13 Best Movies For Empaths And Sensitive People

Author : Dr. Judith Orloff

Empaths and sensitive people love movies but they are often overwhelmed by violent, fast-paced, or loud movies. Even the soundtrack can be too loud as well. Here I want to share a few movies for empaths that have high enlightenment values and also provide a softer side that is quiet empath friendly.

I am pleased to offer you my recommendations for empath-friendly films. By this I mean, films that are inspirational, sometimes magical, and filled with the love of the Earth and its creatures as well as friendships and all of humankind.

These are not violent, loud, or action thrillers. Their pace is slower, richer, and leaves space for your imagination to roam to creative, beautiful places. Iโ€™m such a visual empath (I canโ€™t tolerate loud or terrifying movies) that watching films is pure delight for me. I hope you enjoy these films too and that they bring peace, upliftment, and enchantment to your life.

Top Film Recommendations for Empaths And Sensitive People

1. My Octopus Teacher (2020 Documentary)

Movies for Empaths

After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher, a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity.

Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end, he eventually wins the animalโ€™s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.

IMDb: My Octopus Teacher


2. August Rush (2007 Feature Film)

empath movie

A musically gifted orphan who is an empath, Evan (Freddie Highmore), runs away from his orphanage and searches New York City for his birth parents. Little does Evan know that his parents, Lyla (Keri Russell) and Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), are searching for him too.

IMDb: August Rush

Read: 13 Traits Of A Real Empath


3. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010 Documentary)

empath movie

A breathtaking look into the power and sensitivity of ancient cave dwellings. Filmmaker, Werner Herzog, is given a rare chance to film inside Franceโ€™s Chauvet Cave, where the walls are covered with the worldโ€™s oldest surviving paintings.

Examining the 30,000-year-old drawings, Herzog discusses how the artwork represents humanityโ€™s earliest dreams with scientists and art scholars conducting research at Chauvet.

IMDb: Cave of Forgotten Dreams


4. Field of Dreams (1989 Feature Film)

empath movie

When Iowa farmer Ray (Kevin Costner) hears a mysterious voice one night in his cornfield saying โ€œIf you build it, he will come,โ€ he feels the need to act. Despite taunts of lunacy, Ray builds a baseball diamond on his land, but learns this field of dreams is about much more than bringing former baseball greats out to play.

IMDb: Field of Dreams


5. The Kingโ€™s Speech (2010 Feature Film)

empath movie

Experience the power of a deep friendship. Englandโ€™s Prince, Albert (Colin Firth), must ascend the throne as King George VI, but he has a speech impediment. Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an actor and speech therapist, is hired to help him overcome his stammer.

An extraordinary friendship develops, as Logue uses unconventional means to teach the monarch how to speak with confidence.

IMDb: The Kingโ€™s Speech


6. Sensitive: The Untold Story (2015 Documentary)

empath movie

A fine documentary about the temperament trait of high sensitivity found in 20% of the population in both men and women. Based on the findings of bestselling author-psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron (โ€œThe Highly Sensitive Personโ€).

IMDb: Sensitive: The Untold Story


7. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016 Feature Film)

empath movie

Bella and Hector, two reclusive country folk, become foster parents to Ricky, a problem child from the city. After the death of Bella, Ricky refuses to return to the orphanage and runs away, ultimately sparking a national manhunt for him and Hector.

IMDb: Hunt for the Wilderpeople

8. Chariots of Fire (1981 Feature Film)

empath movie

Inspiring story and musical score! In the class-obsessed and religiously divided United Kingdom of the early 1920s, two determined young runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a devout Christian-born, refuses to train or compete on the Sabbath while Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) overcomes anti-Semitism and class bias.

IMDb: Chariots of Fire


9. Wonโ€™t You Be my Neighbor? (2018 Documentary)

empath movie

Through interviews with family and colleagues, the life of Fred Rogers, the would-be paster who found a more important calling to provide an oasis for children in a video sea of violent bombardment, is explored.

His landmark series, Mister Rogersโ€™ Neighborhood (1968) was a show that could gently delve into important subjects no other childrenโ€™s show would have dared for that time.

IMDb: Wonโ€™t You Be My Neighbor?


10. The Eagle Huntress (2016 Documentary)

empath movie

Aishol-pan, a 13-year-old girl, trains against great odds to become the first female in 12 generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter and rises to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries.

IMDb: The Eagle Huntress


11. The Secret of Roan Inish (1995 Feature Film)

When Fiona (Jeni Courtney) a young Irish, goes to live with her grandparents on the west coast of Ireland, she hears stories about the mythical creatures called selkies who can shift from seal to human form. After she ends up on the small island of Roan Inish, she believes she may have found her missing brother living by the sea and a world of selkies.

