Everyone has at least a handful of go-to comfort movies they can turn to when they need it the most. Sometimes, you simply don’t feel like doom-scrolling through your streaming queue or committing yourself to an obscure gem you had on your radar, especially after a hard day of work.
Today, we’re counting down timeless masterpieces that continue to inspire deep obsession and only seem to get better with each extra viewing. They come in all shapes and forms—from screwball comedies and action adventures to grisly supernatural horror. Chances are you’re already familiar with most of the following titles and maybe you can even recite their dialogue like gospel. Keep reading, and you might find your next cinematic obsession. So get comfortable, grab a bag of popcorn, and let us know in the comments what other certified bangers we missed that you can gladly sit down to watch from start to finish every day of the week.
Pulp Fiction (1994, Quentin Tarantino)
“Pulp Fiction” is a pop culture juggernaut that reinvigorated independent cinema and made Quentin Tarantino a household name. This nonlinear narrative weaves together multiple storylines involving gangsters, boxers, and small-time criminals in a way that feels both meticulously crafted and effortlessly cool. John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, and Bruce Willis lead an ensemble cast that delivers some of the most iconic performances and dialogue in film history.
From the unforgettable dance scene at Jack Rabbit Slim’s to the tense “Royale with Cheese” conversation, every moment in “Pulp Fiction” is designed to stick in your memory. Tarantino’s razor-sharp script and eclectic soundtrack combine to create a movie that rewards repeated viewings with new discoveries each time. Its witty banter, unpredictable plot twists, and rich character arcs ensure “Pulp Fiction” remains as compelling today as it was upon its release.
Streaming on (Max)
The Princess Bride (1987, Rob Reiner)
A fairy tale like no other, “The Princess Bride” offers a perfect blend of romance, adventure, and humor that appeals to audiences of all ages. Directed by Rob Reiner and based on William Goldman’s novel, this story within a story features an ensemble cast including Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, and André the Giant, each bringing their characters to life with charm and wit.
Whether it’s the memorable sword fight between Inigo Montoya and Westley, the hilarious banter between Miracle Max and his wife, or the timeless love story that defies all odds, “The Princess Bride” is filled with moments that are endlessly quotable and heartwarmingly familiar. Its satirical take on classic fairy tales combined with genuine emotional depth makes it a film that only gets better with each viewing, reminding us all that true love and adventure never go out of style.
Streaming on (Disney+)
The Big Lebowski (1998, Coen Brothers)
In all fairness, you could stick nearly every Coen film to date on this list—the filmmaking duo’s directing credits boast perhaps the highest batting average of any of their peers and are filled with endlessly quotable cult favorites that remain fresh and re-watchable well into the double digits. But only one title in their extensive back catalog can claim to have inspired annual conventions and a full-blown religion with over 600,000 affiliated members styled on their lead character’s Zen-like attitude.
We’re obviously talking about “The Big Lebowski.” One of the best movies of the 1990s and the quintessential entry in the L.A.-stoner movie canon, it stars Jeff Bridges on peak form as the Dude himself (also known as His Dudeness or El Duderino), a fortysomething unemployed slacker and a man of simple pleasures who only wants to bowl with his pals and get his urinated rug replaced but gets roped into a knotty case of mistaken identity involving millionaire tycoons, Nihilists, porn directors, avant-garde artists, severed toes, and the tenets of National Socialism. Did I mention John Goodman chews up the scenery with a spot-on John Milius impression?
The plot is as convoluted and nonsensical as the Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled novels to which it pays homage, but it’s the whip-smart script, hilarious characters, and whiz-bang dialogue that keep bringing us back time and time again. Almost every line delivery is a nugget of gold (we’re partial to “obviously you’re not a golfer” and every “shut the fuck up, Donny!”) that only gets better every time you watch it.
Streaming on (Prime Video)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981, Steven Spielberg)
Shortly after helming the first batch of modern blockbusters and busting the whole film industry wide open in the latter half of the 1970s decade, the showbiz combo of business-savvy movie-brats George Lucas and Steven Spielberg teamed up once again to synthesize their fond childhood movie-watching memories into a rip-roaring filmic alchemy strewn from bits and pieces of Saturday afternoon serials, pulp magazines, and 1950s B-movies.
While both “Temple of Doom” and “Last Crusade” are perfectly enjoyable by any reasonable metric, it’s safe to say no sequel or thinly veiled rip-off that has aped its formula for the past half-century has ever come close to topping the 1981 original. A perfectly paced middlebrow rollercoaster, “Raiders” instantly immortalized Harrison Ford’s fedora-wearing archaeologist—something of a cross between James Bond, Toshiro Mifune, and Humphrey Bogart—as a timeless big-screen icon and re-defined what action-adventure flicks at large could mean for generations to come.
Forget the kind of schlock Marvel pumps out nowadays—this is what any ‘theme-park’ movie worth its salt should always make the viewer feel like: Exhilarated, overwhelmed, constantly on the edge of their seat, and compelled to hit the replay button almost as soon as the credits roll.
