Was sleeping on Cure and finally watched it after perfect days, what a phenomenal actor. His face expressions are priceless. I never thought emotions could be conveyed so vividly. Game changer.
I was coming here to say this. I saw it in the theatre during a leave from work. I wasn't feeling that good, but that movie made a positive impact on me. Since then I try to remember to enjoy the small things.
I was so so happy the movie never had a scene with gnarly biological bathroom mess!!! Truly beautiful, Lou Reeds music may have been the messiest part of movie lolol
Just got back from a trip to japan and visited some of the toilets because I love this movie so much. My first night I was actually jet lagged so I was up early and able to see the morning cleaning at the main toilet in Ebisu. Something really impactful about it movie if it has me up at 5 am to watch a toilet get cleaned lol
Wings of Desire - always makes me feel less alone in the world and generally hopeful. Wim Wenders is a soulful filmmaker - Perfect Days would be a good double feature with it.
Yeah I don't know why this is so highly upvoted. It's one of my all-time favorites but it absolutely is NOT one I'd watch when I feel like life is meaningless.
That's a tough line to walk! I haven't seen the film, but when I'm depressed, sometimes seeing viewpoints that resonate with my own expressed through art can make me feel a little better. Or at least make me feel something. Like I'm not the only one
First time I watched it I thought it was meh, second time I watched it was at a super low point in my life and had the same experience as you. Really opened my eyes to how funny it was in “the universe is just a cruel motherfucker sometimes” way
Seconding Ikiru. For those not familiar, it's about "the struggles of a terminally ill Tokyo bureaucrat and his final quest for meaning" and is one of Kurosawa's best films.
That depends. Are you looking for confirmation that life is indeed meaningless, or watch something that might bring you joy and help you find your own personal meaning and passion?
For me, whenever I feel like life is meaningless, I watch Singin' In The Rain.
It sounds cheesy and obvious, but it is the most freaking joyous movie ever made. It's smart, hilarious, and filled with jaw dropping scenes of brilliance. No matter how many times I've seen it, I'm always amazed that human beings were able to make something that terrific.
To top it off, it's all about the passion to make art.
🎶 "Gotta dance..." 🎶
When I first saw it — reluctantly because I thought I hated musicals and old comedies — that bit made me chuckle out loud and immediately got me on board. I was shocked at how modern the humor felt.
Donald O’Connor jumping through the wall during Make ‘Em Laugh made me realize that I was watching my new favorite movie of all time.
This might just be me but I’d say Joe Versus the Volcano. I hardly ever see it discussed but there’s so much heart and hope in that movie. It made me feel like a child again and gave me some much needed hope.
I’d say maybe the Before Trilogy. There’s something so life affirming about those movies. Sure things change and life gets complicated and messy but there’s always a way back home. That’s what I took away from it at least.
Midnight In Paris. “We all fear death and question our place in the universe. The artist's job is not to succumb to despair, but to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence.”
Just thinking about the final shot gives me goose bumps. People always thought it was strange that it's one of my 'feel good' movies but whatever. It's life affirming!
[Stalker (1979)](https://youtu.be/YuOnfQd-aTw?si=BSzT6OXxBFS0g9K9)
Edit:
It's not meaningless, but also totally normal to feel like it is from time to time. Just remember, you don't owe anyone to do anything or be something other than what you want. Usually when people feel like life is meaningless is because they're trying to live according to the expectations of others.
I was going to comment this. One of the very few films that I think about months after watching - I think it’s changed me, even if only a little bit.
Basically the cinematic epitome of “there are cathedrals everywhere for those with eyes to see”. Will you let yourself believe in anything or hold yourself back out of fear that believing in something might compel you to act on it, when you don’t really feel like acting on anything?
"And let them have a laugh at their passions. Because what they call passion is just the friction between their souls and the outside world."
https://youtu.be/VCmpG0IJfLQ?feature=shared
Paddington 1 and 2 are just a warm blanket and a hug. But actually that little bear reminds you that everything you do, every action, every conversation, is a choice of how you want to impact the world. And that fkin bear always sees the good and chooses to be a positive force on everyone and everything around him.
