The bestmovies to watch when sickare often just some of the best movies, period.The Price is Right,Jeopardy, andSpringercan only take a sick person confined to their couch so far before their brain starts hurting. That’s when it’s movie time. Click on the TV and throw the remote away for an hour and a half, there’s no need to change episodes or remind Netflix that the human viewing has not succumbed just yet.The best movies to watch when sick are fuzzy, happy, and hopefully not too long, considering the viewer may want to nap after.
That’s why, while the list ofmovies to watch when boredshares some similarities to the best movies to watch when sick, there are some key differences. Action-packed, exciting movies are a no-go. Sick people don’t have the energy. Sad, frustrating movies are not very fun either, because sick people generally don’t want to feel any more down than they already do. The best sick movies are easy to turn on, hard to turn off, and if the viewer closes their eyes for a bit, they don’t miss all that much.
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Cast
In Barb and Star go to Vista Del Mar, lifelong friends Barb and Star, embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they decide to leave their small Midwestern town for the first time…ever after they’re let go from their jobs. When they take a much-needed vacation to Vista Del Mar, Florida, they meet Edgar and end up in a whirlwind adventure that includes friendship, romance, and a comically villainous plot
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Maris a must-watch for fans ofAnchorman,Hot Rod, andAustinPowers-style comedy.Barb and Starstars Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig as the titular characters, two friends from the mid-west who go on their first vacation ever to the scenic Vista Del Mar in Florida. There, they take drugs, find romance, dance to electronic versions of “My Heart Will Go On”, and get embroiled in a villain’s plot to unleash a swarm of killer mosquitoes on the beachgoers. It’s absurd, charming, and the sun will warm sick viewers right up.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Howl’s Moving Castle, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, follows Sophie, a young milliner transformed into an elderly woman by a witch’s curse. She becomes involved with the enigmatic wizard Howl, who is resisting participation in a war for the king, as she searches for a way to break the spell.
One of Hayao Miyazaki’s best movies, though also one of his most misunderstood,Howl’s Moving Castlehas the difficult job of adapting the long 1986 fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones, which makesHowl’sfeel a bit disconnected at times. Despite this, it’s still a gorgeously animated film with some incredible characters at the center.The vignette feel of the movie also makes it perfect for sick viewerswho may tune in and out. It’s an empathetic look at love and aging, told in Miyazaki’s grand style.
Remember The Titans
Remember The Titans is a 2000 sports drama directed by Boaz Yakin and starring Denzel Washington. The film is based on the true story of a newly integrated high school football team in Virginia. Under the leadership of coach Herman Boone, the team navigates racial tensions and strives for success on and off the field.
Remember the Titansmay only be semi-based on a true story, but the uplifting feelings of victory, camaraderie, love, and acceptance make the Disney sports classic feel like it’s come straight out of real life. Coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is the head coach of the newly integrated T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia and he is certain of one thing: if his team can not accept each other as black and white brothers, they won’t only fail on the football field, they will fail as people.
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 biographical crime film directed by Steven Spielberg. It’s based on the true story of real-life con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., who successfully impersonated an airline pilot, doctor, and lawyer. Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the lead role and Tom Hanks co-stars as FBI Agent Carl Hanratty.
One of the worst parts about being sick is the inability to go anywhere, so a movie likeCatch Me If You Canis the perfect escapist fantasy, with the dashing Leonardo DiCaprio leading the way. Steven Spielberg’s surprisingly deep crime comedy finds Frank Abagnale Jr. (DiCaprio) conning his way to riches and a jet-set lifestyle, all the while tracked by agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) of the FBI. It’s gorgeously shot and even the opening Saul Bass-like credits by Oliver Kuntzel and Florence Deygas will comfort viewers.
Spaceballs
Spaceballs is a 1987 comedic science fiction film directed by Mel Brooks. It follows Lone Starr and his sidekick as they confront the villainous Dark Helmet, who schemes to kidnap Princess Vespa and steal her planet’s air. They encounter Yogurt, who introduces them to the mystical power known as “The Schwartz.”
