Hector and the Search for Happiness poster

Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)

Directed by Peter Chelsom · Adventure, Drama, Comedy

Starring Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Toni Collette, Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Plummer, Jean Reno, Barry Atsma, Veronica Ferres, Ming Zhao, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Chad Willett, Togo Igawa, Mary Twala, Bernard Cuffling, Jakob Davies, Chris Gauthier, Dean Paul Gibson, Eileen Barrett, Michael Adamthwaite, Vincent Gale, Gabrielle Rose, Thorsten Wedekind, Alexa Damián, Malcolm Boddington, Gribunina Marina, Ana Trujic, Aaron Le, S'Thandiwe Kgoroge, Anthony Oseyemi, Sebelethu Bonkolo, Hannah Longworth, Aiden Longworth, Jordan Schartner

IHBM7.5 IMDb6.9 RT38% MC29 Trakt71% TMDb6.7Very good

Hector is a quirky psychiatrist who has become increasingly tired of his humdrum life. As he tells his girlfriend, Clara, he feels like a fraud: he hasnt really tasted life, and yet hes offering advice to patients who are just not getting any happier. So Hector decides to break out of his deluded and routine driven life. Armed with buckets of courage and child-like curiosity, he embarks on a global quest in hopes of uncovering the elusive secret formula for true happiness. And so begins a larger than life adventure with riotously funny results.

My review · Reviewed 08/14/2025

Is this a great movie? In a vacuum, probably not. What really stood out about this movie is that it was movie about an adult that was struggling, and in telling that story, it treated the audience as though we are adults. The movie was at times funny, touching, sad, and ultimately, hopeful. There isn't a big a-ha moment, but if you spend some time with it, the movie might speak to you. I know that it did for me.

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