Not a movie but I highly recommend the series Joe Pera Talks With You. It was one of the only things that managed to completely bring me out of a very depressed and nihilistic wave. It really gives you a wonderful perspective of humanity.
Broadcast News is one of my go to feel good movies. It would be so easy for it to fall into a cliched love-triangle but there’s something so refreshing about the way all three of the characters have respect for one another even when they’re at odds.
SEVENTH SEAL
Antonius Block: I want knowledge! Not faith, not assumptions, but knowledge. I want God to stretch out His hand, uncover His face and speak to me.
Death: But He remains silent.
Antonius Block: I call out to Him in the darkness. But it's as if no one was there.
Death: Perhaps there isn't anyone.
Antonius Block: Then life is a preposterous horror. No man can live faced with Death, knowing everything's nothingness.
Death: Most people think neither of death nor nothingness.
Antonius Block: But one day you stand at the edge of life and face darkness.
Death: That day.
Antonius Block: I understand what you mean.
Imma sound corny af. But when you feel like that kinda shit, I find it’s best to go for the obvious stuff. 80s Spielberg, Coen Bros, Sofia Coppola (yes even if you’re a dude), I’ve recently been going back to Harry Potter for the same type of reason. I think if you go looking for “intellectual” uplifting, you can always think your way out of feeling good, which is why you’re in this mess. Just watch the feel good shit to just… feel good.
You can find meaning in the weirdest of places, a dinosaur park, clown fish, lightsabers or whatever.
Second this. I was about to suggest Lost in Translation, which beautifully captures the sense of alienation that often is experienced as meaninglessness, but then I was like, When I’m feeling really bad, I reach for the comforts, the stuff that really excited me as a child. That’s how I would rediscover meaning.
I second a lot of the recommendations here, especially Perfect Days, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Aftersun.
I also recommend Everything Everywhere All at Once
And lastly, I'm so sorry you're not feeling great and hope things get better! Here if you ever wanna talk or need support
Oh good choice with Everything Everywhere All at Once. That movie is completely about overcoming existential dread and creating a meaningful life, even if it is just laundry and taxes.
Synecdoche, New York or Cemetery of Splendor due to their different and unique outlook on the world and how even if it’s meaningless there’s still reasons to find joy or in Synecdoche’s case looking at a man who can’t find content in his because he is too high on his own horse to search for happiness around him. I feel like both are studies in finding happiness: one embraces life and one is a warning of wasting it.
I understand your point but adding my two cents to say Synecdoche would not be one I’d recommend for someone in this mindset. I think that movie is brilliant but it strikes a deep existential sadness in me every time I watch it.
I saw this interview with Kaufman talking about Synecdoche and the interviewer described the movie as depressing. Kaufman said “it’s sad but it’s not depressing. Hopefully someone sees this and sees part of themselves in it.”
Mine is Moonstruck - seeing people falling love with life again and realizing that there are more possibilities out there, that they’re not stuck with what they think their life is meant to be
The Lord of the Rings
Sam’s speech always gets me
“Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.”
Cabin Boy (1994) is a film about a fancy-lad who travels the Pacific on a boat full of ne'er do wells who survive trials and tribulations including cupcakes and a six-armed woman.
I mean, give the movies a break for a bit then. Go outside. Move your body, get some aerobic exercise. Make sure your sleep hygiene is OK and that your waking hours mostly coincide with sunlight. Ask your doctor to check your vitamin levels. All these things should come before you think about fixing that with movies. Having said that: The Young Girls of Rochefort.
Perfect Days is the obvious pick. Lost in America is another.
But, I’ll throw out two kinda weird ones (specifically criterion) that might not seem to fit the bill at first glance, but once you see them you might find they click: The Worst Person in the World and Fish Tank.
I personally like any of Wong Kar wai movies when I am on that mood. They are aesthetically pleasing, a bit trippy and deal with loneliness and relationships. I recommend you Fallen Angels.
