Five perfect movies to watch when you’ve had a bad day
Bad days are inevitable, but film is one of the best art forms out there at turning them around. You might be exhausted, burnt out, fighting with your partner, or wishing that you hadn’t agreed to have that baby, but settle yourself onto the sofa, switch your brain off, and hit “play,” and you’ll be transported to a new reality.
There are plenty of movies that you absolutely do not want to watch when you’re having a rough day. Blue Valentine, Manchester by the Sea, and The Deer Hunter spring to mind as absolute no-go zones of despair. And unless you’re a high-brow intellectual who never likes to rest on your laurels, most people would rather not get too esoteric when trying to soothe an unquiet mind. For this reason, masterpieces like Persona, Mulholland Drive, and Last Year at Marienbad probably aren’t the answer.
Then, there’s romance. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride as much as anyone, but if you’re feeling lonely, angry with your partner, or, god forbid, feeling nostalgic about a past relationship, a happily-ever-after love story might just ruin your whole week.
The movies on this list range from glamorous capers to black comedies. There’s some gallows humour for those who can’t stand sentimentality, and a couple of movies that will make your heart swell with a renewed faith in humanity. So, whatever you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.
Five perfect movies for a bad day:
‘To Catch a Train Thief’ (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955)
Let’s get a few caveats out of the way. To Catch a Thief isn’t Hitchcock’s best film, nor is it even his most romantic, but it is the most escapist movie he ever made, and as far as glitzy, quick-witted capers go, it can’t be beat. Hitchcock lured Cary Grant out of retirement to play a former cat burglar who, tidily enough, comes out of retirement to prove his innocence when a string of burglaries are committed on the French Riviera. While searching for the mysterious criminal in order toclear his name, he becomes reluctantly entangled with an oil heiress and her daughter, played by an effervescent Grace Kelly.
With sumptuous Technicolor, breathtaking scenery, and stars so blindingly glamorous they practically glow, To Catch a Thief is the ultimate cinematic diversion. With a clever script, as much sex as Hitchcock could get past the censors, and a plot with genuine intrigue, it is a shining example of how cinema can feel like a warm, cosy blanket without falling into the “guilty pleasure” category.
‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ (Morgan Neville, 2018)
Many people in the UK will be unfamiliar with the American children’s television host Fred Rogers, and given the chilling track record of men in that line of work in Britain, it might be hard to accept the enduring decency of the man. Morgan Neville’s documentary follows Rogers’s life from being bullied as a child to turning his deeply humanist and compassionate philosophy about childhood into the long-running television show, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.
Despite being the butt of jokes throughout his career for his earnestness, Rogers was no pushover, and he was far from delusional about the state of the world. The documentary goes into detail about how he responded to unfathomable stories on the news, from the segregation of swimming pools to the assassination of John F Kennedy, always gearing his work directly toward young children.
If you don’t want to cry, this is not the film to watch, but speaking as someone who despises emotional manipulation, I watch this movie at least once a year to remember that integrity and sincerity can be guiding principles at any age, even in a world that deflects its discomfort by mocking them. If that sounds like the “eating your vegetables” equivalent of a movie, rest assured that it isn’t. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? will gently sweep you along, and pull you into all the right emotions without the faintest hint of manipulation or sermonising.
‘Withnail<em> </em>& I’ (Bruce Robinson, 1987)
Look, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that a film about two out-of-work flatmates who spend most of their time arguing about food and money and accidentally embark on the dreariest vacation of all time might not be the vibe, but that is the magic of Withnail & I. There is no reason why this film should work on paper, unless the paper you’re looking at is the script or a photo of Richard E Grant. Bruce Robinson’s bleakly hilarious, pervasively poetic ode to one of the bleakest eras for postwar Britain is, against all odds, a sheer joy.
You do not have to have liver damage or be male to adore this film. You don’t even have to identify with the disaffection, stubbornness, and artistic ambition of the characters. The beauty of the film is that it plumbs the depths of abject pessimism and performative misery so rigorously that it comes out the other side. If you, like me, are inclined toward cynicism and self-indulgent hyperbole (especially after a bad day), this movie will speak to you on a cellular level. If not, it probably will anyway.
‘Paddington 2’ (2017, Paul King)
With all due respect to the first Paddington, the sequel is the true masterpiece of the series, and one that people over the age of seven can watch without feeling like they’re trying to evade adulthood. The plot follows the titular marmalade fiend who is imprisoned for a burglary he didn’t commit. While he sets about making himself the most popular bear in prison, his human family tries to find the real thief.
The greatest strength of Paddington 2 is its supporting cast, which includes Brendan Gleeson as the fiery prison chef, Knuckles McGinty, Peter Capaldi as an acidic neighbour, and, above all, Hugh Grant as a primping, posturing primadonna of an actor whose ego can barely fit into his myriad of disguises. It is difficult to convey how superb Grant is in this film. Now that we are well into his career renaissance, it’s hardly surprising that the former rom-com prince should be so masterful in this devilishly hammy role, but even the highest expectations will be exceeded.
Of course, at its heart, Paddington 2 is a story about the power of kindness. And sure, maybe that’s a bit naive, but meeting the world with an open mind is a lot easier said than done, so perhaps it’s more revolutionary than you think. Either way, this movie is guaranteed (yes, guaranteed) to make you feel better, even if you have no intention of being niceto strangers anytime soon.
‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’ (Terry Jones, 1979)
If you’re having a terrible day and it feels like the whole world is against you, watching a crowd of men get crucified in a desert and still manage to sing about looking on the bright side of life might just be the sort of perspective realignment you need. At the very least, the loosely cobbled-together series of sketches that make up this film will keep you laughing consistently, which is the best medicine for a punishing day anyway. Starring Graham Chapman as an ordinary man and occasional “very naughty boy” who spends his entire truncated life getting mistaken for Jesus, Life of Brian is the vessel into which Python threw some of their best material.
Although Monty Python and the Holy Grail is often hailed as a high point for the comedy group, Brian more than gives it a run for its money. Whether characters are griping over how to haggle, getting busted for ancient graffiti, or arguing over what the Romans ever did for them, it is chock-full of iconic sketches, and the perfect balm for a weary and frustrated mind.
