Posted on July 4, 2022

Gaby Aguilar // Marketing Content Coordinator

Waking up on a Monday with a headache and a scratchy throat is a bittersweet experience. On one hand, there's something absolutely heinous afoot in your immune system, on the other, you've already hurled your work laptop into the ocean.

In this way, a sick day is both a punishment and a reward. I came to understand this recently when, after two years of perfect health, I finally contracted the coronavirus. The deafening silence and solitude of quarantine left me with plenty of time to scroll through streaming services in search of a film that would take my mind off of my ailment, which led me to the question; What makes for a great sick day film?

The perfect sick day film is worn in, soft and familiar like an old sweatshirt. A perfect sick day film heats your insides like a microwave does a pizza pocket. It's a film you've seen 100 times and can fall asleep in the middle of because the odds are, you will.

To those struggling through a sick day, I offer you my list of infallible sick day films, complete with musicals, rom-coms, 2000's classics and even some CIFF faves guaranteed to cure your blues.

ADVENTURE/COMEDIES

From Ferris' fake flu to the Christopher Columbus Cannon of Coziness, these are the endlessly rewatchable movies that can still make you smile. Go on engaging yet familiar adventures with the charming and witty characters you know so well.

FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF

"Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, "borrows" a Ferrari, and embarks on a one-day journey through the streets of Chicago. On Ferris' trail is high school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), determined to catch him in the act."

MRS. DOUBTFIRE

"The eccentric dad of three children dresses as a British nanny so he can care for his children at the home of their mother in this touching comedy."

HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE

"Harry Potter, an eleven-year-old orphan, discovers that he is a wizard and is invited to study at Hogwarts. Even as he escapes a dreary life and enters a world of magic, he finds trouble awaiting him."

HOME ALONE & HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK

"When Kevin McCallister is left behind while his family dashes off on a Christmas trip, he is left to defend his family's home from two bumbling burglars until the relatives return"

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

Follow the drunken misadventures of the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow as he faces off against all manner of pirates (dead or alive), civilians and mythical sea monsters.

DISNEY MUSICALS

Featuring a heavy dose of nostalgia, this list is the perfect choice for when you're feeling ill and vulnerable and kind of like you want to call your mom. There isn't a flu in the world that can't be cured by grabbing a blanket, making a hot chocolate and watching THE LION KING.

TANGLED

"When the kingdom's most-wanted bandit is taken hostage by Rapunzel — a teen with 70 feet of golden hair who's looking to escape the tower where she's been locked away for years — the unlikely duo sets off on a hair-raising escapade."

THE LION KING 

"Embark on an extraordinary coming-of-age adventure as Simba, a lion cub who cannot wait to be king searches for his destiny in the great 'Circle of Life.'"

OLIVER AND COMPANY

"Oliver, a feisty young cat, explores New York in this animated classic featuring unforgettable songs performed by Billy Joel, Huey Lewis and Bette Midler. Joined by hilarious characters, Oliver knows he's found lifelong friends and a real home."

HERCULES

"Taken from the gods as a newborn and adopted on earth, Hercules becomes an awkward teenage pillar of strength. He discovers he has a place on Mount Olympus with his dad Zeus—if he can endure his growing pains and move from "zero" to hero. Along with Pegasus, the flying stallion, and Phil, a feisty personal trainer, Hercules is on a mission to stick it to Hades once and for all."

SOBFESTS

Do you know what's better than wallowing in your own misery amongst a sea of used Kleenex? Wallowing in someone else's. If you're in dire need of a good cry or feel like getting a little perspective, enjoy this list of morbidly depressing films. Movies in this category are sad enough to make you forget your woes but not so sad they'll send your already ailing mind into a death spiral.

