22 Best Inspirational Movies Everyone Should Watch
Who Doesn’t love movies, right? Well, Some don’t, but we are not talking about them. We all love to watch good-quality movies, and we all have our own reasons to do so.
Some watch inspirational movies, while some watch comedy based on their preference.
Movies can be a great tool to lift ourselves up when down. If you watch the right film, you will get to learn about life and its different scenarios.
One right movie can change your whole thought process, your whole idea of living and being. But most of us struggle to find the right film. Well, worry no more.
Buckle up and get ready to take a beautiful ride with us because we are here with the name of the 22 best inspirational movies of all time for you, so you don’t have to bother exploring multiple sites.
Best Inspirational Movies Everyone Should Watch
22. Wonder (2017)
Director: Stephen Chbosky
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Genre: Drama/Family
Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Owen Wilson, Julia Roberts
The movie “Wonder” is about a young boy with a rare facial abnormality, Mandibulofacial Dysostosis.
The movie tells the story about “August,” the main cast, about how he was being treated because of his look.
He was homeschooled for many years because of this disease. Later, his patent put him to a school where he finds a best friend, Jack but still had to face so many bullies.
The movie has been listed in “22 best inspirational movies to watch” because it tells its viewer that despite having to face difficulties because of look, even when your own best friend badmouths you, sooner or later, all the pieces will fall in one place.
21. Inside Out (2015)
Director: Pete Docter
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Genre: Family/Comedy
Voice Cast: Amy Poehler (Joy), Phyllis Smith (Sadness), Mindy Kaling (Disgust), Lewis Black (Anger) & Kaitlyn Dias (Riley)
If you hate moving to a new city if you don’t easily adjust to new places and people, this movie is for you. A girl named Riley moves to San Francisco with her parent from Minnesota, where she lived before.
This movie has shown how a person’s emotions (Joy, Anger, Fear, Disgust, and Sadness) can disagree with the new life.
Firstly, Riley’s emotions don’t cope up and make her new life difficult but later, they all come along and work together to help Riley adjust to her new life.
20. The Martian (2015)
Director: Ridley Scott
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Genre: Sci-fi/Drama
Cast: Matt Damon, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jessica Chastain
Do you love Sci-fi movies? If your answer to this is a yes, then this is a movie you should definitely watch.
An astronaut Mark Watney goes to mars on a mission where he was left behind by his crew, presuming he was dead.
However, Mark survived and struggled to survive.
The movie shows how a man survived on a hostile planet without any company or supplies. He worked hard and smartly to grow food and to connect to the world.
The movie is with very few flaws since it is backed up by real science.
19. The Bucket List (2007)
Director: Rob Reiner
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson, Sean Hayes
In the storyline, two elderly men meet for the first time and start to decide to explore things they have never tried before.
Both the men have been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and have only six months to live that’s when they make a bucket list to cross it off once done.
The movie has managed to be listed among the 22 best inspirational movies to watch because of its great message.
People often tend to have fun on weekends or when they get free time from their hectic schedule, whereas the movie explains why one should not wait for a particular day to come to live life.
“It is never too late, and it is never too early to have fun or live life” is the main plot of the movie.
18. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Director: Danny Boyle
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Genre: Romance/Drama
Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Irrfan Khan, Anil Kapoor
If you know the Indian Actor Dev Patel, I am pretty sure this is the movie you know him from.
An Indian Muslim boy who is a participant in “Kaun Banega Crorepati” manages to answer the questions by relating to the incident that has happened in his life.
An inspiring movie where a boy from the slums tackles through the most painful situation of his life and rises to become a millionaire.
The story is motivating enough that it has earned its place among the best inspirational movies.
17. The Theory of Everything (2009)
Director: James Marsh
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Genre: Romance/Drama
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Jane Hawking, Charlie Cox
A movie which is based on theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. A fine movie where the struggles of Hawking have been portrayed.
A young boy who is brilliant in mathematics and physics with no thesis topic. One day Stephen attended a lecture on the black holes, which changed his world.
The movie has also included his love life which was not an easy one. A brilliant scientist with motor neuron disease caused his body to stop moving.
Despite being told that he would live only for two years by his doctor, Hawking never stopped his research and proved his doctor wrong by living his full life.
16. 3 Idiots (2014)
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Cast: Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor
if you love Bollywood films, well, in the case of this movie, even if you don’t love Hindi films, “3 Idiots” will leave you speechless.
