Every time a new year begins, we are preoccupied with the prospect of a better life: Finding love, improving our health, exercising, pursuing our dreams…The lists can be endless, but then easily forgotten or discarded after the first few weeks of the year.
Movies can transport us to other realities, help us change our point of view, enrich our lives, inspire us to accomplish those lists and start the year with good energy. The films on this list will help you get up on a desk to see life from another angle, teach you the sacred value of nature, the importance of taking care of our mental health, make you ask yourself what you really want and venture out to fulfill your wildest or most challenging dreams.
The elephant whisperers
If you are doubting the good side of human beings, you have to watch this 40-minute documentary on Netflix.
Two little orphaned elephants are rescued and adopted by a couple in southern India, in a town very close to nature and animals. They care for and love the little ones, creating a family.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Del Toro’s version of Pinocchio is a masterpiece of visual art, but it also paints deeper shades of these characters we know so well.
This offering on Netflix speaks to us about life and death, the family we form along the way, the pain of loss and the value of time spent with those we love.
The Swimmers
The powerful true story (available on Netflix) follows Syrian sisters, Yusra and Sarah Mardini, who left their country because of the war.
On their dangerous journey, they swam alongside the boat to propel it to the Greek shore after the engine was damaged. Later, they walked across Europe to reach their destination in Germany.
This harsh portrait of survival, which shows the reality of many refugees, is also a story of perseverance: despite many moments of faltering and doubt, Yusra succeeded in fulfilling her dream of competing in the Olympics after arriving in Germany.
Stutz
Actor Jonah Hill sits down with his therapist, psychiatrist Phil Stutz, to talk candidly and courageously about the importance of psychotherapy, the tools you can use and the possibilities it opens up for mental health.
From a point of vulnerability, which includes Stutz himself, the Netflix film focuses on how to get better in life, knowing that no one has it all figured out.
The tools it provides are really valuable and will help you start the year reflecting on the opportunities for growth and evolution you have this 2023.
Dead Poets Society
If you’ve never seen this one, you must change that this year! And if you’ve already seen it, you’ll probably find new details that will move you to the depths of your soul.
This movie, which you can find on Disney+, will teach you how words can move the world, the value of being unique and different, the importance of choosing our own path, how to change your perspective to have different impressions of the world and, most importantly, to seize the moment: Carpe Diem.
Rosaline
If you are starting this year without a partner and want more romance in your life in 2023, this movie is for you. It is based on the classic Romeo and Juliet, but from the point of view of cousin Rosaline, Romeo’s first love.
It is a version of the play that helps demolish the idea of perfect love, relationship drama and how we let real opportunities go by when we get stuck in the past. You can find it on Hulu, Disney+ and Star+.
Hustle
This is one of the best movies on Netflix from 2022. Adam Sandler is a basketball scout who, in Spain, discovers the guy he thinks will be the next NBA star. The road doesn’t get any easier as he tries to coach him and convince team managers that they should bet on him.
Disenchanted
The sequel to Disney’s Enchanted is about the reality of relationships.
Giselle wants her fairy tale ending, but she must be careful what she wishes for.
Understanding that ‘they lived happily ever after’ is not part of reality can help us be grateful for what we have and work on improving from there.
Carrie Pilby
A deep fear of venturing into life and a to-do list (recommended by her psychologist) help Carrie to have new beginnings, understand that not everything is as black as she imagined and to stop being so lonely.
Have you made your list of resolutions for 2023 yet? Maybe this movie on Netflix will help you.