5 Quiet & Calming Movies That Will Keep You Sane During Turbulent Times, Ranked by IMDb

When your news feed feels like a roller coaster and your thoughts are racing in every direction, the best thing you can do is find a quiet spot and watch something calming.

Avoid blockbusters with endless explosions and horror movies that make you sink into your chair – instead, watch warm, sincere films that breathe evenly and slowly.

5. 'The Tree of Life', 2011

IMDb Score: 6.8/10

A person is born, grows up, and dies. That's all that can be said about the plot of The Tree of Life but the film itself says everything.

While Terrence Malick's earlier movies had some kind of logline, since 2010, his plots have become more difficult to convey in a few sentences. This began with The Tree of Life – the most personal project of his career.

At its premiere, the movie was either reviled or adored, no one remained indifferent. The director essentially managed to capture life as it is, engage viewers in an intimate dialogue with themselves, and penetrate the very essence of things.

4. 'Paterson', 2016

IMDb Score: 7.3/10

Paterson lives in Paterson and works as a bus driver. Between work, a beer at the local bar, and home, he feels stuck in a Groundhog Day-like routine, but he's not worried.

Lines of poetry constantly pop into his head, and he carefully jots them down in a special notebook. Poems emerge while he's driving from one stop to the next, as a result of eavesdropping on strangers' conversations or while hugging his girlfriend.

Paterson doesn't strive for fame as a poet – his main goal is to capture the beauty around him in words.

3. 'C'mon C'mon', 2021

IMDb Score: 7.3/10

A radio journalist agrees to babysit his sister's nephew. While she helps her ex-husband cope with mental health issues, a middle-aged man and nine-year-old boy embark on a cross-country road trip.

Mike Mills' monochrome film doesn't attempt to capture every nuance of the surrounding panoramas. However, appreciating the beauty of the scenes in black and white is no more difficult than enjoying more colorful works.

The two main characters, of different ages, navigate America's vast landscape, stopping in big cities and surveying children about their worldviews and relationships with their families for a special project.

2. 'The Worst Person in the World', 2021

IMDb Score: 7.7/10

At the beginning of her thirties, Julie finds herself at a crossroads in her life without a compass to guide her.

Her desire to become a doctor quickly gave way to her trying her hand at psychology, photography, writing, and book publishing.

Unable to make a final decision, Julie drifts through twelve chapters, exploring the limits of her abilities and diving into a whirlpool of new feelings with different partners.

1. 'Perfect Days', 2023

IMDb Score: 7.9/10

Hirayama is a middle-aged janitor in Tokyo who lives a measured life full of rituals. He goes to the bathhouse weekly, tends to his plants, reads books in the evenings, and spends his days photographing trees and cleaning public restrooms.

His daily routine is scheduled down to the minute. One day, however, a series of chance encounters disrupts his routine, but the movie isn't about sudden change.

Quite the contrary, the focus of Perfect Days isn't on conflict or the shifting course of events, but on attention to detail. It's an ode to every movement, every glimmer of light, and every moment of silence.