Feel Good Movies To Make You Smile

Paddington 2

by James Dyer |
Updated on

Between the pandemic, multiple lockdowns, and all kinds of political upheaval, it’s been a very difficult couple of years to say the least – and we’ve never needed escapism more. That’s why Empire has pulled together a list of guaranteed feelgood movies – 30 films sure to bring a smile to your face (and maybe a few cathartic tears along the way) just when you need it the most. If you’re looking for groundbreaking edginess, difficult and demanding flicks, you won’t find those here – just pure, chicken-soup-for-the-soul warmth and goodness.

And chances are, you’ve seen most of these films before – but that’s the joy of a feelgood movie. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve watched Phil Conners wake up to the strains of ‘I Got You Babe’ in Groundhog Day, how often you’ve escaped to the world of Soot Sprites and and forest spirits in My Neighbour Totoro, or how many times you’ve seen Andy Dufresne fight for his freedom in The Shawshank Redemption – returning to them feels like sinking into a warm bath, or a hug from an old friend. And beyond the old favourites we have recent recommendations too that are sure to worm their way into your heart – the joyful vibrancy of Crazy Rich Asians, or the dazzling wit and heart of Into The Spider-Verse.

Whether you’re looking for heart-thumping romances, soaring singalongs, family favourites, or attention-grabbing adventures, let cinema be your comfort blanket, your momentary escape from talk of outbreaks and downpours and presidential elections. Here are 35 films guaranteed to cheer you up.

READ MORE: The Empire Lockdown Survival Kit

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30 Full-On Feel Good Movies

The Martian1 of 35

35. The Martian

It starts with high drama as Matt Damon's Mark Watney is left for dead on Mars by his astro-colleagues. But the process of his figuring out how to survive and the way his NASA colleagues on Earth and spaceship Hermes rally round to save him will have you cheering. It's smart people using their brains for pure good. Just don't have potatoes while you watch it.

Read the Empire review.

Easy A (2010)2 of 35

34. Easy A

AKA the film that truly made Emma Stone a star. This update of The Scarlett Letter finds truth in high school and also boasts possibly the best parental pairing of the teen genre (Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson). It's constantly amusing, while Stone's charm shines through.

Read the Empire review.

What We Do In The Shadows wolves3 of 35

33. What We Do In The Shadows

It was once hard to imagine Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's vampire flatmate comedy sparking not one but two TV spin-offs, but once you watch it, you realise why. Shadows is full of silly gags, wisely observed buddy comedy and the funniest clash between werewolves and the vampires since Underworld: Evolution. And this was intentionally funny.

Read the Empire review.

Four Weddings and a Funeral4 of 35

32. Four Weddings And A Funeral

Yes, yes, Four Weddings has that pesky "funeral" in the title, and indeed Gareth's (Simon Callow) send-off is indeed targeted straight at the heartstrings. But it's earned, and the rest is such jolly, witty fun that you never mind the grief break.

Read the Empire review.

Toy Story 25 of 35

31. Toy Story 2

Sure, the first Toy Story is almost as good, but if you want pure Pixar magic, look no further. And this was a movie rescued from straight-to-video hell, no less. You already know you like Woody, Buzz and the rest, but Toy Story 2 cements that fact. Or why not just make it a double-bill with them both? Add the third if you're feeling emotionally strong (the incinerator and the finale are definitely tear-inducing).

Read the Empire review.

Pitch Perfect6 of 35

30. Pitch Perfect (2012)

Set in the highly competitive world of a capella singing competitions, this sleeper hit is sold by a charming comic cast, led by Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson. It has the against-the-odds, little-guys-versus-the-big-baddies qualities of a great sports movie, but with cheesy pop hits instead of touchdowns and goals and that sort of thing.

Read the Empire review.

Sunshine On Leith7 of 35

29. Sunshine On Leith (2013)

A musical written around the songs of The Proclaimers, the Scottish twins famed for their insistence on walking enormous distances, doesn't sound especially enticing. Try it though, because it's so enormously chirpy that it would be a hard-hearted grump who wasn't stamping along passionately by the time it comes to the big '500 Miles' sing-along.
Read the Empire review.

Duck Soup8 of 35

28. Duck Soup (1933)

Whack on any Marx Brothers movie and lose the stresses of the world in a hail of masterful physical comedy. None of their films are what you'd call plot-heavy, they're just excuses for lots of sketches. This, about a dictator who declares war on a neighbouring country for personal reasons, might be a little too close to real-life politics right now, but it's nice to laugh about it rather than cry.
Read the Empire review.

Love, Simon9 of 35

27. Love, Simon (2018)

Finally, a big-screen gay romance that doesn't end in tragedy. Greg Berlanti's high school rom-com is an unabashed, unashamed crowd-pleaser, starring Nick Robinson as Simon – a closeted all-American teenager who starts an email correspondence with another closeted kid at his school. Warm and funny, with a feelgood ferris wheel finale and an air-punching soundtrack courtesy of Jack Antonoff.
Read the Empire review.

