Something That Lifts You
Stories about people who did the hard thing anyway — documentaries, dramas and real lives worth two hours of yours.
Personalize these picks81 catalog ideas. List order is not a popularity or review ranking.
Start with these picks
A short film-and-TV selection for this page. Each note explains the choice; explore a title or use it to shape your next match.
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1
Dangal (2016)
A former wrestler trains his daughters to compete internationally despite resistance in their hometown.
Why it fitsA father training his daughters against local resistance puts effort, ambition and sporting progress at the center.
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2
Queen (2014)
A woman travels alone on her planned honeymoon after her engagement ends, discovering her independence.
Why it fitsA woman finding independence on a solo honeymoon offers a hopeful starting point for change and self-discovery.
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3
Cosmos: Possible Worlds (2020)
A documentary journey through space, time and the origins of scientific discovery.
Why it fitsQuestions about space, time and scientific discovery make this a starting point for curiosity and a wider perspective.
Platform tags describe catalog associations, not a confirmed offer in your country. Check the exact title and viewing options before paying.
Choose the source of inspiration
Some stories inspire through persistence, others through creativity, teamwork or a change of perspective. Name the quality you want to spend time with. An achievement story may include painful setbacks, while a small personal transformation can be uplifting without a dramatic victory.
Decide whether you want a fictional journey, a documentary or a conversation. A documentary’s account of a real person is still a selected perspective; check who made it and which period of that person’s life it covers. A fictional story can explore a useful idea without being a factual example to follow.
For a group discussion, choose a clear question to carry into the watch: what changed, who helped, or what trade-off mattered? Avoid searching for the final result if you want the narrative to unfold naturally. A motivational label does not replace your own judgement about advice or claims.
Selection guidance from MatchApp Ai. Sources and corrections.
More films and shows to explore
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4
Quando o Coração Entra em Campo
A soccer-themed vertical micro-drama following Rocca, star forward for Rio's biggest club, whose career leaps forward when he makes Brazil's preliminary World Cup squad.
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5
Maestro (2023)
Leonard Bernstein's marriage to Felicia Montealegre across three decades, built around the music he conducted and the life he couldn't conduct as neatly.
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6
Physical 100: Mexico (2026)
One hundred competitors with different athletic backgrounds battle through physical challenges for the title of Mexico's ultimate athlete.
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7
Toy Story 5 (2026)
Woody, Buzz and the toys return for a new chapter about play, friendship and what happens when the world around their kid keeps changing.
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8
Um Pedido de Natal (2016)
A teenager's wish for her religious family to lose its faith brings unexpected consequences and prompts her to reconsider what matters.
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9
A Different World (2026)
A new generation arrives at Hillman College, with Deborah Wayne trying to build a life beyond the legacy of her famous alumni parents.
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10
Turning Point: Generation 9/11 (2026)
A documentary on the generation who grew up in the shadow of September 11, and how that single day shaped the two decades after it.
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11
Cazalbé, o Herdeiro da Graça (2024)
A biographical documentary explores Carlos Alberto de Nóbrega's path through Brazilian comedy, family history and television.
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12
Hebe, a Cara da Coragem (2024)
Archive material and storytelling celebrate Hebe Camargo's outspoken personality and landmark career on Brazilian television.
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13
As Aventuras de Poliana (2018)
An optimistic girl faces family changes and school life while using her cheerful outlook to transform the people around her.
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14
Cúmplices de Um Resgate (2015)
Twin sisters separated at birth meet as teenagers and become allies while navigating music, family secrets and friendship.
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15
Best of the Best (2026)
Two newcomers join a competitive college dance team and discover that making the cut is only the beginning of the comedy.
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16
Guerreiras Mágicas de Rayearth (1994)
Three schoolgirls are transported to a magical realm where they must grow into heroes and help save a threatened kingdom.
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17
Geração Chiquititas (2024)
Former cast members from Chiquititas reunite for a nostalgic look at the series, its memories and its enduring audience.
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18
High Score (2020)
Game designers and players revisit the arcade cabinets, home consoles and creative decisions that shaped early gaming.
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19
Start-Up (2020)
A young founder and a programmer try to build a company while a letter from the past complicates their partnership.
