Treat yourself to a good mood.

The 18 best happy movies on Netflix that’ll inspire a smile

Treat yourself to a good mood.

By Ilana Gordon

Ilana Gordon is an entertainment, culture, and comedy writer originally from Connecticut. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

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and Andrew Walsh

on September 14, 2026 7:57 a.m. ET

Wallace (voice: Ben Whitehead) in ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’; Miles Morales (voice: Shameik Moore) in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’; Rick Mitchell (voice: Danny McBride), Monchi (voice: Doug the Pug), and Aaron Mitchell (voice: Mike Rianda) in ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’. Credit:

Netflix; Sony Pictures Animation; Netflix

Netflix just performed its routine inventory restock and filled its digital shelves with options sure to brighten your day. Among this month’s highlights are three exceptional animated films: *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse** *(2018), *KPop Demon Hunters* (2025), and *The Mitchells vs. the Machines* (2021). All standouts within their respective subgenres, these family-friendly options are notable crowd-pleasers. For something classic, EW recommends *A League of Their Own** *(1992) and *Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory** *(1971): Both leave Netflix at the end of the month.

A happiness infusion awaits: Here are ’s 18 picks for the happiest movies currently streaming on Netflix.**

13 Going on 30 (2004)

Mark Ruffalo as Matt Flamhaff and Jennifer Garner as Jenna Rink in ‘13 Going on 30’.

Melinda Sue Gordon/Columbia Pictures

Jennifer Garner launches a full-scale charm offensive in *13 Going on 30*, a fantasy romantic comedy about Jenna Rink, a 13-year-old who wishes to be grown up after a disastrous birthday party. A cross between *Big* (1988) and *The Devil Wears Prada *(2006), the film follows Jenna from her childhood home to her New York City luxury apartment and dream job at a magazine.

As the teen in a 30-year-old’s body attempts to understand what has happened to her in the last 17 years, she must confront whether growing up was everything she had hoped for. One of the purest and most rewatchable rom-coms from the early aughts, *13 Going on 30* represents some of the best the genre has to offer, and is a joy to watch at any age. *—Ilana Gordon*

Where to watch *13 Going on 30*: Netflix

**EW grade:** A–

**Director: **Gary Winick

**Cast: **Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Andy Serkis

Always Be My Maybe (2019)

Ali Wong as Sasha Tran and Randall Park as Marcus Kim in ‘Always Be My Baby’. Ed Araquel/Netflix

Sasha Tran (Ali Wong) and Marcus Kim (Randall Park) were best friends–turned–high school sweethearts who, after a post-coital fight, lost contact for 16 years. When Sasha makes a triumphant return to San Francisco as a big-time chef, she and Marcus, who is not doing quite as well, find themselves nursing old grudges and long-dormant feelings. EW praises the stars’ effortless chemistry, writing, “the bond between them is one of the many elements that make the film feel authentic, sweet, and wildly funny.” *—Andrew Walsh*

Where to watch *Always Be My Maybe*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B

**Director: **Nahnatchka Khan

**Cast: **Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito, Michelle Buteau, Daniel Dae Kim

Dumplin’ (2018)

Jennifer Aniston as Rosie Dickson in ‘Dumplin’’. Netflix

A coming-of-age Southern charmer imbued with the soul of Dolly Parton, *Dumplin’ *is the story of Willowdean Dickson (Danielle Macdonald), a teenager who enters a local pageant overseen by her mom as an act of protest. When Willowdean’s rebellion spurs other misfits to sign up for the pageant, too, she struggles to manage the relationships in her personal life, especially with her semi-estranged mother, Rosie (Jennifer Aniston).

Parton wrote 12 new songs for the movie, filled with mantras, melodies, and the motivation to just be yourself. EW’s critic writes, “Like a pillow cross-stitched with sassy aphorisms, *Dumplin’ *is kitschy and squishy and, if you let yourself, pretty sweet to sink into.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Dumplin’*: Netflix

**EW grade:** B

**Director:** Anne Fletcher

**Cast:** Danielle Macdonald, Jennifer Aniston, Odeya Rush, Maddie Baillio, Bex Taylor-Klaus

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Will Ferrell as Lars Erickssong and Rachel McAdams as Sigrit Ericksdóttir in ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga’.

