Best Joyful Movies & TV Shows

GOAT

9 / 10

A small goat with big dreams gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball, a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world.

Run time: 100m Tagline: You're never too small to dream big. Release: 2026-02-11

Stars: Aaron Pierre Caleb McLaughlin David Harbour Gabrielle Union Jelly Roll Jenifer Lewis Nick Kroll Nicola Coughlan Patton Oswalt Stephen Curry

Virgin River

After seeing an ad for a midwife, a recently divorced big-city nurse moves to the redwood forests of California, where she meets an intriguing man.

Stars: Alexandra Breckenridge Benjamin Hollingsworth Colin Lawrence Lauren Hammersley Martin Henderson

Baby Driver

8 / 10

After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.

Run time: 113m Tagline: All you need is one killer track. Release: 2017-06-28

Stars: Ansel Elgort CJ Jones Eiza González Flea Jamie Foxx Jon Bernthal Jon Hamm Kevin Spacey Lanny Joon Lily James

In a place where young witches, vampires, and werewolves are nurtured to be their best selves in spite of their worst impulses, Klaus Mikaelson’s daughter, 17-year-old Hope Mikaelson, Alaric Saltzman’s twins, Lizzie and Josie Saltzman, among others, come of age into heroes and villains at The Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted.

Stars: Aria Shahghasemi Ben Levin Chris Lee Danielle Rose Russell Jenny Boyd Leo Howard Matthew Davis Quincy Fouse

The Adam Project

After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with his 12-year-old self on a mission to save the future.

Run time: 104m Tagline: Past meets future. Release: 2022-03-11

Stars: Alex Mallari Jr. Braxton Bjerken Catherine Keener Jennifer Garner Kasra Wong Lucie Guest Mark Ruffalo Ryan Reynolds Walker Scobell Zoe Saldaña

Despicable Me

Gru is a supervillain determined to prove he’s the greatest by stealing the Moon. To pull off his plan, he adopts three orphaned girls—Margo, Edith, and Agnes—intending to use them as part of his scheme. However, as Gru bonds with the girls, his cold, villainous exterior begins to melt.

Run time: 95m Tagline: Superbad. Superdad. Release: 2010-07-08

Stars: Dana Gaier Elsie Fisher Jason Segel Julie Andrews Kristen Wiig Miranda Cosgrove Pierre Coffin Russell Brand Steve Carell Will Arnett

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance.

Run time: 132m Tagline: Long live the king. Release: 2019-05-29

Stars: Aisha Hinds Bradley Whitford Charles Dance Ken Watanabe Kyle Chandler Millie Bobby Brown Sally Hawkins Thomas Middleditch Vera Farmiga Zhang Ziyi

Sonic the Hedgehog

Powered with incredible speed, Sonic The Hedgehog embraces his new home on Earth. That is, until Sonic sparks the attention of super-uncool evil genius Dr. Robotnik. Now it’s super-villain vs. super-sonic in an all-out race across the globe to stop Robotnik from using Sonic’s unique power for world domination.

Run time: 99m Tagline: A whole new speed of hero. Release: 2020-02-12

Stars: Adam Pally Ben Schwartz Frank C. Turner James Marsden Jim Carrey Lee Majdoub Natasha Rothwell Neal McDonough Tika Sumpter Tom Butler

Captain Marvel

The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Run time: 124m Tagline: Higher. Further. Faster. Release: 2019-03-06

Stars: Annette Bening Ben Mendelsohn Brie Larson Clark Gregg Djimon Hounsou Gemma Chan Jude Law Lashana Lynch Lee Pace Samuel L. Jackson

The Thursday Murder Club

A group of senior sleuths passionate about solving cold cases get plunged into a real-life murder mystery in this comic crime caper.

Run time: 118m Tagline: Join the club. Release: 2025-08-22

Stars: Ben Kingsley Celia Imrie Daniel Mays David Tennant Helen Mirren Henry Lloyd-Hughes Jonathan Pryce Naomi Ackie Pierce Brosnan Richard E. Grant

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

Captain Jack Sparrow is trapped in Davy Jones' Locker when his pirate brethren begin a desperate quest to locate and rescue him. Follow their wild seafaring adventures from exotic Singapore to World's End and beyond.

Run time: 169m Tagline: At the end of the world, the adventure begins. Release: 2007-05-19

Stars: Bill Nighy Geoffrey Rush Jack Davenport Johnny Depp Jonathan Pryce Keira Knightley Kevin McNally Lee Arenberg Mackenzie Crook Orlando Bloom

The Bad Guys 2

The now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.

Run time: 0m Tagline: Back in badness. Release: 2025-07-30

Stars: Anthony Ramos Awkwafina Craig Robinson Danielle Brooks Marc Maron Maria Bakalova Natasha Lyonne Richard Ayoade Sam Rockwell Zazie Beetz

Paddington in Peru

PADDINGTON IN PERU brings Paddington's story back to Peru as he returns to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy, who resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.

Run time: 0m Tagline: A little bear goes a long way. Release: 2024-11-07

Stars: Antonio Banderas Ben Whishaw Carlos Carlín Emily Mortimer Hugh Bonneville Jim Broadbent Julie Walters Madeleine Harris Olivia Colman Samuel Joslin

Extraordinary

In a world where everyone develops a power on their 18th birthday, Jen didn't. She's turning 25 and is still waiting to get hers. Adrift in a big, confusing world and armed with nothing but a bit of hope and a lot of desperation, Jen begins her journey to find her maybe-superpower. But in doing so, she might discover the joy of being just kind of ok.

Stars: Bilal Hasna Luke Rollason Mairéad Tyers Sofia Oxenham