The art of the feel-good movie might appear simple and easy, but it won’t actually make us feel good if we just end up watching another wishy-washy formulaic film without real soul.
A great feel-good movie must have its fair share of laughs adorning stories that feel both genuine and comforting. Good performances are a must, or “feel-good” can quickly turn into “good grief,” and a great resolution is fundamental. After carefully combing through the Amazon Prime Video catalog, we’ve compiled a list that we believe fits all these criteria. All you need to do is pick your favorite, get some snacks, and snuggle up!
1. Upgraded (2024)
Upgraded might have been largely marketed as a rom-com but this Camila Mendes-led Prime Video original is more accurately described as a feel-good chick-flick. Drawing clear inspiration from both Cinderella and The Devil Wears Prada, Upgraded tells the story of Ana, a gallery intern trying to make it in the art world despite her lack of resources, whose little white lie to seduce a richer man turns into a world of problems. Mendes is joined by Marisa Tomei and Shadow and Bone‘s Archie Renaux in this genuinely heartfelt young adult tale.
2. Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)
One of Prime Video’s biggest successes in recent history, the movie adaptation of the popular 2019 novel of the same name, Red, White & Royal Blue, is pure rom-com perfection. The unlikely scenario of a British prince and the son of the United States President going on an enemies-to-lovers journey makes this movie all the more fun to watch. Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez become the rom-com royalty of their generation as Prince Henry and first son Alex Claremont-Diaz with old-school sizzling on-screen chemistry and plenty of swoon-worthy romantic moments to make viewers’ hearts soar.
3. Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot (2018)
If your speed of “feel-good” leans more towards a dark comedy with a heart of gold, then Gus Van Sant’s Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot is just the film for you. The movie adapts the life of American cartoonist John Callahan (played by Joaquin Phoenix) who, at 21, suffered a paralyzing injury from a car accident, which forced him to deal with his drinking problem and find relief in dark humor, and the art of drawing. It’s a realistic approach that takes from a documentary style of filmmaking to portray a gritty, often humorous life story of perseverance and humanity, with all its bright wonders and shadowy corners.
4. Anything’s Possible (2022)
Another sweet rom-com to add to the list is Billy Porter’s directorial debut Anything’s Possible which tests the concept of young teen love against the complexities and specificities of the trans experience in the form of its lead Kelsa (newcomer Eva Reign) and her budding romance with Khal (Abubakr Ali). This Prime Video original was made with the intent of occupying a space that’s not usually populated by queer and trans romance, and the result is a heartwarming teen rom-com that’s both easy to watch and inspirational.
5. Bottoms (2023)
If you’re not into all that sappy stuff and would rather hang out with a group of morally-dubious teenagers for an hour and a half, you might prefer to give Bottoms a try. This racy teen comedy, made by the director of Shiva Baby Emma Seligman, and written by Seligman and star Rachel Sennott, follows two struggling best friends (Senott and The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri) who, desperate to lose their virginity, decide to start an all-female fight club to seduce their crushes. Bottoms was a success among critics and audiences alike, channeling the same kind of cultural zeitgeist as Mean Girls and Superbad before it.
6. The Big Sick (2017)
Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon took their improbable love story from life to screen in this Oscar-nominated romantic comedy. The Big Sick takes from the couple’s real experience of falling in love in the face of cultural differences, unaccepting parents, and a life-threatening illness to create a beautiful, gorgeously-acted film. Nanjiani plays a fictionalized version of himself, while Ruby Sparks‘s Zoe Kazan plays the character of Emily.
7. Bridesmaids (2011)
Bridesmaids is the kind of film that should be on everybody’s mandatory watchlist. A staple of R-rated comedy moviemaking, this hoot of a film gathers the avengers of female comics to produce outrageous laugh-out-loud magic. Kristen Wiig is at the center of the story as the mid-life-crisis-suffering Annie, but it’s Maya Rudolph and Melissa McCarthy who steal the show. Rose Byrne, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Ellie Kemper complete this ensemble of bridesmaids either trying to stop Annie from completely ruining her best friend’s big day — or making everything much, much worse.