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20
Martha Cooks (2022)
Martha Stewart shares favorite recipes, kitchen techniques and step-by-step cooking lessons from her farm kitchen.
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21
Acesso Total (2016)
Presenter Francesca Chiorando explores cities through their history and the stories behind their familiar facades.
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22
Chiquititas 2013 (2013)
Children living at the Raio de Luz orphanage build friendships and search for love, family and a place to belong.
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23
Um Gênio Chamado Jô (2024)
A documentary celebration of Jô Soares looks back at his humor, interviews, creative work and television legacy.
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24
Honest Renovations (2023)
Jessica Alba and Lizzy Mathis help families adapt their homes with practical renovations and thoughtful design.
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25
Nimona (2023)
A knight framed for a crime teams up with a shapeshifting teen to clear his name in a sci-fi/medieval kingdom.
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26
This Old House (1979)
Expert contractors restore aging houses and explain the craft, planning and technology behind home renovation.
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27
Maria Esperança (2007)
A resilient young woman relies on hope, faith and love while trying to overcome the hardships surrounding her.
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28
Silvio Santos: Vale Mais do que Dinheiro (2024)
A documentary series revisits the life, career and cultural impact of Brazilian television host Silvio Santos.
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29
Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022)
A young woman forced into Bombay's red-light district becomes a political advocate for the women around her.
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30
Side Hustlers (2024)
Women entrepreneurs work with investors and mentors to turn their side businesses into full-time ventures.
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31
Kota Factory (2019)
Students prepare for highly competitive entrance examinations while navigating friendship and pressure.
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32
Ask This Old House (2002)
Home-improvement experts visit households to solve practical repair, gardening and renovation problems.
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33
Reborn Rookie (2026)
A powerful chairman wakes up in the life of a rookie employee and has to navigate work from the bottom.
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34
Street Food: Latin America (2020)
Street cooks in six Latin American cities tell the stories behind their kitchens and signature dishes.
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35
Moana 2 (2024)
Moana sets sail on a new ocean adventure alongside Maui to reconnect with scattered island peoples.
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36
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
Three lifelong friends take a road trip that prompts them to reconsider love, fear and friendship.
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37
3 Idiots (2009)
Three engineering students question a rigid education system while following their own ambitions.
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38
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
A student in Malawi salvages parts for a wind turbine as failing harvests threaten his village.
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39
Girls from Ipanema (2019)
In late-1950s Rio, four women navigate friendship, a music club and the rise of bossa nova.
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40
Chef's Table (2015)
An intimate documentary series profiling the world's most creative chefs and their craft.
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41
America's Test Kitchen
Recipe demonstrations, tested home-cooking techniques and kitchen-equipment explainers from the America's Test Kitchen editorial team. Selected videos are available on YouTube; complete recipes and full seasons may require a membership.
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42
Digital Concert Hall — Berliner Philharmoniker (2026)
The Berlin Philharmonic streams its own concerts in full, live from the Philharmonie and from an archive going back decades — the closest thing to a season ticket from your sofa.
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43
Gustavo Dudamel & LA Phil — Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (2026)
The Ninth under a conductor who came up through Venezuela's El Sistema — the Ode to Joy played by someone who was handed an instrument to keep him off the street.
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44
Yuja Wang — The American Project (2023)
A new concerto written for Wang alongside Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, played with the ferocious clarity that has made her the most-argued-about pianist alive.
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45
Joe Hisaishi — A Symphonic Celebration (2023)
The Studio Ghibli scores rearranged for full orchestra by the man who wrote them — Totoro and Spirited Away as concert repertoire rather than soundtrack.
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46
Hilary Hahn — Bach: Violin Sonatas & Partitas (2018)
Hahn returns to the solo Bach she first recorded at seventeen, this time completing the set — technically immaculate and unusually warm with it.
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47
Blogilates
Cassey Ho's Pilates-led channel, one of the longest-running fitness brands on the platform, mixing workouts with food and body-image honesty.
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48
BBC Proms (2026)
Eight weeks of concerts from the Royal Albert Hall, from full symphonies to late-night jazz crossovers, ending in the Last Night singalong.
