The best movies make us feel something like joy, heartbreak, fear, or nostalgia that stays in our minds for a while and allows us to roam the world of cinema for a little longer.
If you want a movie that evokes a certain emotion during these cozy dark days of winter, behold. Here are some great movies, mostly recent, that took me on a beautiful journey. I hope they inspire…well, whatever you happen to be in the mood for.
movies that make you feel good
“In the Heights” (2021): Musicals are the most fun of the genre, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tale of love and dreams is full of action and charm set primarily in Manhattan’s Latino neighborhood. I’m here. (HBO Max)
Paddington 2 (2017): Find a better performance than the washed-up actor turned criminal Hugh Grant in this highly creative family film. We are looking forward to seeing you. (HBO Max)
“School of Rock” (2003): Jack Black teaches a group of middle schoolers how to lift the rock goblet, or rather, how to be a rock musician. (Prime Video)
movies that make you feel loved
“Beginners” (2011): The late Christopher Plummer won his only Oscar for this wistful, brilliant film about family. (Prime Video)
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018): Love between young lovers and love between mothers and children shines light in this heated James Baldwin dramatization directed by Barry Jenkins. (netflix)
Philomena (2013): As the title character in Stephen Frears’ warm drama about a woman searching for her adopted child decades ago, Judi Dench is the embodiment of loving kindness. (netflix)
movies that make you feel nostalgic
The Little Princess (1995): Alfonso Cuarón’s captivating and magical film takes me back to my childhood, when I was happily lost in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel about an orphaned girl in a boarding school. gave me (HBO Max)
The Deep Blue Sea (2012) Not a shark movie starring Samuel L. Jackson, but a gorgeous romantic drama set in war-torn 1950s London, starring the painfully beautiful Rachel Weisz as a passion-seeking married woman. am. (Prime Video)
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor” (2018): Many of us grew up with Mr. Rogers. Morgan her Neville documentary once again introduces us to our cardigan-wearing friends. Please have a tissue ready. (netflix)
Adventurous movies
The Handmaiden (2016): This gorgeous, wild and creative film by Park Chan-wook — basically an erotic revenge crime thriller — is unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s a mad time movie. (Prime Video)
“The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999): A second look at Anthony Minghella’s elegant Hitchcock thriller. The setting is his 1950s European luxury city, the darkest time of the pandemic. It gave me happy dreams of travel. (Paramount+)
“The Wildest Dream” (2010): Recreating George Mallory’s famous Everest ascent on an IMAX screen, this documentary was breathtaking. It’s probably still pretty good (and warm) to watch it at home. (AppleTV+)
heartbreaking movie
“The French Lieutenant’s Woman” (1981): A swooning blast from the past. A young Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons play double roles in this romantic drama, heartbroken in two different centuries. (netflix)
“Manchester by the Sea” (2016): Just thinking about this beautifully done performance by Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams as an ex-couple dealing with their crushing grief actually brings tears to my eyes. Some broken things, as this movie wisely teaches us, cannot be repaired. (Prime Video)
“Nobody Knows” (2004): Writer-director Hirokazu Kore-eda makes an eloquent film about family. This is about four children left to survive on their own by a single mother, and it’s devastating and utterly enchanting. (Prime Video)
scary movie
“The Conjuring” (2013): This classic haunted house story made me dread the daylight and avoid the underground stairs after dark for quite some time. (HBO Max)
The Little Stranger (2018): If you like period costume horror movies and prefer gothic suspense over actual horror, this moody adaptation of Sarah Waters’ novel is for you. (Prime Video)
“Us” (2019): Jordan Peele’s sequel to “Get Out” was both a terrifying and terrifying exploration of otherness and an opportunity for a stunning dual performance by Lupita Nyong’o. (Prime Video)
Movies that make you feel rebellious
“Rushmore” (1998): Still my favorite of all Wes Anderson’s works.
“Widows” (2018): Led by Viola Davis as the leader of a quartet of widows whose robbery husbands haven’t finished their last job, this crackling and wonderfully casted crime thriller invites you to pull off your own robbery. You might be tempted. (Prime Video)
“Young Adult” (2011): Charlize Theron is hilariously hated as a spiteful adult rebel who lazily tries to win back his high school sweetheart. Diablo Cody (“Juno”) wrote the sly script. (HBO Max)
movies that make you smart
“Inception” (2010): It could be argued that Christopher Nolan’s trippy hit makes viewers feel the opposite of smart, but stick with it and get on the kick. , is a puzzle worth understanding with two repeat viewings. (HBO Max)
“Life Itself” (2014): One way to feel smart is to spend time with incredibly smart people. (Prime Video)
“Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story” (2006): You don’t have to read Lawrence Stern’s twisted 18th century novel. A goofy hall of literate and very funny mirrors. (Prime Video)
inspirational movies
Amazing Grace (2019): This concert documentary is composed of footage shot in a Los Angeles church in 1972 and shows Aretha Franklin at the peak of her singing prowess. You might just close your eyes and lose yourself in the glory of her voice. (HBO Max)
“Captain Phillips” (2013): This meticulously crafted thriller inspires in two ways. One is the real-life story of an ordinary man facing unspeakable challenges, and his other is Tom, who continues to find new ways to charm us in the middle of his career. is a central performance by Hanks of (netflix)
“Man on Wire” (2008): In 1974, tightrope walker Philippe Petit walked a rope strung between the towers of the World Trade Center. This amazing documentary revisits that August day of his life. A thrilling exploration of one man’s mad dreams. (Prime Video)
loneliness relief movies
“The Best of You” (2005): 6 hours long, worth every minute. Watching this heartwarming story of an Italian family (told over his 40 years since the 60’s) is like reading a great novel. You don’t want it to end (Prime Video)
“The Farewell” (2019): Lulu Wang’s heartfelt drama/comedy (because what is life, but is it both?) is a very specific and completely universal family It’s a love story. You look at this family and see a warm shadow of yourself, whoever you are. (Prime Video)
“Little Women” (2019): Similarly, Greta Gerwig’s creative and utterly faithful adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic makes every viewer feel part of the beloved March family. increase. (Prime Video, FXM)
Moira MacDonald is a film and arts critic for The Seattle Times.send comment to [email protected]
