From classics like ‘Roman Holiday’ and ‘Paper Moon’ to ’90s comedies like ‘The Birdcage,’ here’s what to watch when you want something nice.

A nice movie can do the soul salutary . Whether you involve a pick - me - up , pleasant scope noise , or something to watch with a friend , certain films make the world seem a bit brighter . Maybe they help us escape our own lives , or peradventure they mirror experience that scratch a particular nostalgic itchiness . Whatever the reasonableness , Thrillist has pile up a list of ease movies useable on various streaming platforms .

The Birdcage(1996)

Whatever the season , whatever the time , it ’s never incorrect to watchThe Birdcage , Mike Nichols ' splendid adaptation of the French filmLa Cage Aux Folles . Robin Williams and Nathan Lane toy the mates who own and newspaper headline , respectively , a South Beach cabaret . The son ( Dan Futterman ) of Williams ' case from a one - meter crack with a woman ( Christine Baranski ) pass home to harbinger that he ’s getting married to the daughter ( Calista Flockhart ) of a cautious senator ( Gene Hackman ) . It ’s a civilization - skirmish comedy that ’s both dated and still distressingly relevant , anchored by unbelievable functioning , whether it ’s Lane screech , Williams doing a symphony of dancing , or Hackman distinguish trees . Where to watch : Hulu , HBO Max

The Breakfast Club(1985)

One of the greatest fare - of - years photographic film of all time , John Hughes ' iconicThe Breakfast Clubbrings together a high school big boy , jock , grind , preparation , and oddball who seemingly have nothing in common except for the fact that they ’ve get to spend their Saturday together in detention . There , each one of them is made to write an essay about who they think they are , and in doing so , come together , learning more about themselves and others they assumed to sleep with everything about . It ’s a Hellenic Brat Pack flick featuring a legendary young ensemble cast , and its screenplay stands the test of time . Where to watch : Hulu

Bridget Jones’s Diary(2001)

One of the quintessential early - aughts rom - coms , and maybe the seminal modern romance base around a notebook ( sorry , The Notebook!),Bridget Jonesis a wickedly funnyPride and Prejudicespin that forces Renee Zellweger ’s bedevil anti - heroine to take between two equally dashing Brits - with - Jane - Austen - acting - credit entry : Colin Firth ’s prissy Mark Darcy and Hugh Grant ’s womanizing Daniel Cleaver . It ’s the ultimate rom - com Sophie ’s pick . Where to see : HBO Max

Clueless(1995)

Theseminal adolescent moving-picture show of the ' 90s , Cluelessgave us myriad natural endowment that we ’ve carry into maturity , good manners of iconic Beverly Hills heroine Cher Horowitz , with her jumbo phone , unparalleled bubblegum - pull attainment , Valley Girl lingo , and matching tartan . If you ’ve never run across it before , you ’ll be surprised at how many one - liners still work two decades after , from " It does not say RSVP on the Statue of Liberty " to " You ’re a virgin who ca n’t drive . " And that ’s not the only thing that still works , including immaculate press , sharp social commentary , and Alicia Silverstone ’s all - meter operation . Where to watch : Amazon

Dazed and Confused(1993)

You get older , but this last - daytime - of - shoal classic remain the same age . Richard Linklater ’s germinal ' 70s hangout picture show ( and a precursor to his 2016 college baseball time period pieceEverybody desire Some ! ! ) let you party with the nerveless kids on the eve of summer vacation — who do n’t dispense with the poor freshman from getting haze . Most importantly , it introduced us to the mustached and prophetical Matthew McConaughey we sleep together and love today . Where to see : Peacock

Fantastic Mr. Fox(2009)

Wes Anderson adapted Roald Dahl ’s dear tike ’s novel for his first stop - apparent movement feature motion-picture show . Featuring a sly George Clooney as the articulation of the titular character , who ’s been busy pissing off farmers for stealing their crop , the motion-picture show showcases a classic man - versus - forest - critters conflict . It ’s exactly what you would need out of an invigorate Anderson pic , starring his typical mold of characters ( Jason Schwartzman , Bill Murray , Owen Wilson , plus Meryl Streep ) as the voices of anthropomorphized creatures . It ’s also just plain cute . Where to look on : Amazon , Disney+

The Holiday(2006)

A movie about two cleaning lady ( Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet ) who exist across the world but decide to swap their evenly gorgeous home over Christmas — and happen to notice making love while on vacation?The Holidaycould not be more lenient , and yet because it tip into its too - good - to - be - true premise , the Nancy Meyers - helmed film is a talent envelop up with a arc . Not only is there every stereotypic fixed storage - com component you could wish for — admit Jude Law as a live , sensitive papa — there ’s also a whole lot of house smut in Winslet ’s reference ’s quaint English cottage opposite the contemporary LA mansion house Diaz ’s jittery Hollywood White House domiciliate in . Your Airbnb vacation excursion experience may have look a tad different than the photograph and did n’t come with a whirlwind romance , but you’re able to watch the extravagance ofThe Holidayand dreaming it did . Where to watch : HBO Max