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49
Fitness Blender
Husband-and-wife team Daniel and Kelli publish hundreds of full-length, equipment-optional workouts with no subscription and no upsell.
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50
Sydney Cummings Houdyshell
A new full-length strength or conditioning workout published every single day, programmed in monthly blocks you can follow like a plan.
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51
ESPN 30 for 30 (2026)
The documentary strand that made sports films respectable — each one a different director on a story sport would rather have forgotten.
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52
Tara Brach
Weekly talks and guided meditations from the psychologist and meditation teacher, blending Buddhist practice with clinical psychology.
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53
The Mindful Movement
Sara and Les Raymond combine guided imagery, breathwork and gentle movement — meditation for people whose legs go numb sitting still.
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54
Chloe Ting
Free structured challenge programmes with a calendar to follow, which is what turned her short at-home routines into a global habit.
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55
HASfit
Coach Kozak and Claudia run free full-length workouts scaled for every level, with a modifier demonstrated in almost every video.
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56
growwithjo
Joanna Soh's walking and home workouts aimed squarely at beginners, with an emphasis on routines that need no equipment at all.
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57
The Mindful in Minutes Podcast
Kelly Smith teaches meditation in roughly ten-minute sittings, with themed series on grief, burnout and building a daily habit.
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58
Yoga with Tim
Detailed, alignment-led vinyasa for people who want to understand what a pose is actually doing rather than just follow along.
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59
Great Meditation
Short morning meditations and affirmations alongside longer sessions for sleep and spiritual growth, with minimal visuals.
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60
3Blue1Brown
Mathematics made visual and intuitive, turning linear algebra and calculus into something you can actually see.
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61
Welcome to Wrexham (2026)
Two Hollywood actors buy a fifth-tier Welsh football club and discover a town's entire self-image came with it.
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62
Mark Rober
An ex-NASA engineer builds absurdly elaborate contraptions, from glitter bombs to backyard science spectacles.
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63
Manual do Mundo
O maior canal brasileiro de ciência e experimentos caseiros, com curiosidades e desafios para toda a família.
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64
Vox
Explanatory journalism unpacking one complicated thing at a time, from economics to why songs sound the same.
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65
Veritasium
Science and engineering questions taken apart properly, with experiments that overturn what you assumed.
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66
TED-Ed
Short animated lessons on history, science and ethics, each built around one genuinely interesting idea.
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67
Marques Brownlee (MKBHD)
The most polished tech reviews on the platform, covering phones, EVs and the gear everyone argues about.
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68
Mrwhosetheboss
Slick gadget deep-dives and phone comparisons, with a good eye for what is actually worth your money.
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69
The Street Vendor Who Sleeps In His Van To Protect His Turf
The Sporkful follows a street vendor whose working day starts with defending his place on the street.
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70
The Last Dance (2020)
Michael Jordan's final Bulls season, built from footage nobody was allowed to show for twenty years.
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71
NPR Tiny Desk Concerts
Stripped-back live sets performed behind an office desk, where great artists have nowhere to hide.
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72
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
Gorgeously animated explainers on space, biology and existential questions, made for the curious.
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73
Yoga With Adriene
Approachable, no-pressure yoga sessions for every level, from a quick stretch to a full practice.
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74
SmarterEveryDay
Slow-motion cameras and genuine curiosity applied to everything from rockets to how a cat lands.
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75
Linus Tech Tips
Chaotic, hands-on PC building, hardware testing and the occasional very expensive mistake.
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76
CS50
Harvard’s computer science lectures pair programming demonstrations with worked examples.
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77
Quarterback (2026)
A season inside the helmet of NFL quarterbacks, mic'd through games and home life both.
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78
Linguagem Scala – Hipsters #210
The Brazilian Hipsters Ponto Tech team discusses Scala and its place in programming.
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79
Meet your Practical AI hosts
The hosts introduce their backgrounds and explain how they approach applied AI.
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80
Stray Kids
Explore Stray Kids' Korean pop, hip-hop and performance-driven catalog.
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81
The Joe Rogan Experience (2009)
Long-form conversations spanning comedy, science, MMA and culture.
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