The Top 25 Favorite INFP Movies

Ever wondered which movies would appeal to your specific personality type? Over the course of several months, I surveyed hundreds of INFPs about their favorite films, and learned that they feel a strong emotional connection to the movies they love. They have an enthusiasm for storytelling and film that is contagious. They yearn to be swept away by the imagination and fantasy of it all.

More than anything, INFPs mentioned that they loved to watch a movie that made them reflect on their lives and the meaning of life. They wanted to be inspired and moved when they watched a movie. While they do enjoy entertainment for entertainment’s sake, they often use movies as a way to connect to their emotionally-rich inner world. They see movies as a pathway to hidden possibilities and insights into the meaning of life or the future. Movies carry with them the possibility of seeing something they’ve never seen before or connecting with a character in a way they never have. Movies engage the INFP Feeling side while stimulating the possibility-focused nature of Extraverted Intuition (Ne). Because of this, INFPs are probably the most enthusiastic group I’ve spoken with so far about movies.

A guide to the 25 most popular INFP movies of all time. #INFP #MBTI

Estimated reading time: 23 minutes

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When it came to movie genres these were the INFP favorites:

1 – Science Fiction/Fantasy
2 – Drama
3 – Comedy
4 – Horror
5 – Art/House

And here are the top 25 movies – remember, if you are an INFP it doesn’t mean you are bound to like every single one of these movies. Out of 576 movies this list only includes the 25 with the highest number of votes. Don’t feel bad if you don’t like one or two of these (or any of them!)

1. The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Why INFPs Love It: The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a love story that is both realistic and enchanting. It’s a movie that asks us; “why did we fall out of love in the first place? did those little things that annoyed us so much really matter?” It takes us to the root of our relationships and our stories to the real reasons we love. Many INFPs may also relate to Clementine, an ENFP character, as she displays the emotional richness and open-mindedness that so many INFPs also embody.

2. Amelie

Why INFPs Love It: INFPs are inspired by Amelie’s story and her passion for making a difference in the lives of the people she meets. She’s a true idealist, and INFPs will enjoy the whimsy, the charming comedy, and the quirky romance that embody the movie. There is even some controversy about whether the character of Amelie is INFP or INFJ – while most typologists class her as INFJ, obviously many INFPs very much relate to her!

3. Into the Wild

Into the Wild tells the remarkable true story of Christopher McCandless – he graduated at the top of his class and was known for his athletic skills in school. But he leaves all that behind, abandoning his possessions and donating his entire $24,000 savings account to charity to hitchhike to Alaska and live in the wilderness. Throughout his travels, he seeks and ultimately finds pleasure and joy along with a sense of truth and purpose he has been yearning for all his life.

Why INFPs Love It:
INFPs are driven by the desire to experience the world in all its beauty – without the restraints and corruption of modern-day advances. Into the Wild is a soul-searching movie about testing yourself, seeing the unspoiled beauty and ferocity of nature, and living a life free of restraints. As INFP Andra Proca said; “This was one of the most meaningful movies I’ve ever seen. I felt somehow understood while watching it because sometimes I just want to have that kind of life and adventure and just exist. I have always wanted to be in solitude to discover myself. What I like the most about this movie is the authenticity of the main character and the fact that he fights for what he believes in. Into the Wild is in a few words inspiring, idealistic and authentic.”

4. The Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings follows the adventures of Hobbits, Men, Elves and more as they try to destroy the One Ring, which had been lost for centuries, and is now being hunted by evil forces from Mordor. It’s up to Frodo Baggins and his friends to destroy the ring, fight evil and defeat the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron.

Why INFPs Love It: INFPs love the fantasy world, and they can often connect with Frodo – who many believe to be an INFP character. They admire the character’s struggle of fighting good with evil, fighting against one’s own will for power, and being brave in the face of danger. As one INFP said; “I love The Lord of the Rings. I love the fantasy of elves, dwarfs, humans and the fight against good and bad. I love the adventure and the dream-like world it brings.”

