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5 positive feel-good comedy films that aren’t corny or preachy

Feel-good funny doesn’t have to come from mean-spirited takedowns.

5 positive feel-good comedy films that aren’t corny or preachy
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures/Madman Films/Studio Canal/Columbia Pictures/20th Century Fox
Erik Barnes
By Erik BarnesFeb 13, 2025
Erik Barnes
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There are some days when you’re just looking for a nice, positive laugh. A lot of comedy films out there that are biting, snarky, and mean-spirited. That’s not bad on its own. Such comedy allows people to laugh at the angry parts of life. But those comedies don't always fit the mood you want when you’ve had a harsh day or a day filled with rage-baity news. On the opposite end, you probably aren’t in the mood for anything that’s too corny, preachy, or have that “we’ve all learned something today” motif that makes you roll your eyes.

Fortunately, there are some movies out there that have positive feel-goodness but don’t sacrifice quality laughs to keep up with the light vibe. Here are a few movies that are able to keep the balance between genuinely funny and genuinely lighthearted.

The Princess Bride

While the film can fall under romance, fantasy, adventure, and other categories, a primary bent throughout The Princess Bride is its ability to be all of those genres and a comedy, too. While the film is a fairytale love story with swashbuckling it’s peppered with several lighthearted and, more importantly, funny jokes and gags that keep it balanced from being too saccharine. As film critic Roger Ebert said in his review, “While younger viewers will sit spellbound at the thrilling events on the screen, adults, I think, will be laughing a lot.”

- YouTubeyoutu.be

The Grand Budapest Hotel

This Wes Anderson movie about a young refugee’s rags to riches story as life as a bellboy at a luxurious hotel provides some cozy moments and quirkiness that have become Wes Anderson’s trademark. However, there are plenty of madcap jokes and scenes that bring about legit laughter during an otherwise sweet story set during darker times. As the New York Times puts it, “This movie makes a marvelous mockery of history, turning its horrors into a series of graceful jokes and mischievous gestures.”

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is directed by Taika Waititi, known for What We Do in the Shadows and Thor: Ragnarok among other loud and fun comedies, but what sets this movie apart is that it sounds outright cheesy on paper. The film is ultimately about a foster child and his guardian that are total opposites finally bonding together while surviving nature and avoiding the authorities. Yet the father-figure/surrogate son connection feels genuine and not sickeningly sweet due to some of the crasser-yet-not-mean-spirited laughs, making it an “off-kilter charmer” according to The Guardian.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

When Harry Met Sally...

Some of the older folks reading this article already are having the song “It Had to Be You” running through their heads as soon as they saw the title. This 80s romantic comedy questioning whether or not men and women can be “just friends” goes beyond the premise to deliver some quality jokes, great quips, and that one scene that is so well known that it was turned into a mayonnaise commercial for the 2025 Super Bowl. While When Harry Met Sally... is a love story, it stands above the pack of most rom-coms due to its grounded nature and ability to show the ugly, struggling parts of a relationship. It’s a film that believes in love wholeheartedly without being lovesick. As put in a retrospective review on Film Magazine, “For a film steeped in the authenticity of real modern life, it had a total fairy tale ending, yet it worked so bloody well.”

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Paddington 2

While on the surface it appears as a run-of-the-mill children’s film starring a CGI character, Paddington 2 is somehow very earnest, sweet, and honest while also providing quality laughter and witty jokes that even make the most cynical adult giggle. Seeing Hugh Grant as a scene-chewing actor turned thief makes the movie a riot alone. A film doesn’t get a 99% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes for just being a quality movie made for kids.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

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