The Iron Giant(1999)

A untested son gets a lot more than a big chum when he hear a giant robot chewing on an electrical place near his family . The amnesic robot hides a mystery — he ’s actually an alien war machine — but his true nature is n’t hold in for recollective , as a trigger - happy military confronts the golem , to the boy ’s horror . Vin Dieselis perfect as the voice of the goliath , andThe Incrediblesdirector Brad Bird , reach his first feature film , guides the rest of the stamp to recognise - on performances as well . The moving-picture show imagines that a boy ’s noble-mindedness could transform even the great destructive force play on Earth ; that itself is pretty incredible . Where to check : HBO Max

A League of Their Own(1992)

The Penny Marshall movie that famously teach us that there ’s no war cry in baseball follow a ( fancied ) season of the ( real ) Rockford Peaches , who play in the All - American Girls Professional Baseball League , founded during World War II when many of the good Major Leaguers were off in the service . With a roll of actress including Geena Davis , Lori Petty , Madonna , and Rosie O’Donnell , the Peaches strain to save their league , succeed a title , and in their most intimidating challenge , plough around their alcoholic saccade of a managing director ( Tom Hanks ) . It will make you laugh . It will make you cry out . It will make you debate whether Dottie drop the egg on purpose . Where to determine : Amazon , The Roku Channel

The Lord of the Ringstrilogy (2001–2003)

Ask any group of people what their favorite ease movies are , and Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy is bound to come up . The unbelievably and singularly unbelievable adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien ’s genre - defining book have become a staple for many around the holiday time of year , for no other reason than that ’s when they occur to debut in theaters , and that ’s also the period of time where most of us have enough free time to follow all 9 + hour ( extended editions , evidently ) . It ’s the highest of high fantasy , with effect - heavy battle scenes , straight off recognisable melodious root word , and the sort of beautiful , meticulously designed sets and dress up you just do n’t see in movies much any longer , a spread for the senses whose independent throughline is the index and comfort found in tightlipped friendly relationship . Where to watch : HBO Max

Magic Mike XXL(2015)

Magic Mike XXLimproves upon its predecessor infinitely , but not how you ’d expect . Instead of duplicate or even expanding upon the original , XXL , hem , strips it down , excising orthogonal plot to centre exclusively on pleasance . The resultant is a refreshing , even ultra movie , and one that does n’t care remotely for the responsibility of convention with Channing Tatum and the eternal sleep of the six - packed gang setting out on the route for one last hurrah at a manlike stripper conventionality . It ’s one of the pure iterations of a " hanging out with your boys " movies — making your spunk equally strong and taken with dainty talent . Who knew convenience store funnies flirt could be both hot and the peak case of dude camaraderie?Where to watch over : HBO Max

Marie Antoinette(2006)

Shot on location at the Palace of Versailles and tricked out with a post - punk soundtrack , Sofia Coppola ’s improper biopic about France ’s rebel princess is glamorous sweet . TheLost in Translationwriter - manager chooses effervescent drama over expositional information - dumping , going all in on the irresistible radiance of herVirgin Suicidesstar Kirsten Dunst . She runs mad around the castle , spends tons of money on cake and dresses , and once in a while bares it all , result her eyes to do the talk . Marie memorize lessons , but those of us watch are just there for an eighteenth - hundred hipster ride . Where to take in : Hulu , Pluto tv set

Moonstruck(1987)

If you have not yet been initiated into the cult ofMoonstruck , this is your order . Norman Jewison ’s authoritative fixed storage - com about a widow Italian - American woman who fall in dear with her new fiancé ’s asshole buddy has only raise its devotee base over the years . Nothing , literally nothing , is more quixotic than watching Cher and Nic Cage just screaming at each other — and few have ever looked as incredible in a carrying out as they do . Where to watch : HBO Max , Hulu , The Roku Channel

My Neighbor Totoro(1988)

Any of animation masterHayao Miyazaki ’s movies constitute solace food , but there ’s something peculiarly soothing aboutMy Neighbor Totoro , which feels like childhood bottle into a bill - sodding software system . In rural 1950s Japan , the two girls at the photographic film ’s center distract themselves from their beloved mother ’s sickness by research their new home and the surrounding woods . There , they meet the rotund spirit cited in the claim , as well as other creature who guide them through the legerdemain that surrounds their abode . It ’s a festive look at the fantasies kids concoct to make signified of the world . Where to watch : HBO Max

Paddington(2014)

These days , pop children ’s property get adapted all of the fourth dimension , but few have been as unbelievable and , frankly , cinematic - account - makingasPaddington . Paul King ’s movie about the darling bear created by Michael Bond and found in London ’s Paddington Station is best distinguish as a whimsical tyke ’s movie with Wes Anderson - like aesthesia , from its colorful pattern to its far-out sense of humor . The bear ( adorably voiced by Ben Whishaw ) may get in many kerfuffles — he is new to London , after all — yet you ca n’t help but love him more and more with each trip-up , just like his darling adoptive family , the Browns . No matter how old you are , Paddingtonwill warm up your inwardness like a spot of tea and marmalade on biscuits . ( And confide us : You ’ll want to strike frolic on the even betterPaddington 2after just one watch.)Where to follow : Netflix

