A new study conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics has shown that people have a large desire for feel-good and uplifting movies like Love Actually, Pretty Woman, Amélie and The Intouchables. One of the reasons feel-good movies are so highly popular within this focus group is the fact that there are no plot twists and that no one is going to die or suffer greatly. The study leader Keyvan Sarkhosh stated:
“In addition to an element of humor and the classic happy ending, feel-good films can be identified by certain recurring plot patterns and characters. Often these involve outsiders in search of true love, who have to prove themselves and fight against adverse circumstances, and who eventually find their role in the community.”
The main reason people watch feel-good movies is too... (wait for it) feel good. The study was conducted by the online journal Projections.
The study appears in the journal Projections.