5. Fight Club

Fight Club (1999)
Edward Norton and Brad Pitt
(Screengrab)

Fight Club follows the life of a depressed office worker who suffers from insomnia and a nagging feeling of emptiness in his daily life. He meets the reckless, devil-may-care Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) who takes him under his wing and together they start an underground fight club for men who are fed up with their mundane lives. However, this club evolves and becomes much more sinister than our main character ever imagined.

Why INFPs Love It: INFPs aren’t driven by materialism and find themselves often confused in a society which highly promotes materialism and greed in one form or another. INFPs long for authenticity and meaning, which is something the main character of Fight Club also is fighting for. What does all this mean? What’s the purpose of everything? Those are the questions that Fight Club is asking. Many typologists also believe that the female character, Marla Singer, is an INFP.

6. Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko feels out of place among his family and his peers. On top of his isolation and depression, Donnie Darko is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him into committing a series of crimes – through these visions, he learns that the world will soon be coming to an end.  Seeking answers, Donnie investigates time travel in an attempt to turn back the clock and prevent the world’s seemingly impending doom… actions that cause bizarre and life-changing results.

Why INFPs Love It: Donnie Darko asks the question ‘Would the world be better off without me?’ and he deals with a huge gamut of emotions and questions that will leave you thinking long after you’ve watched the movie. Many INFPs will relate to this dialogue between Donnie Darko and his teacher, Kitty Farmer.

Kitty Farmer: Fear and love are the deepest of human emotions.

Donnie: Okay. But you’re not listening to me. There are other things that need to be taken into account here, like the whole spectrum of human emotion. You can’t just lump everything into these two categories and then just deny everything else.

7. Inception

Inception tells the story of Don Cobb, a ‘mind thief’ who has the ability to enter people’s dreams and steal their secrets. His skill has put him in high-demand by the corporate espionage world, but it has also cost him the people he loves most. Cobb gets a chance to start over with his life if he can successfully plant an idea in someone’s mind. If he succeeds, it will change everything – but a dangerous enemy anticipates Cobb’s every move.

Why INFPs Love It: INFPs love the complexity of what’s going on beneath the surface in Inception. While at first glance it may seem like your typical thriller, there is a deeper emotional context and depth to the storyline. Inception deals with dreams – and INFPs are the quintessential “dreamers.” It also deals with the meaning of reality – and this question about whether fantasy or reality is more important is a question that many INFPs will relate to. They love the fantasy world and often find reality somewhat lackluster. One INFP I spoke with said that Inception is “the definitive INFP movie.”

8. Howl’s Moving Castle

Young Sophie Hatter is cursed by the Witch of the Waste, and transformed into an old woman. Her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.

Why INFPs Love It: Howl’s Moving Castle is a beautiful love story full of magic, fantasy, and imagination. These themes are sure to inspire an INFP audience who love something that takes them to another world where magic and adventure are very real.

9. Star Wars

Star Wars is an epic masterpiece of cinema – telling the story of good versus evil in the unforgettable way only Sci-Fi can. Star Wars follows young Luke Skywalker as he joins forces with a Jedi knight, a reckless pilot, a wookee and two droids on an adventure to save the universe from the Empire’s evil forces.

Why INFPs Love It: INFPs love Science Fiction, and Star Wars is one of the very best Sci-Fi classics of our time. Star Wars immerses the viewer in an extraordinary world beyond our galaxy, and lifts the imagination of the INFP viewer taking them on adventures and dealing with the unseen ‘force’ that can be used for good or evil. This fight of good versus evil captures the attention of the value-oriented INFP and the world George Lucas created delights their sense of imagination.