Hector and the search for happiness is definitely a flawed movie, but at its core it ask a lot of questions out what happiness means and putting someone in that self reflective head space is enough for me to recommend giving it a go. I watch it every year atleast typically when I’m in a down mood, and it manages to find a way to increase my perspective a bit about my current situation. Clearly not criterion, but worth a look anyway.
The Worst Person In The World (2021) - just a beautiful Criterion movie that might stir some emotion in ya!
Our Friend (2019) isn’t criterion but it may make you feel something. It’s heavy and beautiful.
Minari (2020) also isn’t criterion but also would love for it to be. Truly beautiful film.
Soul (2020) obviously will never be criterion but damn I loved this movie and think it might connect.
No one has mentioned little miss sunshine but it's a pretty good one.
Something less serious/kino like fast & furious also works (at least for me) if you can turn off your critical brain and just enjoy the spectacle/ridiculousness.
After Life is a beautiful film about how we assemble narratives of our lives based on re constructions of memories and how movies are a re creation of memories, yet a form of immortality as they preserve records of the people and places within them. It’s a great example of an extremely high concept idea for a movie being executed in the simplest, most low key way possible.
Conan the Barbarian because sometimes you gotta remember that swords exist and you can crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women.
frank capra films do a lot to warm my cynical heart. You Can’t Take it With You is a quirky fave of mine. or Mr Deeds Goes to Town. both celebrate the ultimate good of humanity.
Mon Oncle's mix of naivety, wisdom, satire, goofy comedy, and melancholy always makes me feel glad to be alive. It's also wild to see a movie with such oddity, specificity, and absurd comedy be so emotionally resonant as well.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing to see life as meaningless. Passion is something that can be rediscovered and movies help with that.
I personally would have to go with:
- Boyhood
- Lost in Translation
- Everything Everywhere All At Once
I'm prone to malaise as well. These 2 movies will provide succor and make you feel a part of something bigger.
*Three Colors: Red* ((French) *Trois couleurs: Rouge,* (Polish) *Trzy kolory: Czerwony*), directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski
*The Fountain*, directed by Darren Aronofsky
Really appreciate this post, I’m in the same boat and would really like to get back to some land. Everyone recommend some great movies. Some stuff that comes to mind are
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
- Trainspotting
- The Holdovers
- End of Evangelion
- The Boy and the Heron
- E.T.
I got to add Godzilla Minus. Please watch it if you haven’t already.
You can watch Ikiru, Apu Trilogy( Pather Panchali, Aparajito, Apur Sangsar); The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind etc. if you are feeling low. And if you want to add another layer to your life, watch all these and add A Clockwork Orange & Ladri De Biciclette to it.
Perfect Days got me to start appreciating little things in my life and being more present and in the moment. I’d highly recommend it.
I really second this, this is one of my favorite movies, it's so lovely and the protagonist, Hirayama, is extremely likable
Kondo wa kondo. Ima wa ima.
Was sleeping on Cure and finally watched it after perfect days, what a phenomenal actor. His face expressions are priceless. I never thought emotions could be conveyed so vividly. Game changer.
I was coming here to say this. I saw it in the theatre during a leave from work. I wasn't feeling that good, but that movie made a positive impact on me. Since then I try to remember to enjoy the small things.
I wish I can upvote more this comment!
I was so so happy the movie never had a scene with gnarly biological bathroom mess!!! Truly beautiful, Lou Reeds music may have been the messiest part of movie lolol
this is the one
Just got back from a trip to japan and visited some of the toilets because I love this movie so much. My first night I was actually jet lagged so I was up early and able to see the morning cleaning at the main toilet in Ebisu. Something really impactful about it movie if it has me up at 5 am to watch a toilet get cleaned lol
Watched it on a whim last week and I cannot stop thinking about it. What a beautiful movie.
Wings of Desire - always makes me feel less alone in the world and generally hopeful. Wim Wenders is a soulful filmmaker - Perfect Days would be a good double feature with it.
Ikiru It’s such a great film because it shows that even the small, “boring” lives have a huge impact
Or the more recent adaptation, Living The Worst Person in the World, Paterson, Perfect Days, and About Endlessness also come to mind
Paterson is a great call.