John Wilson/Netflix

Icelandic musicians Lars Erickssong (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdóttir (Rachel McAdams) are lifelong friends and not-yet-sweethearts who dream of winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Despite disapproval from their parents, their town, and the local Eurovision selection committee, the duo dubbed “Fire Saga” refuses to let anything stop them from achieving their goal of songwriting immortality — including their romantic feelings for each other.

Underneath all the spandex and over-the-top production numbers is a sincere film that cares as much about sharing the joy of music as satirizing its ostentatious performance. *—A.W.*

Where to watch *Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga*: Netflix

**Director: **David Dobkin

**Cast: **Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Dan Stevens, Pierce Brosnan

GOAT (2026)

Modo (voice: Nick Kroll), Lenny (voice: Stephen Curry), Will (voice: Caleb McLaughlin), Olivia (voice: Nicola Coughlan), Jett (voice: Gabrielle Union), and Archie (voice: David Harbour) in ‘GOAT’.

Sony Pictures Animation

Steph Curry produces and makes his feature film debut in *GOAT*, the animated sports comedy about a small animal who dreams of becoming a professional athlete and competing with the fiercest predators. Caleb McLaughlin (*Stranger Things*) voices Will Harris, an undersized 16-year-old goat who wants to become the greatest of all time at roarball — an all-gender contact sport that infuses basketball with MMA-style fighting, held in the most dangerous stadium. When Will gets a chance to play in the pros for his favorite team, the Thorns, he jumps at the shot. But once in uniform, he feuds with his roarball idol and current face of the Thorns, black panther Jett Fillmore (Gabrielle Union). Think a funnier version of *Rudy *(1993), but with anthropomorphized creatures. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *GOAT*: Netflix

**Director: **Tyree Dillihay

**Cast: **Caleb McLaughlin, Stephen Curry, Gabrielle Union, Nicola Coughlan, David Harbour

The Greatest Night in Pop (2024)

Recording artists in ‘The Greatest Night in Pop’.

Courtesy of Netflix

The ‘80s were a different time, man. Back then, you could convince 45 of the world’s biggest artists to spend one night recording a song, with all sales intended to help fight famine in Africa. The song — “We Are the World,” co-written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson — facilitated one of the largest and most successful charitable collaborations in music history, and the story of how that one night came to pass makes for a pretty great documentary.

Narrated by the living artists who participated, the film is a shining example of what can happen when celebrities combine their platforms for good, and its relevance is particularly strong today. Littered with pop culture anecdotes and music history, *The Greatest Night in Pop *is a lovely reminder of the healing power of music and a moving tribute to the artists involved who have since died. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Greatest Night in Pop*: Netflix

**Director: **Bao Nguyen

**Cast: **Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Loggins, Huey Lewis

Klaus (2019)

Jesper (voice: Jason Schwartzman) and Klaus (voice: J.K. Simmons) in ‘Klaus’.

Netflix/Everett

*Klaus* is a Santa Claus origin story that’s enjoyable any time of the year. Starring Oscar winner J.K. Simmons as the film’s eponymous hero, *Klaus *tells the tale of a widowed Norwegian woodsman who is recruited by the town’s new postman, Jesper* *(Jason Schwartzman), to make toys for him to deliver in an effort to prove his postmaster general father wrong. But when Klaus’ toys begin to cheer up the children of Smeerensburg — a town whose inhabitants are perpetually engaged in a feud between two familial clans — Jesper and Klaus must step out of their comfort zones to help save the town from itself. *Klaus* isn’t just another feel-good film; it’s also a film that looks great. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Klaus*: Netflix

**Director:** Sergio Pablos

**Cast: **Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Neda Margrethe Labba**

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KPop Demon Hunters (2025)

Zoey (voice: Ji-young Yoo), Rumi (voice: Arden Cho), and Mira (voice: May Hong) in ‘KPop Demon Hunters’.

Netflix earned K-Pop cred when it introduced audiences to a new genre favorite: *KPop Demon Hunters*. The platform’s most-watched movie *ever*, this Oscar-winning sci-fi musical follows a group called Huntr/x, which is made up of three performers who also happen to be talented demon slayers. Their most powerful weapon is their voices, which they use to create a magical barrier that prevents demons from entering the human world and feasting on the souls inside.

