7 best movies and shows to watch on your long road trip

A road trip is a fun and adventurous activity to do with your friends and loved ones.

Singing songs at the top of your lungs, eating ridiculous amounts of junk food, telling funny jokes and recalling fond memories—all those things sound great in the beginning, but when the sun starts to set and the hype dies down, it’s the perfect time to pull out your headphones and watch a new movie or start a new show.

Best movies and shows to watch on your road trip

1. Boyhood 

Boyhood is a coming-of-age film about how Mason discovers what it means to be a boy who is eventually going to be a man someday. He is charismatic, loving, and curious—characteristics that every road-tripper definitely has.

What makes this film unique is that it was filmed across twelve years, which means you actually get to watch the characters grow throughout the movie. It’s truly a remarkable film and even went on to be nominated for multiple Academy Awards including Best Picture in 2015.

Boyhood is a two-hour, 45-minute emotional rollercoaster that is sure to leave you in tears.

2. Little Miss Sunshine

This dysfunctional family made it cool to take long road trips!

Little Miss Sunshine is a beautiful, heart-filling story about how a family goes the extra mile to take their daughter to a beauty pageant. Their beat-up yellow van brings this crazy bunch together and reminds them of what truly matters.

If that wasn’t enough of a selling point, The Office actor Steve Carell stars in the movie, making the movie that much more iconic.

This film will leave you warm as you cozy up against the cold glass of your van’s window.

3. Lion

This is another film about a journey—only this time a man embarks on the journey to reunite with his long-lost brother and mother that he hasn’t seen since he was a child.

After Saroo, played by Dev Patel, has spent an unimaginable twenty-five years separated from his home in Calcutta, India, he is dedicated to finding his way back to everything that he lost.

Based on a true story, Lion pulls at the heartstrings and forces you to realize that the most important step of going on any road trip is the first step.

4. The Good Place 

To switch gears from crying your heart out, The Good Place is a hilarious series that tackles the topic of death and what happens after we die.

How do we know who goes to the good place or who goes to the bad place? What can we do to avoid going to the bad place? This TV series starring Kristen Bell discusses what it actually means to be “good” and if being good is worth achieving.

Though it’s a comedy, The Good Place is also dedicated to answering questions that we all may have about life and is guaranteed to make you philosophical on your road trip.

5. Stranger Things

The thrilling, supernatural Stranger Things is a good way to pass the time on your long road trip.

Four childhood friends find themselves in a flipped world as one of their other acquaintances, Will Byers, goes missing. Determined to find their friend, these imaginative children search through the woods and instead find a girl, Eleven, with crazy powers who may be the key to unlocking the whereabouts of Will Byers.

Stranger Things is a series that is certainly going to have you feeling nostalgic and with the show releasing its fourth season very soon, you’ll have even more to look forward to after you take your road trip.

6. Queer Eye

Maybe on your road trip you want to remember that fuzzy feeling of wanting to find something greater than yourself, within yourself. The Netflix series Queer Eye does just that as Johnathan, Karamo, Tan, Bobby, and Antoni leave you with advice that will absolutely change your life.

The fabulous quintet meet strangers who deserve to have another shot at falling in love with life and revamp that person’s food, home, fashion, beauty, and culture. Share the advice you learned with your road buddies once they wake up.

7. The Pursuit of Happyness

As you go on your pursuit, we leave you with this pursuit.

Last but certainly not least on our list is Will Smith’s The Pursuit of Happyness, a film about a father doing everything he can to provide for his son (played by Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith) and give him a life that he can smile about.

Based on another true story, this film talks about how the journey is just as important as the destination.

As you arrive to your destination, we hope that these films leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on your next road trip with your loved ones. Remember to drive safe, relax, and enjoy the road.