Cinema has the remarkable ability to find beauty in almost everything, even in the most mundane aspects of daily life. The slice-of-life genre of movies in particular can strip away all the drama and spectacle. Instead, the focus remains on the ordinary and quiet moments of life.
Through beautiful cinematography, thoughtful storytelling, and especially grounded sensitivity, these movies transform even the most uneventful stories into something so moving. Here are 10 such slice-of-life movies that everyone should watch at least once.
10. Museum Hours (2012)
Set in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum, ‘Museum Hours’ follows a quiet friendship between a museum guard and an enigmatic visitor. Through their conversations, they talk about their personal life and their connection with the paintings surrounding them. The movie uses their bond to not only celebrate art but also the importance of human connections.
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9. Under The Tuscan Sun (2003)
Based on Frances Mayes’ memoir, ‘Under The Tuscan Sun’ follows the recently divorced writer after she impulsively buys a villa in Tuscany, hoping it might change her life. Struggling with writer’s block and depression, she slowly begins rebuilding herself. Through the joys of quiet living in the beautiful Tuscan countryside, she begins anew.
8. Frances Ha (2012)
Starring Greta Gerwig in the lead role, ‘Frances Ha’ follows the struggling 27-year-old dancer navigating friendship, career problems and longing for love in New York City. Its monochromatic cinematography beautifully captures both the ordinary moments as well as moments of uncertainty to explore the complexities of adult life.
7. The Assistant (2019)
Much darker than the other films in this list, ‘The Assistant’ follows a young woman through an ordinary day as she works for her powerful film executive boss. What starts out as mundane office routines slowly starts to show subtle signs of exploitation and abuse, which reveals a much deeper and more toxic power structure that can be there in workplaces.
6. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Set in the Japanese countryside, ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ follows two sisters who move to a rural village with their father while their mother recovers in a nearby hospital. As they learn to live in their new circumstances, they find an unexpected friend in the forest. In the turbulent times of post-war Japan, the two siblings find comfort in a whimsical life.
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5. Paterson (2016)
Starring Adam Driver in the lead role, the movie tells the story of a bus driver named Paterson and his unassuming life in New Jersey, along with his wife. Through the power of observation, the film tries to find beauty in the most mundane things. Whether it is driving the same route every day, overhearing conversations in public or walking the dog, Paterson finds poetry everywhere.
4. Minari (2020)
This A24 gem follows a Korean American family who move to an Arkansas farm in pursuit of their own version of the American Dream. As they struggle to establish a livelihood in the unfamiliar surroundings, their familial bond and small acts of love sustain them through their everyday life.
3. Our Little Sister (2015)
Set in the coastal town of Kamakura, ‘Our Little Sister’ follows the four sisters who live together in their late grandmother’s ancestral home. Rather than any dramatic plot, the film carries its emotional weight through everyday routines: preparing meals, eating together, or sharing casual conversations, all portrayed with grounded honesty and realism.
2. Perfect Days (2023)
Set in Tokyo, ‘Perfect Days’ follows Hirayama, a middle-aged man who cleans public toilets and prefers to live a life shaped by simplicity. We just follow his routine life, watching him find profound joy and meaning in daily tranquillity. Hirayama shows that life doesn’t have to be about always wanting more.
1. Little Forest (2018)
After failing her teaching qualification exam and growing disillusioned with city life, Hye-won returns to the rural hometown where she grew up with her single mother. There, she reconnects with nature and remembers her mother, who taught her that good food can heal almost any wound.
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