IMDb: The Secret of Roan Inish

Read: 15 Ways To Stay Grounded And Protected As An Empath


12. Whale Rider (2002 Feature Film)

empath movie

Only males are allowed to ascend to chiefdom in a Maori tribe in New Zealand. However, when Paiโ€™s (Keisha Castle-Hughes) twin brother who has been selected to be chief dies, she enlists the help of her grandmother (Vicky Haughton) and the training of her uncle (Grant Roa) to claim her birthright.

IMDb: Whale Rider


13. Wings of Desire (1988 Feature Film)

empath movie

Damiel and Cassiel are two angels, who have existed even before humankind. They wander around West Berlin, observing and preserving life. But Damiel is tired of overseeing human activity and wishes to become human when he falls in love with a mortal.

IMDb: Wings of Desire


Written By:  Dr. Judith Orloff 
Originally Appeared On: Dr. Judith Orloff

What are Empathetic Movies?

Movies have the ability to make you feel like the characters and bring out the emotions in you that are being portrayed. Empathetic movies can make you feel empathy for the characters portrayed in the story. These films convey the human connection and an emotional understanding at all levels.

What are the best Empath Friendly Movies?

Here are the top 13 empath friendly movies: My Octopus Teacher, August Rush, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Field of Dreams, The Kingโ€™s Speech, Sensitive: The Untold Story, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Chariots of Fire, Wonโ€™t You Be my Neighbor?, The Eagle Huntress, The Secret of Roan Inish, Whale Rider, Wings of Desire.


Empath Friendly Movies pin

Published On:

Last updated on:

Dr. Judith Orloff

Judith Orloff, MD is the New York Times best-selling author of The Empathโ€™s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People. Her new book Thriving as an Empath offers daily self-care tools for sensitive people along with its companion The Empathโ€™s Empowerment Journal. Dr. Orloff is a psychiatrist, an empath, and is on the UCLA Psychiatric Clinical Faculty. She synthesizes the pearls of traditional medicine with cutting edge knowledge of intuition, energy, and spirituality. Dr. Orloff also specializes in treating highly sensitive, empathic people in her private practice. Dr. Orloffโ€™s work has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Oprah Magazine, the New York Times. Dr. Orloff has spoken at Google-LA and has a popular TEDX talk. Her other books are Thriving as an Empath: 365 Days of Self-Care for Sensitive People, The Empowered Empathโ€™s Journal, Emotional Freedom and Guide to Intuitive Healing. Explore more information about her Empath Support Online course and speaking schedule on www.drjudithorloff.com.

Disclaimer: The informational content on The Minds Journal have been created and reviewed by qualified mental health professionals. They are intended solely for educational and self-awareness purposes and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or have concerns about your mental health, please seek help from a licensed mental health professional or healthcare provider.

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Empaths and sensitive people love movies but they are often overwhelmed by violent, fast-paced, or loud movies. Even the soundtrack can be too loud as well. Here I want to share a few movies for empaths that have high enlightenment values and also provide a softer side that is quiet empath friendly.

I am pleased to offer you my recommendations for empath-friendly films. By this I mean, films that are inspirational, sometimes magical, and filled with the love of the Earth and its creatures as well as friendships and all of humankind.

These are not violent, loud, or action thrillers. Their pace is slower, richer, and leaves space for your imagination to roam to creative, beautiful places. Iโ€™m such a visual empath (I canโ€™t tolerate loud or terrifying movies) that watching films is pure delight for me. I hope you enjoy these films too and that they bring peace, upliftment, and enchantment to your life.

Top Film Recommendations for Empaths And Sensitive People

1. My Octopus Teacher (2020 Documentary)

Movies for Empaths

After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher, a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity.

Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end, he eventually wins the animalโ€™s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.

IMDb: My Octopus Teacher


2. August Rush (2007 Feature Film)

empath movie

A musically gifted orphan who is an empath, Evan (Freddie Highmore), runs away from his orphanage and searches New York City for his birth parents. Little does Evan know that his parents, Lyla (Keri Russell) and Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), are searching for him too.

IMDb: August Rush

Read: 13 Traits Of A Real Empath


3. Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010 Documentary)

empath movie

A breathtaking look into the power and sensitivity of ancient cave dwellings. Filmmaker, Werner Herzog, is given a rare chance to film inside Franceโ€™s Chauvet Cave, where the walls are covered with the worldโ€™s oldest surviving paintings.

Examining the 30,000-year-old drawings, Herzog discusses how the artwork represents humanityโ€™s earliest dreams with scientists and art scholars conducting research at Chauvet.

IMDb: Cave of Forgotten Dreams


4. Field of Dreams (1989 Feature Film)

empath movie

When Iowa farmer Ray (Kevin Costner) hears a mysterious voice one night in his cornfield saying โ€œIf you build it, he will come,โ€ he feels the need to act. Despite taunts of lunacy, Ray builds a baseball diamond on his land, but learns this field of dreams is about much more than bringing former baseball greats out to play.

