The feel-good movies They are a genre born of chance: feel-good films. They do not have defined topics, codes or arguments. They can be comedies, bittersweet dramas, with children’s themes and characters, author’s works or box office hits. What they do agree on is a central point. They all manage to lift our spirits almost instantly. Whether for its songs, jokes, landscapes, characters or all of the above. The truth is that they are films that have the unusual quality of making you smile, even in difficult moments.
Something that comes in handy during the Christmas season. Although it is time for family reunions and celebrations, sometimes, it also remembers the absences. Which makes them bittersweet and even bitter days, which are overcome with all the tools at hand. One of them, without a doubt, is cinema. And especially when the platforms include in their catalog a good number of feature films, intended for console and comfort. From laugh-out-loud stories to others that become shows with encouraging messages. Any of them are part of a wide repertoire of a type of cinema whose only objective – or the most urgent – is happiness.
We leave you five recommendations feel-good movies that you can see right now. From the arrival of an endearing literary character to the cinema to the funniest musical. The selection covers the best of the genre that was created by accident to end up becoming one of the current favorites. An enjoyment that shows that cinema and its stories will always be a form of consolation.
Paddington (Movistar+)
If you loved Wonka, it is very likely that this adorable film by its director will also become one of your favorites. Based on character Paddington by British writer Michael Bond, the film tells the story of how the titular figure ends up in England. That, after the Peruvian jungle in which he lived ends up devastated. The hectic journey will take him to British soil and then to a new life with a loving family.
But in the midst of the discoveries, he will also have to face a creepy taxidermist. An eccentric villain who is also willing to do anything to succeed. Millicent (Nicole Kidman), has some plans for the little bear and none of them good. Which will force Paddington to flee and use his undeniable ingenuity.
With a visual section that turns Paddington into a wonderful cinematographic recreation of its literary version, the film is all tenderness. Much more so, when the script manages to sustain the dramatic moments with other humorous ones with great skill. For its grand finale, this feel-good movie remembers the obvious: Paddington is the champion of good intentions. Wherever it is needed.
Little Miss Sunshine (Disney+)
They call it the feel-good for excellence and reasons are not lacking. It is one of the sweetest portraits about grief, redemption and hope. The story, furthermore, seems to cover all records. The Hoover Familyhave a difficult time. Richard (Greg Kinnear) just got fired, so the situation with his wife Sheryl (Toni Collette) is increasingly tense.
Much more, because his son Dwayne (a very young Paul Dano), is going through a crisis that left him speechless and devastated. On the other hand, grandfather Edwin (Alan Arkin) has serious health problems, the same as the uncle frank (Steve Carell). The latter is heartbroken and on the brink of tragedy.
So traveling together doesn’t seem like the best idea of all. However, that is what they will do when the little daughter, Olive (Abigail Breslin), insist on participating in a child beauty pageant. But what begins as the typical argument of road trip, becomes an emotional and moving journey. Little by little, the Hoovers will find that, in the midst of domestic chaos, hope and love persist. At the same time, the possibility of mutual forgiveness. What will become more evident in the last and painful scene.
Trapped in time (Movistar+)
Nobody disputes it: Harold Ramis’ film is a classic to see more than once. But more than that, it is also a journey through a type of existential questions which often seem too deep for pure entertainment films.
However, here they have an answer or at least they are hinted at. So this Christmas classic turned into a romantic comedy, which in turn is a typical feel-good movie, is captivating from origin. Especially when its premise invites inevitable reflection: What if someone had no choice but to live the same day over and over again?
That man is Phil Connor (Bill Murray). He will discover this in the middle of a loop temporary in which he is condemned to live the boring day on countless occasions. Something that will allow you to not only rethink his life in multiple — endless — variations, but also his priorities and even the meaning of love. By the time time starts moving in the right direction again, Phil will be a new man. But the lesson is much deeper than that. Every day can be, without a doubt, the best of our existence.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (Disney+)
Wes Anderson in a specialist in feel-good movies. But it’s in this Oscar-nominated film that his version of kindness is put to the test. The plot – which is authored by its director – is a story about an extraordinary hotel with a secret.
Also, a story of love, another of devotion and among all, an exploration of how an old and elegant hotel works. That, with a single objective: to analyze good and evil, from several different perspectives and points of view.
In the end, this funny, kind and sometimes slightly dark journey into human behavior is a hidden moral between pastel tones and symmetrical shots. We are all good and evil beings, depending on what occasion we must live. But in the end, the purpose is the same. The search for love and innocent happiness. A strange message in the middle of a film with some scenes that raise everyday existence, in a hilarious setting.
School of Rock (SkyShowtime)
Jack Black demonstrated this year in Super Mario Bros, who in addition to being a great actor — and vocal talent — is a wonderful singer. The song peaches It went viral and an unexpected success on the music charts. But for those who follow his career closely, it is not new news.
Already in 2004 and under the direction of Richard Linklater, the performer tested his undoubted ability as an artist on stage. School of Rockwhich tells the story of a An unemployed musician who ends up being a school teacher, he showed all the artistic qualities of the charismatic Black.
But also, the film is a good-hearted enjoyment and exciting moments. What began as the adventure of a desperate man in a school classroom ends in a collective experience with music as its center. A large-scale celebration of good intentions, ideal for immediate encouragement.