3 feel-good movies on Prime Video you (probably) haven't seen — including one with 99% on Rotten Tomatoes

(Image credit: Prime Video; Shutterstock)

Need a little pick-me-up? A feel-good movie will give you just that, the kind of comforting flicks that forgo high-stakes pressures and anxiety-inducing storylines for loveably relatable characters, emotional resonance and some much-welcome optimism. Leave the psychological thrillers and horror chillers for another day — instead, it's time to stream something comforting, uplifting and downright joyful.

And thankfully, Prime Video, one of the top streaming services around, has a whole host of cozy, dopamine-boosting watches that you should definitely add to your binge list, ones that emphasize human connection, personal growth and some good old romance.

To help you sift through the platform's sweeping selection, Tom's Guide has made things easy and chosen a trio of feel-good flicks that will instantly boost your mood, from a hopeful Adam Driver-led indie to a charmingly unexpected buddy comedy starring acting legend Brian Dennehy.

'Driveways'

Driveways - Official Trailer - YouTube

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In this 2019 dramedy from Andrew Ahn ("Fire Island," The Wedding Banquet"), Oscar nominee Hong Chau plays Kathy, a single mom who — with her shy young son Cody (Lucas Jaye) in tow — has come to the house of her late sister in upstate New York to pack it up and prepare it for sale.

While there, Cody strikes up an unlikely friendship with the elderly Del (Golden Globe winner Brian Dennehy), a Korean War veteran and widower living next door. Over the course of a summer, Kathy learns more about the sister she never really knew, and Cody comes out of his shell with the help of Del.

Though "Driveways" has its fair share of melancholy, taking on themes of grief, aging and regret, it is ultimately a profoundly hopeful flick, a moving reminder of humans' enduring need for community, compassion and care. "Understated yet powerful, 'Driveways' is a character study anchored in fundamental decency—and a poignant farewell to Brian Dennehy," reads the critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, where the acclaimed drama has a near-perfect 99% approval rating.

Stream "Driveways" on Prime Video now

'Paterson'

Paterson – Official US Trailer | Amazon Studios - YouTube

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Adam Driver is known for his intense onscreen roles — think a starving Jesuit priest in "Silence," a mid-divorce single father in "Marriage Story" and as intergalactic villain Kylo Ren in the Star Wars films. But the actor is in surprisingly gentle form as a New Jersey bus driver and amateur poet in "Paterson," the small-scale 2016 drama written and directed by Jim Jarmusch.

With his wife Laura (Golshifteh Farahani), who harbors dreams of being a country music star and opening a cupcake business, the title character leads a delightfully unassuming life marked by routine and quietude as the film follows a week of his existence. Along the way, Jarmusch and Co. celebrate the beauty of mundanity and the contentment of the commonplace, whether it's a quiet beer at your favorite neighborhood bar or a chance encounter at the local waterfall. The whole thing is a heartwarming, slice-of-life reminder to be not just grateful but glad for what you've got.

Stream "Paterson" on Prime Video now

'A Man Called Ove'

A Man Called Ove Official Trailer 1 (2016) - Rolf Lassgård Movie - YouTube

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Based on Fredrik Backman's best-selling novel, the 2015 Swedish charmer "A Man Called Ove" centers on the quintessential old grump Ove Lindahl, a 59-year-old widower who spends his days annoying his neighbors with strict HOA rules and visiting his wife's grave. (If it sounds vaguely familiar, that's because director Marc Forster remade the Oscar-nominated foreign film as "A Man Called Otto" in 2022, with Tom Hanks in the titular role.)

Much to Ove's chagrin, a boisterous young family — Iranian immigrant Parvaneh (Bahar Pars), her Swedish husband Patrick (Tobias Almborg) and their two daughters — move in across the street. But soon enough, their chaotic arrival leads to a reluctant softening of Ove's curmudgeonly nature and finds him not only at the center of an unexpected friendship but also with a renewed purpose.

Stream "A Man Called Ove" on Prime Video now

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Christina Izzo is a writer-editor covering culture, food and drink, travel and general lifestyle in New York City. She was previously the Deputy Editor at My Imperfect Life, the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York.