spice up her life, a high-school mean girl overhears and spreads the story around school like wildfire
Feel-Good Rating: Well, it's the movie that introduced us to Emma Stone, so for that reason alone, it's a solid 9/10
Photographs © 2006 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.8/61The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Who: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, Adrian Grenier
What: Aspiring journalist Andy comes searching for a job in New York, where she ends up being assistant to one of the city's most prominent and ruthless journalists, Miranda Priestly.
Feel-Good Rating: An iconic film with excellent fashion and a great message about not losing yourself in the big city. 8/10
