Often shunned by critics, “feel good” films are nevertheless very popular with the public, who acclaim them every year and sometimes raise them to the rank of cult film. But why do we appreciate this cinematographic genre so much?
- A scientific study has for the first time looked into why so-called “feel good” films are so popular with viewers.
- The researchers conclude that it is a clever mix of the same ingredients (comedy, romanticism, endearing characters) that make the salt of these films that are good for morale.
Love Actually, Pretty Woman, The fabulous destiny of Amelie Poulain, Untouchables… When they were released in theaters, not all of these films met with critical success. On the other hand, they were a hit with the public, who continue to watch them regularly with the same delight.
But why do these so-called “feel good” films actually make us feel good? For the first time, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics have looked into the matter. In a study published in the journal Projections, they sought to determine which “feel-good” films viewers consider prototypical and what factors constitute their “feel-good” effect.
Recurring elements in every film of the genre
To find out, they recruited 450 participants from Germany, Austria and the German-speaking regions of Belgium and Switzerland. They submitted them to a questionnaire to assess which films have a particularly high potential for emotional uplift. The films that provide a feeling of well-being that they identified as typical are Love Actually, Pretty Woman, The fabulous destiny of Amelie Poulain and Untouchables. The results of the study provide clues about the formal and content characteristics that films must possess in order for viewers to feel particularly good when watching them.
“Besides an element of humor and the classic happy ending, films that provide a sense of well-being can be identified by certain recurring plot and character patterns, explains Keyvan Sarkhosh, study leader and first author. They are often misfits looking for true love, who have to prove themselves and fight against adverse circumstances, and who eventually find their place in the community.”
Movies that are good for morale
But feel good films are characterized not only by romance and humor, but also by moments of drama, which usually have a strong emotional effect on viewers. At the same time, these characteristics are often embedded in a fairy tale setting, which is another typical aspect of the genre and contributes significantly to its perceived lightness. Finally, the mixture of all these elements can be considered as constituting the feel good film.
Many participants specified that they watched this type of film to relax and lift their spirits. They agree that if feel good films can be sentimental, they are not kitsch and above all, they are technically well made. In this regard, viewers’ positive use of the genre label differs significantly from the predominantly negative perspective held by professional critics.
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