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Movies that feel like Awakenings (1990)

If you loved Awakenings, the closest films we have are Hope (2013), A Few Good Men (1992) and In America (2003). All three share Awakenings' contemplative and hopeful feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 6 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, Hulu and Paramount Plus Premium and others, checked against today's data.

Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a shy research physician, uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease. Leonard is the first patient to receive the controversial treatment. His awakening, filled with awe and enthusiasm, proves a rebirth for Sayer too, as the exuberant patient reveals life's simple but unutterably sweet pleasures to the introverted doctor.

πŸ… 81% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.8 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Penny Marshallcontemplativehopeful

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If Awakenings hit the spot, these will too

Hope poster
Hope
2013 Β· dir. Lee Joon-ik
β˜… 8.2drama

Both are working the same pair: hope, a true story

The difference: 23 years apart, and the 2010s show

After 8-year-old So-won narrowly survives a brutal sexual assault, her family labors to help her heal while coping with their own rage and grief.

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A Few Good Men poster
A Few Good Men
1992 Β· dir. Rob Reiner
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.7drama

Contemplative where it counts, hopeful underneath

When cocky military lawyer Lt. Daniel Kaffee and his co-counsel, Lt. Cmdr. JoAnne Galloway, are assigned to a murder case, they uncover a hazing ritual that could implicate high-ranking officials such as shady Col. Nathan Jessep.

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In America poster
In America
2003 Β· dir. Jim Sheridan
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.7drama

Drama with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

A family of Irish immigrants adjusts to life on the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen while also grieving the death of a child.

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Departures poster
Departures
2008 Β· dir. Yojiro Takita
πŸ… 80%β˜… 8drama

Both lean on hope more than on drama

Daigo, a cellist, is laid off from his orchestra and moves with his wife back to his small hometown where the living is cheaper. Thinking he’s applying for a job at a travel agency he finds he’s being interviewed for work with departures of a more permanent nature – as an undertaker’s assistant.

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Moneyball poster
Moneyball
2011 Β· dir. Bennett Miller
πŸ… 94%β˜… 7.6drama

Both are built on the same subject: a true story

The story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball team on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.

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The Blind Side poster
The Blind Side
2009 Β· dir. John Lee Hancock
πŸ… 66%β˜… 7.6drama

Drama built on stillness, twice over

The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

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Fearless poster
Fearless
2006 Β· dir. Ronny Yu
πŸ… 73%β˜… 7.6drama Β· action

The same preoccupation in both: hope

The difference: Leans harder into action than Awakenings does

After going through a series of tragic events in his life, martial arts master Huo Yuanjia returns to Tianjin and must fight four international soldiers, in order to safeguard his nation's pride.

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Swades poster
Swades
2004 Β· dir. Ashutosh Gowariker
πŸ… 90%β˜… 8.2drama

Both run hopeful where it counts

A successful Indian scientist returns home to his village to take his nanny back to America with him, and in the process rediscovers his roots.

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Creed poster
Creed
2015 Β· dir. Ryan Coogler
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.6drama

Drama in the same key

The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.

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The Castle poster
The Castle
1997 Β· dir. Rob Sitch
πŸ… 87%β˜… 7.6drama Β· comedy

Both working the same drama territory

The difference: Sits closer to comedy than Awakenings does

The quirky Kerrigan family lives together in a makeshift home they built themselves – with great pride and a bizarre attention to detail – a few yards from the edge of Melbourne, Australia's busy Tullamarine Airport. When a building inspector condemns the building and reveals that the government plans to use their land for an airport expansion, Darryl Kerrigan and his brood recruit hack attorney Dennis Denuto and prepare themselves for the fight of their lives.

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A Short Film About Love poster
A Short Film About Love
1988 Β· dir. Krzysztof KieΕ›lowski
πŸ… 95%β˜… 8.1drama Β· romance

The same drama instincts

19-year-old Tomek whiles away his lonely life by spying on his opposite neighbour Magda through binoculars. She's an artist in her mid-thirties, and appears to have everything - not least a constant stream of men at her beck and call. But when the two finally meet, they discover that they have a lot more in common than appeared at first sight...

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Breaking the Waves poster
Breaking the Waves
1996 Β· dir. Lars von Trier
πŸ… 84%β˜… 7.8drama Β· romance

Drama approached the same way

In a small, conservative Scottish village, an oilman is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when he urges her to have sex with another.

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In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Awakenings’ defining feeling.