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Recommendations needed: Favorite “comfort” movies
Hi Everyone,
I am looking for recommendations of your favorite “comfort” movies. Movies, I don’t have to take too seriously and can be watched over and over and can fall asleep to.
As an example a few of mine would be:
MoneyBall
Jesse Stone movies
Dave
Avengers Infinity War and Endgame
Star Trek Generations
Major League
Clear and Present Danger
Ghostbusters Afterlife
Batman Begins
Batman Returns
Grinch animated movie
Indiana jones dial of destiny
Rocky balboa
Moonfall
Goldeneye
X-men 1 & 2, Days of Futures Past
Rainmaker
Runaway Jury
In no particular order other than how they came to mind as I thought of these
A Knight's Tale (personal favorite, I use quotes from that movie all the time[1])
Breakfast Club
Superbad
Office Space
The Big Lebowski
In Bruges
Zombieland
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Galaxy Quest
Edit: How could I forget some of the older classics like Men in Tights and MP & The Holy Grail
[1] my recent favorite is "This is my word, and as such is beyond contestation" - I use it on my kids when they ask 'why' :P
Oooh, seconding A Knight's Tale. All time best comfort movie!
Thirding that! I saw it in the cinema for my ninth birthday, and it remains a firm favourite of mine well over two decades later
I'm seconding the rest:
Office Space
The Big Lebowski
In Bruges
Zombieland
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Galaxy Quest
Men in Tights
MP & The Holy Grail
My personal favorite comfort movies (probably dating myself with this list given most are from the 80s ;)
Princess Bride <- how am I the only person to mention this movie!? For shame Tildes, for shame!
Labyrinth
The NeverEnding Story
Willow
The Goonies
Annie
Big Trouble in Little China
Army of Darkness
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
All the classic Disney musicals, but especially:
Mary Poppins, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Pete's Dragon, Robin Hood, Lion King, and Aladdin
Almost every John Hughes movies, but especially:
Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Dutch, Home Alone, and The Breakfast Club
Almost every Mel Brooks directed movie, but especially Spaceballs (which I've watched hundreds of times)
I was literally about to post this when I refreshed the page and saw you beat me to it! So it is down to you, and it is down to me.
No joke, I watched it (again) just two nights ago. Never gets old.
Heh, yeah, I watch it at least once a year, but often way more than that since I actually enjoy watching Movie Reaction channels on YouTube watch it too. It's my all-time #1 comfort movie, so that's why I was so surprised when I CTRL-F'd and it came up with zero results! ಠ_ಠ
You nailed it. Princess Bride is legit like a warm bowl of soup for the soul. Also Holy Grail 🤌🏾. Also Mel Brooks 🤌🏾. I am stoked for spaceballs 2.
IMO History of the World, Part II was pretty mediocre... so I really hope Spaceballs 2 can at least recapture some of the magic.🤞
I watched the NeverEnding story after getting really high for the first time when I was 15 or 16... I'm fairly sure I haven't laughed that hard since. Why is there an OBVIOUS predator dragon?
In retrospect, I actually watched something recently that made me laugh insanely hard, but not until the next day. I was setting up the TV to watch something with my wife (who hadn't really been enjoying the show we were watching, which I was absolutely loving), when she requested that we didn't watch anything weird or uncomfortable. I then proceeded to play the same show, which to my defense hadn't been THAT weird so far. When the episode ended we just sat there silently in shock... but for the next 2 weeks every time I was alone I inevitably started laughing to the point where I couldn't breathe. +10 points to the person who names the show!
Not enough info for me to guess, but I want to know! Any other hints?
It's an incredibly absurd show about uncovering an elaborate conspiracy. And it features the writer's clear affinity for A Christmas Carol...
Edit: bonus hint
Your bonus hint confirms that I had it despite not getting the A Christmas Carol tie-in! I had the exact same reaction. It's not often I laugh heartily after a show without having lost it while watching.
E: Oh hell I just remembered the Xmas Carol thing! Gah!
You only beat me to The Princess Bride by minutes. ;)
Yes to all of these, and the mention of Labyrinth reminded me that The Dark Crystal should probably be on the list as well.
Yeah, all the Jim Henson's Creature Shop movies, including all the Muppet movies, are contenders too, for sure.
AH, I forgot to add Big Trouble in Little China to my list! It is literally my favorite movie of all time.
The first movie that came to my mind when I saw this post was Broadcast News. It's a little bit heavier on subject matter but something about the aesthetic and pacing of 80s movies feels comforting.
