80 Best Comfort Movies You Can Watch Right Now

80 Best Comfort Movies You Can Watch Right Now

December 17, 2024

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Different things are comforting to different people. Some are consoled by romance, others by comedy, and even others by romantic comedies. But whether it’s romcom, nostalgia, family, or music that warms your heart, there are many feel-good movies to choose from, and we’ve rounded up the best of them in this list. 

Grab your favorite snack, get snug, and take your pick among the best comfort movies you can stream right now.

51. Another Year (2010)

best

8.0

Country

UK, United Kingdom, United States of America

Director

Mike Leigh

Actors

Badi Uzzaman, Ben Roberts, David Bradley, David Hobbs

Moods

Feel-Good, Heart-warming, Romantic

This is a very nice movie about a lovely older couple named Tom and Gerri. It follows their lives for an entire year, as they work at their jobs, invite friends over for dinner, and work in their garden. They live modest but fulfilling lives, and they seem mostly happy and very much in love, a rarity in the movies. This probably sounds horribly boring to most people, but since Mike Leigh is the director, the film is instead a touching and realistic portrayal of love and how people spend their time together. We should all be so lucky as to live a life as charmed as the central couple in this film.

52. Hello, My Name is Doris (2015)

best

8.0

Country

United States of America

Director

Michael Showalter

Actors

Abraham Lim, Amy Okuda, Anna Akana, Beth Behrs

Moods

Feel-Good, Funny, Romantic

Doris Miller is an unassuming sixty-something office worker whose life takes an unusual turn after her mother passes away. We find out over the course of the film that Doris’ life was put on hold early when she had to give up her dreams and ambitions to take care of her mother. Something is awakened in Doris though when she falls head over heels for John, a much younger co-worker, and Doris dives head first into the world of social media, electro-pop, and Brooklyn hipsterdom. Sally Field is an absolute delight here — her Doris is sweet, lovable, and tragic in equal measures. And the chemistry between her and John is palpable; you can see why they eventually strike up a friendship. In many ways this is a late in life coming-of-age story, and while there are moments of uncomfortable humor, you will find yourself rooting for Doris to come out of her shell and embrace her new life to the fullest.

53. Love is Strange (2014)

best

8.0

Country

Brazil, France, Greece

Director

Ira Sachs

Actors

Alfred Molina, Andrew Polk, Charlie Tahan, Cheyenne Jackson

Moods

Feel-Good, Heart-warming, Lovely

Love is Strange is an even-handed drama about a Ben and George (John Lithgow and Alfred Molina), a loving couple who marry after 39 years of companionship, only to face a series of unexpected consequences of their decision. George is fired from his position as a music teacher, they’re forced to sell their home, and they find themselves living separately with various friends and relatives. The story revolves largely around their time apart, as they struggle in their separation while creating unintended commotion in the lives of their hosts. It’s a warm, wryly amusing and ultimately very touching film about the bonds of love and dedication. It may seem slow at times, but to watch it through to the end will lead you to realize how truly special it is.

54. Infinitely Polar Bear (2014)

best

8.0

Country

United States of America

Director

Female director, Maya Forbes

Actors

Alicia Love, Ashley Aufderheide, Beth Dixon, Brianne Siddall

Moods

Dramatic, Emotional, Feel-Good

A calm and cute story about a manic-depressive father in late 70’s Boston taking care of his two daughters. Starring familiar-face Mark Ruffalo in the lead. The film is inspired by its director’s own experience as one of the two daughters, which added to the amazing performances, makes for a movie made and filled with love. But as it manages to keep a smile on your face most of the time, it also doesn’t shy away from hard and moving sequences. A Sundance movie filled with heart.

55. The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

best

8.0

Country

China, United States of America

Director

Female director, Kelly Fremon Craig

Actors

Alexander Calvert, Ava Grace Cooper, Blake Jenner, Chris Shields

Moods

Feel-Good, Funny, Lovely

A wonderful, witty teen comedy—possibly the best the genre has known in a long time! In a powerhouse performance, Hailee Steinfeld plays Nadine, a high school junior at peak angst and awkwardness. Her roller coaster journey through family, friends, lovers, or lack thereof, gives her that all-too-common impression for people her age that life is unbearable. Things get more complicated when Nadine’s dad passes and her only friend hooks up with an unexpected person. Her temperament and humor will help her see past her demons to understand what’s important in life, putting you in privileged spectator mode to this highly smart and exciting coming-of-age story.

