8 of My Favorite Comfort Movies for Rainy Days
With the fall months upon us and the weather starting to do more questionable things, you might be thinking a bit more about staying inside. Here are some of my comfort films that I've seen many, many times, and found their vibe just perfectly complements a cold or rainy day.
The next time you're bored on a rainy afternoon, you can cozy up with a warm drink and put on one of these movies. And I promise you, they'll stay with you.
Her (2013)
Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) works at beautifullyhandwrittenletters.com, where he writes letters for people's loved ones. When we meet him, he's heartbroken because his high school sweetheart is divorcing him. He's withdrawn and lonely, haunted by memories of his past relationship.
Around that time, a new operating system arrives on the market, which can adapt to the user's needs. Theodore installs the OS, and when prompted, chooses a feminine voice for it. The OS (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) chooses the name Samantha for itself. It grows incredibly intelligent and sophisticated to the point it feels entirely human to Theodore, and not in a ChatGPT way . Samantha actually feels real, and the two begin to fall for each other.
Will the relationship between a charming artificial intelligence and a sensitive but lonely writer work out? That's what we find out in Her .
The cinematography of the 2013 Spike Jonze film feels like watching a sunset. Filled with gorgeous pastel oranges, pinks, and yellows, the movie has a very memorable aesthetic. The technology and interfaces feel like you could reach out and touch them. The score (especially Dimensions by Arcade Fire) makes you feel what it's like to be in love, to the point you may find yourself looking up the soundtrack and playing it on a loop.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Play Good Will Hunting when you're feeling stuck. Set in Boston, it is about twenty-year-old Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a young man with a troubled past who has just finished a stint in prison for getting into a fight. After he starts working as a janitor at MIT, mopping the halls near the math department, we learn that Will is actually a mathematical genius. We also learn that he's wasting his time and talents hanging out with his mediocre friends (who he loves), and is caught in a cycle of self-sabotage.
Everything changes for Will when he's caught solving an advanced equation meant for students, which gets him in a lot of trouble. To stay out of jail, Will is forced to take therapy sessions with Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams), who slowly gets him to open up, and we see the young man behind the abrasive tough shell. Sean is grieving the loss of his wife, and two men try to help each other come to terms with their lives and better themselves.
The dialog is crisp, Robin Williams' performance won him the Best Actor Oscar that year, and the entire experience is just pure catharsis.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , Joel (Jim Carrey) finds out that his ex-girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet), has had a procedure that erases him from her memories. He's devastated and signs up to have her erased from his memories, too.
When the procedure begins, the movie drops us into the memories themselves, and we see their turbulent relationship through Joel's memories. Halfway through the process, Joel realizes his mistake and tries to stop it and salvage as many of his memories as he can.
Filled with beautiful and terrible moments, those sequences are so surreal and dreamy in a way that you have to see for yourself to understand. They're never confusing, though, because the film makes you feel what Joel is feeling, right up until he has a last-minute change of heart and realizes that he doesn't want to forget Clementine. It's a bittersweet portrait of love, love lost, and letting go.
The color palette of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is filled with blues and muted grays, making the movie itself feel like a rainy afternoon.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
You can absolutely never go wrong with My Neighbor Totoro as a rainy day pick. It's a Studio Ghibli masterpiece, set in rural Japan, where we follow two kids who befriend the forest spirit Totoro, as they deal with the recovery of their sick mother.
I didn't watch it as a kid, but Totoro feels exactly like summer vacation. There's no major conflict or high stakes in the plot—there is no conventional villain. The film just sort of unfolds at a slow pace as the girls meet a wide range of delightful spirits and creatures and go on adventures with their friend. But that doesn't mean it's boring; it's just full of whimsy and child-like wonder.
The animation and sound design are gorgeous, and so is the setting. You can really drink it in. I won't spoil it, but some of the sequences (which involve an actual rainy afternoon and evening) will stick with you forever.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine is not exactly a comfort film, as it deals with a lot of heavy, serious subjects, but I still think it's a great film to get invested in on a rainy day.
In this Oscar-winning coming-of-age road-trip dramedy, we follow the Hoover family, which is a complete dysfunctional mess. Dad (Greg Kinnear) is a failed motivational speaker; Uncle Frank (Steve Carell) is severely depressed; Granddad (Alan Arkin) is a drug addict, Dwayne (Paul Dano) is a teenager obsessed with Nietzsche; Olive (Abigail Breslin), the youngest, loves dancing; and mom (Toni Collette) is just trying to keep the family together.
The whole dysfunctional crew is crammed in a yellow VW van on their way to a children's beauty pageant, which Olive is participating in. It's not your typical road trip movie, and you may even cringe at points, but it feels weirdly hopeful the whole time.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty , Walter (played by Ben Stiller) is a man with a bad case of daydreaming and has never done anything worth mentioning in his whole life. He's a photo archivist at Life magazine, where he has a crush on his coworker but never dares to talk to her. Instead, he slips into elaborate dream sequences where he's saving puppies from burning buildings or proposing to his crush.
The magazine is going digital, and the last print issue is supposed to have a cover photo sent by a legendary photojournalist. The problem is that Walter can't find the photo negative sent in. Scared he might lose his job, Walter sets out to find this photo negative, which ends up sending him on a life-changing world adventure. Turns out, it was the best decision he would ever make, and daydreams won't remain dreams anymore.
Chef (2014)
Movies about food scratch a very particular itch in my brain, and Chef is on top of that list. Don't let the title trick you—the movie is not set in a drab professional kitchen about some obsessive, tortured chef. It's actually a movie about a father and son.
Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) hates his job because the restaurant doesn't let him serve what he wants, and he eventually quits after he has a public fight with a food critic.
Carl goes on a trip across the country with his estranged son, Percy. At some point, they get their hands on a busted old food truck, which they fix up and start to sell Cuban cuisine out of. This movie has a lot of heart, and if you love a good comeback story, you'll love Chef. Also, it'll make you hungry.
Paddington 2 (2017)
I watched Paddington 2 because Nicolas Cage recommended it. Let me explain. In the movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent , Cage (playing himself) is told by his drug kingpin friend that Paddington 2 is his favorite movie, and that it made him want to be a better man. Having watched Paddington 2 , I agree on both accounts.
In this popular sequel, Paddington is a polite British bear who lives in London with the Brown family. The world of this movie is gentle and sweet, but never saccharine. But the stakes are there, and so is the conflict.
Hugh Grant plays a villain who's a master of disguise, trying to get his hands on a rare pop-up book. Paddington wants to buy the same book as a present for his aunt's 100th birthday. When the pop-up book is stolen, and Paddington is wrongly accused, the well-mannered, gentle bear ends up in prison.
Paddington 2 is a perfect movie. It's enchanting and heartfelt in a way that feels grounded, despite the premise centered around a CGI bear. If you want to get hugged by a movie, watch Paddington 2 .
Finding something perfect to watch for any occasion can be a challenge, as there's just so much to choose from. These movies, however, are perfect for a rainy afternoon. But you don't have to wait until the next rain to enjoy them.