MY GIRL

"Tomboy Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) has good reason to be morbid: her mother died giving birth to her, and her father (Dan Aykroyd) operates a funeral service out of their home. The other kids think she's a freak, and it certainly doesn't help that her best friend, Thomas J. Sennett (Macaulay Culkin), is a boy. To make matters worse, Vada is desperately in love with her English teacher, Mr. Bixler. What's an 11-year-old girl to do?"

DEAD POETS SOCIETY

"When charismatic English professor John Keating arrives at a strict prep school, his unconventional teaching methods breathe new life into a curriculum steeped in tradition. But Keating soon finds he has drawn the wrath of a disapproving faculty when an unexpected tragedy strikes the school."

FORREST GUMP

"Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) has never thought of himself as disadvantaged, and thanks to his supportive mother (Sally Field), he leads anything but a restricted life. Whether dominating on the field as a college football star, fighting in Vietnam or captaining a shrimp boat, Forrest inspires people with his optimism. But one person Forrest cares about most may be the most difficult to save; his childhood love, the sweet but troubled Jenny (Robin Wright)."

TITANIC

"James Cameron's TITANIC is an epic, action-packed romance set against the ill-fated maiden voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic; the pride and joy of the White Star Line and, at the time, the largest moving object ever built. She was the most luxurious liner of her era -- the "ship of dreams" -- which ultimately carried over 1,500 people to their death in the ice-cold waters of the North Atlantic in the early hours of April 15, 1912."

ROM-COMS

There's a good reason Rom-Coms are such a popular choice for comfort movies. The kooky friend groups, the enviable outfits, the big city backdrops, the men written by women; every aspect of a good rom-com is delightfully warm and rose-tinted. These loveable and relatable characters are more than happy to distract you with their romantic misfortunes. Allow yourself to become emotionally invested in the conflict, safe in the knowledge that it will all end happily ever after.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

"A young woman gets more than she bargained for when she moves to New York to become a writer and ends up as the assistant to the tyrannical editor-in-chief of a major fashion magazine."

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY 

"In 1977, college graduates Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) share a contentious car ride from Chicago to New York, during which they argue about whether men and women can ever truly be strictly platonic friends."

LOVE ACTUALLY

"Nine intertwined stories examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love. David (Hugh Grant), the handsome newly elected British prime minister who falls for a young junior staffer (Martine McCutcheon), Sarah (Laura Linney), a graphic designer whose devotion to her mentally ill brother complicates her love life, and Harry (Alan Rickman), a married man tempted by his attractive new secretary."

13 GOING ON 30

"In this feel-good fairy tale, teenager Jenna (Christa B. Allen) wants a boyfriend, and when she's unable to find one, she fantasizes about being an adult. Suddenly, her secret desire becomes a reality, and she is transformed into a 30-year-old (Jennifer Garner). But adulthood, with its own set of male-female challenges, isn't as easy as it looks."

CIFF FAVES

While your body might need a day off, the film snob in you is never off-duty. Even in the phlegmy throes of sickness, you simply will not stand for a low-brow viewing experience. Lucky for you, we have selected several highly regarded, dramatic films replete with brooding characters, complex emotional development and stunning visuals.

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME

"It's the summer of 1983, and precocious 17-year-old Elio Perlman is spending the days with his family at their 17th-century villa in Lombardy, Italy. He soon meets Oliver, a handsome doctoral student who's working as an intern for Elio's father."

MOONLIGHT

MOONLIGHT is the tender and heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself in his depressed Florida hometown told across three defining chapters in his life. He experiences the ecstasy, pain and beauty of falling in love, all while grappling with the temptation of drugs, the restrictions of poverty and his own sexuality.

 DRIVE MY CAR

Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, is happily married to Oto, a screenwriter. However, Oto suddenly dies, leaving behind a secret. Two years later, Kafuku, still unable to fully cope with the loss of his wife, travels to Hiroshima to direct a play at a theatre festival. There, he meets Misaki, a reticent woman acting as his chauffeur. As they spend time together, Kafuku confronts the mystery of his wife that quietly haunts him.