The 20 Most Inspiring, Uplifting Movies on Max

One of the best things about film is how deeply the art form can move an audience; great movies with powerful stories about courage and perseverance can genuinely influence our lives and motivate us. To help you start your day, week or month on a bright note, we’ve made a list of uplifting and inspirational movies you can watch right now on Max, formerly known as HBO Max.

Some of these feel-good selections are lighter, easier viewing, while others are heavy. They all deliver powerful messages about the resilience of the human spirit; they all move us. We hope these highly recommended films will lift your spirits and fuel optimistic, productive thinking.

Related: The Best Movies Based on True Stories

Inspirational and Uplifting Movies on Max

1. Seven Samurai (1954) 

If you've seen 1960's The Magnificent Seven or the 2016 remake, then you've seen one of the many films and TV shows that pay homage to this Japanese classic. More recent adaptations include Rogue One, and episodes from both Clone Wars and The Mandalorian. Heck, even A Bug's Life is loosely based on this film from Akira Kurosawa. In the underdog tale, a small group of cunning samurai sign up to defend a village from a massive group of roving bandits. You can't always beat 'em with strength, but you can beat 'em with smarts.

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2. In the Heights (2021)

Lin-Manuel Miranda's hit Broadway musical In the Heights comes alive on the screen. The film adaptation adds more social commentary, including references to  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy and racial and cultural microaggressions, but otherwise stays fairly loyal to the source material. Keep an eye out for appearances from the original stage cast!

Related: Lin-Manuel Miranda's Best Musical Moments

3. The Great Dictator (1940) 

One of Charlie Chaplin's signature works flips the bird to fascism and hate. Filmed and release in the nascence of World War II, before the filmmaker or his audience were really aware of the horrors of Nazi Germany, The Great Dictator starred Chaplin in dual roles: as a Hitler/Mussolini-like tyrant, and a persecuted Jewish barber. Filled with Chaplin's virtuosic humor, ending on a message of hope and unity and endorsing democracy, this is one of the essential works of satire on film. It was nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actor.

4. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)

One of 2022's Best Documentary Feature Oscar nominees is this portrait of photographer Nan Goldin. Not only does it use her award-winning snapshots to highlight the underground queer art culture of New York City in the back half of the 20th century, but it's also a film about the political activists fighting against big pharma. After becoming addicted to Oxycontin herself, Goldin joined a movement to get Perdue Pharma and the Sackler family's names stripped from museums around the world due to their creation of a drug that has killed thousands. It's a gripping underdog tale that shows how individuals can stand up to large corporations if they are willing to put in the work. 

5. Empire of Light (2022) 

Empire of Light does not seem like a particularly sexy film on face value. Olivia Colman plays a depressed movie theater attendant, who is struggling to find meaning in life and having lackluster sex with her boss (Colin Firth). However, when a hot, young new employee (Michael Ward) joins the team, the two begin an affair in the theater's abandoned upper level. The sex scenes are gorgeously shot, and the film reminds you it's never too late to get down and dirty. It's a cinematic ode to a midlife comeback. 

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6. Eighth Grade (2018)

Sometimes there's really nothing for you to do but wait and let things get better with time. Eighth grade is perhaps one such period for many people struggling to understand who they are and how they fit into a more grownup world. In Bo Burnham's directorial debut starring the charming Elsie Fisher, a teenage girl must endure the travails of middle school which include a dorky father, school bullies and an all-consuming crush on a boy in her class. It's often painful to watch, but seeing her slowly find her place in the world reminds viewers that there is a place for them as well.  

7. Secrets & Lies (1996) 

In an age of $250-million-plus blockbuster tentpoles that sometimes deliver and sometimes underwhelm, it's easy to marvel at a tiny-scale drama that offers excitement, emotion and empathy—simply through the power of damn fine writing, direction and performance. One of British auteur Mike Leigh's defining works, Secrets & Lies, stars Brenda Blethyn and Marianne Jean-Baptiste as long-estranged mother and daughter working through family dysfunction, resentment and more in East London. Nominated for five Oscars, winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes.

