Feel-good movieshave always been an intrinsic part of wider cinema. While there is always a time and a place for an epic drama, a nail-biting action flick, or a blood-curdling horror film,audiences will always need happy moviesthat they can gravitate towards when they simply need a pick-me-up after a long day. Lifting the moods of countless viewers over the years, these films provide an audiovisual reminder of the fact that life is beautiful in the midst of the many tribulations that the human experience has to offer.
This is no mere substitute for quality, either. Many of cinema’s preeminent uplifting offerings are regarded as some of the finest and most influential films of all time, with the cheering likes ofFerris Bueller’s Day Off,Up, andWhen Harry Met Sallyearning universal acclaim from fans and critics alike. While the previous decade arguably failed to produce an offering to rival legendary names of this ilk in earnest,the last decade has played host to a number of superb feel-good productions, fromjoyous musical numbersall the way toepic superhero movies.
10Yesterday (2019)
Directed By Danny Boyle
A charming, thought-provoking showcase of music and humor, Danny Boyle’sYesterdaychronicles an exceedingly unlikely series of events. After being hit by a bus, struggling musician Jack Malik discovers that he is the only person on the planet who canremember that the Beatles existed, allowing him to pass the iconic band’s music off as his own.
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Yesterdaymay not be the most polished cinematic experience out there, but it’sundoubtedly one of the most feel-good films to come out of the last decade. The stunned expressions on Jack’s audience’s faces as he performs the Beatles tracks captures a moving snapshot of the nostalgic sensation associated with hearing the legendary band for the first time in glorious clarity. The film’s tongue-in-cheek sense of humor and the uplifting nature ofYesterday’snarrative combine for a thoroughly pleasing experience, one that rarely fails to leave a broad grin plastered over the viewer’s face.
Pride
Cast
Pride is a biographical comedy directed by Matthew Warchus. Set in 1984, Pride centers on gay activists in the UK who are determined to assist miners during their strike of the National Union of Mineworkers. The film stars Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, and Patty Considine.
Spearheaded by the talents of a British ensemble cast,Pridedepicts an uplifting true story; a group of LBGTQ+ activists who sought to raise money to help families suffering as a result of the British Miners' Strike of 1984. Featuring the likes of Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, and Paddy Considine, Matthew Warchus' film received a glowing response from critics upon release in 2014.
A compassionate crowd pleaser of the highest order,Prideradiates optimism and good feeling from its first second. It’s an impassioned ode to the most inherently good aspects that the human experience has to offer, one that will leave viewers laughing and crying in equal measure. An inspirational story carried by an array of magnificent performances from a star-studded cast,Prideis one of recent cinema’s most unabashedly joyous outings.
Sing Street
Sing Street is a musical drama film directed by John Carney. Set in 1980s Dublin, it tells the story of Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), a teenager who forms a band to impress a girl named Raphina (Lucy Boynton). As they create music together, Conor navigates the challenges of adolescence and family life. The film offers a nostalgic look at the period’s music scene and the power of artistic expression.
A heartwarming coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of South Dublin during the 1980s, John Carney’sSing Streetfollows the tale of Conor; a young boy who starts a band to impress a girl.Aided by a killer soundtrack featuring endlessly catchy original songs interspersed with contemporary classics, Carney’s picture is all heart; a stirring snapshot of the innocence and optimism of youth.
Sing Streetdoesn’t break any particularly new ground, but the familiarity of the film’s premise, themes, and characters lends to a relentlessly upbeat air; one that elevates the film from just another musical drama to one of the last decade’s most feel-good outings. Unsurprisingly, for a film about Ireland, there are sad moments to be found inSing Street, but these serve only to compound the heartwarming sensation when things ultimately turn out for the best.
Crazy Rich Asians
Based on the global best-selling series Crazy Rich Asians is a romantic comedy that follows New York Rachel Chu to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s family. However, she soon discovers her significant other is hiding a secret - his family is one of the wealthiest families in Singapore - and her mother already disapproves of her and her origins. Rachel will attempt to find her place in the madness and prove her own worth to a family of unflinching prejudice.
A romantic comedymovie based on the book of the same name, Jon M. Chu’sCrazy Rich Asianstells the story of Rachel, a young woman who discovers that her new boyfriend hails from one of the richest families in Singapore. Carried by a pair of standout performances from Constance Wu and Henry Golding, the 2018 film also benefits from the sterling efforts of an all-Asian supporting cast, who help bring this uproarious outing to life in dazzling fashion.
A glorious heartfelt blast of a movie that utilizes sizzling dialogue and impeccable comedic timing, Chu’s picture is one of the unlikeliest feel-good offerings of the last ten years. While promotional material for the film might have hinted towards a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy,Crazy Rich Asianstranscends any such preconceived notions with an uplifting, hilarious tale that radiates warmth and humanity that arguably stands as the finest genre offering in recent memory.
Eddie The Eagle
Eddie The Eagle is a biographical sports comedy-drama that follows Michael “Eddie” Edwards, an underdog British ski jumper who defies the odds to compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics. Starring Taron Egerton as Eddie and Hugh Jackman as his coach, the film captures Edwards' determination and the unlikely journey toward fulfilling his Olympic dream. Directed by Dexter Fletcher, this film is an inspiring portrayal of perseverance and dedication.