Up10 of 35

26. Up (2009)

It starts with emotional devastation, as in just a few minutes we follow Carl and Ellie Fredricksen from childhood, through marriage, struggles to conceive, and then Ellie's death. Once it's wrung you out, however, the rest of this Pixar masterwork lifts you with a story of a lonely child and a broken-hearted old man becoming friends on a mad adventure.
Read the Empire review.

Billy Elliot11 of 35

25. Billy Elliot (2000)

A hallmark of feel-good movies is to have some poor downtrodden soul achieve a dream that seems impossible. That's exactly what happens when Billy, a kid growing up in a northern mining town where hope is in short supply, decides that he wants to become a dancer.
Read the Empire review.

Some Like It Hot12 of 35

24. Some Like It Hot (1959)

The thing that makes this so feel-good is the performances. Marilyn Monroe was never more delightful than she was as unlucky-in-love singer Sugar Kane. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are comic genius as musicians on the run from the mob who go into hiding by disguising themselves as women. There's a vein of sadness running through it, but feel-good movies don't have to be relentlessly positive, they just need to make you see the world in a better light.
Read the Empire review.

Babe13 of 35

23. Babe (1995)

Talking animals are almost always pleasing. They're particularly charming in this adaptation of Dick King-Smith's The Sheep Pig, in which a plucky little piglet avoids becoming a farmer's dinner by learning to herd sheep. It's a very sweet story made with enormous enthusiasm and a ton of visual wit.
Read the Empire review.

Big14 of 35

22. Big (1988)

So many things to love in the tale of a boy who wishes to be older and turns into Tom Hanks. The giant piano! That weird song about rollercoasters and cocoa pops! Difficulty with canapés! It reminds us that we should enjoy the life we have now and not wish it away in a rush to get to tomorrow. Hanks is spectacular.
Read the Empire review.

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21. Etre Et Avoir (2002)

This 2002 documentary will make you weep, but in a very happy way. It follows one year at a school in small-town France, where one teacher, Mr Lopez, looks after 200 children of varying ages. It's a beautiful account of how much one person can affect the lives of so many.
Read the Empire review.

Top Secret!16 of 35

20. Top Secret! (1984)

A feel-good movie in the sense that it's so hilarious you won't be able to feel unhappy while it's on. There are no lessons to be learned from this film. Ostensibly this 1984 comedy is about a spy mission to rescue a scientist from some Nazis. Really it's just a big collection of absurdist gags, including the funniest ever use of a fake cow.
Read the Empire review.

Little Miss Sunshine17 of 35

19. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

A very unhappy family goes on a road trip so its youngest member, awkward little Olive, can enter a beauty contest. Life lessons are learned, bonds are formed and home truths are aired in a lovely film all about how bizarre and difficult families can be, but how nobody knows you better than the people forced to live with you.
Read the Empire review.

Crazy Rich Asians18 of 35

18. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

After years of rom-com wilderness came Crazy Rich Asians – delivering a swoon-worthy couple in Constance Wu's Rachel and Henry Golding's Nick, laugh-out-loud gags from Awkwafina, and a visual vibrancy that makes the genre come alive again. It'll leave you beaming – with a little happy-crying at the Mandarin cover of Coldplay's 'Yellow'.
Read the Empire review.

Tootsie19 of 35

17. Tootsie (1982)

When failing actor Michael, played by a very game Dustin Hoffman, can't find any work he takes the bonkers decision to disguise himself as a woman in order to win the role of a lifetime. By not playing any of it as broad as that sounds, this becomes not only very very funny but also extremely moving. It's about upending the way the world sees you.
Read the Empire review.

The Shawshank Redemption20 of 35

16. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

With some feel-good movies you really have to go through the ringer to get to the heartwarming part. Shawshank is just such a film. There's plenty of death and injustice and abuse in the story of a wrongfully imprisoned man, but when you get to the moment he's finally freed all that misery is worth it. Honest.
Read the Empire review.

The Lego Movie21 of 35

15. The Lego Movie (2014)

For about an hour The Lego Movie is just a surreal animated comedy, boundlessly creative in its madness. Delightful, silly and simple. Then something changes and it becomes not just a string of daft gags, but a story of fathers and sons, with a massive emotional wallop. It's still a massive injustice it wasn't even nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar.
Read the Empire review.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington22 of 35

14. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

Politics in 2020 is an absolute car crash, but watching Jimmy Stewart take on government corruption in Frank Capra's big-hearted drama will give you the feeling that good still exists. Most of this list could have been made up of Jimmy Stewart movies. He is human serotonin.
Read the Empire review.

Sullivan's Travels23 of 35

13. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)

In this Preston Sturges classic Joel McCrea is a director of shallow comedy movies who is fed up with a career that has no real meaning, believing he should be making big important pictures. To prepare for said important picture he disguises himself as a homeless beggar to see how poor people live. What he finds on this ridiculous journey is that there are few things more important than comedy. If you can laugh, things will probably be alright.
Read the Empire review.

