10 Best Movies About Self-Love, Ranked

Nowadays, self-love feels like a buzzword. Influencers like to use it to sell products and courses, and it’s often placed as a must for anyone feeling any doubt about themselves. However, self-love isn’t just a trending topic — this is a concept that has existed for a long time and comes through various messages and experiences. It’s more than just a buzzword — it’s a long-lasting practice intended for everyone.

While it’s often a hidden or minor concept, many worthy feature films put the theme of self-love at the forefront. For someone who’s sick of watching instant classic rom-coms or movies that talk about relationships, some movies can encourage them to look inward and find love for themselves. These are the best movies about self-love and self-worth, and audiences will surely appreciate their warm and earnest approach.

10 ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’ (1997)

Directed by David Mirkin

One of the most beloved 90s comedies, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, teaches self-love through two lovable klutzes, Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow). They’ve remained friends since high school and have each other’s backs in everything they do. As a high school prom reunion approaches, Romy and Michele feel like they need to pretend to have much better lives to impress their old classmates.

Changing themselves to fit others’ expectations is abnormal for the pair, who’ve spent their lives marching to the beat of their own drum. The movie doesn’t just show their struggle to feel good on their own; it also depicts other outcasts preparing for the reunion. Before the reunion, viewers see Romy and Michele enjoying their lives and interests; it’s the pressure of conforming to and impressing others that gets to them and makes them start doubting themselves. Despite a slightly clichéd premise, this charming cult-classic comedy is an excellent way to become inspired to love and accept oneself.

9 ‘Starting Over’ (1979)

Directed by Alan J. Pakula

Another movie with a (less obvious) message of finding self-acceptance and love isStarting Over, a somewhat forgotten romantic comedy starring Burt Reynolds. Reynolds plays Phil, whose wife Jessica (Candace Bergen) decides to pursue her passions, cheats on him, and leaves him. While Phil is left to pick up the pieces, he enters a rocky new relationship with schoolteacher Marilyn (Jill Clayburgh); however, this can’t mend Phil’s suddenly broken heart.

Critics have called Starting Over a way of starting over for Reynolds himself; Alternate Ending‘s Tim Brayton wrote: “I was blown right out of the water to see him, in his relative youth, play a character as complex and mature as Phil Potter.” Though it gave Reynolds a brand-new reputation as a greatly talented actor, it was his co-stars, Candace Bergen and Jill Clayburgh, who earned Oscar nominations for their work. Their convincing performances make Starting Over a great, underrated gem filled with wonderful messages of love, self-worth, and self-acceptance.

8 ‘Intouchables’ (2011)

Directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano

The commercially successful Intouchables is one of the best French movies of the past 15 years. It’s a true story based on the life and friendship of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo, a wealthy quadriplegic businessman, and his caregiver, Abdel Selou. Omar Sy plays Driss (based on Abdel), an offender looking for steady work who applies for the role of a caregiver to wealthy Philippe (François Cluzet). While Driss doesn’t expect to get the job, he does, and the rest of the movie follows him and Philippe becoming close friends.

If it weren’t a true story, the premise of a man from the poorer areas of Paris caring for an aristocrat in the heart of the city would be too good to be true. Yet, as the saying goes, “art imitates life,” and this movie beautifully and without too many clichés depicts how we’re all essentially humans, yearning to give and receive love. Philippe is too encompassed in his misfortune; Driss’ go-getting attitude and love for the small things help him blossom into realizing he’s still strong and lovable. Philippe’s privilege gives Driss a chance to see that making it big in life isn’t always about having wealth, and loving who you are is what matters most.

7 ‘Muriel’s Wedding’ (1994)

Directed by P.J. Hogan

Toni Collette‘s iconic debut (technically), Muriel’s Wedding, doubles as one of the greatest self-love stories ever. It’s also one of those movies featuring a lead who makes mistakes and learns from them as time goes by. Muriel is a girl living in a small Australian town, and she’s bored with her life as it is. Her biggest dream is to have a storybook wedding, so she heads off to an island vacation where all her friends are, hoping to meet a soulmate. She begins spending time with an old high school acquaintance, Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths), and becomes motivated to move to Sydney and start a different, better life.

Muriel’s Wedding dives into slapstick and dark comedy at times but still explores heavy topics, from illness and death to depression. Roger Ebert wrote it best in his review, saying: “The arc of its story involves Muriel’s discovery of herself, and a developing faith that she can have a good time, make friends, and be valued.” Toni Collette gives one of her best performances as Muriel, who many viewers could potentially relate to. Everyone is riddled with virtues and flaws, but it’s always important to learn from experiences and accept their takeaways as lessons in self-love.

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6 ‘Soul’ (2020)

Directed by Pete Docter and Kemp Powers

Joe (Jamie Foxx) is a jazz musician who lives and breathes music, going from being a school music teacher by day to a jazz pianist by night. One day, Joe gets two career opportunities: becoming a full-time teacher and auditioning for a famous jazz musician’s band. Distracted, he falls into a manhole and dies. His soul ends up on a conveyer to the afterlife but falls into the area where the “Great Before” takes place, meeting 22 (Tina Fey), a soul yet to become human. Joe and 22 explore the wonders of life on Earth; 22 learns what it’s like to simply be alive and take in every experience, while Joe reflects on how much he’s focused on following a spark that may not always be there.