An underdog story for the ages, 2016’sEddie the Eagleoffers a dramatized take on the true story of Michael “Eddie” Edwards; a lovable, bumbling skier who becomes the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping in sixty years. Led byTaron Egerton in one of his best movie rolesand supported by a glorious turn from Hugh Jackman, Dexter Fletcher’s picture is a light-hearted testament to the indomitable nature of the human spirit that rarely fails to elicit a smile.
While the film makes liberal use of practically every inspirational cliché in the sports movie playbook,Eddie the Eagle’srelentless optimism and sentimentality make for a cinematic experience that has the viewer up in arms, roaring Egerton’s unlikely hero on as he soars from the dizzying heights of the ski jump platforms.A tale of redemption and perseverancethat unashamedly plays to the audience like a boxer whipping up a crowd, Fletcher’s film is one of the last decade’s most crowd-pleasing offerings.
522 Jump Street (2014)
Directed By Phil Lord And Christopher Miller
The successor to 2012’s wildly successful21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Streetpicked up where the original left off in seamless fashion. The sequel sees Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum’s characters sent undercover to root out a mysterious drug supplier once again, swapping out high school for college this time around.
Effortlessly sidestepping the pitfalls associated with follow-up films,22 Jump Streetis the rare example of a sequel that improves on the original. Hill and Tatum play off each other with polished ease,breathing life into one of cinema’s most sidesplitting and lovable bromances in uproarious fashion once again. In trueJump Streetfashion, the 2014 film manages to be relentlessly silly while striking all the right feel-good notes through the unshakable bond of friendship between Schmidt and Jenko, eliciting howls of laughter and sentimental smiles in equal measure.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish follows the titular character as he embarks on a quest to restore his nine lives. Realizing he has exhausted all but one of his lives, Puss seeks the mythical Last Wish, embarking on an epic adventure to rediscover his destiny.
2022’sPuss in Boots: The Last Wishsaw Antonio Banderas step back into the boots of popular culture’s favorite talking feline with a heartwarming offering of the highest order. Chronicling Puss' attempts to regain his nine lives as he is pursued by Death, Joel Crawford’s picture is a tender love letter to the elements that made the originalShrekmovies such a success, while providing a gorgeous new visual take on the character and his universe.
As earnest as it is charming,Puss in Boots: The Last Wishis an infectiously cheering offering. The film even manages to offer poignant commentary on themes of mental health and mortality without skipping a beat in terms of feel-good factor, aided by Banderas' usual polished flair in his signature role and a strong array of voice-over performances from the supporting cast. There may be hope for theShrekfranchise yet.
Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse
In the first animated Spider-Man film released in theaters, Miles Morales, a teenager who idolizes Spider-Man, gains Spider-Man powers of his own. While learning to use his new abilities, Miles crosses parallel dimensions and teams up with the different versions of Spider-Man from those dimensions to stop a threat to all reality.
An animated origin story for would-be Spider-Man Miles Morales, Sony’sSpider-Man: Into The Spider-Verseis an unabated triumph for the superhero genre. The first of a planned trilogy of films, the 2018 picture received rave reviews upon release, with particular praise directed towards the movie’s stunning visuals, thrilling action sequences, and superb voice-over performances.
Loaded with heart and humor from start to finish, Miles' mentor bond with Jake Johnson’s Peter Parker is a notably touching element of the film, while his chemistry with Hailee Steinfeld’s Gwen Stacey and the deep love he holds for his family never fails to tug on the heartstrings.Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’scocktail of lovable characters, hilarious gags and witty dialogue produces a relentlessly entertaining experience, one that conveys a warm and fuzzy sense of comfort that never feels forced.
La La Land
La La Land follows aspiring actress Mia and jazz musician Sebastian in Los Angeles, portrayed by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. As they pursue their dreams amidst a series of auditions and gigs, their love story is tested by the pressures of ambition and success in the entertainment industry.
At first glance,La La Land’sreputation as one of the last decade’s preeminent feel-good offerings may seem controversial, given that it doesn’t end with a traditional “happily ever after” conclusion for the film’s purported star-crossed lovers.The movie’s endingsees Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s characters ultimately go their separate ways despite the deep love they hold for one another, leading to a poignant climax to proceedings that consistently leaves viewers reaching for the tissues.
Accordingly, it speaks volumes totheuplifting nature of the film’s magnificent musical numbers and dance sequencesthatLa La Landremains such a feel-good outing despite its tear-jerking ending. Aided by a pair of stirring performances that emanate raw humanity from the film’s leading duo, Damien Chazelle’s film remains a passionate love letter to a bygone age that gets better with every watch.
1Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Directed By James Gunn
Irreverent, heartwarming and aided by one of the mosticonic cinematic soundtracksin recent memory,Guardians of the Galaxyis contentiously the MCU’s finest offering to date, in addition to beingthe best feel-good film of the last ten years. Depicting the origin story of the film’s titular rag-tag band of extraterrestrial undesirables, James Gunn’s outing spawned two sequels that never came close to attaining the feel-good aura of the first movie.
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The rare superhero film that doesn’t take itself too seriously,Guardians of the Galaxyis loaded to the brim with material that will make even the most cynical of viewers crack a smile; from Rocket’s penchant for unabated chaos to Groot’s implacably adorable nature. The fact that all of these elements just so happen to be set against the backdrop of a thrilling, top-tier superhero film is simply the icing on the cake.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring Chris Pratt as Peter Quill. Abducted from Earth as a child, Quill navigates intergalactic adventures, becoming entwined in a conflict centered on a powerful orb coveted by Ronan the Accuser.
