What if we say that, among ways to tackle depression there’s one that you love to do and can even do at your home resting on your couch?
It’s watching movies!
We all love to binge movies in our free time! But why not use it to our benefit too? Here we will give you the best movies to watch when you’re feeling depressed.
First, let’s back up and know how watching movies can help fight depression.
In this life filled with multiple triggers all around us, we often can’t get a hold of our feelings. Movies help that factor in our life; it helps us be more in touch and accept our emotions.
A widely used therapeutic method known as “Cinema Therapy,” allows one to use the effects of plot, imagery, music, learning, etc., from films on our psyche for insight, inspiration, motivation, reduced stress, and anxiety.
A person suffering from depression usually has difficulty avoiding negative thoughts, which might be harmful. Watching movies when you feel low can be a source of good distraction from negative thoughts.
There are thousands of movies to watch when feeling low on the web.
Top 17 Movies To Watch When You’re Feeling Depressed
Now that we know watching movies when you feel low is beneficial to us, here we present you with the top 17 movies to watch when you’re depressed.
1. 500 Days of Summer
Rating: 7 on IMDb and 87 on Rotten Tomatoes
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2009
First on the list of what movies to watch when you’re feeling depressed is 500 days of summer. A romantic comedy with an ending you can’t predict. The entire film is about the self-reflection of Tom Hansen, the lead role in the 500 days of his relationship with her ex-girlfriend and best friend, Summer Finn.
This movie shows you how life is all about perspective, and opportunities are right around the corner; you just need to take them. 500 days of summer perfectly depicts that good things are yet to come, and you need to learn how to let go and detach yourself from the past so that you can look forward to the present and future.
2. Inside Out
Rating: 8.1 on IMDb and 98 on Rotten Tomatoes
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2015
Secondly, we have Inside out. One of the best movies to watch when feeling low is about an 11-year-old girl who is uprooted from her home (Midwest) to San Francisco. Inside Out shows how emotions can affect a person. Within the mind of a young girl named Riley is the basic emotions that control her actions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. The movie depicts the changes in her surroundings and how these changes affect her emotions. This movie helps us realize that it is okay to not be okay!
It shows you the value of self-acceptance and how chasing after happiness is not the answer.
3. Harry Potter
Rating: 7.6 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2001
Harry Potter is considered a comfort movie that helps you through hard times in life. The entire movie series is worth watching. Harry faces many difficulties from the moment he is born, but even in the face of adversity, he maintains calm and shows courage whenever his friend needs his help.
This movie series teaches us that there may be thousands of problems in front of us, but our faith in ourselves shouldn’t waiver.
4. About Time
Rating: 7.8 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2013
Next on our list of movies to watch when you’re feeling depressed is About Time. It is not your typical love story. About Time teaches us how to practice gratitude and appreciate everything in life.
The movie teaches that we should stop worrying and start living our life.
The key point of the movie was being stuck in the past won’t make you happy nor help you lead a better life. Start taking it one day at a time.
5. It’s Kinda Funny Story
Rating: 7.1 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2010
One of the best movies to watch when you’re feeling depressed is “Its Kinda Funny Story,” where a clinically depressed teenager finds himself not recovering and check himself into an adult psychiatric ward.
The movie shows a teenager’s life and how various stressful conditions might affect their mental health. This movie helps us realize the importance of mental health awareness and how we are not alone in this process, and there are people we can talk to about it. This movie helps you understand that it is possible to be happy in life despite all the problems.
6. Up
Rating: 8.3 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2009
Another animated movie to watch when you’re depressed is “UP.” The movie is about a widower and his promise to his deceased wife to go to Paradise Falls. The film has a nice comedic as well as emotional touch to it.
The movie Up teaches us that it is never too old to pursue self-satisfaction. It helps us understand the value of our time with our loved ones and start enjoying the present. Overall the movie’s plot is quite good, and it helps you learn how to be happy in life.
7. The Princess Bride
Rating: 8 on IMDb and 97 on Rotten Tomatoes
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 1987
The Princess Bride is a classic tale of medieval love, as the beautiful buttercup is engaged to the odious Prince and is then kidnapped to start a war. Romance can help uplift your spirits, making this one of the best movies to watch when feeling low. It is a complete package of romance and adventure. A perfect film for you to get a change of pace in life and release some stress.
8. Perks of Being A Wallflower
Rating: 8 on IMDb and 85 on Rotten Tomatoes
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2012
It is a story of a socially awkward and introverted student in his freshman year who befriends two free-spirited upperclassmen. The movie teaches you how to rediscover yourself after going through a rough patch in his school.
