The 10 Ultimate Rainy Day Movies

You know summer is officially over when you hear the dread phrase, “Jesus, it’s getting dark right an’ early now.” And as the days get shorter, the weather gets colder, and the rain arrives, we can find ourselves at a loss. 

But, never fear, as we’ve got you covered with the 10 best comfort movies for when it’s raining, freezing, showering down hailstones, or any other of our wonderful Irish weather we experience. 

Let’s kick this off.

Mamma Mia! 

Who doesn’t love watching Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth running around a Greek Island singing? The film follows Sophie (Seyfried) as she prepares for her wedding and invites three of her mum Donna’s (Streep) former flames in an attempt to find out who her father is. 

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll even sing too. It’s a jukebox musical featuring the songs of ABBA. And seeing as the band just made a triumphant return to music, now is the perfect time to watch. Although beware, as it is set in Greece, meaning there are some epic displays of sunshine, which may make you envious.

About Time 

If you’re looking for something to help you romanticise the rain, then About Time might be the perfect option. It’s set in England, meaning there aren’t many sunshine displays and more romantic rainfall scenes. 

Starring our very own Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, and Bill Nighy. The film follows Tim (Gleeson), who discovers he can travel back in time and uses his gift to win the heart of Mary (McAdams). It’s adorable and heart-warming, which is great when your house needs warming.

Crazy Rich Asians 

Dreaming of something fashionable, fun and romantic? Well, Crazy Rich Asians has got you covered. Starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, and Michelle Yeoh. The film follows university professor Rachel (Wu), who travels to Singapore to meet her boyfriend Nick’s (Golding) family and is surprised to discover they are incredibly wealthy. 

Rachel then has to survive in a world of over the top excess and extreme glitz and glamour. While the film is a lot of fun, it also has a lot of heart and focuses on family. Not to mention the gowns and glam will most certainly take your mind off of whatever weather is happening outside your window.

Love, Rosie 

Based on Irish author Cecelia Ahern’s bestselling book Where Rainbows End Love, Rosie will melt your heart. Starring Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Tamsin Egerton, Suki Waterhouse, and Christian Cooke. The film follows childhood best friends Rosie (Collins) and Alex (Claflin) as they struggle with their developing romantic feelings for one another. While the film is set in London, it was filmed in Dublin. Meaning the glorious Irish climate is represented and may make you feel like a bit of a movie star.

Legally Blonde 

The iconic chick-flick genuinely deserve all of the praise. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, and Jennifer Coolidge. It follows Elle Wood (Witherspoon), a fashion merchandising student who is dumped for not being serious enough and too blonde. She then decides to attend the prestigious Harvard Law School to get back at her ex and show just how serious she can be.

The film even has Ariana Grande and Kim Kardashian’s stamp of approval, with both the gals recreating scenes from Legally Blonde. Arianna for her Thank U Next music video, and Kim for her Instagram announcement that she was studying to be a lawyer

Think Like A Man

With a fantastic ensemble cast, great storyline, and brilliant soundtrack, Think Like a Man is the perfect movie for a night in. Starring Gabrielle Union, Taraji P. Henson, Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Terrence J, and Romany Malco. 

The film follows a group of girls who, feed up the men in their lives, follow the advice of Steve Harvey’s book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. It’s romantic but still funny and has excellent characters. A perfect distraction on a cold night.

St. Trinian’s

There’s nothing like a good ol’ throwback to take your mind of the weather. Starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Russell Brand, Talulah Riley, Gemma Arterton, and Lena Headey. The film follows Annabelle (Riley) as she is sent to St Trinian’s, an all-girls boarding, quickly to find the school is absolutely wild and dysfunctional. However, Annabelle becomes attached to the school and soon must fight to save it with the rest of the girls. 

It’s fair to say we all dreamed of going to St. Trinian’s when we were younger; with the fun uniforms, mad antics, and Girls Aloud singing the school anthem, it seemed like the perfect school. The film holds up well and is worth a rewatch; even if you’re one of the poor unfortunate souls who didn’t grow up watching this, it’s still enjoyable.

Miss Congeniality

Action, adventure, romance, and style, Miss Congeniality has it all. Starring Sandra Bullock, Benjamin Bratt, Michael Caine, Candice Bergen, William Shatner, and Ernie Hudson. The film follows FBI agent Gracie Hart (Bullock), who must go undercover as a beauty queen to investigate a bomb threat at the upcoming Miss United States beauty pageant. A great fish out of water story, Gracie’s trials and tribulations in the beauty world will have you cackling. At the same time, the adorable friends she makes will warm your soul.

Mystic Pizza 

To be fair, we could put any Julia Roberts film on this list; there all so good, but there’s something special about Mystic Pizza. Obviously starring Julia Roberts, along with Annabeth Gish, Lili Taylor, and a baby-faced Matt Damon. 

The film follows Kat (Gish) and Daisy (Roberts) Araújo and their friend Jojo Barbosa (Taylor) as they plan their futures while working at Mystic Pizza, a pizza parlour in their small town. The relationship between the girls really steals the show and will have you saying “awwww”.

Monte Carlo 

Everybody loves a good case of mistaken identity film, and Monte Carlo is one of the best. Starring, Selena Gomez, Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy, Cory Monteith, and Andie MacDowell. The film follows Grace (Gomez) as she travels to Paris with her best friend and step-sister, only to be mistaken for a wealthy heiress and whisked away to Monaco. The film is fun and light-hearted, great for a rainy day.

Written by Sláine McKenna

• Movies
• What to watch