Huntr/x’s path toward demon eradication gets complicated when a demon boy band comes on the scene and starts attracting a fan base of their own. Add in incredible music numbers and some plot twists, and you have a golden opportunity to fall in love with Netflix’s most upbeat original movie. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *KPop Demon Hunters*: Netflix

**Directors: **Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans

**Cast:** Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim

A League of Their Own (1992)

Geena Davis as Dottie Hinson in ‘A League of Their Own’.

Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

Penny Marshall directed one of the great American sports comedies with *A League of Their Own*. A fictionalized take on the beginnings of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — the league that was created to replace the MLB during World War II — the film stars Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan, the short-tempered manager of the Rockford Peaches, a ragtag group of athletes who love the game but lack opportunities to play.

Geena Davis gives one of her best performances as Dottie Hinson, the team’s catcher and leader, and Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell are delightful in comedic supporting roles. EW’s critic calls it “a winner of a movie, one filled with a love of sport unlike any seen before in a women’s sports picture. It’s an accomplishment that puts *A League of Their Own* in a league by itself.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *A League of Their Own*: Netflix. through Sept. 30

**EW grade: **B+

**Director: **Penny Marshall

**Cast:** Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Jon Lovitz

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

Katie (voice: Abbi Jacobson), Linda (voice: Maya Rudolph), Rick (voice: Danny McBride), and Aaron (voice: Mike Rianda) in ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’.

Every family has problems, but the Mitchells have a big one — like, robot apocalypse-level. In this animated comedy, a dysfunctional family’s already messy road trip is thrown into further chaos when machines attempt to take over the world. As the only people left to fight them off, it’s up to the Mitchells (voiced by Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, and director Mike Rianda) to take out the robots and save humanity. But, to do that, they’ll have to ensure their family’s connection to each other is stronger than those to their phones and iPads.

In an ironic twist, *The Mitchells vs. the Machines *— whose message warns of the dangers of relying too much on technology — employs both hand-drawn and CGI animation to create its visuals. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *The Mitchells vs. the Machines*: Netflix

**Director: **Mike Rianda

**Cast: **Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Olivia Colman

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)

Lesley Manville as Ada Harris and Lucas Bravo as André Fauvel in ‘Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris’. Everett Collection

*Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris* is a charming underdog story about Ada Harris (Lesley Manville), a 1950s English house cleaner who receives a war widow’s pension and uses it to travel to Paris to splurge on a couture Dior gown. As sweet and soothing as a cup of tea, this historical dramedy was adapted from a 1958 novel that was previously adapted into a 1992 TV movie starring Angela Lansbury in the titular role.

Manville is adorable and determined as Ada, a woman accustomed to sacrificing and serving, who finally decides to acknowledge her own dreams and treat herself. While the plot can be mistaken as off-the-rack for the genre, there’s something special about seeing a wearable work of art being made specifically for someone so used to putting others first. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris*: Netflix

**Director:** Anthony Fabian

**Cast: **Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson, Alba Baptista, Lucas Bravo

My Octopus Teacher (2020)

Craig Foster with an octopus in ‘My Octopus Teacher’.

*My Octopus Teacher *is an Oscar-winning documentary that chronicles South African free-diver Craig Foster’s bond with an octopus he discovers while on an underwater expedition. As he observes the creature’s life, playfulness, and harrowing encounters with predators, he notices changes in his approach to his own life and relationships out of the water. Filled with gorgeous, entrancing cinematography, this true story of an unlikely friendship inspires wonder about the natural world and our place in it. *—A.W.*

Where to watch *My Octopus Teacher*: Netflix

**Directors: **James Reed, Pippa Ehrlich

**Cast: **Craig Foster

Nimona (2023)

Nimona (voice: Chloë Grace Moretz) in ‘Nimona’. Netflix

Shape-shifting troublemaker Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz) aspires to be the villainous sidekick to the Queen’s would-be assassin, Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), despite the latter’s protests that it was a frame-up. As the unlikely pair of outcasts team up, the kingdom’s ancient history and modern politics throw unexpected wrinkles into their quest to clear Ballister’s name.

We expect animated family adventures like this to be uplifting and heartfelt, but *Nimona *ups the ante with its explorations of chosen families, queer identity, self-expression, and its complex but inspiring understanding of heroism. *—A.W.*

Where to watch *Nimona*: Netflix

**EW grade: **B+

**Directors: **Troy Quane, Nick Bruno

**Cast: **Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Frances Conroy, Lorraine Toussaint

Paddington in Peru (2024)

Paddington Bear (voice: Ben Whishaw) in ‘Paddington in Peru’.