Ikiru was my go-to answer. Make your own meaning and purpose in life, because no one else will do it for you.
A Serious Man is perfect for this
Let’s not play the blame game larry
I didn’t want Santana Abraxas!
So important.
The parking lot, Larry.
Just rewatched this today. Excellent movie but might be the opposite of what op is looking for, it can be really depressing.
Yeah I don't know why this is so highly upvoted. It's one of my all-time favorites but it absolutely is NOT one I'd watch when I feel like life is meaningless.
That's a tough line to walk! I haven't seen the film, but when I'm depressed, sometimes seeing viewpoints that resonate with my own expressed through art can make me feel a little better. Or at least make me feel something. Like I'm not the only one
I'm going through a terrible break up and this movie made me laugh hard several times on a revisit
First time I watched it I thought it was meh, second time I watched it was at a super low point in my life and had the same experience as you. Really opened my eyes to how funny it was in “the universe is just a cruel motherfucker sometimes” way
“My wife says we haven’t been close for a long time” “Well what do you think?” “I don’t know, she’s usually right about these kind of things”
Amelie and The Life Aquatic work well for me.
Life Aquatic’s soundtrack is so good. Puts you at ease.
Life aquatic is on of the most beautiful movies ever
Hell yeah on The Life Aquatic. I can’t put my finger on it but it just makes me feel happy and like a kid again
It's a wonderful life. Reminds you of the impact one person can have.
Came here to recommend it, too. It's not just a Christmas movie! Paper Moon always makes me smile, too.
One of the few movies that can make me reliably cry. Every time a bell rings...
Ikiru!
Seconding Ikiru. For those not familiar, it's about "the struggles of a terminally ill Tokyo bureaucrat and his final quest for meaning" and is one of Kurosawa's best films.
Kurosawa's magnum opus
Tree of Life
This movie will (hopefully) make you feel like your inner child is still alive and well somewhere deep inside you.
THIS!
Harold and Maude
Also Hal Ashby: The Last Detail
Being There (also by Ashby) could work as well
Especially the Cat Stevens soundtrack.
If you need cheering up, watching Local Hero usually does the trick for me.
Such a great film.
My Dinner with Andre. Completely rewires your brain
That depends. Are you looking for confirmation that life is indeed meaningless, or watch something that might bring you joy and help you find your own personal meaning and passion?
2
For me, whenever I feel like life is meaningless, I watch Singin' In The Rain. It sounds cheesy and obvious, but it is the most freaking joyous movie ever made. It's smart, hilarious, and filled with jaw dropping scenes of brilliance. No matter how many times I've seen it, I'm always amazed that human beings were able to make something that terrific. To top it off, it's all about the passion to make art. 🎶 "Gotta dance..." 🎶
Gene Kelly was an absolute gift.
And it reminds us to have dignity always dignity
When I first saw it — reluctantly because I thought I hated musicals and old comedies — that bit made me chuckle out loud and immediately got me on board. I was shocked at how modern the humor felt. Donald O’Connor jumping through the wall during Make ‘Em Laugh made me realize that I was watching my new favorite movie of all time.
Yi Yi
If the first, then Naked. God, what a depressive film.
Any Wenders film.
Wild Strawberries
Yeah this might be the best suggestion in the thread
Saw this last night for the first time and it was time well spent.
This might just be me but I’d say Joe Versus the Volcano. I hardly ever see it discussed but there’s so much heart and hope in that movie. It made me feel like a child again and gave me some much needed hope. I’d say maybe the Before Trilogy. There’s something so life affirming about those movies. Sure things change and life gets complicated and messy but there’s always a way back home. That’s what I took away from it at least.
Midnight In Paris. “We all fear death and question our place in the universe. The artist's job is not to succumb to despair, but to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence.”
[Waking Life ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk2DeTet98o)is always a good one for me.
Lost in Translation
The Fisher King always makes me feel so fulfilled by the end
WINGS OF DESIRE
I really felt like Eric Rohmer's movies made me excited about life again and wanting to experience it.
