The films I watch when the world feels a little too heavy
Last night I was talking to a friend of mine, who’s a psychologist. We both felt a little overwhelmed and, oddly enough, in need of a good cry. “It’s always helpful to let your emotions out,” he said.
When the news becomes overwhelming or life feels a little too heavy, I don’t reach for action films or thrillers. I look for stories that remind me people are still capable of kindness.
So here’s my personal list of films that have done exactly that. They aren’t necessarily the saddest films you’ll ever watch, but they quietly remind me of compassion, friendship, and the goodness people are capable of. And yes, some of them will almost certainly leave you reaching for a tissue.
1. Adam Elliot’s World
Mary and Max (2009)
Memoir of a Snail (2024)
I’ve seen both of Adam Elliot’s feature-length stop-motion films, and I loved both of them. His puppets are unmistakably his own: slightly awkward, wonderfully expressive, and set in a world of muted, earthy colours.
Adam Elliot understands lonely people better than almost any filmmaker I know. His characters are anxious, imperfect, and wonderfully ordinary. He never laughs at them or asks us to pity them. Instead, he invites us to care about them. Somehow, by the end, you feel as though you’ve known them for years.
These are stories about friendship, acceptance, and finding beauty in life’s imperfections.
2. The Irish Folklore Trilogy (dir. Tomm more, Cartoon Saloon)
The Secret of Kells (2009)
Song of the Sea (2014)
Wolfwalkers (2020)
Three breathtaking films inspired by Irish mythology, where magic and everyday life intertwine. Beneath the stunning animation lie stories about family, compassion, courage, and learning to see the world through someone else’s eyes.
One of the unexpected joys for me was discovering how familiar some of the Irish mythical creatures felt. Despite the distance between our countries, I kept recognising echoes of characters I’d grown up with in Russian fairy tales.
3. War Through Children’s Eyes
Grave of the Fireflies (dir. Isao Takahata, 1988, Studio Ghibli)
One of the most devastating anti-war films I’ve ever seen. Not because of the battles, but because it shows everything war takes from a child. Heartbreaking.
Jojo Rabbit (dir. Taika Waititi, 2019)
A film that somehow manages to be hilarious, heartbreaking, and deeply compassionate all at once. I fell in love with that kid and wanted to hug him badly. Another story about what war does to people, especially children.
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (dir. Mark Herman, 2008)
A heartbreaking story of innocence confronted by the unimaginable. Without graphic violence or grand speeches, it shows the devastating consequences of hatred through the eyes of two boys who simply can’t understand why they’re supposed to be enemies. It leaves you asking the most uncomfortable question of all: how can ordinary people accept hatred as something normal?
4. Small Hearts, Big Feelings
My Life as a Zucchini (dir. Claude Barras, 2016)
A tender and deeply humane story about children learning to heal after loss. Honest, funny, and full of warmth, it shows that family isn’t always the one you’re born into. Sometimes it’s the people who make you feel safe enough to be yourself.
Olivia y el terremoto invisible (dir. Irene Iborra Rizo, 2025)
This stop-motion animation is based on a book, which is itself based on a true story. We were lucky enough to see this at its premiere, followed by a Q&A with the director, Irene Iborra. Knowing how much care went into every puppet and every emotion only made the film more moving. It’s a gentle and imaginative story about childhood anxiety, told with remarkable tenderness and warmth. The children in the audience laughed. The adults quietly wiped away tears.
5. Beautiful Fairy Tales
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (dir. Isao Takahata, 2013, Studio Ghibli)
First of all, it’s visually stunning. Every frame looks like a delicate watercolour painting – soft, graceful, and brought to life with vibrant splashes of colour. Simply watching it is a pleasure.
Beneath that beauty is a timeless story about freedom, wealth, and the choices we make in life. At the same time, it offers a gentle glimpse into Japanese culture while exploring values that feel deeply universal.
Spirited Away (dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2001, Studio Ghibli)
You’ve probably seen it a million times already. I certainly have. But I couldn’t leave it off this list. It’s a timeless coming-of-age fairy tale where courage, kindness, and curiosity matter more than strength. Every time I watch it, I notice something I missed before. It reminds me of dreams I never want to wake up from. Strange, beautiful, and filled with countless little details waiting to be discovered.
6. The Power of Imagination
I’ve realised that many of my favourite films don’t follow the rules of reality. They follow the rules of dreams.
The Fall (dir. Tarsem Singh, 2006)
A breathtaking visual masterpiece where fantasy becomes a way of surviving pain. Every frame could hang in a gallery, but it’s the relationship at the heart of the story that moved me most. I’m impressed by the story of creation of this great film.
