The 10 best films to watch when you’re at home with the flu

You’ve called your boss and told them you won’t be coming in, you’ve dosed yourself up on vitamin C and made a hot drink. Now what do you do?

Being bowled over by the flu doesn’t tend to be fun experience, but it does give you chance to dive under the sheets and watch a few films. To get better you need to relax and let your body get on with the task of fighting the virus. A good movie is the perfect way to switch off without feeling too bored or cooped up.

You can’t just watch any film though. The perfect flu film ideally needs a few key elements. Firstly, it needs to be comforting and secondly, it needs to be simple enough to follow so that if you fall asleep it won’t be too hard to pick up what’s going on when you wake up. Some people want to stay strictly light-hearted while others are in the market for a good cry. Whatever your preference, you’re sure to tick all the boxes by watching one of your old favourites.

So close the curtains and make sure you’ve got tissues, lots of liquid to hand and your comfiest pyjamas on. Here are our top picks for what to stick on.

1) 13 going on 30

This light-hearted film is definitely one that will pick your spirits up when you’re feeling rubbish, as 13-year-old girl wakes to find herself a 30-year-old woman. The results are an hour and a half of good natured fun.

2) The Notebook

For people that want to wallow in their illness and let some emotion out, you don’t get better than The Notebook. If the ending doesn’t have you in tears, you may not be human.

3) Shrek

The first instalment of the hugely successful franchise is still loved for a reason. This film has everything you could want for a relaxing afternoon – great jokes, a fast paced plot and a warm love story.

4) Forrest Gump

This Tom Hanks fronted powerhouse has it all. The story of a kind-hearted Alabama man swerves majestically from comedy to action film to heartfelt drama over the course of its two hour running time.

5) Guardians of the Galaxy

If you want bright colours and funny banter, this Marvel mega-hit is a good choice. The story of how a rag-tag group of misfits are brought together and end up saving the universe, Guardians features a break-out performance from Chris Pratt as well as a genius turn from Bradley Cooper as a talking raccoon.

6) Any Disney film

Beauty and the Beast. Aladdin. Lady and the Tramp. Do we need to say anymore? Also, if you include Pixar under the Disney banner, you also have Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Up. It would

be easy to fill up your whole recovery day by watching these classics back to back.

7) Breakfast at Tiffany's

Sometimes you just need a bit of classic romance, and with Breakfast at Tiffany’s you also get the benefit of a great soundtrack and incredibly softly spoken characters. This could be like being gently rocked to sleep, or you could be transported to fabulous New York in the early 1960s, filled with elegant dinner parties and heavy drinking.

8) Harry Potter

Go with the earlier instalments for adorably bad acting, low risk storylines and a wholesome dose of childhood friendship.

9) Love Actually

This film is almost guaranteed to make you feel better about the world. And you get to see Hugh Grant dancing too.

10) Bridesmaids

The story of the calamitous build up to a marriage and the toll it takes on the maid of honour is wickedly funny. Kristen Wiig shines in the lead role, and a strong supporting cast featuring Chris O’Dowd, Rebel Wilson and Jon Hamm all bring their A game too.

What about a boxset?

You could always opt for binge-watching your favourite show. US sitcoms like Friends and Frasier are precision engineered to provide a few jokes every minute, while their twenty-minute runtime means that each episode’s premise doesn’t overstay its welcome. You could also go with the gentler, down to earth comedy such as Gavin and Stacy.

Or, if comedy isn’t your thing, you could burn your way through some amazing dramas like The West Wing, Orange is the New Black or Downton Abbey.

Get yourself covered

As tempting as a duvet day spent binge-watching your favourite films sounds, ultimately being hit by the flu is no fun at all. If you’d like to give yourself the best chance of being flu-free this winter, visit or call your nearest Superdrug pharmacy or nurse clinic to book an appointment for the flu vaccine.