We must be of similar age or something because my list is almost exactly yours except I don't know Big Trouble in Little China and I'd probably add Flight of thr Navigator and Naked Gun.
You need to remedy that... immediately! It's one of the greatest movies ever made, IMO. Silly, but great. :P
And yeah, we definitely have very very similar taste, and are clearly around the same age too, since Flight of the Navigator and Naked Gun are two more of my favorite comfort movies too. And I would also add The Last Starfighter, Gremlins I & II, Total Recall, Terminator 2, Robocop and a whole bunch more 80s and 90s movies to the list too, if I had wanted to make my list even longer.
My going to sleep movies (there's sure to be some overlap with others):
Aladdin
The Big Lebowski
Constantine
The Goonies
Groundhog Day
Hook
Howl's Moving Castle
Jackie Brown
The Jungle Book
A Knight's Tale
The Mummy
My Cousin Vinny
Ratatouille
Robin Hood
Shrek
Spaceballs
Stardust
V for Vendetta
Young Frankenstein
Constantine was fun. Watched on Halloween two years ago. Keanu was on a streak.
Ghibli films are perfect comfort films! Howl's is my personal favorite, but Nausicaa is also excellent (and Totoro, and Spirited Away, &c &c).
My idea of "comfort" may not be everyone's, but...
Drunken Master
Kung Fu Hustle
Amelie
The Princess Bride
Ratatouille
Tampopo
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou
Guardians of the Galaxy
Young Frankenstein
When Harry Met Sally
Strictly Ballroom
Triplets of Belleville
City of Lost Children
Monty Python's Meaning of Life
The Addams Family
Dodgeball
Lost in Translation
My Neighbor Totoro
Orlando
Eat Drink Man Woman
The Incredibles (and The Iron Giant)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Hairspray
Hugo
Only Lovers Left Alive
Lilo and Stitch (the animated version)
Chicken Run
The Full Monty
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Bend It Like Beckham
Four Rooms
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
The Fifth Element
I'm more of a comfort TV kinda person, but a few movies:
Finally a Lord of the Rings, I was getting worried for a bit there!
Same, I thought I’d be the only one to make this suggestion scrolling down. Absolute comfort movie even if I don’t fall asleep to it. It makes me feel mentally better, since, comfort.
All this no doubt won’t be almost anyone’s idea of a comfort movie but its more spicy scenes aside… American Pie and some of its sequels.
There’s just something about old comedy coming of age movies that does it for me in terms of comfort. I miss the simplicity of those times I guess.
While I love Muppet Treasure Island, don't sleep on Treasure Planet. My very favorite adaptation of that story.
Just answering as a stream of consciousness thing, my personal answer would be:
My Neighbor Totoro
Jurassic Park
The Mask
Liar, Liar
Clerks
Galaxy Quest
Mission Impossible
Everything Star Trek
Probably not exactly what you're looking for, but I've found that nature documentaries are perfect for this. Typically they're like an hour long per episode and you either stay awake and learn some cool shit, or you fall asleep which is nice too. Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Frozen Planet are some of my favorites, but there's a ton out there. Anything BBC or David Attenborough and you can't go wrong.
Bonus points if you wake up the next morning and are like 'wait was I dreaming about iguanas?' and then realize nope, at some point in the episode there was an iguana running away from danger and your brain interpreted that as a weird dream you had.
No, i appreciate the recommendation. I have been sick for days and will be off work until at least next week. I have put on Ancient Aliens and just let it play half the day.
Ratatouille: I think this movie deserves to be taken seriously, but it can definitely be a chill movie on a second watch.
Everything, Everywhere, all at once: I don’t think it would be good for falling asleep to, but if you relax and enjoy the absurdity, I think it can be a good example.
Doctor Strange: This is my go to relax movie. It’s just all around good. Good fight scenes, the characters have some depth, etc.
I think many movies would be fine for this use on a second watch through.
Moneyball, which I agree as a comfort watch, is interesting cause it’s like a prestige drama.
My comfort watches:
Some of mine I didn't see mentioned yet, in no particular order:
I don't know if I could consider that a "comfort" movie for me... since I'm pretty sure that Jane Fonda playing Barbarella and John Phillip Law playing Pygar were the root of my bisexual awakening. ;) My God, they were both so beautiful (and IMO, Jane Fonda still is too!). /TMI :P
p.s. I'm totally with you on Fifth Element and Count of Monte Cristo as comfort movies though. I adore them both. And Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo novel was pretty good too, BTW, but I actually think the movie ending was better!
