Not every guilty pleasure movie is about silly escapism. Sometimes the films that stay with people the longest are the quiet ones, where the drama comes from small moments rather than massive plot twists. They can be somber, reflective, and even a little heavy. But for viewers like Colin Farrell, that sort of deep emotion is exactly what makes them worth recommending.
WATCH: Colin Farrell & the Cast of Ballad of a Small Player Reveal Their Favorite Re-Watch
Speaking to JustWatch while promoting the 2025 British comedy Ballad of a Small Player, Farrell shared two thoughtful, introspective dramas that everyone should see. "I don't think as many people have seen Perfect Days," he said. "But that's a really special film that has sooo much in it. And it's all in kind of whispered tones, and it's a very gentle narrative."
The actor also pointed to another 2023 film that left a similar impression on him: All of Us Strangers. For Farrell, the movies were memorable enough that he immediately wanted to share them with others. "When I came out of both of those films, I remember very clearly trying to think of who I loved enough to text immediately that they should see those films," he said.
Lives On The Fringes Of Everyday Society
While Perfect Days and All of Us Strangers are very different in terms of premise. Their protagonists aren't heroes in the traditional cinematic sense, yet their emotional journeys are just as profound. By focusing on individuals who live on the edges of society's usual attention, the films show us that every life contains its own complicated inner world.
In Perfect Days, the story revolves around Hirayama (Kōji Yakusho), a man who works as a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo. His days follow a steady rhythm of early mornings and listening to music on cassette tapes. His carefully maintained routines and brief interactions with people might appear uneventful. Yet, the film reveals how moments that seem mundane can hold a sense of meaning.
All of Us Strangers approaches that idea from a different angle. Its protagonist, Adam (Andrew Scott), lives a largely solitary life as a screenwriter in a near-empty apartment building. The isolation of that setting becomes the essence of the story, revealing a character who has spent years carrying unresolved grief and memories from the past.
Grief, Memory, And The Need For Connection
Grief has a way of reshaping how people move through the world. It doesn't simply disappear over time, and it rarely follows a predictable path. Instead, it becomes something that changes a person's sense of identity, altering how they see the past and how they imagine the future. Both Perfect Days and All of Us Strangers explore that territory in thoughtful and deeply personal ways.
In All of Us Strangers, memories and grief become almost tangible as Adam confronts unresolved emotions tied to his childhood and the people he lost along the way. Perfect Days takes a more understated approach. Rather than directly revisiting earlier events, the film hints at how various experiences may have shaped Hirayama's peaceful but solitary life.
What both stories capture so well is the idea that grief doesn't erase our need for human connection. Even when someone is carrying pain from the past, they still need other people. Sometimes those connections appear as new relationships. Other times, they come from basic acts of kindness and moments of shared understanding.
Why To Watch 'Perfect Days' And 'All Of Us Strangers' (And What To Watch After)
What makes Perfect Days so memorable is its attention to details like the way sunlight filters through trees and the comfort that can be found in familiar songs. It's a reflective, meditative film that rewards viewers willing to slow down and simply observe. All of Us Strangers, meanwhile, approaches its emotional themes through a more surreal lens as the story moves between past and present.
For viewers who find themselves drawn to stories about loneliness with similar sensitivity, there are a few other films worth checking out. Lost in Translation (2003) and Aftersun (2022) both capture a comparable sense of isolation, reflection, and unexpected companionship that define how people understand themselves and each other.