The movie teaches you about self-love and self-acceptance.
9. Eat Pray Love
Rating: 5.8 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2010
Eat Pray Love, is considered a movie for an emotional cleanse. The movie is about a married woman who gets on a journey to learn to be happy by ending her marriage and starting a new chapter of her life by taking off on a round-the-world trip to find herself.
This movie teaches us the importance of happiness in life; it helps us realize that detaching yourself from toxic people from life is essential and that it is never too late to understand yourself truly. It shows us the importance of self-care habits and the effect of self-love on our life. This movie is packed with drama and helps give you a boost if you are feeling low.
10. The Holiday
Rating: 6.9 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2006
The Holiday is a fun and light-hearted movie; it depicts a story about two women who went through a breakup and needed a change of pace in life by swapping their houses. This movie teaches you the importance of self-love and self-care above all.
The movie shows that everything depends on our mindset; you can find happiness even in places you never imagined. It also teaches us that we should not chase happiness. Good things await you. All you need is to open that door to welcome it.
11. 127 Hours (2010)
Rating: 7.6 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2010
It is an autobiography of a mountain climber who gets stuck under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Mount Utah and resorts to desperate measures to survive.
This movie shows us the value life holds and how it is very important not to let go of it easily. It teaches that there is always a way out of every dreadful situation; all you need is to stay motivated.
12. The Breakfast Club
Rating: 7.8 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 1985
One of the classic movies of all time, “The Breakfast Club,” is also one of the best movies to watch when feeling low(unsurprisingly). This masterpiece features five high school students who meet in a Saturday detention and discover how they are a lot more similar than they thought.
The movie teaches you to be yourself. It helps you realize the importance of friendship and how opening up can help you understand the type of emotion you feel.
13. The Fault In Our Stars
Rating: 7.7 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2014
The Fault In Our Stars, a novel-based movie, tells us about the story of two cancer patients and the hardships they face in life. This movie encourages us to live in the present and make sure to live life to the fullest. It shows how cancer takes a toll on people’s mental health and how activities like mental health therapy and support groups can help you through the process.
This movie is fundamental among the movies to watch when feeling low as it teaches us to look at the brighter aspect of life.
14. Rain Man
Rating: 8 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 1988
Next on the list is the Rain Man, a reunion story of two brothers separated in their childhood, and one of them, Raymond Babbitt, is a person who has autism.
Even with a lack of different qualities in him due to his spectrum disorder, he has a heart made of gold and lives through life despite all the hardships he faces.
15. A Charlie Brown Christmas
Rating: 8.3 on IMDb
Available on: Apple TV+
Released on: 1965
Another animated movie to watch when you’re depressed is “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The film is about a little boy named Charlie, who is depressed and sad during Christmas. Charlie tries to overlook the commercialism around him during Christmas and tries to find the true meaning behind it.
This movie helps you gain a better mindset and a new perspective on various aspects of life. The film is wholesome and uplifting, among the must-watch movies when you feel low.
16. It’s A Wonderful Life
Rating: 8.6 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 1946
This is a story of a man with incredible dreams who is too committed to helping his community to live those dreams out. After being saved from a suicidal attempt by an angel, he is given insights into how he has touched the lives of so many people.
This movie shows how to be more grateful in life because we often overlook the good things in life. It’s a wonderful life showing that life is beautiful only because it is imperfect. The film encourages us to practice optimism.
17. The Pursuit of Happyness
Rating: 8 on IMDb
Available on: Amazon Prime
Released on: 2006
The Pursuit of Happyness, one of the best movies to watch when depressed, focuses on a homeless salesman and his son as he takes a life-changing decision for his career and the hardship he faces on the way.
The Pursuit of Happyness is an inspiring story. The movie helps you realize that no matter what, don’t lose hope in yourself. Keep working hard for what you want to achieve, it might seem that the goal is far away, but the key to it is perseverance.
CONCLUSION
The list mentioned above of movies to watch when you’re feeling depressed can act as an escape mechanism from your unwanted or negative thoughts. Simple things like watching movies when you feel low won’t cure your depression, but they can help you feel at ease instead of in a constant state of anger and despair.
Watching movies when you feel low is just one of the ways you can pursue to create better mental health. Along with feasting your eyes on these movies to watch when feeling low, you should cover other aspects that can help you if you are depressed.
Many activities help in the betterment of your mental health, and watching movies is just one of them. Here are some more mental health skill-building activities you might be interested in.
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