10. Inside Out

INSIDE OUT – Joy and Sadness navigate through Imagination Land. ©2015 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

This surprisingly thought-provoking Pixar film takes us through a journey of the human emotional experience, particularly when it comes to depression. Inside Out introduces us to the characters Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear, as they help their “child” Riley to cope with an unexpected move to San Francisco.

Why INFPs Love It: The emotional richness of this film is astonishing, especially because of the fact that we’re dealing with animated characters! While Inside Out is touted as a “kid’s movie” it’s helped many INFPs deal with their own complicated emotions and struggles in life.

11. Groundhog Day

Misanthropic TV broadcaster, Phil Connors, is irritated and despondent when he’s assigned the job of covering the annual Groundhog festivities in the small town of Punxsutawney. Things only get worse for Connors when he somehow gets stuck reliving the same day (Groundhog Day) over, and over again. Stuck in town due to a severe blizzard, Phil struggles to find a way to escape, or make the best of, his seemingly hopeless situation.

Why INFPs Love It: Underneath its light-hearted, comedic exterior Groundhog Day is a comedy that asks some existential questions like ‘what would you do if you only had one day?’. This movie touches on themes of self-realization and the meaning of life without being pretentious or overly serious. It’s full of laughs, sweetness, and fun – and INFPs enjoy a movie that can ask serious questions in an entertaining way.

12. A Silent Voice

a silent voice

When a grade school student with impaired hearing is terribly bullied, she transfers to another school. Years later, one of her former bullies sets out to make amends for his past failures.

Why INFPs Love It: The complex characters, the focus on redemption, and the lush visual imagery will all sweep INFPs into A Silent Voice’s story. This story makes you want to believe in humanity again and teaches you that everyone deserves a second chance.

13. The Harry Potter Series

The Harry Potter series follows the daring adventures of wizarding wonder, Harry Potter, and his delightful friends and intriguing mentors. Going from a miserable, lonely existence as a mistreated orphan to a famed wizard at Hogwarts, Harry discovers the meaning of honor, friendship, and selflessness as he faces his dangerous enemy, Lord Voldemort.

Why INFPs Love It: Harry Potter is the epic fantasy that INFPs love, full of sweeping adventure, magical possibilities, and breathtaking imagery. INFPs enjoy the variety of characters, the fight for good to triumph over evil, and the idea of this Wizarding world living alongside our human world. Many INFPs would have probably loved to get a letter inviting them to Hogwarts at eleven-years-old. Many typologists also believe the character Luna Lovegood is an INFP.

14. The Elephant Man

John Merrick is an intelligent and kind man, yet he is hated by Victorian-era English society because he is severely deformed. Dr. Frederick Treves, however, sees beyond appearances and saves him from his life in a freak show. This is the story of how John Merrick tries to regain freedom and dignity in life with the help of his friend Dr. Treves.

Why INFPs Love It: INFPs have a deep sense of compassion for people who are misunderstood, abused, or judged unfairly. They are known for “championing” those they feel have been cast aside by society. The Elephant Man engages their strong sense of compassion and helps them to feel in touch with their strong inner emotions and values. Some have even been inspired to reach out to others they feel are misunderstood by watching this movie.

15. Spirited Away

Spirited Away is a magical fantasy about a young girl, Chihiro, trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon a courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world.

Why INFPs Love It: Spirited Away is an enchanting story that deals with death, pain, and difficult subject matter in a way that is both beautiful and emotionally rich.
Fi-dominant INFPs will be drawn in by Chihiro’s story and mesmerized by the gorgeous hand-drawn animation and the magic and enchantment of the fairy tale itself.

16. Romeo and Juliet

This modern twist on a classic masterpiece sets Romeo and Juliet in the bustling city of Verona Beach. The Montagues and Capulets are two feuding families, whose children meet and fall in love. They are forced to hide their love from the world because they know that their parents will not allow them to be together. Although this story is set in modern times, it is still the same timeless story of the “star crossed lovers”.