Barbarella is probably a polarizing one since it's essentially a sexploitation flick, but I love the atmosphere and general sillyness of it.
The Fifth Element is one of my favorite movies ever.
I still haven't read the novel for The Count of Monte Cristo (much to a certain friend's dismay,) but the movie is super densely packed fun. I assume that's a consequence of cutting up and condensing the novel for runtime. Maybe that would annoy me more if I had read the book first?
The book is quite a bit less densely packed, but that's only because Dumas spends an inordinate amount of time describing (in excruciating detail) all the routes that everyone took as they traveled, the accessories on their mounts/carriages, decor in every building, plants in every garden, clothes everyone was wearing, and the food everyone was eating. That got really tedious eventually, and as a result I wound up skimming through every page where he did that, which actually wound up being a not insignificant portion of the book. And while the book is also more complex in terms of its characters and plot, that complexity bordered on being convoluted and unbelievable at times too, so I think the movie's changes were ultimately for the better.
Also,
Book vs Movie plot spoilers
Dantes is a much less sympathetic figure in the book due to him having a serious God complex, and him taking his revenge way too far (resulting in the death of innocents, including a child). He also toyed with the emotions and lives of even the people that he supposedly loved who had never done him any wrong. E.g. He intentionally let Monsieur Morrel almost kill himself in despair after his bankruptcy before swooping in to save him at the very very very last moment. And he did the exact same thing with Maximilian as well, almost letting him kill himself after he thought Valentine had died, before finally rescuing him and revealing she was still alive.
And as I said before, I think that the movie ending was better too. Having Albert be Dantes' son, and Dantes get back together with Mercedes, made for a much more satisfying ending. Whereas the book's ending was kinda depressing, IMO.
Redline is awesome.
Agreed! Fantastically over the top in almost every way. Beautifully animated, whacky characters, and a straightforward fun story. Really great brain-off fun. I do prefer the Japanese audio but the English audio is also good and often gets thrown on when I'm multitasking.
I don't mind the English audio for this one. In a way I prefer it because I can focus on the visuals instead of the subtitles. I do typically prefer original audio, but this is one of the exceptions for me.
The Paddington movies. There is a new third movie that's pretty forgettable, but 1 and 2 are just magical. (Theres also a stage production in the UK and from what I hear it's amazing as well)
The Speed Racer movie. It's probably the best video game movie for a game that doesn't exist.
I also have a collection of old Jackie Chan and James Bond movies I keep on a second screen during long stretches of work. Mostly movies from the 90s and earlier where they don't take themselves too seriously.
The French Dispatch and The Grand Budapest Hotel. I'm sort of a selective Wes Anderson fan. Hard to believe since I have to watch his works a dozen or so times to decide if I like them. These two are probably my favorites and a joy to experience.
Oceans Eleven. Just a beautifully choreographed heist with a soundtrack to match.
The Hudsucker Proxy is another very stylized film with a goofy and wholesome plot.
I'm not sure how well the following movies really fall under a generic "Comfort" label but these are some movies I can watch over and over without getting tired of them:
Ocean's 11. Even though I only watched this movie for the first time late last year, it's quickly become one of my favorite movies. Fun little story with a great soundtrack, you can tell the cast were just having fun filming it.
Cars. This was a childhood favorite of mine and I still enjoy watching it as an adult.
Shrek. Another childhood favorite. Haven't watched it in a while but a classic for a reason.
Extreme Job (Korean movie). This is one that I've come to love watching over and over again. It's about a group of narcotics detectives who work under cover in a fried chicken shop to try and bust a gang of organized criminals. Things take an unexpected turn when their new recipe suddenly transforms the run-down restaurant into the hottest eatery in town. Comedy/action movie with a good mix of both.
Some I haven't seen mentioned:
My comfort movies are usually just my old nostalgic favorites or some wackier movies that I find really amusing that don't seem to get old for me (especially after a few beers).
Here are my comfort watches in no particular order:
Edit: forgot Big Trouble in Little China
KUNG FURY!
Edit: Have you ever seen “Kung Pow: Enter the Fist”, it might be up your alley, or you could hate it. It’s like a parody of badly dubbed movies, using footage from an older Hong Kong film with a new main character edited in and the entire movie dubbed to create what is now arguably a cult classic. It’s quite a bit “off beat” in its humor.
Aww, So Cute.