Big Fish (dir. Tim Burton, 2003)
One of my all-time favourites. Ewan McGregor is impossible not to love. It’s a celebration of storytelling, imagination, and the complicated ways we come to understand the people closest to us. Bittersweet, magical, and full of life.
7. Found Family
The Peanut Butter Falcon (dir. Tyler Nilson, Michael Schwartz, 2019)
I always think it’s incredibly difficult to create a character people fall in love with straight away. Somehow this film manages to do it three times. One of the warmest road movies I’ve ever seen. Funny, gentle, and full of heart.
The best recommendation I got for this film was: “After watching it, you’ll want to hug everyone.” And I certainly did. After almost crying, I was smiling by the end.
8. Growing Up
Manolito Gafotas (dir. Miguel Albaladejo, 1999)
A charming portrait of childhood in working-class Madrid, full of humour, warmth, and the small adventures that shape who we become. Since I now live in Madrid, watching it was especially enjoyable. It felt like discovering another layer of the city. The film is based on a book by Elvira Lindo.
9. Wild Hearts
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (dir. Taika Waititi, 2016)
A hilarious adventure that slowly turns into one of the sweetest stories about belonging, healing, and unexpected love.
10. Love Without Labels
I Love You Phillip Morris (dir. Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, 2009)
One of my all-time favourites. Once again, Ewan McGregor, who is my personal crush. Based on an unbelievable true story, it’s outrageously funny, wildly entertaining, and far more tender than you might expect. Beneath all the comedy is a beautiful love story about devotion, identity, and embracing life wholeheartedly. It was one of those films that made me immediately google what happened to the real Phillip afterwards.
11. Courage in Impossible Times
The Breadwinner (dir. Nora Twomey, 2017)
If the style of this hand-drawn animation reminds you of the Irish Folklore Trilogy, that’s no coincidence. Tomm Moore was an executive producer.
This time, though, it’s a heartbreaking story about an Afghan girl, interwoven with myths and traditional folktales. I have to admit, those moments of fantasy stopped me from crying all the way through the film.
It’s a story about courage and love. As painful as its reality is, it also carries a quiet wisdom and hope.
12. Choosing Kindness
Lars and the Real Girl (dir. Craig Gillespie, 2007)
One of the gentlest films I’ve heard people talk about. A rare story where an entire community chooses empathy over judgment.
13. Quiet Friendships
Paddleton (dir. Alex Lehmann, 2019)
An understated story about two ordinary neighbours whose quiet friendship slowly becomes extraordinary. Funny, intimate, and quietly heartbreaking.
14. Hidden Gems
Return to Dust (dir. Li Ruijun, 2022)
A slow, deeply compassionate story about two lonely people who build a life together from almost nothing. Patient, understated, and profoundly moving, it finds beauty and dignity in the simplest moments. I found something deeply touching in the quiet way the husband cares for his wife.
The Monk and the Gun (dir. Pawo Choyning Dorji, 2023)
If you’re tired of noisy films, this is the perfect antidote. A gentle Bhutanese gem filled with quiet humour and wisdom.
If you’ve seen The Yak in the Classroom, this is by the same director, so expect the same gentle rhythm and understated storytelling.
Set in Bhutan, the film is a wonderfully subtle satire of democratic elections, America’s love affair with guns, and our complicated relationship with money. If Guy Ritchie were Bhutanese and made quiet, contemplative films instead of crime capers, this might be what they’d look like.
At its heart is the story of a monk searching for a gun on behalf of his lama, leading to an unexpected yet profoundly peaceful ending. Along the way, the film becomes a thoughtful reflection on Bhutan’s transition to democracy, told with gentle humour and the quiet wisdom of Eastern philosophy.
To me, it’s exactly the kind of film the world needs right now.
The Water Flows to the Sea (dir. Tetsu Maeda, 2023)
Japanese director Tetsu Maeda explores abandoned children, complicated family relationships, responsibility, guilt, and forgiveness, but does so in a way that feels both beautiful and quietly original.
The food deserves a special mention. Every meal is prepared and shared with such care that by the end of the film, we were genuinely hungry.
I’ve also realised how much I love the way Japanese films are shot. Or at least the ones I’ve seen so far. They are filled with soft light, vibrant splashes of colour, blurred backgrounds, and delicate shades of green. Every frame feels like a photograph. They make ordinary life look extraordinary.
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Only after putting this list together did I notice something. Almost none of these films are really about sadness. They begin with loneliness, grief, or uncertainty, but they almost always end with someone finding another person. A friend. A family. A neighbour. A stranger.
Maybe that’s why they stay in my heart. They remind me that even in difficult times, people are capable of choosing kindness. By the end, I don’t just want to cry. I want to hug someone who’s close to me.
Here Eventually 
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