Why INFPs Love It: INFPs are true romantics, and you can’t get much more romantic than Romeo and Juliet. As the blog Cultural Disasters puts it; “A little known fact about William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is that it wasn’t just the greatest love story of all time. It was the love story because it was written by an INFP, about two INFPs, for INFPs. INFPs are by far the most romantic personality type on the spectrum.”

17. The Princess Bride

This fairy tale adventure tells the story of beautiful, young Buttercup and her one true love, Wesley. After a long separation, Buttercup is forcibly engaged to the evil Prince Humperdink. In Wesley’s attempts to save her, he must battle the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin to be reunited with her. Based on the William Goldman novel “The Princess Bride” which earned its own loyal audience.

Why INFPs Love It: The Princess Bride seems to be a favorite among every personality type I’ve surveyed. It’s just that good. Why do INFPs like it in particular? Probably because INFPs love comedy, romance, and fantasy – you combine them all in a movie this good and they’re bound to enjoy it!

18. (500) Days of Summer

Tom Hansen is a hopeless romantic from New Jersey, working in LA as a greeting card writer. He meets Summer and is instantly smitten with her. We jump back and forth in time: from their budding relationship to her decision that they stay just friends. Tom is sure that Summer is the one for him, and tries desperately to understand what went wrong and how to fix their relationship.

Why INFPs Love It: (500) Days of Summer puts a comedic spin on the struggles that many idealists face in relationships. INFP Tom Hansen idealizes his relationship with Summer and sees her as the perfect soulmate. The romantic heart of the Idealist is often met with confusion in today’s dating world where many types just don’t take things quite as seriously. INFPs may find some connection and quite a few laughs in this offbeat “romantic” comedy.

19. Garden State

Andrew “Large” Largeman has shuffled through life in a lithium-induced coma for too long. Upon the news of his mother’s death, he decides to take a break from the pills to experience life for what it really is. By a twist of fate, Large meets Sam, a colorful girl who is everything he isn’t. Sam becomes the perfect sidekick, inspiring him to really truly live. Her warmth and bold nature give Large the courage to open his heart to the joy and pain that life has to offer.

Why INFPs Love It: Garden State is surprisingly deep and funny, capturing the quirky, confusing nature of life in your late teens and early twenties. It’s about experiencing life in all its fullness of emotion – something that will appeal to the Fi-dominant INFPs.

20. Dead Poets Society

Maverick teacher John Keating uses poetry to help his students to “seize the day” and embark on new heights of self-expression and exploration. He uses unorthodox methods to help his students break out of their shells and set themselves free from the oppressive demands and restrictions of their authorities.

Why INFPs Love It: John Keating, an ENFP, will inspire INFPs with his unconventional approach to everything in life. He challenges his students to find meaning, to take risks, and to be more authentic to who they really are. His messages will be relatable and inspiring to INFPs who long for a life outside the bounds of tradition.

21. Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge INFP movie

The year is 1899, and Christian, a young English writer, has defied his father by coming to Paris and following the Bohemian revolution taking hold of the city’s underworld. Nowhere is the thrill of the underworld more alive than at the Moulin Rouge, a night club where rich and poor men alike come to be entertained by the dancers. Little does Christian know that when he starts a deadly love affair with the star courtesan of the club; Satine, a dangerous love triangle will ensue.

Why INFPs Love It: Moulin Rouge is an epic love story led by Christian – an INFP. Many INFPs can relate to his passion, his dedication, his desire to be true to himself no matter the cost. Also, the music is pretty good 🙂

22. Edward Scissorhands

In a foreboding, lonely castle there lives an inventor’s greatest creation – Edward, a near-complete person. The creator died before he could finish Edward’s hands; instead, he is left with metal scissors for hands. Since then, he has lived alone, until a kind Avon lady named Peg discovers him and welcomes him into her home. At first, everyone welcomes him into the community, but soon things begin to take a turn for the worse.