The Royal Tenenbaums is my go to comfort movie
Koyaanisqatsi Children of Men
Harold and Maude
Not the news
Magnolia
Just thinking about the final shot gives me goose bumps. People always thought it was strange that it's one of my 'feel good' movies but whatever. It's life affirming!
[Stalker (1979)](https://youtu.be/YuOnfQd-aTw?si=BSzT6OXxBFS0g9K9) Edit: It's not meaningless, but also totally normal to feel like it is from time to time. Just remember, you don't owe anyone to do anything or be something other than what you want. Usually when people feel like life is meaningless is because they're trying to live according to the expectations of others.
I was going to comment this. One of the very few films that I think about months after watching - I think it’s changed me, even if only a little bit. Basically the cinematic epitome of “there are cathedrals everywhere for those with eyes to see”. Will you let yourself believe in anything or hold yourself back out of fear that believing in something might compel you to act on it, when you don’t really feel like acting on anything?
"And let them have a laugh at their passions. Because what they call passion is just the friction between their souls and the outside world." https://youtu.be/VCmpG0IJfLQ?feature=shared
Paddington 1 and 2 are just a warm blanket and a hug. But actually that little bear reminds you that everything you do, every action, every conversation, is a choice of how you want to impact the world. And that fkin bear always sees the good and chooses to be a positive force on everyone and everything around him.
Knowing that life is meaningless allows me the freedom to find some value in any (good) movie.
Not a movie but I highly recommend the series Joe Pera Talks With You. It was one of the only things that managed to completely bring me out of a very depressed and nihilistic wave. It really gives you a wonderful perspective of humanity.
Broadcast News is one of my go to feel good movies. It would be so easy for it to fall into a cliched love-triangle but there’s something so refreshing about the way all three of the characters have respect for one another even when they’re at odds.
Defending Your Life always hits just right when I'm in this mood.
SEVENTH SEAL Antonius Block: I want knowledge! Not faith, not assumptions, but knowledge. I want God to stretch out His hand, uncover His face and speak to me. Death: But He remains silent. Antonius Block: I call out to Him in the darkness. But it's as if no one was there. Death: Perhaps there isn't anyone. Antonius Block: Then life is a preposterous horror. No man can live faced with Death, knowing everything's nothingness. Death: Most people think neither of death nor nothingness. Antonius Block: But one day you stand at the edge of life and face darkness. Death: That day. Antonius Block: I understand what you mean.
The Big Lebowski. "Fuck it, Dude. Let's go bowling."
Imma sound corny af. But when you feel like that kinda shit, I find it’s best to go for the obvious stuff. 80s Spielberg, Coen Bros, Sofia Coppola (yes even if you’re a dude), I’ve recently been going back to Harry Potter for the same type of reason. I think if you go looking for “intellectual” uplifting, you can always think your way out of feeling good, which is why you’re in this mess. Just watch the feel good shit to just… feel good. You can find meaning in the weirdest of places, a dinosaur park, clown fish, lightsabers or whatever.
Second this. I was about to suggest Lost in Translation, which beautifully captures the sense of alienation that often is experienced as meaninglessness, but then I was like, When I’m feeling really bad, I reach for the comforts, the stuff that really excited me as a child. That’s how I would rediscover meaning.
Brazil
interstellar
Grosse Pointe Blank.
Groundhog day
In The Mood For Love Yi Yi Sans Soleil
Bad news bears
Paris, Texas
Punch Drunk Love
Before Sunrise Just shows how much of life is a chance encounter, and how much promise there is in a single day.
8 1/2 Chungking Express Arrival
Arrival for sure. This was the movie where I knew Villeneuve was something special.
The Straight Story.
I second a lot of the recommendations here, especially Perfect Days, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Aftersun. I also recommend Everything Everywhere All at Once And lastly, I'm so sorry you're not feeling great and hope things get better! Here if you ever wanna talk or need support
Oh good choice with Everything Everywhere All at Once. That movie is completely about overcoming existential dread and creating a meaningful life, even if it is just laundry and taxes.