Paper Moon(1973)

There ’s a reason Tatum O’Neal remains the young Oscar succeeder in history : Her performance as a Depression - epoch orphan is one of the with child child operation ever committed to film . ButPaper Moonis no downer . A winsome but meaningful road romp about a con Isle of Man ( Ryan O’Neal , Tatum ’s real - life sire ) who teams up with a 9 - year - older who may or may not be his daughter , the movie slide on charm while still touch on resonant estimation about social class . Where to look on : Amazon , Paramount+

Roman Holiday(1953)

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck : It does n’t get more swoony than that . With its gorgeous setting , princess - looking - for - something - more tale , and clever banter , Roman Holidayhelped establish the template for the next 50 years of amatory comedies to accompany . What do most of the imitators miss ? Well , mostly thespian as charming , playful , and committed as Hepburn and Peck , who make alchemy take care easy . confide us , this is a vacation you ’ll require to go on more than once . Even the semisweet ending hits exactly right note . Where to watch : Amazon , The Roku Channel

She’s All That(1999)

Yeah , the premise is extremely outdated — hot jock meets " not live " nontextual matter chick and impart her a popularity - inducing makeover to make his x - lady friend envious . Hello , patriarchal standards ! Despite that premise , there ’s a sight that has madeShe ’s All Thathold up in many ways over the years . The chemistry between Rachel Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze Jr. still crackles , Taylor Vaughn stay an all - time high schoolhouse mean girl , and with funny supporting public presentation from Anna Paquin and Matthew Lillard , it ’s a atavist to a prison term when playing hacky discharge was socially acceptable . Where to determine : HBO Max

The Sweetest Thing(2002)

Of of course many commonness comedies subsist by the early aughts , but few were whole fronted by women . Enter the wrongly malignedThe Sweetest Thing , which cast Cameron Diaz , Christina Applegate , and Selma Blair as party girls who treat piece like toys to play with — until the man - eater of them all , played by Diaz , bump herself taken by a single sports meeting - cunning , which transmit the group on a wild trip to track him down . It ’s your typical read-only memory - com — except spiked — full of ridiculous laugh that groups of girlfriends see themselves cracking up over on a nighttime out . Where to keep an eye on : Netflix

Waiting to Exhale(1995)

A friendly relationship movie that sometimes plays like a revenge epic , Waiting to Exhalehas one of the 1990s ' most thrilling mold . Whitney Houston , Angela Bassett , Loretta Devine , andHarlem Nights’Lela Rochon play close friends who have lost their religious belief in man , while Gregory Hines , Dennis Haysbert , Mykelti Williamson , Michael Beach , and Wesley Snipes portray some of those man . It ’s best known as the flick where Bassett fumble up her married man ’s car . What more do you need to know?Where to watch : HBO Max

When Harry Met Sally(1989)

There are many reasons why we remember this classic as one of thebest rom - coms of all time(if notthebest ) . We all sleep with the self-aggrandising scene in this movie : the " Can men and woman be friends ? " conversation in the car , the fake orgasm , the run through the street of New York on New Year ’s Eve . But our favorite scene of this Nora Ephron - compose movie , just forwards of all the adorable old duo who tie for second , is a small one : Harry , upset because he saw his X , pick a fight with Sally in their booster ' apartment . Sally calls him on it , and midway through her drill of how he ’s an shit , you see his face change . He waits for her to terminate , then says , " I ’m distressing . " A piddling scene that makes you worry about and think in these two the great unwashed , and make the final payoff , whichWhen Harry Met Sallynurtures from beginning to terminate , all the more rewarding . Where to look on : HBO Max , Netflix

comfort movies to watch

Design by Maitane Romagosa for Thrillist

the birdcage

MGM

breakfast club molly ringwald

Universal Pictures

bridget jones renee zellweger

Miramax Films

clueless alicia silverstone

Paramount Pictures

dazed and confused senior boys

Gramercy Pictures

fantastic mr fox

20th Century Fox

cameron diaz in the holiday

Sony

the iron giant

Warner Bros. Pictures

geena davis in a league of their own

Columbia Pictures

lord of the rings

New Line Cinema

magic mike channing tatum

Warner Bros. Pictures

kirsten dunst in marie antoinette

Sony

moonstruck

MGM

my neighbor totoro tree branch

Toho

paddington bear

StudioCanal

paper moon tatum o’neal

Paramount Pictures

roman holiday

Paramount Pictures

rachel leigh cook in she’s all that

Miramax Films

the sweetest thing

Sony

waiting to exhale

20th Century Fox

when harry met sally

Columbia Pictures