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12. Jerry Maguire (1996)

Cameron Crowe's comedy, featuring one of Tom Cruise's finest performances, is cheering on several levels. It's a rush for anyone who's ever dreamt of packing in a job they hate and following their dreams. It's a charming romantic comedy about second chances. It's a sports movie with a cracker of a big win. It's just the best.
Read the Empire review.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse25 of 35

11. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)

Sony's animated Spider-Man movie is a total triumph – dazzlingly animated, with side-splitting gags, loveable characters, and a twisty-turny narrative of constant invention and reinvention. It's relentlessly entertaining, and the 'What's Up Danger?' sequence will add extra years to your life, guaranteed_._Guarantee not actually guaranteed.
Read the Empire review.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off26 of 35

10. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Ferris Bueller is pure wish fulfillment. It's the fantasy we've all had of bunking off school/work and spending a day living life to the fullest. Nobody wrote teenagers like John Hughes and Ferris was his masterwork, a cocky little beggar who was nevertheless seductive and likeable, the self-confident popular kid we'd all like to be. Call in sick and spend the day watching this.
Read the Empire review.

Sing Street27 of 35

9. Sing Street (2016)

It was only a modest success on release, but you should seek out John Carney's jaunty musical. A boy with a fractious home life, no friends at school and a keenness to impress an older girl forms his own band, inspired by the biggest groups of the 80s. Memorable songs, winning performances from an unknown cast and a relentless belief that things will be ok in the end make this an A+ mood-enhancer.
Read the Empire review.

When Harry Met Sally28 of 35

8. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

This is the perfect romantic comedy. You could try to find fault with it but you would not succeed. As two friends bickering their way toward falling in love, Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal are effortlessly adorable. Nora Ephron's script is full of witty, beautifully observed moments, and nothing tops that final confrontation at New Year's Eve. You could watch it a million times and always be delighted anew.
Read the Empire review.

My Neighbour Totoro29 of 35

7. My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

Ghibli's beautiful ode to childhood innocence and the majesty of nature is full of imagery to soothe your frazzled mind and ease your fractious soul. Bask in the creaky old house that young girls Satsuki and Mei move to for the summer with their dad, luxuriate in the gorgeous music by Joe Hisaishi, and feel the warm glow of the forest spirits as the girls meet an array of cute and cuddly Totoros. And did we mention the Catbus?
Read the Empire review.

The Princess Bride30 of 35

6. The Princess Bride (1987)

The film starts with a little boy being read a story by his adoring grandpa. That framing automatically makes it comforting, sending you back to times when someone would tell you stories of magical things faraway. Then, of course, the story it tells is an enormously funny, deeply weird spin on traditional fairytales. You probably know every line, don't you?
Read the Empire review.

It's A Wonderful Life31 of 35

5. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

Some would argue that Frank Capra's Christmas classic is mostly not a feel-good film, given much of it deals with a man wanting to kill himself because he's buggered up most of his life. However, it's all about those final moments, the run through the snowy town to get to the family that loves him. At that point your heart soars and any attempt not to be swept up in its cheesiness is futile.
Read the Empire review.

Singin' In The Rain32 of 35

4. Singin’ In The Rain (1952)

Gene Kelly will dance all your cares away as he goes sploshing down the street, giddy with love for Debbie Reynolds. Singin' In The Rain is a bold, primary-coloured rush of unabashed enthusiasm. There is no room for misery here. There is no opportunity for your daily concerns to creep in. For 103 minutes you're going to have a lovely time and you have no choice in the matter.
Read the Empire review.

Paddington 233 of 35

3. Paddington 2 (2017)

"If we're kind and polite, the world will be right." Everything about Paddington 2 exudes positivity – it's a film that abounds with sheer delight. Even Hugh Grant's luvvie villain Phoenix Buchanan is gloriously entertaining. With its pastel-perfect imagery, lovely evocation of picture-book London, and low-stakes, high-emotion plot (Paddington wants to buy the perfect gift for Aunt Lucy!), Paul King's film is the cure for pretty much any ailment. They should prescribe it on the NHS.
Read the Empire review.

Groundhog Day34 of 35

2. Groundhog Day (1993)

Proof that feel-good doesn't have to mean saccharine. Bill Murray is the cynical weather reporter who gets stuck living the same day over and over again, until he eventually learns to enjoy the little things and stop looking for reasons to be unhappy. It's got an acid wit, but a big, soppy, optimistic heart.
Read the Empire review.

Amu00e9lie35 of 35

1. Amélie (2001)

If this doesn't lift your spirits then you're beyond hope. It's everything you want in a feel-good movie. Charmingly oddball Amélie secretly helps people who are living unhappy lives, but can't work up the courage to fix her own issues, until love forces her to. It looks like a dream, Jean Pierre Jeunet's creativity is limitless and Audrey Tautou is weapons-grade adorable in the lead role. Everything about it is a joy. It could even cure the malaise of 2020, the worst year in history not to include an actual world war (yet).
Read the Empire review.

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