8. Forrest Gump (1994)
You’ve probably already watched this one, but if you haven’t, this is your sign to change that immediately. Tom Hanks’ performance as Forrest Gump is one of film history’s most referenced, most famous, and most beloved. This inspirational, tender, and funny story of a peculiar man growing up in the American Deep South finds fascinating new ways to tell the complicated history of the 20th-century United States through the life of its unassuming protagonist. You will leave Forrest Gump with a big, cheesy smile on your face, paired with the distinct satisfaction that comes with witnessing great, classic storytelling.
9. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Animation is often a great source of feel-good movies, and How To Train Your Dragon might just be one of Prime Video’s best offers within that world. A largely underrated movie from DreamWorks, it details the unlikely friendship between Hiccup, the awkward son of a Viking village chief, and a dragon he nicknames Toothless. The villagers hated and feared dragons after they attacked their homes, so Hiccup must act as a bridge between the two worlds. How To Train Your Dragon perfectly uses the type of kids’ movie formula that never fails to land.
10. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Usually watched at Christmas, It’s A Wonderful Life is as important today as it was in 1946. A timeless film that teaches audiences about appreciating even the smaller things in life, it stars James Stewart as the gloomy lead who wishes he had never been born. After an angel grants his wish, he realizes just how different the lives of those around him would have been if he had never existed. Possibly the feel-good movie to end all feel-good movies, It’s A Wonderful Life will make even the most nihilistic of viewers start hoping again.
11. Begin Again (2013)
Begin Again will resonate especially deeply with those who, beyond movies, use music as a source of joy and balance. From John Carney, the writer/director of Once, comes another beautiful movie about music, the connections it causes to spring forth, and the isolation it can so often and paradoxically feed. With a mouth-watering cast of Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld, and Adam Levine, you will find that the soundtrack of Begin Again, which you’ll probably rush to add to your library, is as if not more delightful than its romantic story.
12. The Artist (2011)
Known as the movie that brought silence back to Hollywood, The Artist details the transition between silent films and “the talkies” in late 20s/early 30s Los Angeles. It’s a love letter to the period it depicts, rich with references and tributes to its biggest films and film stars. A feat that naturally resonated with Academy voters, resulting in four Oscars in 2012, including Best Picture, Best Director for Michel Hazanavicius, Best Actor for Jean Dujardin, and Best Costume Design. The Artist is an undeniable comfort film for fans of cinema.
13. Adventureland (2009)
Adventureland is Greg Mottola’s earnest and nostalgic follow-up to his mega-hit Superbad. Set in an 80s amusement park modeled after the real Adventureland where the director used to work as a 15-year-old, it’s a much more subdued coming-of-age piece than its predecessor, balancing raunchy comedy with sincere teenage angst and confusion as it explores topics like first love, growing up, and emotional immaturity. Adventureland stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mottola’s self-insert James, Kristen Stewart as his romantic interest Em, as well as a spade of other would-be acting heavyweights like Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and Ryan Reynolds.
14. Polite Society (2023)
Polite Society flew under the radar when it premiered in 2023, but everyone who’s watched it most likely agrees that their lives were better for it. This action-comedy is an ode to sisterly love and a celebration of the idiosyncrasies of growing up Pakistani-Muslim in the United Kingdom. Ria and Lena must both contend with living up to their parents’ expectations while pursuing their passions of becoming a stunt woman and an artist, respectively. When the latter caves and enters a traditional engagement with a questionable man, Ria must step in and rescue her sister from herself.
15. Catherine Called Birdy (2022)
Merging period stories with a modern, Gen Z approach has given us gifts like Dickinson, Bridgerton, The Great, and now Catherine Called Birdy. Lena Dunham directs this confident, quirky adaptation of the 1994 children’s novel by Karen Cushman, starring pre-Last Of Us Bella Ramsey in the title role, and Andrew Scott as her father, who decides to marry her off to a wealthy suitor to save the family’s finances. The Peter Pan-like narrative sees Birdy intentionally and hilariously chase off the different men as she fights to remain independent and free.
Published: Mar 28, 2024 04:30 pm