Streaming on (Disney+)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966, Sergio Leone)
Even if you were to remove the entire Dollars trilogy from their respective resumés, Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood would both have more than enough heavy-hitters under their belt to still be regarded today as undisputed masters of their domain. But for this viewer at least, their greatest contribution to the signature genre that turned them into bona fide global icons came when they worked hand in hand near the southern coast of Spain during the mid-’60s.
It feels like splitting hairs, but of all three films in the acclaimed saga featuring Eastwood’s now-iconic Man with No Name, the last and strongest entry overall, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” is not only one of the greatest westerns of all time but, hands down, one of the best films, period (go ask Quentin Tarantino if you disagree).
A fairly simple and familiar setup—three mean gunslingers (Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach) set on a deadly collision course square off in a race against time to locate the whereabouts of a hidden stash of money as the American Civil War rages on in the background—is stripped down to its bare essentials and reconfigured into a potent deconstruction of the Wild West, a somber meditation on greed and violence, and a sublime showcase for the trio of stars that transcends any genre and steadily builds up to a climax for the ages.
There are too many iconic moments to name, but the film’s final centerpiece—a three-way Mexican standoff that simmers up the tension to a boiling point with the legendary soundtrack by Ennio Morricone blasting at full volume—is virtually guaranteed to give you goosebumps no matter how many times you’ve seen it referenced and spoofed across media.
Streaming on (Prime Video)
Goodfellas (1990, Martin Scorsese)
As grateful as we are to have a living legend like Martin Scorsese still knocking it out of the park at the spry young age of 81, it shouldn’t be controversial at all to claim that “Goodfellas” will forever be the director’s magnum opus, the central reference point for his creative marriage with his frequent muse Robert De Niro, and a heavyweight contender in the category of most compulsively re-watchable and morbidly funny movies of all time.
Much ink has been spilled on this decade-spanning epic based on the life and times of Brooklyn mobster-turned-FBI informant Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), with many unfairly accusing Scorsese of purportedly condoning or even glamourizing the gangster life. Pay those holier-than-thou naysayers no mind: While “Goodfellas” does acknowledge the intoxicating lure of the criminal lifestyle it so vividly depicts, it also notes the steep price of running afoul of the law with uncompromising candor.
If anything, it’s a testament to Scorsese’s directing prowess—who can forget that opening trunk scene, the Copacabana Steadicam sequence, the slow-mo shot of Jimmy smoking a cig to “Sunshine of Your Love,” or the four-minute “Layla” montage—that this cracked-mirror vision of the American Dream has embedded itself so deeply into the zeitgeist and retains its foothold in pop culture thirty-odd years on as a go-to comfort movie for all tastes, all while boasting one of the highest body counts in modern American cinema.
Streaming on (Max)
Chungking Express (1994, Wong Kar-wai)
Two lovesick cops reeling from a breakup, a blonde-wigged drug smuggler, and a quirky waitress at a takeout restaurant cross paths, brush past each other and reach out for human connection while roaming through the bustling, neon-soaked streets of pre-handover Hong Kong in this vibrant, off-kilter and impossibly stylish urban fairy tale by Wong Kar-wai.
One of the great films about romantic longing, the hurried existence of modern city life, and expired canned pineapples in all cinema, Wong’s international breakthrough is a paean to lovelorn daydreamers and melancholic misfits that captures the pang of heartache and giddy rush of a chance encounter with pinpoint accuracy and an electrifying visual style to match. Clocking in at a crisp, tight 102 minutes, “Chungking Express” is the rare case of a movie high both in style and substance that manages to cram so much joy, life, and detail into every frame that every watch feels like the first. Just take our word for it—you’ll be humming California Dreamin’ for the rest of your days.
Streaming on (Criterion Channel)
The Apartment (1960, Billy Wilder)
Certain purists like to point to “Sunset Boulevard,” “Double Indemnity,” or even “Some Like it Hot,” but this Best Picture-winning tale of romance in the Big Apple—one of the rare perennial Valentine Day’s fixtures that can do double-duty as a family-friendly festive flick—strikes us as the purest distillation of Billy Wilder’s trademark light touch, barbed wit, and occasionally ruthless cynicism.
Jack Lemmon is disarmingly endearing as C.C. Baxter, a low-level office drone at a big New York insurance company who lends out his Upper West Side apartment to stay in his boss’s good graces, only to end up falling head over heels in love for one of his current flings, the company’s happy-go-lucky elevator operator (a pitch-perfect Shirley MacLaine).
A bittersweet dramedy about how debilitating and dehumanizing the modern workplace can be for the human soul resonated with 1960s audiences when it stormed into theaters right at the tail end of Hollywood’s Golden Age and has
stood the test of time as one of the most enduringly charming American tentpoles ever made under the studio system. Smart, relatable, and laugh-out-loud funny, “The Apartment” is like the movie equivalent of a warm, fuzzy hug after a tough day.
Streaming on (Prime Video)
Mulholland Drive (2001, David Lynch)
Whereas most of the other entries featured in this list could be labeled as broadly accessible crowd-pleasers, every re-watch reveals something new about David Lynch’s thorny and unorthodox turn-of-the-century opus.