56. Mid90s (2018)

best

8.0

Country

United States of America

Director

Jonah Hill

Actors

Aaron Meza, Alexa Demie, Ama Elsesser, Aramis Hudson

Moods

Feel-Good, Slice-of-Life, Slow

It wouldn’t be too far of a reach to evoke Kids (1995) while diving into Mid90s. But instead of taking on the HIV crisis, Mid90s is a much more tender, poignant reflection on coming of age in 90’s skate culture. Jonah Hill, writer and director, examines the complexities of trying to fit in and the difficult choices one has to embrace individualism. From an opening of physical abuse to scenes of drug usage and traumatic experiences, Mid90s is a meditation not only on culture, but also a subtle examination of what it means to be human, to reach emotional and physical limitations, and to seek acceptance. Filmed in a 4:3 aspect ratio, Mid90s doesn’t concern itself with grandiose filmography, but instead the aspect ratio almost reflects the tonal and metaphorical aspects played out on screen. With a smaller dynamic range of color and the familiar dust/scratches, the 16mm film compliments gritty and emotional moments of Mid90s. The emotional range of the film will take the audience from the depths of empathy to laughing out loud, but there is no compromise to the weight of each moment. Jonah Hill’s directorial debut is beautiful in every sense of the word.

57. Handsome Devil (2016)

best

8.0

Country

Ireland

Director

John Butler

Actors

Amy Huberman, Andrew Scott, Ardal O'Hanlon, Ardal O'Hanlon

Moods

Easy, Feel-Good, Slice-of-Life

I can’t get a song out of my head from this movie: the 1985 UK hit Desire As from Prefab Sprout.

It plays when the two main characters, a sensitive kid who’s bullied by his school for not liking rugby, and the school’s rugby star; talk over the “Berlin Wall” that separates their dorm room.

The song echoes “It’s perfect as it stands, so why then crush it in your perfect hands?”. These two seemingly incompatible personalities form a friendship that comes under threat from their school’s traditional authority, especially as one of them is revealed to be gay. 

It might seem like a tough premise, but Handsome Devil is actually a comedy. It’s a sweet and easy coming-of-age comedy.

58. Hearts Beat Loud (2018)

best

8.0

Country

United States of America

Director

Brett Haley

Actors

Alex Reznik, Andrea Morales, Blythe Danner, Harrison Chad

Moods

Easy, Feel-Good, Funny

A sweet feel-good movie starring Nick Offerman as a dad who has to deal with his only daughter leaving for college and his record store struggling. The daughter is played by Kiersey Clemons who you might recognize from the show Easy. And Ted Danson has a great role too. This is a relatable and heartwarming movie, one of the best the so-called “indie” genre has known in a long time.

59. Driveways (2019)

best

8.0

Country

United States of America

Director

Andrew Ahn

Actors

Bill Buell, Brian Dennehy, Christine Ebersole, Fernando Mateo Jr.

Moods

Easy, Feel-Good, Slice-of-Life

This beautiful drama is set over a summer in New York State. Kathy and her son Cody drive to her estranged sister’s house, who had just passed. Kathy plans to quickly sell the house and go back to her normal life but that doesn’t happen when she learns that her sister was a hoarder. Forced to spend more time cleaning the house, her son sparks a friendship with the next-door neighbor, an old Korean War veteran. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking, Gran Torino, right? The initial set up is the same but in Driveways is much more realistic, and its characters don’t really need to be redeemed (no one is screaming “get off my lawn” with a shotgun). In fact, the actor who plays the old man, the fantastic Brian Dennehy, brings so much kindness and heart to the story. It ended up his last movie before his passing, and what a beautiful farewell his performance is.

60. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)

best

8.0

Country

United States of America

Director

Dean Fleischer-Camp

Actors

Andy Richter, Avan Jogia, Blake Hottle, Brian Williams

Moods

Dramatic, Easy, Emotional

There’s a lot of good to be found in the charming, poignant, and endlessly quotable Marcel the Shell With Shoes On. It follows a documentarian named Dean, who has as his subject the one-inch talking shell that is Marcel. Marcel looks after an empty house along with his grandma Connie, and together they run a delightfully intricate system subsisting on electric mixers, tennis balls, and the occasional human hair.

Despite his small size, Marcel unwittingly makes big observations about life and the world around him, often moving Dean (and this writer) close to tears. It’s a simple film with a grand message, with lots to say about the importance of participating in life as opposed to merely observing it. But ultimately this is a movie with a precocious talking shell at the heart of it all, so really, what’s not to like?

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