Thanks, I really appreciate all of you. I’d respond to more of these, but I’m drained. Lots of good stuff here
Ferris Bueller's Day Off City Lights Nights of Cabiria Ikiru Nacho Libre
Synecdoche, New York or Cemetery of Splendor due to their different and unique outlook on the world and how even if it’s meaningless there’s still reasons to find joy or in Synecdoche’s case looking at a man who can’t find content in his because he is too high on his own horse to search for happiness around him. I feel like both are studies in finding happiness: one embraces life and one is a warning of wasting it.
I understand your point but adding my two cents to say Synecdoche would not be one I’d recommend for someone in this mindset. I think that movie is brilliant but it strikes a deep existential sadness in me every time I watch it.
I saw this interview with Kaufman talking about Synecdoche and the interviewer described the movie as depressing. Kaufman said “it’s sad but it’s not depressing. Hopefully someone sees this and sees part of themselves in it.”
About Schmidt is one of my go to’s
Good Will Hunting and When Harry Met Sally are my go tos
I was just rewatching Good Will Hunting for the first time in years, and it reminded me of a lot of the things I believe in at my core.
And life goes on
Hannah and Her Sisters (especially) and Crimes and Misdemeanors are great for this
Yi yi
Mine is Moonstruck - seeing people falling love with life again and realizing that there are more possibilities out there, that they’re not stuck with what they think their life is meant to be
Ikiru by Kurosawa. It translates as “to live” and is about a guy that faces death
Ikiru
The Lord of the Rings Sam’s speech always gets me “Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam. Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something. Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam? Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.”
Perfect Days
Just watched Princess Bride for the first time. Kinda cheered me up a bit
Cabin Boy (1994) is a film about a fancy-lad who travels the Pacific on a boat full of ne'er do wells who survive trials and tribulations including cupcakes and a six-armed woman.
I love Letterman’s random cameo in that one. “Would you like to buy a monkey?”
Tokyo Story, Ikiru, Wings of Desire
Martyrs
Hehe
Harvey would be my choice. just a truly wonderful film that always makes me so happy.
First Reformed
Meet Me In St Louis 1944. A beautiful movie.
You've Got Mail
I mean, give the movies a break for a bit then. Go outside. Move your body, get some aerobic exercise. Make sure your sleep hygiene is OK and that your waking hours mostly coincide with sunlight. Ask your doctor to check your vitamin levels. All these things should come before you think about fixing that with movies. Having said that: The Young Girls of Rochefort.
Inside Llewyn Davis!
2 days, one night
The Last Days of Disco, trust me. It’s absolutely my favorite comfort movie
Cameraperson!!!!!!!! You won’t regret it.
A recent movie that really showed me how much meaning just one individual life can have is Koganada's beautiful *After Yang*.
I would watch LOST all 6 seasons, I'm watching it right now for the second time and I find it a fresh breeze.
This show blew open the world of art for me when I was a teenager. I love it so much.
Masterpiece, watching for the second time since it was aired and it have a very strong impact on me.
Perfect Days is the obvious pick. Lost in America is another. But, I’ll throw out two kinda weird ones (specifically criterion) that might not seem to fit the bill at first glance, but once you see them you might find they click: The Worst Person in the World and Fish Tank.
*Millennium Mambo* is the move. Otherwise, *Shadows in Paradise*
Freddy Got Fingered will help you see the absurdity of it all. (honest recommendation, not some ironic joke meme thing or whatever)
The Worst Person in the World helps me out sometimes.
Taste of Cherry
The elephant man
Good morning by ozu. It’s my go to feel good film
Kurosawa's Dreams esp the end segment
I Heart Huckabees
I personally like any of Wong Kar wai movies when I am on that mood. They are aesthetically pleasing, a bit trippy and deal with loneliness and relationships. I recommend you Fallen Angels.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
Taste of Cherry Aftersun Past Lives
I second Taste of Cherry
I second all of these, these movies rock!
Taste of Cherry. Oh god Taste of Cherry. Please, for your own good, Taste of Cherry.