Animated movies are often riddled with messages about self-worth, acceptance, and self-love. Soul approaches the topic rather singularly, showing the main character realizing his worth only after it’s too late. Though a Pixar movie, Soul is meant to touch souls of all ages and teach viewers that taking risks and following dreams isn’t a bad thing, nor that it’s ever too late. Learning to be more present, to love oneself unconditionally, and to find childlike wonder in daily life is something many still need to practice. Soul helps viewers relate to the feeling of not always being able to “stop and smell the roses.”

5 ‘Now, Voyager’ (1942)

Directed by Irving Rapper

The mighty Bette Davis stuns in one of the most amazing features of her career. Now, Voyager shows Charlotte (Davis), a woman whose life isn’t completely her own. She lives with her aristocratic, demanding mother, who insults and belittles her so much that Charlotte doesn’t have any faith in herself. As soon as Charlotte goes to a psychiatrist on the recommendation of her sister-in-law, she blossoms and discovers her authentic self again.

Now, Voyager
was made in 1942, but its themes of self-discovery are still incredibly relevant today.

The topic of self-confidence and self-love truly does come from our earliest age; many people can usually look back and define a certain period when their parents or friends affected their self-esteem. Now, Voyager shows that it’s possible to start over, fall in love, and gain self-confidence, no matter one’s age. Charlotte begins drawing boundaries and ensuring life feels right for her. This is what the theme of self-love represents—the movie was made in 1942, but its themes of self-discovery are still incredibly relevant today.

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4 ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ (2006)

Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris

When the self-love theme in movies is mentioned, many people instantly think of Little Miss Sunshine. This ultimate summer movie about a functionally dysfunctional family depicts love and acceptance. They may not be fully aware of each other’s secrets, but they carry lots of love for each other, and that’s what brings them together. The Hoover family embarks on a road trip to take their youngest member, Olive (Abigail Breslin), to a beauty pageant.

Her family includes her dad, Richard (Greg Kinnear), mom Sheryl (Toni Collette), uncle Frank (Steve Carell), grandfather Edwin (Alan Arkin), and older brother Dwayne (Paul Dano). This unusual bunch goes through various stages of grief and anger, facing fears during their road trip. It shows how different a family can be, yet make sure they’re there for each other at the very end, regardless. Self-love comes in all shapes and forms, and for Olive, it’s the support of her family that helps her feel loved and accepted; that’s surely a building block for having healthy self-acceptance later in life.

3 ‘Moonlight’ (2016)

Directed by Barry Jenkins

The Best Picture-winning Moonlight is a layered depiction of sexuality and hypermasculinity, showing coming-of-age in Black communities. It follows Chiron in the most defining three stages of his life: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. As a child, Chiron spends time with a local drug dealer, Juan (Mahershala Ali), who sells drugs to Chiron’s mother but still takes care of Chiron as his own. As an adolescent, Chiron faces school bullying and experiences his first intimate encounter with an old childhood friend, Kevin (Jharrel Jerome). Finally, as an adult, he deals drugs and lives the life seemingly predetermined for him before everything changes.

Through trauma and an aggressive, neglectful upbringing, Chiron doesn’t get many options. Juan and his partner Teresa serve as substitute parents; though flawed, they offer comfort to a child when he needs it. Tragic and beautiful, Moonlight gives a voice to struggles with masculinity, repressed sexuality, and breaking a mold that the world tries to put on a person. The movie especially focuses on Black men who face prejudice daily. Moonlight was created by one of Hollywood’s most inspiring Black creators, Barry Jenkins and quickly became a seminal and thought-provoking entry into the coming-of-age genre.

2 ‘Funny Girl’ (1968)

Directed by William Wyler

The theme of self-love impacts everyone, though it often focuses on women more. From the earliest times, it was always “be elegant, be charming, don’t be vulgar.” Funny Girl feels like a fantasy movie of sorts. A silver screen icon, Barbra Streisand plays Fanny Brice, a famous vaudeville star woman born to be on stage, but one that’s, according to many, “not a stage beauty.” Fanny is hilarious and quick-witted, which attracts the elusive Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif). Fanny and Nick begin an epic on-and-off relationship, and though Nick seems perfect on paper when they marry, his gambling addiction causes Fanny to face reality with a slap.

In the end, Nick’s lack of self-worth affects Fanny’s confidence. However, Fanny doesn’t budge and remains her bright self, albeit marked by heartbreak. The premise of Funny Girl could be problematic today, but Hollywood is riddled with “ugly funny girl” movies; the biggest takeaway is Fanny’s unwavering confidence in her skills and abilities and how that transfers into her ideas of romantic love.

1 ‘Hairspray’ (1988)

Directed by John Waters

John Waters knows how to represent a group, a thought, and a sentiment. He always did it controversially and without fear, giving a voice to those that were usually considered taboo or invisible. With Hairspray, Waters created an iconic piece of film that resonates to this day. Set in segregated 1960s Baltimore, Hairspray follows curvy Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake) as she enters a contest to dance on her favorite program, The Corny Collins Show. When Tracy gets the part, she becomes an overnight sensation, leading her to integrate the show and introduce Black dancers.

Hairspray is iconic for the amount of self-love and acceptance Tracy expresses. Her mother, Edna (played by the LGBTQ icon Divine), teaches Tracy to love herself and enjoy all her bits and pieces. Another vital point is the ambition to introduce Black people on TV and give them the respect they deserve during a racially charged, segregated time. Hairspray has a happy ending and doesn’t dive into reality too much, but watching this movie feels like a hug to all the outcasts and misfits, which is on-brand for Waters.

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