Some viewers may thinkStar Warsis a good sick-day movie, but those science fiction epics can get a bit harrowing and lore-heavy for someone who can’t breathe through their nose.Spaceballshas all the action-adventure, with none of the heavy stakes, and all thebest Mel Brooks laughs. Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) is a send-up of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, with only half the heroism of each character, but he makes up for it with sarcastic jabs. This movie breaks the fourth wall so much, that viewers will feel like Dark Helmet is in the room, hanging out.
Paddington
Paddington follows a young Peruvian bear who ventures to London in search of a new home. Upon arriving at Paddington Station, he encounters the Brown family, who kindly offer him temporary shelter as he navigates the unfamiliar city.
ThoughPaddington 2may be thestrongest of thePaddingtonmovies, it’s the first film in the franchise that is perfect for a sick day. The 2014 family movie brought the famous bear to life on the big screen and imbued him with such warmth, humor, and joy that he simply can’t be denied by anyone who meets him. The first film in the franchise introduces the characters, making it much easier to pick up out of nowhere than the second film, and anyone who hasn’t seen the movie should drop what they’re doing and check it out.
Stranger Than Fiction
Stranger Than Fiction (2006) is a drama-comedy that follows Harold Crick, an IRS agent who begins to hear a narration of his life, which leads him to discover that he is a character in an author’s novel. Faced with his impending death, he must navigate his relationship with the author and his own existence. The film explores themes of free will, fate, and the nature of storytelling.
The plot forStranger Than Fictionsounds like it could be out of an episode ofBlack Mirror, but thanks to Will Ferrell’s wonderfully down-to-earth performance, and a fairytale-like tone, the movie becomes something much kinder and simpler. Harold Crick (Ferrell) is an IRS agent with a fairly humdrum life, that is until he begins to hear narration coming out of the ether that seems to be dictating his actions.The flight of fantasy in the movie is perfectly pitched, making it magical rather than alarming, and the ending is warm enough to burn away the chills.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring Chris Pratt as Peter Quill. Abducted from Earth as a child, Quill navigates intergalactic adventures, becoming entwined in a conflict centered on a powerful orb coveted by Ronan the Accuser.
MCU movies aren’t generally knownfor their coziness, instead happy to focus on action and references to upcoming projects both on the way and dead in the water.Guardians of the Galaxy, and maybe its two sequels, do have a significant amount of warmth and love that has always made them stand out, even as the Marvel ship has taken on water over the last few years. It’s a movie about family and director James Gunn makes sure that the friendship and love between the scattershot Guardians make it a superhero movie that hasn’t aged a day.
Easy A
Inspired by The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Easy A stars Emma Stone as Olive Penderghast, a young high school student who suddenly finds herself in the middle of a rumor mill when a lie she tells her best friend about losing her virginity spirals out of control. Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, and Stanley Tucci are part of the supporting cast.
Emma Stone may be the cure for any sickness. Her bubbly, funny, smart, down-to-earth personality makes any project she’s a part of a winner.Easy Acombines her winning personality with a modern retelling ofThe Scarlet Letter, setting it in a high school, the perfect location for any sick day movie. In the film, Olive Penderghast (Stone) is a student who pretends to sleep with her gay friend to stop him from being bullied, leading her to become the go-to woman for pretend trysts. It’s hilarious, whip-smart, and carefully told.
Love Actually
The 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually follows various couples as they explore their relationships throughout the Christmas season. With a star-studded cast composed of Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Rowan Atkinson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Freeman, and Martine McCutcheon, Love Actually has since become a Christmas staple for rom-com lovers.
Any one of the 10 stories inLove, Actuallyis the perfect cure for feeling unwell, and best of all, they are only tangentially connected, so viewers shouldn’t feel bad about falling asleep and missing part of the movie, they can always just follow along with another story thread. The ultimate Christmas romance,Love, Actuallyhas inspired plenty of knockoffs, but none come close to the magic and heart of this 2003 film. Each time a new actor appears on-screen, it’s like unwrapping an unexpected present on Christmas morning.
