5 Films that will help you get over your January funk

Robot & Frank (2012)

OK, OK — here’s where things get a little more screwball-y. Directed by Jake Schreier in his feature-length debut (he later went on to direct the book-to-film adaptation of John Green’s Paper Towns in 2015), Robot & Frank is superficially silly. Plagued by quickly worsening dementia, ex-con Frank Weld (Frank Langella) is gifted a robot companion to aid him in everyday activities. Frank’s son Hunter (a dreamy James Mardsen) means well when he drops the nameless metal buddy off, and while he is initially wary of the robot, Frank quickly realizes that it can assist him in endeavors beyond the mundane gardening and therapeutic care it is designed to complete. Together, the odd pair embark on a series of petty crimes and cruises down quite streets until Frank is affronted with a troubling reality. Adorably playful with a sprinkling of spry sneakiness, Robot & Frank is terrifically acted and even more tremendously crafted. It is yet another film that settles effortlessly into the fine line between comedy and tragedy, and will leave you feeling full with positive emotion.