Why INFPs Love It:
Edward Scissorhands is such a unique and sensitive character that you can’t help but feel for him – and many INFPs will especially relate to him because he is an INFP.
His authenticity, gentleness, and creativity are often hallmarks of INFPs, and his story here is unforgettable.

23. Lion

After five-year-old Saroo gets lost on a train, he winds up on a dangerous journey through Kolkuta, India, before being adopted by an Australian family. Twenty-five years later, armed with only a few memories, he embarks on a journey to find his lost family and return home.

Why INFPs Love It:
Lion is emotionally moving without ever being emotionally manipulative or phony. The story is based on true experiences and does an incredible job of building up the characters and making you feel connected to their stories and struggles. There’s never a dull moment, but you’ll definitely need a box of tissues handy!

24. Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Struggling writer Paul Varjak moves into a New York apartment building and quickly becomes intrigued by his beautiful, unusual neighbor Holly Golightly. Holly’s lifestyle confuses and fascinates Paul; in public she flits through parties with sexy sophistication, but when they’re alone she transforms into a sweetly vulnerable, confused girl with numerous issues on her mind.

Why INFPs Love It: Holly Golightly is a classic ENFP character and many INFPs can instantly relate to her. She’s a dreamer with rich fantasies and a desire to be free. Many INFPs love her quote “You mustn’t give your heart to a wild thing. The more you do, the stronger they get, until they’re strong enough to run into the woods or fly into a tree. And then to a higher tree and then to the sky.” 

25. Brazil

In a retro-future world, the populace is completely controlled by the state, while technology remains almost as it was in the 1970’s. Sam Lowry, a civil servant by day, spots a mistake in one of the pieces of paperwork passing through his office. The mistake leads to the arrest of an entirely innocent man, and although Lowry attempts to correct the error, things just get worse and worse, to the point where Lowry can see no way out.

Why INFPs Love It: This is another movie I haven’t seen and the INFPs who voted for it didn’t explain why it was a favorite. So, unfortunately, I can’t explain why they love it – if you’re an INFP who loves this movie, let me know why and I can revise this with your thoughts!

What Are Your Thoughts?

Are there any other movies you wish were on this list? What do you think of the selections? Share your thoughts with other readers in the comments!

Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type,  The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic, and The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!

Other Articles You Might Enjoy:

Understanding INFP Darkness – Getting to Know the INFP’s Shadow Functions

10 Things You Should Never Say to an INFP

The Rare INFP Male

10 Surprising Truths About INFPs

Find out which movies #INFPs love most! #INFP #Personality #MBTI

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122 Comments

  1. I think INFPs like Goodfellas because a lot of the relationship dynamics are grounded in loyalty. Also, a lot of the characters are Te/Ti-dom, Se-dom, and Fe-dom, which is always fascinating to me. The characters are good in that they are loyal and want to serve their families, but then bad because of the people they hurt directly and indirectly with their profession as criminals.

  2. I was surprised by the list, although some of them I loved. But I don’t like ugliness, so that’s a dealbreaker for me. Some of my favorites are about strong women protagonists–Chocolat, Out of Africa, Dangerous Beauty and The Good Year and they are all visually beautiful which is important to me.

  3. I love most of the Ghibli movies, but my absolute favorite, which I also consider an INFP movie, is Princess Mononoke.

  4. I was kind of bewildered by many of these choices. I don’t like “feel bad” movies, and can’t imagine why my INFP cohort would go for horror or those ending in cynicism or despair…. so therefore, not tragedy either. (Heroism is fine, but if the dog dies, I don’t wanna watch it.) Give me something with complexity, profundity, and hope. For a romantic comedy, Born Yesterday with Judy Holliday. Courtroom drama? Philadelphia (Tom Hanks). Sci-fi? Wall-E, or E.T. Or 2001: a Space Odyssey. Legal wrangling? Erin Brockovich. I loved the premise of Inside Out but frankly just an okay film…

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