A great movie with an inspiring message. The movie is about three friends who meet in an engineering college and bond together.
The movie shows the importance of “being capable rather than running behind success.”
This movie is a whole package where we get to see so many life-changing events and messages. If you are a student or a teacher, do check it out, and it might just change your whole thought process.
15. Into the wild (2007)
Director: Sean Penn
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Genre: Drama/Adventure
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Kristen Stewart, Hal Holbrook
A movie based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, who abandons his scheduled life and goes on hiking across North America into the Alaskan Wilderness.
Christopher embarks on the journey into the wild, leaving behind all his identity where he comes across so many people and situations.
People who think a career is just a conservative notion and doesn’t want to spend their whole life in a cubical or running behind a fake success are the perfect audience for this movie.
I personally am a fan of this movie since I, too, wish to be free someday. So, do check this film out and hope you will make at least some trip plans if not leaving everything behind like Christopher.
14. Forrest Gump (1994)
Director: Robert Zemeckis
IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
Genre: Drama/Romance
Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise
A boy gets bullied because of his physical disability and his lack of intelligence. One day while running away from a few bullies, his leg braces break off and eventually allowing him to run very fast.
He goes through many difficult situations, making him be more achieving than before.
Forrest manages to accomplish so many things in his life despite all the bullying and difficulties.
This movie is a perfect example of doing your best regardless of the things you are working on and leaving an ever-lasting impression, and enjoying the little and everything in your life.
13. Against the Sun (2014)
Director: Brian Falk
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
Genre: Adventure
Cast: Tom Felton, Jake Abel, Garret Dillahunt
Three US Navy airmen get separated from other aircraft on a mission due to a problem on a patrol mission over the south pacific.
All three pilots decide to ditch their aircraft only to find themselves on a raft in the ocean without any knowledge of their exact location.
The movie is based on a true story in World War II. Throughout the movie, those three men struggle to keep themselves alive.
A fine direction of the movie makes it even more intense for the viewer. If you think your life is going north or not as you would want it to, do check this movie out.
12. Chhichhore (2019)
Director: Nitesh Tiwari
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Varun Sharma, Naveen Polishetty, Shraddha Kapoor
Another Bollywood movie I would like to recommend to my readers is “Chhichhore.” A movie that teaches us the value of life.
It shows us that it is not Okay to end your life just because one chapter is written with little sorrow because time changes, and so does the situations.
The movie’s main plot begins when Raghav, son of Anni, tries to end his life after getting a low score in an exam.
The main character “Anni” is played by one of the most talented actors in the history of Bollywood, Sushant Singh Rajput.
11. The Walk (2015)
Director: Robert Zemeckis
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
Genre: Adventure/Drama
Cast: Joseph Gordon, Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale
Another Robert Zemeckis’s fine movie, “The Walk.” Based on a true story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit’s walk between the Twin Tower of the World Trade Center.
The boy follows his dream and does everything to achieve it.
Walking on a wire 1,776 ft. above the ground is something. It takes the practice of a lifetime, patience, willpower, and courage.
If you think your dream is difficult to achieve, you definitely should watch this movie once. The movie shows, “No dream is difficult/impossible if you have the willpower to achieve it.”
10. Collateral Beauty (2016)
Director: David Frankel
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Genre: Romance/Drama
Cast: Will Smith, Keira Knightley, Kate Winslet
A movie that gets different comments from different people. But I think it is a masterpiece. The movie has tried to show how a person is attached to its inner emotions and can never run away from them.
In this film, a dad, played by Will Smith, loses his daughter and mourns for her for quite some time.
Losing someone we love is a natural incident that happens to all of us and can not be denied. But that does not mean we stop living because life must go on.
This movie has explained how we are connected to Time, Death, and Love, and we can not live without them even if we want because all of these are within us.
9. The Blind Side (2009)
Director: John Lee Hancock
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Genre: Sport/Drama
Cast: Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Lily Collins
A boy without a father and mother who is a drug addict sees and goes through so many struggles to become an American football offensive lineman with the help of his foster parent.
This movie is a biography of Michael Oher, who, despite his difficult upbringing, plays in the National Football League.
Michael stayed with many foster parents and didn’t have stable living until he met Sean Touhy. He fought through every obstacle and became a fine spot person to play in the NFL.
This movie teaches us to give without expecting anything in return and how a person can become the best version of him/herself even if they go through the worst.
8. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Director: Mel Gibson
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Genre: War/Drama
Cast: Andrew Garfield, Mel Gibson, Desmond Doss
If you are looking for the best war and motivational movie, your search is over. This movie is about a soldier who went into a battle but didn’t carry or use any kind of weapon.
A biography of Desmond Doss, who was a pacifist combat medic awarded with a Medal of Honor for his service during the Battle of Okinawa.
The movie shows how Desmond fought alongside his troops without holding a weapon of any kind. He brought back insured soldiers saving the last survivor.
Each time praying to save one more. “One should never question one’s belief system and just because one is not violent does not mean one is coward” is the main message of this movie.
7. Life of Pie (2012)
Director: Ang Lee
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Genre: Adventure/Drama
Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu
What an interesting name? Well, the movie is far more interesting than the name. Pi belongs to a family that owns a zoo. Their lives turned upside down when Pi’s father decides to move to Canada.
A boy who is the only survivor of the ship finds himself with an adult Bengal tiger, hyena, and an orangutan floating in an open ocean trying to reach the land encounters so many ungodly incidents.
I believe this movie teaches us to have patience and work through difficult times and never give up on your life – Survive.
6. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Director: Martin Scorsese
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jordan Belfort, Margot Robbie
A biography of a salesperson Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who becomes successful because of his various techniques and unethical ways of selling.
After becoming a millionaire, Jordan finds himself addicted to drugs and prostitution, causing him to lose his wife and much more.
The movie shows the best and the worst side of life. It shows how a person who has nothing can live a luxurious life and can go to prison after losing everything. Despite hitting the worst time of your life, you can always restart.
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Director: Steven Spielberg
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Genre: War/Action
Cast: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Edward Burns, Vin Diesel
It is the best war movie of all time. A troop was assigned to save private Ryan on Omaha Beach, led by US Army Ranger Captain John H Miller.
Miller’s extraordinary leadership skill is one of the most important things to notice and learn from.
There are so many things to learn from this movie. Some of which are Showing weakness is okay, Revealing only when needed as much as needed, and admitting your mistakes.
A true leader is like a parent to his team, and he acts in favor of his team member but his own.
4. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Director: Frank Capra
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Cast: James Stewart, Frank Capra, Donna Reed
It’s a really wonderful life, isn’t it? We may fail to realize it, but our lives sure can be wonderful if we wish to make it so. And that’s the plot of this movie.
An angel comes down to earth to grant James Stewart’s wish and shows him how life would be if he didn’t exist.
This movie is considered to be one of the best from Hollywood’s Golden Era.
The film has a great message which is knowingly or unknowingly, we impact other people’s lives, that we can not be replaced by someone else, and we are of great importance in our existence.
3. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Director: Gabriele Muccino
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Genre: Drama
Cast: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandiwe Newton
This movie is the exact reflection of how and what a father does for his child. A Jobless father and his son, after being evicted from their home, struggle to survive given all the difficult situations they both tackle.
The movie has a great inspiring plot which is “Never Give Up.”
Another reason this film is a good watch is because of the bonding between the father and the son.
I personally recommend this fine movie to all because it teaches us that it doesn’t matter how many times life knocks us down, we should always get up and get going.
2. Life is Beautiful (1997)
Director: Roberto Benigni
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
Genre: War/Drama
Cast: Roberto Benigni, Giorgio Cantarini, Nicoletta Braschi
A great message that this movie gives is the importance of the Positive Spirit. A man keeps his son in an illusion in order to keep him away from reality because reality is not so good.
He usages his imagination and convince his son that whatever is happening is just a game.
This movie shows how important it is to be imaginary and hopeful. Happiness is a state of mind, and we can be happy if we convince ourselves that everything going around us is a happening of life.
If we can stay positive and control our feelings, we can avoid being bothered by outside.
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Director: Frank Darabont
IMDb Rating: 9.3/10
Genre: Drama/Crime
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins, Bob Gunton
If you think you have lost all the hope and nothing can be done, this movie is for you. A man named Andy Dufresne was sent to jail after being falsely accused of murder.
Andy, despite all the crime, corruption, and injustice, refuses to give up. His main and only goal is to escape the prison at any cost.
The movie gives a great message of bonding, friendship, Hope, and an attitude of never giving up.
If one dedicates his all energy to one thing, he shall achieve it even though it has never been achieved by anyone else, and with this great message, this movie has made it to the top on the list of “Best motivational movie of all time.”