IMDb: Field of Dreams


5. The Kingโ€™s Speech (2010 Feature Film)

empath movie

Experience the power of a deep friendship. Englandโ€™s Prince, Albert (Colin Firth), must ascend the throne as King George VI, but he has a speech impediment. Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an actor and speech therapist, is hired to help him overcome his stammer.

An extraordinary friendship develops, as Logue uses unconventional means to teach the monarch how to speak with confidence.

IMDb: The Kingโ€™s Speech


6. Sensitive: The Untold Story (2015 Documentary)

empath movie

A fine documentary about the temperament trait of high sensitivity found in 20% of the population in both men and women. Based on the findings of bestselling author-psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron (โ€œThe Highly Sensitive Personโ€).

IMDb: Sensitive: The Untold Story


7. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016 Feature Film)

empath movie

Bella and Hector, two reclusive country folk, become foster parents to Ricky, a problem child from the city. After the death of Bella, Ricky refuses to return to the orphanage and runs away, ultimately sparking a national manhunt for him and Hector.

IMDb: Hunt for the Wilderpeople

8. Chariots of Fire (1981 Feature Film)

empath movie

Inspiring story and musical score! In the class-obsessed and religiously divided United Kingdom of the early 1920s, two determined young runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson), a devout Christian-born, refuses to train or compete on the Sabbath while Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) overcomes anti-Semitism and class bias.

IMDb: Chariots of Fire


9. Wonโ€™t You Be my Neighbor? (2018 Documentary)

empath movie

Through interviews with family and colleagues, the life of Fred Rogers, the would-be paster who found a more important calling to provide an oasis for children in a video sea of violent bombardment, is explored.

His landmark series, Mister Rogersโ€™ Neighborhood (1968) was a show that could gently delve into important subjects no other childrenโ€™s show would have dared for that time.

IMDb: Wonโ€™t You Be My Neighbor?


10. The Eagle Huntress (2016 Documentary)

empath movie

Aishol-pan, a 13-year-old girl, trains against great odds to become the first female in 12 generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter and rises to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries.

IMDb: The Eagle Huntress


11. The Secret of Roan Inish (1995 Feature Film)

When Fiona (Jeni Courtney) a young Irish, goes to live with her grandparents on the west coast of Ireland, she hears stories about the mythical creatures called selkies who can shift from seal to human form. After she ends up on the small island of Roan Inish, she believes she may have found her missing brother living by the sea and a world of selkies.

IMDb: The Secret of Roan Inish

Read: 15 Ways To Stay Grounded And Protected As An Empath


12. Whale Rider (2002 Feature Film)

empath movie

Only males are allowed to ascend to chiefdom in a Maori tribe in New Zealand. However, when Paiโ€™s (Keisha Castle-Hughes) twin brother who has been selected to be chief dies, she enlists the help of her grandmother (Vicky Haughton) and the training of her uncle (Grant Roa) to claim her birthright.

IMDb: Whale Rider


13. Wings of Desire (1988 Feature Film)

empath movie

Damiel and Cassiel are two angels, who have existed even before humankind. They wander around West Berlin, observing and preserving life. But Damiel is tired of overseeing human activity and wishes to become human when he falls in love with a mortal.

IMDb: Wings of Desire


Written By:  Dr. Judith Orloff 
Originally Appeared On: Dr. Judith Orloff

What are Empathetic Movies?

Movies have the ability to make you feel like the characters and bring out the emotions in you that are being portrayed. Empathetic movies can make you feel empathy for the characters portrayed in the story. These films convey the human connection and an emotional understanding at all levels.

What are the best Empath Friendly Movies?

Here are the top 13 empath friendly movies: My Octopus Teacher, August Rush, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Field of Dreams, The Kingโ€™s Speech, Sensitive: The Untold Story, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Chariots of Fire, Wonโ€™t You Be my Neighbor?, The Eagle Huntress, The Secret of Roan Inish, Whale Rider, Wings of Desire.


Empath Friendly Movies pin

Published On:

Last updated on:

Dr. Judith Orloff

Judith Orloff, MD is the New York Times best-selling author of The Empathโ€™s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People. Her new book Thriving as an Empath offers daily self-care tools for sensitive people along with its companion The Empathโ€™s Empowerment Journal. Dr. Orloff is a psychiatrist, an empath, and is on the UCLA Psychiatric Clinical Faculty. She synthesizes the pearls of traditional medicine with cutting edge knowledge of intuition, energy, and spirituality. Dr. Orloff also specializes in treating highly sensitive, empathic people in her private practice. Dr. Orloffโ€™s work has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Oprah Magazine, the New York Times. Dr. Orloff has spoken at Google-LA and has a popular TEDX talk. Her other books are Thriving as an Empath: 365 Days of Self-Care for Sensitive People, The Empowered Empathโ€™s Journal, Emotional Freedom and Guide to Intuitive Healing. Explore more information about her Empath Support Online course and speaking schedule on www.drjudithorloff.com.

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