Collider ranks 10 most heartwarming slice-of-life films, led by Perfect Days

Collider published a Jan. 28, 2026 roundup by freelance senior writer Daniela that ranks the 10 most heartwarming slice-of-life films, highlighting titles from Studio Ghibli to contemporary indie cinema. The piece traces the slice-of-life tradition back to Italian Neorealism in the 1940s and asks what makes these films beloved: their tendency to strip away artificial narratives, offer a humanistic outlook, explore thought-provoking themes, and present pleasing aesthetics.

At No. 1 is Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days (released Dec. 22, 2023), which follows Hirayama, a middle-aged man who cleans public toilets in Tokyo and is described as a meditation on presence and simplicity. No. 2 is Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro (1988), praised for its gentle focus on childhood wonder, and No.

3 is the South Korean Little Forest (2018), a healing, nature-centered story of returning home and self-discovery. The list also includes Our Little Sister (2015) at No. 4 for its quiet depiction of family life; Marcel the Shell with the Shoes On (2021) at No. 5 for its tender mockumentary charm; The Holdovers (2023) at No.

6, which the article notes isn’t strictly slice-of-life but fits through its emphasis on daily rhythms and empathy; Paterson (2016) at No. 7; Tampopo (1985) at No. 8, called the ultimate foodie film and cited by Anthony Bourdain as "Juzo Itami’s maniacally fetishistic ode to ramen"; Columbus (2017) at No.

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