7 Hilarious and Wholesome Movies To Help You Wind Down After A Long Day At Work
There's a little bit here for everyone, from slapstick staples to slick heist comedies
So, it's been a long day for you. Tired doesn't begin to cover how you feel. You’re scrolling through Netflix to see what you can watch before you retire for the day, but your mind is too frazzled to come up with something.
It's okay, we've all been there, and this is where this list comes in. These are your quintessential turn your brain off and enjoy the ride films, that will either leave you in splits or have you going to bed with a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart. Check them out below.
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Paddington 2
See, Paddington 2 is such a good movie that a whole film starring Nichlas Cage and Pedro Pascal was made to say just how good it is (that's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent for you). Our favourite walking talking bear from Peru, Paddington Bear, is now living with the Browns at Windsor Gardens, and is doing odd jobs to buy a gift for his Aunt Lucy's hundredth birthday. Plot twist: the gift is stolen and Paddington is the chief suspect in the theft. The Paul King directorial expertly balances slapstick comedy and earnestness, and in the words of Pedro Pascal's character in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, watching it makes you feel like a better person.
Where to watch: Apple TV
Hera Pheri
Talking of slapstick, it's a crime to list comedies and not mention a Priyadarshan movie. Be it Bhool Bhulaiya, De Dana Dan or Hera Pheri, his comedies have created franchises that continue even today. Our pick of the day? The first Hera Pheri movie. It's less quotable than its sequel (*cough* pacchis din mein paisa double *cough*), but the shenanigans of Baburao Apte and his tenants getting involved in a kidnapping plot makes a better movie overall. Also, it's Akshay Kumar's impeccable comedic timing at its prime.
Where to watch: Prime Video, YouTube
10 Things I Hate About You
Before Heath Ledger changed how we see pop culture villains with his (tragic) portrayal of a villain as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, he was clowned for that casting choice largely due to his role in this movie. 10 Things I Hate About You is Ledger at his romcom best: the Aussie bad boy Patrick Verona is called upon to date Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) so that Cameron James (then a baby-faced Joseph Gordon-Levitt) can date her sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). The movie gave us scenes that still hold their ground in iconic romcom moments hall of fame, like Patrick serenading Kat to Can't Take My Eyes Off You, and that poetry scene.
Where to watch: JioHotstar
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Ocean's Eleven
It's honestly fun to watch a movie that looks like the cast and crew had a good time filming, and Ocean's Eleven is a prime example of that. Professional con artist Danny Ocean and his friend Rustry Rick (prime George Clooney and Brad Pitt, respectively) recruit accomplices to carry out a multi-million-dollar theft in this slick Steven Soderbergh heist comedy. Their target: three casinos housing over $150 million in a practically inaccessible underground vault.
Where to watch: Prime Video, JioHotstar
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Nothing like winding down to the ultimate 2010s Bollywood road trip movie. You have three friends, check. A road trip through Spain that is bound to cause extreme wanderlust, check. A heartwarming character arc for each main lead. Check. A romantic subplot that feels fresh and poetry that inspires you to look into yourself, check. Not to forget the cherry on top: the jokes that land just as well without taking it into slapstick territory (sings Diamond Biscuit).
Where to watch: Netflix
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My Neighbour Totoro
Long before Barbenheimer, Studio Ghibli released My Neighbour Totoro and Grave of The Fireflies as a double feature across Japanese cinemas. The purpose: Grave of the Fireflies is a harrowing movie about two kids dying of hunger in World War 2 Japan. Distraught, the audiences would then watch the whimsical tale about two sisters and a forest sprite in My Neighbour Totoro to lift up their spirits. The film did the job so well it's now considered one of the best Ghibli movies ever. So, if the ending of this movie doesn't leave that fuzzy feeling in your heart, very little will.
Where to watch: Netflix
Despicable Me
He's a supervillain. He's about to steal the moon. He has an army of minions to do his bidding. Except, he also has a heart and finds himself becoming an unlikely dad to three orphaned girls. The Despicable Me franchise has festered into a rather disappointing series, bit don't it dissuade you from appreciating the wholesome title that the first movie is. If nothing, watch it for the hilarious antagonist that is Vector.
Where to watch: Prime Video
