12 Best Feel Good Movies for Every Mood

Paddington is wrongly imprisoned for a theft he didn't commit and must adapt to prison life while his family works to clear his name. The sequel that outdid the original — warm, funny, and genuinely beautiful. Holds a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. A near-perfect film.

A young man discovers he can travel back in time and uses it — not to change history, but to improve the small moments of his life. Richard Curtis at his most life-affirming. The film makes a quietly profound argument for paying attention. Have tissues ready.

A troubled city kid placed with a foster family in the New Zealand bush goes on the run with his reluctant uncle when the authorities come for him. Taika Waititi's warmest film — genuinely funny, moving, and completely original.

A jazz musician has an out-of-body experience and must find his way back to his life. Pixar's most existentially ambitious film — it asks what makes life worth living and somehow gives a satisfying answer. Also genuinely very funny.

A talented chef quits his restaurant job after a public meltdown, buys a food truck, and travels across America with his son. Jon Favreau's love letter to food, family, and second chances. The cooking scenes will make you hungry for days.

A dysfunctional family drives a battered VW campervan across the country so their daughter can compete in a children's beauty pageant. Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin — every performance lands. The ending is perfect.

A legendary hotel concierge is framed for the murder of a wealthy guest. Wes Anderson's most inventive and most purely enjoyable film — vibrantly colourful, witty throughout, and featuring an extraordinary ensemble clearly having the time of their lives.

A troubled South Boston janitor at MIT turns out to be a mathematical genius who can't get out of his own way. Matt Damon and Robin Williams. The therapy scenes are extraordinary — genuinely life-affirming in a way that most inspirational films aren't.

A whimsical Parisian waitress secretly sets about improving the lives of those around her while avoiding her own happiness. Jean-Pierre Jeunet's film is pure visual joy — every frame composed like a painting. An endlessly rewatchable masterpiece.

Jack Black pretends to be a teacher and turns his class into a rock band. Pure joy from start to finish. One of those films that always makes you feel good — and the music is genuinely great. Hard to watch without grinning.

A rat who dreams of being a chef in Paris forms an unlikely alliance with a hapless kitchen assistant. The most elegant film Pixar has ever made — the food critic's final monologue is one of the best pieces of writing in any animated film.

A shy magazine photo archivist goes on a globe-spanning adventure to find a missing negative. Ben Stiller's most visually beautiful film — quietly moving and genuinely uplifting. Perfect for when you need a push to actually live your life.