7 Movies to Watch When You Cannot Decide

You have been scrolling for twenty minutes. You have opened three apps. You have started reading descriptions and closed them. You are not in the mood for anything in particular, which means you are in the mood for something excellent that will carry you past the decision entirely.

This list solves that problem. Seven films that work on any evening, for essentially any viewer. No demanding premises, no homework required. Just start one and let it do the rest.

Knives Out (2019)

A detective investigates the death of a wealthy crime novelist surrounded by his chaotic family. The mystery subverts itself in the first act and keeps going.

Rian Johnson's whodunit is the most purely enjoyable film of the 2010s. Funny, smart, warm, and built to entertain. Works for everyone in the room.

Start it when: You need something immediately compelling with no patience required.

The Truman Show (1998)

A man's entire life is a television show. He does not know this yet.

Peter Weir's film is one of the most quietly profound high-concept comedies ever made. Jim Carrey gives a genuinely moving performance. The premise never stops paying off.

Start it when: You want something that starts as entertainment and ends as something more.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

A legendary concierge and his protégé become embroiled in a murder, a theft, and a war, all inside and around the most beautiful hotel in Europe.

Wes Anderson's most accessible and propulsive film. Impossible not to enjoy. Goes down like dessert.

Start it when: You want something visually extraordinary that is also just a delight.

Amélie (2001)

A young Parisian woman decides to improve the lives of everyone around her while avoiding her own happiness.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's film is one of the most inventive and warm films ever made. Audrey Tautou is irreplaceable in this role. The film is ninety years of French cinema condensed into two hours of pure cinema joy.

Start it when: You want something beautiful and slightly magical that asks nothing difficult of you.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

A teenager cons his way through America as an airline pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer while the FBI chases him.

Spielberg and DiCaprio at their most purely entertaining. Based on a true story. Moves like nothing else on this list.

Start it when: You want something fast, funny, and completely compelling that does not require a single thought.

The Prestige (2006)

Two rival Victorian-era magicians destroy each other in their obsession to create the perfect illusion.

Christopher Nolan's most satisfying film — a puzzle that tells you the answer at the start and spends two hours proving it. Excellent on first watch. Better on the second.

Start it when: You want something with genuine craft and a twist that earns itself completely.

About Time (2013)

A young man discovers he can travel back in time. He uses it to improve his love life. The film becomes about something else entirely.

Richard Curtis's most emotionally honest film. Funny, warm, and quietly devastating in its third act. The film most likely to make you call someone you love when it ends.