Some of these heartwarming selections are lighter, easy viewing, while others are heavy. They all deliver powerful messages about the resilience of the human spirit; they all move us. We hope these highly recommended feel-good inspirational films will lift your spirits and fuel optimistic, productive thinking throughout the year. This list is updated regularly.
The Most Inspiring, Uplifting Movies on Netflix Right Now
1. The Trial of The Chicago 7 (2020)
Academy Award-winning The Social Network and West Wing scribe Aaron Sorkin wrote and directed this uncommonly entertaining legal drama, drawing parallels between 1968 and today. Strong performances from an ensemble cast including Yahya Abdul Mateen II, Michael Keaton, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and more benefit a film that racked up five Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Niko Tavernise/Netflix
2. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
From Oscar winner Morgan Neville, this is a documentary about the legacy of Fred Rogers and the Peabody Award-winning children’s program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which ran on public television from 1968-2001. Focus Features Won’t You Be My Neighbor? isn’t Fred Rogers’ biography; it’s a lively cinematic tribute to his work and message. This is one of the most inspiring docs in memory, a highly emotional experience worthy of its iconic subject, capturing the essence of a man whose spirit of kindness, patience and respect inspires millions to this day.
3. Darkest Hour (2017)
Gary Oldman won an Academy Award for playing Winston Churchill in Atonement director Joe Wright’s tense, handsome drama about the dawn of WWII, and the prime minister’s struggle over negotiating with the Nazis or choosing to fight against the odds. Crackling Darkest Hour was nominated for seven Oscars in total, including Best Picture. Focus Features
4. Marriage Story (2019)
Noah Baumbach‘s emotional juggernaut showcases career-best work from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. The rare kind of picture that can make you guffaw hysterically and ugly-cry within the same scene, this epic divorce saga is an instant classic. Laura Dern won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of an L.A. power-lawyer who wears pants so tight you can see bone, then fake-apologizes for looking like a slob. Perfect. Brilliant. Nailed it. Netflix
5. RRR (2022)
The Rs stand for rise, roar, revolt—and international audiences have certainly risen and roared in response to this crossover hit of South Indian cinema, now streaming on Netflix. An epic buddy action musical that’s sort-of about real-life Indian revolutionaries and their struggle with the Raj, RRR is funny, bloody, and kinetic, with a touching bromance between stars N.T. Rama Roa Jr. and Ram Charan. The VFX are outlandish but remarkably detailed and eye-popping. The film is genuinely spectacular for 187 minutes. Netflix
6. Paddington (2014)
Paul King’s live-action family comedy based on the beloved Michael Bond character was a huge critical and commercial success. Ben Whishaw voices the anthropomorphic bear who migrates to London, where he is adopted by the Brown family. Co-starring Nicole Kidman, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters, Paddington spawned a sequel and was nominated for Best British Film at the BAFTAs. StudioCanal
7. Forrest Gump (1994)
Slow-witted but generous of heart, Tom Hanks‘ titular hero captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. Robert Zemeckis‘ profoundly American epic—also sees the filmmaker at the top of his oft-formidable game. In telling the story of a good man who traverses the U.S. over several decades, suffers loss, falls in love and never gives up, the innovator uses special effects (that still, frankly, wow) without ever upstaging the plot or people. Paramount Pictures
8. The Prom (2020)
Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, James Corden, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Kerry Washington and Jo Ellen Pellman star in Ryan Murphy’s splashy adaptation of Matthew Sklar’s 2018. The feel-good story follows four former Broadway stars who travel to the small conservative town of Edgewater to assist a elesbian teen banned from bringing her girlfriend to the prom. Corden’s performance has received considerable backlash, but most audiences and critics agree this is frothy fun that will put a smile on your face. Netflix
9. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
The feature filmmaking debut of Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor is about the inspiring true story of William Kamkwamba (based on his memoir), a Malawian who ingeniously built a windmill to save his village from famine. This feel-good movie was the official British entry for Best International Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards. Netflix
10. Get On Up (2014)
The legacy of Chadwick Boseman lives on in Tate Taylor‘s acclaimed James Brown biopic. The late actor embodies The Godfather of Soul, in one of his best-known roles. Thanks to uniformly electrifying performances (the supporting cast includes Nelsan Ellis, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, Get On Up is head and shoulders above most biopics, transcending the standard trappings. Universal Pictures
11. Jerry Maguire (1996)
Cameron Crowe’s oft-quoted dramedy channels the great work of Frank Capra, with a selfish protagonist undergoing a crisis of conscience. Tom Cruise plays a humbled, determined sports agent. Jerry Maguire features a breakout turn from Renée Zellweger and Cuba Gooding Jr. swept awards season as a high-energy Arizona Cardinals wide receiver. Sony
12. A Monster Calls (2016)
Based on the atmospheric children’s book of the same name, J.A. Bayona’s visually breathtaking, highly emotional low fantasy centers on a boy facing the unthinkable: the inevitable death of his terminally ill mother (Felicity Jones). Sigourney Weaver co-stars in an inventive, highly emotional picture that made Bayona one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. Netflix
13. Roma (2018)
Alfonso Cuarón‘s most personal film to date is a sprawling autobiographical saga set in 1970s Mexico City, a stunning, singular technical achievement. Yalitza Aparicio is vibrant as domestic worker Cleo, though the other characters aren’t as compelling as she is. The ingenuity and skill on display in Roma make it a must-see for anyone who loves this medium. Netflix
14. Rocky (1976)
Few “overnight sensations” in Hollywood history—if any—have ever risen to the top as quickly as Sylvester Stallone, whose script about an aspiring boxer falling in love with a painfully shy girl shot the down-on-his luck actor to international fame and Oscar gold. He also starred in the drama directed by John G. Avildsen, an inspiring sports picture full of raw, schmaltz-free emotion that always knocks us out. Getty Images
15. Hustle (2022)
Adam Sandler has once again struck gold for Netflix—in fact, this is his best Netflix movie ever. In We the Animals director Jeremiah Zagar’s sports film, Sandler plays NBA talent scout Stan Sugerman, who’s risking his reputation and career for a Spanish recruit (real-life Utah Jazz player Juancho Hernangómez) he believes in. With a quiet determination and subtle, deeper humor than you might expect, Sandler plays maybe his most sympathetic character ever, a 180 from his (lamentably Oscar-snubbed) titanic turn as the angel of death in Uncut Gems. Netflix Sandler really is in top form here, and though he’s MVP of this instant sports classic, the supporting cast including Queen Latifah, Ben Foster, Robert Duvall and countless real-life sports stars, is uniformly excellent. Hustle doesn’t exactly transcend the inspiring sports pic genre, but it delivers everything you want from it with a crackling urgency. This is indeed a crowd-pleasing slam dunk for Netflix and one of the streamer’s biggest stars. Next, check out the 60 best romantic movies of the 21st century so far.
