The future is bright, according to films

January is often a month filled with diets, rain and depression, but Brits are feeling optimistic about 2014, according to the movies and TV series they have streamed in the first month of the year.

Film and TV streaming service, Amazon's LOVEFiLM, teamed up with psychologist Dr Nick Baylis, a former Cambridge University Lecturer in Positive Psychology, to scrutinise the entertainment Brits have viewed so far this year.

Despite the vast and eclectic mix of content available, the research out today reveals that Brits have been watching more positive and uplifting films, producing an air of optimism as we move into February.

Analysing viewing data from LOVEFiLM, Dr Nick Baylis said: The appetite for particular plots this January clearly indicates a buoyant sense of plucky confidence coursing through Brits. Almost every story in the films and TV series we have watched recounts how small and courageous beats big and mean'. This is particularly prevalent in films such as Immortals, where Theseus is chosen to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, and Tangled, a story where Rapunzel discovers the world and who she is.

The underlying message of the most popular entertainment is You'll win through in the end'. In fact, viewers seem so chipper and confident, they're even hungry to take on monsters and natural disasters in TV shows like The Walking Dead and films such as Blood Glacier, Apocalypse Z and The Reef, the story of a great white shark that hunts the crew of a capsized sailboat along the Great Barrier Reef.

Perhaps such optimism is because the end of the recession is finally in sight. Either way, our love of films and TV series with such encouraging themes as these can fast become a self-fulfilling prophecy: we don't just watch what we like; we are nourished by these tales, so our good spirits should go from strength to strength.

The themes identified by Dr. Baylis are also present in many of the titles featured in a list of the top 10 most uplifting films of all time - previous research commissioned by LOVEFiLM of over 3,000 film fans.

The top 10 uplifting films are:

1. Cool Runnings - 10%

2. The Shawshank Redemption - 9%

3. Forrest Gump - 8%

4. Amelie - 7%

5. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - 6%

6. Little Miss Sunshine - 5%

7. Dirty Dancing - 4%

8. Groundhog Day - 3%

9. It's A Wonderful Life - 2%

10. Pretty Woman - 1%

Other - 45%

Helen Cowley, Editor of LOVEFiLM, said: A great film or TV show can do far more than just entertain - it can raise our spirits, lift our mood and put us in a positive frame of mind for the challenges we face. It's incredible how what we watch can highlight the mood of the nation, and exciting to know that we are feeling upbeat and confident about the year ahead.

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