A lonely, blind colonel and a young man form an unlikely bond during a poignant Thanksgiving weekend.
Melancholy and intimate, with dry wit. A date-night pick at a measured pace. Emotionally it is heavy.
Streaming on YouTube (free).
It stays inside its R, with some innuendo or implied sex and no real violence.
How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.
Charlie Simms is a student at a private preparatory school who comes from a poor family. To earn the money for his flight home to Gresham, Oregon for Christmas, Charlie takes a job over Thanksgiving looking after retired U.S. Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a cantankerous middle-aged man who lives with his niece and her family.
Bittersweet. It earns its ending, but not everyone gets what they want.
Good Will Hunting (1997)Dry wit · intimate · comfort watch · emotionally devastatingA brilliant but troubled young man finds his way with the help of a compassionate therapist.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)Dry wit · melancholy · comfort watch · emotionally heavyA shy freshman navigates the pangs of first love and friendship with witty, melancholic earnestness.
The King's Speech (2010)Dry wit · earnest · comfort watch · emotionally heavyA reluctant king battles a debilitating stutter with an unconventional therapist, forging an intimate and heartwarming friendship.
Gran Torino (2008)Dry wit · gritty · full attention · strong violenceA grumpy veteran finds unexpected purpose in mentoring a Hmong teenager, leading to a gritty, heartfelt journey.
Dead Poets Society (1989)Earnest · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · measuredAn inspiring teacher encourages students to defy rigid tradition and find their own voices, stirring both joy and sorrow.
Rain Man (1988)Melancholy · comfort watch · emotionally heavy · measuredA self-centered man discovers an autistic brother and a fortune, embarking on a heartwarming, intimate journey.
American Beauty (1999)Dry wit · darkly comic · full attention · emotionally devastatingA suburban father's mid-life crisis becomes a darkly comic, melancholy, and intimate satire.
The Two Popes (2019)Dry wit · intimate · comfort watch · emotionally heavyTwo very different cardinals debate the future of an institution, finding common ground with witty, heartfelt honesty.Scent of a Woman is on our Thanksgiving, Set in New York, Best Picture nominees and 1990s lists.
Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.
Lists with the same feel: Melancholy and Date night.
Say the mood. Five picks with where they stream, right here.
Uses the TMDB API; not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, content, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.
