Words can hardly describe what movies like Forrest Gump and Good Will Hunting did to 1990s cinema. That’s the magic of comfort movies. Rather than shock value, jump scares or spectacle—though they may have these too—they capture the hearts of the audience through the sheer beauty of sentiment and optimism. Many of them even go on to become cult classics, reminisced and revisited for that transcendent feel-good effect they have on you. The 21st century has turned out its own fair share of comfort movies, a good number of which have found massive audience appeal. Let’s take a look at 7 terrific ones from the last ten years.
Paddington 2 (2017)
Upon taking up a job, Paddington witnesses a burglary at the antique shop he works in. He is falsely accused of the theft and jailed, and while the Brown family strives to prove his innocence, he makes unlikely friendships in prison.
An impressive follow-up to Paddington’s previous adventures in the 2014 film, this sequel is one of the good ones. Paddington’s naive mannerisms are always a treasure to watch, but even more delightful is the idea that he’d get thrown behind bars only to transform the gloomy prison into something of a paradise. It’s a beautiful story about family, friendship and doing right, and Ben Whishaw is priceless in his voice work as the marmalade-loving bear.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
This musical is loosely based on the life of entertainer and showman P.T. Barnum, who founded a circus in 19th century New York City and became a sensation in the world of show business.
Visually majestic and emotionally charged, The Greatest Showman is a total burst of colours. With an awe-inspiring story and musical numbers that are just transcendent, stylistically speaking, it’s the ultimate feel-good movie. Pasek and Paul, who also worked on La La Land, served as the movie’s principal composers.
Love and Monsters (2020)
After a world-wide chemical apocalypse turns critters into giant monsters, most of humanity is killed off, and the survivors retreat to live in underground bunkers. When Joel Dawson (Dylan O’Brien), a wimpy survivor, reconnects with his high school girlfriend over the radio, he thoughtlessly decides to venture out, through lands terrorised by monsters, to reunite with her at a coastal colony.
For a movie about an end-of-the-world apocalypse, Love and Monsters is an ironically comforting watch. It has a bleak yet endearing premise that’s reminiscent of 2010’s Zombieland, with a greater dose of optimism. Why settle for merely getting by in the apocalypse; why not try to embrace life even at the end of the world? While critically acclaimed, Love and Monsters failed to find any footing at the box office due to the COVID-19 lockdown, but it absolutely deserves to be rediscovered.
Cruella (2021)
Cruella is Disney’s third live action adaptation of its classic animated film 101 Dalmatians, based on Dodie Smith’s novel. It gives a backstory to the antagonist Cruella DeVil, as she grows from an orphaned pickpocket in the streets of London to the raucous heiress and fashion designer featured in previous adaptations.
The movie, though quite dark, is very fairytale-like and uses a touch of poetic justice in a way that’s straight out of a storybook. And Emma Stone shines in her role as the titular character against a stunning backdrop of 1970s London. The movie is rich in humour, heart as well as spectacle and a fun watch from start to finish.
The Fabelmans (2022)
Steven Spielberg is well known for putting bits and pieces of himself into the stories he writes, but nowhere is this done better than in his recent masterpiece, The Fabelmans. It is a semi-autobiographical movie that chronicles his formative years as an aspiring filmmaker.
In it, Gabriel LaBelle plays Sammy Fabelman, a Jewish boy growing up in the 1950s and pursuing his strong passion for filmmaking. Young Sammy experiences family tension, house moves and bullying, endures his parents’ divorce and pushes through the rigours of ambition. The Fabelmans is inarguably one of the greatest coming-of-age movies ever put on screen.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves (2023)
Based on the pioneer role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, the movie follows a group of well-meaning thieves led by Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine), as they attempt to raid the treasury of their former partner, Forge (Hugh Grant), after he betrayed them to enrich himself.
Combining the grandeur of high fantasy with the thrill of heist films, Dungeons & Dragons is a marvellous mash-up adventure epic. It features a lovable team of heroes (they’re heroes, sort of), plenty of banter, plenty of emotion, a story filled with brilliant twists and turns, plus a resolution that sweeps you off your feet. The world-building is perhaps slightly overwhelming, but that larger-than-life quality is just what makes the movie magnetic.
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
The three members of a famous KPop girl group also double as demon hunters in their free time. Soon, they are forced to contend with a rival boy band called The Saja Boys, who turn out to be demons in disguise.
KPop Demon Hunters was a cinematic sensation and an international blockbuster in 2025. Beautifully animated, the movie gives us urban fantasy that pops with colour and gripping emotional journeys underneath the glimmer. A little dark but loads of fun nonetheless, it’s a feel-good movie that is aesthetically rooted in modern culture, endearing, thought-provoking and a perfect comfort watch for the day.