I'm bleeding, making me the victor... We have purposely trained him wrong, as a joke
I could probably quote the vast majority of Kung Pow from start to finish, including mimicking all the voices and their inflections. I've watched it soooooo many times with my friends while we were high so it's been seared into my brain. Same with Kung Fu Hustle, another one that's up there with the best martial arts comedy comfort movies too, IMO.
I do often quote “we have purposely trained him wrong, as a joke” and “that’s a lot of nuts”
I also use that quote as well as some Betty quotes.
I have indeed! That used to be one of my friend groups rewatchable movies back in the day. I've probably seen it 30 times, but I'm not sure I can watch it again now. I still quote the movie nearly two decades later.
Given your list, what about The Matrix?
I just rewatched 10 Things I Hate About You. So goofy, but Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, David Krumholtz, and Alison Janney, how can you go wrong???
Point Break - Keanu, Patrick Swayze, surfing, crime, 'nuff said
Any Wallace and Grommet movie
LadyHawke - star crossed lovers, magic, revenge, Michelle Pfeiffer, and a very young Mathew Broderick.
Harvey - black and white classic with Jimmy Stewart, whose character is followed around by an imaginary (or is it?) 6 foot tall white rabbit. The funny thing about this movie is that he is supposes to be the crazy one, but everyone else is pretty crazy too.
Surprised I am the first to mention Back to the Future parts I and II
I haven’t seen Ferris Beuller’s Day Off mentioned; I probably watched it close to a dozen times in high school and still watch it every year or so
Only Yesterday is probably my all-time favorite comfort movie. It may be "lesser Ghibli", but as a slow burn, low stakes, gentle pastoral slice-of-life rom-com, it's just so soothing. Just a city woman in need of a break from her office job and going on vacation to stay with her sister's in-laws in the rural countryside while reminiscing about episodes from her childhood (and slowly falling for her brother-in-law's second cousin).
My comfort films would be in no particular order:
Galaxy Quest.
My understanding of this movie totally evolved when I rewatched it as an adult and discovered that Tony Shaloub's character is hella stoned for the entire movie.
I really wish we could someday get a "director's cut" including all of the scenes that they cut to get the movie down to a PG rating.
That was a hell of a thing...
(What's wrong with them?)
DO I!? DO I!?
So many brilliant and highly quotable lines in that movie.
Do I? DO I?????
Many great ones already, I'll also offer:
Armageddon
Pacific Rim
Shrek 2
I'd say I definitely lean towards comedy and animation when it comes to comfort movies:
-Little Nicky (most old Sandler movies but this one is my personal favorite)
-Grandma's Boy
-Vegas Vacation (my favorite of the vacation movies)
-A Bug's Life
That is very personal, what is comfortable to some is not comfortable to others. The Godfather and anything Star Trek does the trick for me. Harry and Sally with the wife is quite cozy. All that 80s and 90s romcom Nora Ephron era was amazing.
The Hobbit (1977) - I loved this movie as a kid and got my wife to watch it with me, and it was still awesome. Pacing is not the best, but it's going to be all over the place considering how much content they needed to pack in to a short film.
People have
This is still the best Hobbit adaptation ever made! I listen to the soundtrack regularly. Peter Jackson's version would have been so so much better if they'd cribbed "Roads go ever one" from this movie.
I always loved the way they handled the back story for the quest showing what brought Smaug to the Lonely Mountain.
Fantastic animation and I remember watching it a ton on VHS as a kid.
I'm surprised nobody has said Tombstone yet. I think it's one of the most quotable movies out there, and Val Kilmer's performance as Doc Holliday is legendary.
I know you said "movies" but I'll say Futurama and Friends anyway.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
This is my favorite movie, and I could watch it on repeat it’s so touching and funny, and happy, and sad, and red beanies, and Seu Jorge.
/u/boxerdogsdance reminded me of another one today... Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Edit: Oh, and Treasure Planet.
Some comfort films/tv I haven't seen posted here yet that I quite like
Jarhead 2005 and The Martian 2015
alien
blade runner
jurassic park
lost in translation
the royal tenenbaums
clueless
romy & michelles high school reunion
dr strangelove
Hot Rod
Aside from films already mentioned, the Hunt for the Wilder People and the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
The only ones I can think of that aren't already here:
Joe vs the Volcano
Grosse pointe blank
Oceans 12 (someone mentioned 11, but 12 is my fav :)
Some of my most common comfort movies are just things I've watched so many times that the repetition becomes a comfort regardless of the vibe, like "Heat".