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The best feelgood movies on Netflix UK to watch right now

Brighten your spirits with some of the best feelgood films Netflix has to offer

Matthew Singer
Written by
Andy Kryza
Written by
Matthew Singer
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Sometimes, all you want out of a movie is to make you feel good. It’s a stressful world, especially these days, and the best way to snap out of a funk is to flop on the couch, lock the door, and throw something light and easy on Netflix. And good for you, the streamer has plenty of cinematic sunshine waiting to be injected directly into your nervous system. It’s important to know what you’re putting on, however. Not every movie is designed to provide the dopamine rush to help ease your anxiety; some will make it worse. So before taking a hit of vitamin PG, peruse this list of musicals, romantic comedies and animated flicks comprising the 25 best feel good movies currently on Netflix in the UK. They’re guaranteed to cure what ails you. 

Recommended:

🤣 The 100 best comedy movies
💃 The 40 best musical movies
👪 The best family movies on Netflix for all ages

Best feelgood movies on Netflix

Matilda (1996)
  • Film
  • Family and kids

Director: Danny DeVito

Cast: Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito, Pam Ferris

Danny DeVito's snappy, kinetic visual adaptation of this Roald Dahl classic fits the cartoon feel of the source material, and the cast is great. It’s a modern-day pantomime about childhood solidarity and self-empowerment: the real joy here is the view of generational war, the children’s assumption of zero tolerance for injustices inflicted by absurd adults, and the recognition that the big meanies should be punished, by fair means or foul.

Set It Up (2018)

Set It Up (2018)

Director: Claire Scanlon

Cast: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu

Director Claire Scanlon resurrects that tragically neglected genre, the romcom, with this amiable caper. The premise – two put-upon assistants (Glen Powell and Zoey Deutch) try to trick their bosses-from-hell as payback for their own stresses – is relatively well-trodden territory, but it’s executed deftly and boasts no little heart. There are even a few genuine laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled among the romantic fare, with Lucy Liu proving that when it comes to comedy she knows how to deliver.

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  • Film
  • Drama

Director: Lulu Wang

Cast: Awkwafina, Shuzhen Zhao

On paper, Lulu Wang’s deeply personal The Farewell sounds like a heartbreaker: It centres on a Chinese-American girl (Awkwafina) traveling to China to say goodbye to her grandmother, who is blissfully unaware that she has terminal cancer. Under the guise of a fake wedding, the family gets together for one last celebration with their matriarch. It sounds grim, but what unfolds is a stirring and affirming story of family, one that finds vibrant life among its ensemble even as the spectre of death looms. This is a film about embracing individualism and celebrating life, and it’s a joy from beginning to end… especially when the mid-credits stinger pulls the rug out from under viewers in the best way imaginable. 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Photograph: Masha Weisberg/Netflix

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)

Director: Susan Johnson

Cast: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo

To deal with her intense crushes, Lara Jean (Lana Condor) writes secret love letters to the boys she lusts after, which no one is ever meant to see. Of course, these letters end up being sent out and Lara Jean must deal with her feelings, and the implications of the letters, head on. The sequel to the sequel –To All the Boys: Always and Forever – landed on Netflix earlier this year. The romcom is officially back, baby.

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  • Film
  • Action and adventure

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Lee

Not many Martin Scorsese movies could be described as ‘fun for the whole family’, but this outlier in the legendary director’s vaunted filmography will enrapture nearly everybody. Based on Brian Selznick’s novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, it’s effectively a mash-up of Amélie and Cinema Paradiso, following a young orphan in 1930s Paris (Butterfield) as he sets out to finish a project left behind by his late engineer father that ends up intersecting with pioneering French filmmaker Georges Méliès. And nobody ends up getting whacked!

  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • Film
  • Drama
  • Recommended

Director: Greta Gerwig

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern

It took some guts for Greta Gerwig to direct an adaptation of the classic Louisa May Alcott novel, given how beloved the 1994 version is among a certain generation. But Gerwig’s take has a sass and charm all its own, while retaining the original spirit of Alcott’s family drama. Here, it’s Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen stepping into the role of the March sisters, four tightly bonded siblings navigating young adulthood under the watch of their outspoken mother (Laura Dern) while their father (Bob Odenkirk) is off fighting in the Civil War.

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Paddington (2014)
  • Film
  • Family and kids

Director: Paul King

Cast: Sally Hawkins, Nicole Kidman, 

Paul King’s adaptation of the lovable Peruvian bear’s adventures as an immigrant in London has become internet shorthand for feelgood entertainment (even if some curmudgeonly critic recently took the sequel down a peg), but the films more than live up to their hype. The first Paddington, like its more vaunted sequel, is a silly, sincere tale of a curious critter whose dedication to kindness and decency are downright infectious, a film that is as bighearted as its hero and as sweet as a marmalade sandwich. Bring on the threequel!