A cracked-mirror vision of Los Angeles that pulls us headlong into the mindscape of a naive blonde starlet (Naomi Watts, in one of the finest performances of the 21st century) before spiraling off into a fantastic world of make-believe, watching “Mulholland Drive” is an experience akin to peeking into the dark recesses of someone else’s subconscious. No wonder the film usually leaves unassuming first-time viewers with a mixed feeling of wonder, bafflement, and desperate urge to go down its rabbit hole once again.
Letting the whole thing wash over you instead of trying to follow the narrative breadcrumbs too closely is a good bet to make future re-watches infinitely more enriching and exciting, though that hasn’t stopped hardcore film buffs and wannabe psychoanalysts from trying their darndest to connect the dots and unlock every meaning and abstraction. At the end of the day, it all boils down to the tragic story of a failed actress driven to murder by romantic jealousy—a film that remains just as moving, indescribable, and heartbreaking today as it was in 2001.
Streaming on (Criterion Channel)
Hard Boiled (1992, John Woo)
You haven’t really experienced the full breadth of action cinema until you’ve been exposed to the work of John Woo, the Hong Kong trailblazer who put his name on the map in the 1980s with explosive shoot-’em-ups that juggled over-the-top melodrama with breathtaking action set pieces, top-level craftsmanship, and death-defying stunts.
All of Woo’s thematic hallmarks and signature action mayhem are present and in full blossom in this memorable crime caper he directed in 1992 right before he broke camp and took his talents to Hollywood, led by the inimitable Chow Yun-Fat in the role of a wisecracking rogue cop called Tequila dead-set on avenging his partner’s death at the hand of a Triad gang.
If you’ve seen “Hard Boiled” already, you probably would agree that few movies in any genre have ever provided such an evergreen rewatchability value or bang for your buck. If you haven’t (and you really should), just know you’re missing out on a film that stakes a legitimate claim to the title of greatest action movie ever. Just consider the following scene: After single-handedly gunning down an entire army of Triad members in a bravado 3-minute-long one-shot sequence, Chow’s barrel-wielding cop Tequila heroically leaps from a second-story window all while holding a newborn baby in his hand. If movies ever get any cooler than that, please let us know.
Streaming on (Criterion Channel)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, George Miller)
At the exact moment when the global demand for comic book adaptations and IP-driven studio cash-grabs seemed to reach its zenith and quality popcorn blockbusters felt in rather short supply, Australian maestro George Miller came to the rescue to jolt new life into the action genre with a decades-in-the-making rollicking madcap ride that reminded mass audiences what must-see big-screen spectacle really looks like.
What at first blush seemed like the last in a long line of belated legacy sequels nobody asked for turned out to be a stone-cold classic that got our adrenaline juices pumping, won 6 Oscars, and improved on the original by stretching the possibilities of its dystopian setting and zany premise up to the breaking point. Describing the Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron-led “Mad Max” soft reboot as a feature-length non-stop car chase sequence across a post-apocalyptic wasteland is somewhat accurate but only scratches the surface of why this is unlike any action film Hollywood has churned out before or since.
Chalk it up to recency bias, but enough time has passed already that there’s no disputing its place in the all-time pantheon of movies you simply must watch from start to finish whenever you catch it on cable. Oh, what a lovely day, indeed!
Streaming on (Max)
Evil Dead II (1987, Sam Raimi)
Pound for pound, Sam Raimi’s micro-budgeted horror staple doesn’t hold a candle to the likes of “Jaws,” “The Thing,” or “The Shining” as far as sending chills down your spine or getting under your skin. But whenever you’re feeling down and need a palate cleanser that will lift your spirits, you can always curl up and press play on the Evil Dead trilogy and count on any given entry to deliver the goods.
The original 1981 movie about a bunch of horny college students unleashing a centuries-old demonic force at a ramshackle cabin in the woods was a complete game-changer that jump-started Raimi’s career in a big way and made a splash against all odds as a midnight screening fixture sensation despite its meager $1,600 budget. But first-time viewers don’t need a refresher of any kind if they decide to jump straight ahead to the superior 1987 sequel and experience Sam Raimi’s gonzo style in all its gruesome glory.
Picking right up where its predecessor left off, the middle installment of the series finds Bruce Campbell’s chainsaw-wielding survivor pitted against another horde of supernatural foes, ranging from stop-motion zombies to disembodied hands, with the director pulling every visual trick up his sleeve and constantly towing the lines between gnarly body horror and full-blown slapstick comedy to the point you don’t know whether to squirm in disgust or laugh at the sheer insanity of it all (see also: 1992s “Army of Darkness”).
Streaming on (Prime Video)
Wrapping Up
These ten movies have stood the test of time and continue to captivate audiences with every rewatch. Whether you’re in the mood for laughs, thrills, or profound storytelling, these films deliver in spades. So, next time you’re looking for something to watch, consider one of these classics. And don’t forget to let us know your favorite rewatchable movies in the comments. Happy viewing!