Britain’s fuzziest marmalade enthusiast is back for his third adventure, and this time he’s headed home to the jungle. After learning that the bear who raised him after his parents died has gone missing, Paddington convinces his adoptive family to join him on a quest to Darkest Peru to find and rescue his Aunt Lucy.

Of course, nothing on a quest is ever as it seems, and Paddington and the Brown family must contend with gold hunters and scheming villains on their journey. In times of great stress, there’s nothing quite like turning on a *Paddington* movie and setting off on a well-mannered adventure. *Paddington in Peru* doesn’t reinvent the franchise, but it does not disappoint. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Paddington in Peru*: Netflix

**Director: **Dougal Wilson

**Cast:** Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent

Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026)

Lewis Pullman as Cameron and Sally Field as Tova in ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’.

Courtesy of Netflix

If octopuses are on the brain after watching *My Octopus Teacher*, consider *Remarkably Bright Creatures* as a companion piece. The mystery casts Sally Field as Tova, a grieving cleaning woman living in Washington, who befriends an aging octopus named Marcellus (voiced by Alfred Molina) at the aquarium where she works. When an accident forces Tova to take time off, she forges a bond with Cameron (Lewis Pullman), the young musician hired to replace her. The film is adapted from the 2022 bestselling novel by Shelby Van Pelt, and tells a life-affirming story of grief and unlikely friendships — human and otherwise. Octopuses don’t live long, but this Emmy-winning Netflix Original is likely to endure. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Remarkably Bright Creatures*: Netflix

**Director: **Olivia Newman

**Cast:** Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, Joan Chen, Kathy Baker, Beth Grant

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Peni (voice: Kimiko Glenn), Spider-Gwen (voice: Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Ham (voice: John Mulaney), Miles Morales (voice: Shameik Moore), Peter Parker (voice: Jake Johnson), and Spider-Man Noir (voice: Nicolas Cage) in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’.

Sony Pictures Animation

Your neighborhood Spider-Man might be friendly, but he’s not singular.* Into the Spider-Verse* — the first fully animated addition to the Spider-Man franchise and the first movie in the *Spider-Verse* trilogy — gives the hero the multiverse treatment. The story centers around Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a Brooklyn teen who takes on the mantle of Spider-Man after Peter Parker’s death. When a collider opens up alternate dimensions, Miles must team up with the Spider-People — and one Spider-Ham — from across the different dimensions to save his home universe.

There are no shortage of cinematic Spider-Man options to choose from, but Miles Morales manages to carve out a special place for himself within the character’s lore. “There’s this as-yet-unquenched thirst to see a truly contemporary Spider-Man,” EW’s critic writes. “And Miles is it, man.” *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*: Netflix

**Directors:** Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

**Cast:** Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024)

Gromit, Norbot (voice: Reece Shearsmith), and Wallace (voice: Ben Whitehead) in ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’.

England’s most beloved national treasures aren’t all locked away in the British Museum: some are streaming on Netflix. Wallace & Gromit, the U.K.’s favorite stop-motion claymation duo, return in their second feature-length film, *Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.*

Released 19 years after the franchise’s first feature (*The Curse of the Were-Rabbit*, 2005), *Vengeance Most Fowl *is a follow-up to the 1993 short, *The Wrong Pants*, and joins the eccentric inventor and his loyal beagle as they confront the modern world. After Wallace invents a robotic garden gnome — which is later hacked by Feathers McGraw, a criminal penguin seeking revenge — the pair must fight to save themselves from the dangers of technology. It’s comfort comedy at its finest. *—I.G.*

Where to watch *Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl*: Netflix

**Directors: **Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham

**Cast: **Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Reece Shearsmith

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka in ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’.

Silver Screen Collection/Getty

Before there was *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* (2005) and *Wonka* (2023), there was 1971’s *Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory*. Based on the acclaimed children’s book by Roald Dahl — who also wrote the screenplay for the film — *Willy Wonka* tells the story of an eccentric chocolatier (as played by Gene Wilder) who orchestrates a contest to help him select a child to carry on his candy-making empire. Fantastical, whimsical, funny, and scary, the film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Music for its score, which included the debut of the song “The Candy Man.”* —I.G.*

Where to watch *Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory*: Netflix through Sept. 30

**Director: **Mel Stuart

**Cast: **Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear

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