The Karate Kid (2010)
  • Film
  • Action and adventure

Director: Harald Zwart

Cast: Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P Henson

Call us blasphemous, but the reboot crane-kicks the original out of the water. (If you’re old-school – or simply old – the ’80s version is also streaming.) Credit to Jackie Chan and a lil’ Jaden Smith, who bring a fresh energy and chemistry to their mentor-student relationship. A big-up also goes to whoever decided to switch the setting to China, allowing this iteration to have its own unique atmosphere while telling essentially the same story, of a bullied youngster learning self-respect through the ancient art of kicking jerks square in the face. 

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Vivo (2021)
Image: Netflix

Vivo (2021)

Directors: Kirk DeMicco, Brandon Jeffords

Voice cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ynairaly Simo, Zoe Saldana

With a colour palette seemingly syphoned from a literal rainbow and a slate of catchy songs courtesy of Lin-Manuel Miranda, this lively animated musical will brighten the mood of even the crankiest curmudgeon. The emotional storyline helps, too: after an elderly Cuban musician passes away, his talking pet kinkajou (Miranda) teams up with a spunky young girl (voiced by Zoë Saldana) to deliver a final song to his long-lost love.

  • Film
  • Action and adventure

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Seo-hyun Ahn

Like his international breakthrough The Host, Bong Joon-ho’s precursor to Parasite is an allegory for capitalism’s globally destructive force, only with a much cuter giant beast at its center: a genetically modified pig the size of an elephant. When the docile animal is abducted by a multinational corporation that plans to sell its meat, a young South Korean girl (Ahn Seo-hyun) travels to America to save it. The movie is a bit of a jumble tonally, but it ultimately strikes a more hopeful note than many of Bong’s films.

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Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
  • Film
  • Comedy

Directors: Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam

Cast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle

It may lack the satire-with-a-purpose edge of Life of Brian, but Holy Grail is the sillier, funnier film, packed with goofy laughs rather than hey-I-get-that cleverness. It’s aged better too, less beholden to notions of revolutionary politics and more reliant on slapstick violence, sudden explosions, surrealist wordplay and scatological asides. You’d be an empty-headed animal food-trough-wiper not to tee it up asap.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)
  • Film
  • Animation

Director: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson

Voice cast: Jack Black, Ian McShane, Angelina Jolie

Jack Black leads a superstar voice cast – in addition to the names above, Lucy Liu, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan and Seth Rogen also lend their larynxes to the proceedings – in this adoring tribute to classic martial arts films. Black plays the titular roly-poly aspiring kung fu master tasked with protecting his homeland from a dastardly snow leopard (McShane).

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Wonder (2017)
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Film
  • Drama
  • Recommended

Director: Stephen Chbosky

Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson

Fifth grade isn’t easy for anyone, but it’s especially difficult for ten-year-old Auggie Pullman. Born with a rare facial deformity, he’s mostly avoided the outside world – and when he does leave the house, he wears an astronaut helmet to shield himself from the stares and insults of cruel strangers. Pushed to finally attend elementary school by his hopeful mother (Julia Roberts), he ends up teaching those around him an important lesson about acceptance. The movie edges up against corniness, but ultimately lands in the zone of genuinely heartwarming thanks to the excellent performances at its core, notably from Roberts and Jacob Tremblay as Auggie, who infuses the role with deep, sweet soul.

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
  • Film
  • Animation

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Phil Hartman (English dub)

Like My Neighbour Totoro, Hayao Miyazaki’s fleet, whimsical tale of a young witch coming of age in Scandinavia is a rare animated adventure almost completely void of conflict, peril or villainy: It is, in essence, a hangout movie about a young girl and her smartass talking cat making friends, exploring nature and getting into mischief. As such, it’s a pure delight. And lest that description make things sound slightly dull, there’s a climactic incident involving a runaway blimp that ranks among Studio Ghibli’s most exciting action set pieces, full stop.

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Mixtape (2021)
Photograph: Netflix

Mixtape (2021)

Director: Valerie Weiss

Cast: Gemma Brooke Allen, Julie Bowen, Audrey Hsieh

Depending on when you were born, ‘feel-old movie’ might be the more appropriate category for this late ’90s period piece about a tween girl learning about the parents she never knew through the music they shared with each other. On the plus side, it’s spunky and heartfelt and has a legit great soundtrack, so it might momentarily shock your creaky bones back to life.

Bad Trip (2020)
Photograph: Netflix

Bad Trip (2020)

Director: Kitao Sakura
Cast: Eric André, Lil Rel Howery, Tiffany Haddish

Bad Trip takes its cues from prank movies Bad Grandpa and Borat in telling the story of a lovestruck loser (Eric André) road-tripping across the American south in pursuit of true love. But something truly unexpected happens amid the gushes of blood and vomit André unleashes on unsuspecting bystanders who have no idea they’re in a movie: he finds genuine compassion. Unlike Sacha Baron Cohen, André doesn’t end up exposing the creeps lurking in America’s dark underbelly. He unearths kindness and helping hands in even the most ludicrous set-ups. That he does so while spraying bodily fluids everywhere is some kind of miracle that borders on genuinely moving. No film this gross should make you feel this good about humanity.