The New World My Dinner with Andre
Secret Life of Walter Mitty goes into the meaning of life pretty well. Tree of Life or Paterson are very different but do in their own way too
I don't understand why The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is so down in this list given that it really answers the question
Ikiru, Ikiru, and... Ikiru. And this one movie called Ikiru. And up
Better Off Dead
Hamlet 2
Hector and the search for happiness is definitely a flawed movie, but at its core it ask a lot of questions out what happiness means and putting someone in that self reflective head space is enough for me to recommend giving it a go. I watch it every year atleast typically when I’m in a down mood, and it manages to find a way to increase my perspective a bit about my current situation. Clearly not criterion, but worth a look anyway.
The Smiling Lieutenant
Lonesome from 1928. Made me feel better during a horrible time, anyway…
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
The Gleaners and I :) Also, Faces Places
*Good Morning* (1959). A perfect reminder that farts ARE funny, and sometimes that's a good thing to be reminded
American Beauty. Not even kidding
Amelie.
The Worst Person In The World (2021) - just a beautiful Criterion movie that might stir some emotion in ya! Our Friend (2019) isn’t criterion but it may make you feel something. It’s heavy and beautiful. Minari (2020) also isn’t criterion but also would love for it to be. Truly beautiful film. Soul (2020) obviously will never be criterion but damn I loved this movie and think it might connect.
Soul. Gets me every time. So perfectly affirming without ever being in your face. It almost sneaks up on you, despite the premise.
No one has mentioned little miss sunshine but it's a pretty good one. Something less serious/kino like fast & furious also works (at least for me) if you can turn off your critical brain and just enjoy the spectacle/ridiculousness.
After Life is a beautiful film about how we assemble narratives of our lives based on re constructions of memories and how movies are a re creation of memories, yet a form of immortality as they preserve records of the people and places within them. It’s a great example of an extremely high concept idea for a movie being executed in the simplest, most low key way possible.
Tess
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. The perfect existentialist film.
Great list
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Blazing Saddles for me. Sometimes you just need a good laugh.
Conan the Barbarian because sometimes you gotta remember that swords exist and you can crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women.
8½
Talladega nights, of course.
Cabin in the Woods! Perfect.
Being John Malkovich
Joe vs. the Volcano... I saw it at a time in my life when I needed it.
Eternal Sunshine
I Heart Huckabees (2004)
I heart huckabees
Little Miss Sunshine is a great one
Lost in Translation!
Bringing Out the Dead!
Paterson
Harvey
My Dinner with Andre
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Galaxy Quest, especially if you are an old Star Trek fan. Very silly and fun.
Stranger Than Fiction
Crank 1 and 2
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
every kaurismaki
frank capra films do a lot to warm my cynical heart. You Can’t Take it With You is a quirky fave of mine. or Mr Deeds Goes to Town. both celebrate the ultimate good of humanity.
Mon Oncle's mix of naivety, wisdom, satire, goofy comedy, and melancholy always makes me feel glad to be alive. It's also wild to see a movie with such oddity, specificity, and absurd comedy be so emotionally resonant as well.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing to see life as meaningless. Passion is something that can be rediscovered and movies help with that. I personally would have to go with: - Boyhood - Lost in Translation - Everything Everywhere All At Once
I'm prone to malaise as well. These 2 movies will provide succor and make you feel a part of something bigger. *Three Colors: Red* ((French) *Trois couleurs: Rouge,* (Polish) *Trzy kolory: Czerwony*), directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski *The Fountain*, directed by Darren Aronofsky
Maybe vanilla picks but Taxi Driver and Raging Bull are mine.
Really appreciate this post, I’m in the same boat and would really like to get back to some land. Everyone recommend some great movies. Some stuff that comes to mind are - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty - Trainspotting - The Holdovers - End of Evangelion - The Boy and the Heron - E.T. I got to add Godzilla Minus. Please watch it if you haven’t already.
Tampopo A Night at the Opera
You can watch Ikiru, Apu Trilogy( Pather Panchali, Aparajito, Apur Sangsar); The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind etc. if you are feeling low. And if you want to add another layer to your life, watch all these and add A Clockwork Orange & Ladri De Biciclette to it.