Movies To Watch When You're Feeling Down

Take it from a film school graduate. Movies are my favourite form of escapism.

When life gets me rattled, frazzled, fatigued or low, it's time to crawl into bed with a block of Cadbury chocolate and throw on a flick. Here are some of the most uplifting movies to go to when life gets you down. 🥰

1. Sing Street 🎵

I reckon this is the uplifting movie to end all uplifting movies. You'll be beaming the whole way through, bopping to bangin' tunes and rooting for the characters.

Set in Dublin during the '80s, a boy escapes his rattling family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes. 

2. About Time ⏳

Even if you're not into ✨romantic movies✨, you will get something out of this flick. Seriously. Oh, and it's got our lord and saviour, Bill Nighy in it. Need I say more?

The night after another meh New Years party, Tim finds out that he can travel through time. He decides to use his gift to find the mothership of what we all want... love. Sadly, that turns out not to be as easy as he thinks.

3. Hunt For The Wilderpeople 🌿

I could have mentioned any Taika Waititi movie tbh. Jojo Rabbit. What We Do In The Shadows. Boy. Thor: Ragnorok (even if you're not into Marvel movies you'll froth it, I promise). But Hunt For The Wilderpeople is still my fave. 

We follow Ricky, a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues. It is hilarious. 😂

4. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 🌈

I reckon this is the most iconic Aussie movie of all time. It really doesn't get better than this. 

It follows two drag queens and a transgender woman from Sydney contracted to perform a drag show at a resort in Alice Springs. There are highs and lows, you'll laugh and cry and wanna watch it again immediately. 

5. The Kings Of Summer ☀️

This will make you feel something. And laugh. A lot.

We follow Joe, so frustrated by his dad, who decides to escape to a clearing in the woods with his best friend, Patrick, and a wack kid named Biaggio (Rico from Hannah Montana LMAO). They feel alone, independent and free, living in nature until drama of course ensues between them. 

6. Mulan 🐉

I mean, we couldn't list feel-good flicks without a Disney movie, and what better one than Mulan? 

If you've been living under a rock, Mulan follows a tomboyish girl who disguises herself as a young man so she can fight with the Imperial Chinese Army against the invading Huns. Mulan is a G. 'Nuff said.

7. Almost Famous 🎸

Get ready to escape into the groovier world of 1973. With bangin' music, fashion and nights-out, this movie will keep you hooked from beginning to end. 

We follow 15-year-old William Miller who wants to become a rock journalist. He accidentally lands an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine to interview and tour with the up-and-coming band Stillwater and of course, chaos ensues. It's just so damn cool.

8. Stardust ⭐️

This is one of the most fun fantasy movies ever. It's pure, wholesome, hilarious, action-packed, and also features Robert De Niro trying on Victorian dresses. Need I say more?

In a countryside town bordering a magical land, a young man makes a promise to the girl he's whipped on that he’ll retrieve a fallen star by venturing into the magical realm. Things go pretty haywire from there. 

9. Kingsman: The Secret Service 🕵️

For all of y'all wanting a crude, adventure flick to completely distract yourselves from reality, Kingsman is where it's at. I've rewatched this movie with all kinds of people and every single person has been obsessed. 

It's the story of a secret spy organisation that recruits a bogan (well, Britian's version of a bogan), unrefined, street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from Samuel L. Jackson. 

10. Captain Fantastic ✨

If you're looking for an indie emotional rollercoaster, this is the flick for you.

We follow a father living in the forests of the Pacific Northwest with his six young kids. But after his wife dies, he is forced to expose his children to the real world. It's funny, sad, and bittersweet. 

Honorable Mentions:

• Before Sunrise
• Palm Springs
• Ferris Buellers Day Off
• 50 First Dates
• Back To The Future
• Eddie The Eagle
• Pride
• The Shawshank Redemption
• Juno
• Big Fish

So there you have it. Some flicks to watch when you're feeling down. 🥰