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8. Temple Grandin (2010)

One of the most acclaimed TV films of the past 15 years stars a resplendent Claire Danes as the titular advocate for both autism awareness and the humane treatment of farm animals. HBO original Temple Grandin won seven Emmys, including an acting win for Danes. If this triumph doesn't make you bawl, be sure to check for a pulse.

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9.  American Splendor (2003)

National treasure Paul Giamatti stars in this biographical comedy-drama following the life, love and career of comic book writer Harvey Pekar. Interspersed with commentary from Pekar and his real-life loved ones, American Splendor is equal parts moving, uplifting and gutwrenching.

10. Casablanca (1942) 

As time goes by, Casablanca remains one of the most unanimously adored and celebrated movies ever. Not least among the reasons why is the adapted screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch, frequently touted as the smartest, most quotable script ever written. And there's the romantic chemistry between Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. It makes your heart take a leap. Another big reason we all love this movie so much is how proud we are of the characters in the end. Rick and Ilsa prioritize the greater good, and put a human face on the sacrifices made during wartime, even those made off the battlefield. The Greatest Generation, indeed. Casablanca‘s messages about seeing things bigger than yourself and doing what’s right will always resonate with audiences. Never pass up an opportunity to re-watch one of the highest highs of Hollywood history.

11. Ikiru (1952) 

"Ikiru" translated into English means "to live," and that's what the central character in Akira Kurosawa's film is learning to do. Takashi Shimura plays Kanji Watanabe, a paper-pushing bureaucrat who is reaching retirement age, but has lived a very restrained and unfulfilling life. When he receives a negative health diagnosis, however, he vows "to live," throwing off the shackles that have chained him and finally trying to do good in the world. Ikiru was recently adapted into the 2022 film Living and is a reminder that it's never too late to start doing just that. 

12. Good Will Hunting (1997)

Real-life BFFs Ben Affleck and Matt Damon starred in and co-wrote this moving drama about a genius janitor, which won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay—and provided their major breakthrough in Hollywood. Robin Williams and Minnie Driver provide seriously stellar supporting performances.

Related: The Best Ben Affleck Movies

13. King Richard

While the movie King Richard may always be overshadowed by Will Smith slapping Chris Rock on stage moments before winning his Best Actor statue, the movie itself is the remarkable true story of how the father of Venus and Serena Williams advocated for them to become tennis champions. Growing up poor, Black and with way fewer resources than their contemporaries, the Williams sisters and their parents had to fight tooth and nail to reach the heights the did. Plus, there's a rousing Beyoncé song in the movie as well. 

14-16. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003) 

We can count these as one film, because Peter Jackson's high fantasy landmark trilogy was shot all at once, unprecedented for entertainment of this scale at the time. The Bad Taste and Heavenly Creatures helmer was a risky but inspired choice for the long-awaited live-action take on J.R.R. Tolkien, imagining an expansive world that always feels wild, alive, unpredictable. The third installment Return of the King swept the Oscars, winning 11 categories total.

Related: How to Watch the Lord of the Rings Movies In Order

17. Room (2015)

It's harder to find a greater story of resilience and overcoming adversity than Room, based on the novel by Emma Donoghue. Brie Larson took home an Oscar for playing a young mother, kidnapped and locked in a shed for years where she was forced to birth and raise her son, played by Jacob Tremblay. What's so special about the film, however, is that it's not only a daring escape heist, but also a close look at the excruciating work of reentering society after being trapped in survival mode for so long. It's a frank look at PTSD, but one that is ultimately hopeful. 

18. The Color Purple (1985) 

Based on Black feminist Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, The Color Purple brought the career of director Steven Spielberg into a new dimension. Following wildfire effects-heavy genre successes Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T., this was a grounded, mature Southern drama of cruelty, hope and perseverance. The Color Purple played a pivotal role in advancing the careers of its cast, including Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey— and most notably Whoopi Goldberg, in her film debut. The musical adaptation is also streaming on Max.

19. Barbie (2023) 

The biggest movie of 2023 is Greta Gerwig's pink pop perfection, which sees Margot Robbie's Barbie entering the real world and learning what it's like to be a woman. While the prospect of living in a world run by misogyny quickly loses its sheen for the real-life doll, Barbie, after a pep talk from America Ferrera, realizes that being a real woman has a lot of beautiful upsides as well. Its hard not to be inspired.