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Someone Great (2019)
Netflix/Sarah Shatz

Someone Great (2019)

Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, DeWanda Wise

This romcom might not be the most original or groundbreaking addition to the genre, but sometimes if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Instead, focus on friendship and the chemistry that this film’s three female leads have in abundance. 

Chicken Run (2000)
  • Film
  • Animation

Directors: Pete Lord, Nick Park 

Voice cast: Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Phil Daniels

Those delightful animation nerds at Aardman made their feature-length debut – and first giant hit – with this stop-motion, poultry-based riff on The Great Escape. A group of grinning British chickens partner with a cocky (ahem) American rooster (Gibson) to flee the farm where they’re being held captive before the owners can grind them into meat pies. A sequel is coming to Netflix in 2023 – and don’t worry, Mel Gibson is no longer involved.

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Falling Inn Love (2019)
Nicola Dove / Netflix

Falling Inn Love (2019)

Director: Roger Kumble

Cast: Christina Milian, Adam Demos, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

The concept of this film is preposterous: an American woman loses everything but then happens to win a New Zealand inn (?!) which she attempts to renovate and flip with the help of her hunky contractor. Naturally, their relationship gets complicated. Essentially it’s a hit of sugar and who can complain about that? 

The Little Prince (2015)
  • Film
  • Animation

Director Mark Osborne

Cast Rachel McAdams, Jeff Bridges, Mackenzie Foy (voices)

This sweet, faithful adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s much-loved book skipped the cinema and landed straight on Netflix. It’s a charming mix of computer animation and stop-motion, as it follows a young girl who is told the familiar tale by the book’s now elderly pilot, who recalls crashing in the desert where he meets the titular alien.

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The BFG (2016)
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • Film
  • Fantasy
  • Recommended

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilson

Steven Spielberg directed this adaptation of the fanciful Roald Dahl book about a little girl’s relationship with a big friendly giant. (What, did you think the ‘f’ stood for something else?) Spielberg being Spielberg, he downplays some of the novel’s darker elements, but the movie remains a sweet pleasure, with British actor Mark Rylance giving a terrific, tender, partially CGI’ed  performance as the benevolent colossus.

Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016)
Image: Glen Wilson/Netflix

Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016)

Director: John Lee

Cast: Paul Reubens, Joe Manganiello

Three decades after his last feature film, everyone’s favourite wacky manchild returns, older but no less naive – nor wacky. On paper, it’s a pretty straightforward story: Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) travels across the country to celebrate the birthday of his friend, actor Joe Manganiello playing himself, and as he is wont to do, gets himself in and out of a lot of trouble along the way. But as always with Pee-wee, there’s a lot of winking subversion going on beneath the silly surface.

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  • Film

Director: Nahnatchka Khan

Cast: Ali Wong, Randall Park

Netflix continues its romcom reign with this touching and funny film about childhood friends Sasha and Marcus (played by Ali Wong and Randall Park) who have a falling out and don’t speak for 15 years. Brought back together when Sasha, now a celebrity chef, returns to her hometown of San Francisco to open a new restaurant, she finds her former friend to be a happily complacent musician still living at home and working for his dad. Naturally, things become complicated... especially when an unexpected actor makes one of the best cameos of the 21st century.

  • Film
  • Comedy

Director: David Dobkin

Cast: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens

This is one of those films that on paper really should not work. And, depending on your taste, you might feel that Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is, in fact, a disaster. If you’re able to take it at face value, though, then this very sweet musical about two aspiring musicians from Iceland whose life-long dream is to represent their country at the Eurovision Song Contest is a real delight. It features cameos from previous Eurovision contestants, and the songs are genuinely good. Don’t believe us? Play ‘Jaja Ding Dong’!

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Enola Holmes (2020)
Photograph: ROBERT VIGLASKI /LEGENDARY ©2020

Enola Holmes (2020)

Director Harry Bradbeer

Cast Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helena Bonham Carter

Do we need another film set in the world of Sherlock Holmes? Is it weird for Sherlock to take a back seat in it? Is Millie Bobby Brown a movie star? This light-footed caper answers all those questions – yes, no and hell yes – over two hours of giddying, female-led crime-solving. It’s an action-packed, super-sleuthing rush.

The best films on Netflix UK

The 30 best movies on Netflix UK
  • Film

Feeling overwhelmed or uninspired by the choice on Netflix UK? We’ve all been there. If you can’t decide what to watch, try one of these solid gold winners – and take your pick from hilarious comedy movies, reach-for- the-tissues heartwarmers and Oscar-winning nail-biting dramas.

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