The Best Feel-good Movies and TV Shows on The Criterion Channel
Finding a good Feel-good movie and TV show to watch can be hard, so we've ranked the best ones and included where to watch them. Check out our list of the best Feel-good movies and TV shows of all time streaming on The Criterion Channel.
1. Secrets & Lies
What it's about: A middle-aged London factory worker is shocked when the mixed-race daughter she gave up at birth decides to track her down. At first she denies she is her mother. All family members become emotional, as everyone's secrets are exposed.
Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (HBO MAX & The Criterion Channel).
2. Au Revoir les Enfants
What it's about: Au revoir les enfants tells a heartbreaking story of friendship and devastating loss concerning two boys living in Nazi-occupied France. At a provincial Catholic boarding school, the precocious youths enjoy true camaraderie—until a secret is revealed. Based on events from writer-director Malle’s own childhood, the film is a subtle, precisely observed tale of courage, cowardice, and tragic awakening.
Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (HBO MAX, The Criterion Channel & Kanopy).
3. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
What it's about: Two college roommates have 24 hours to make the ultimate choice as they finalize arrangements for a black market abortion.
Where to Watch: Available to stream on a subscription service (The Criterion Channel) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 3 services (iTunes, Prime Video & Vudu).
4. Holiday
What it's about: Johnny Case, a freethinking financier, has finally found the girl of his dreams — Julia Seton, the spoiled daughter of a socially prominent millionaire — and she's agreed to marry him. But when Johnny plans a holiday for the two to enjoy life while they are still young, his fiancée has other plans & that is for Johnny to work in her father's bank!
Where to Watch: Available to stream on a subscription service (The Criterion Channel) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 5 services (iTunes, Google Play & 3 others).
5. Stranger by the Lake
What it's about: Franck, a fit gay man, seeks love at a lakeside gay cruising beach. Among the mostly pudgy nude sunbathers, he befriends Henri, a depressed middle-aged bi-sexual who enjoys the quiet but accepts Franck's company. When Michel appears, Franck finally spots a man he'd like to know sexually. Unfortunately, he also spots him drowning his gay lover but opts not to tell anyone in order to consider having a relationship with this handsome yet remorseless killer.
Where to Watch: Available to stream on a subscription service (Shudder, The Criterion Channel & Kanopy) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 1 service (Prime Video).
6. Clean, Shaven
What it's about: Peter Winter is a young schizophrenic who is desperately trying to get his daughter back from her adoptive family. He attempts to function in a world that, for him, is filled with strange voices, electrical noise, disconcerting images, and jarringly sudden emotional shifts. During his quest, he runs afoul of the law and an ongoing murder investigation.
Where to Watch: Available to stream on a subscription service (The Criterion Channel & Kanopy) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 2 services (iTunes & Prime Video).
7. Always Shine
What it's about: On a trip to Big Sur, two friends, both actresses, try to reconnect with one another. Once alone, the women's suppressed jealousies and deep-seated resentments begin to rise, causing them to lose their grasp on not only the true nature of their relationship, but also their identities.
Where to Watch: Available to watch free online (Plex, Vudu, PopcornFlix & 1 other), stream on a popular subscription service (Prime Video, The Criterion Channel & Kanopy) & rent or buy from $2.99 on 6 services (iTunes, Google Play & 4 others).
8. ...And God Created Woman
What it's about: Juliette Hardy is sexual dynamite, and has the men of a French coastal town panting. But Antoine, the only man who affects her likewise, wouldn't dream of settling down with a woman his friends consider the town tramp.
Where to Watch: Available to stream on a popular subscription service (HBO MAX, The Criterion Channel & Hoopla) & rent or buy from $3.99 on 2 services (iTunes & Prime Video).