feelsalike.com

Movies that feel like Fat City (1972)

If you loved Fat City, the closest films we have are Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Ace in the Hole (1951) and Rocky III (1982). All three share Fat City's contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 10 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel and Philo and others, checked against today's data.

The story of two men, a veteran boxer who is down and out, and a young man who is just starting his life and boxing career. Their fighting careers cross paths as their lives and fortunes head in opposite directions. Director John Huston tells their stories with a level, unsentimental honesty and makes it into one of his best films.

πŸ… 100% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.2 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. John Hustoncontemplativeatmospheric

When is Fat City streaming? β†’

If Fat City hit the spot, these will too

Sweet Smell of Success poster
Sweet Smell of Success
1957 Β· dir. Alexander Mackendrick
πŸ… 98%β˜… 8drama

Contemplative and atmospheric in the same breath

New York City newspaper writer J.J. Hunsecker holds considerable sway over public opinion with his Broadway column, but one thing that he can't control is his younger sister, Susan, who is in a relationship with aspiring jazz guitarist Steve Dallas. Hunsecker strongly disapproves of the romance and recruits publicist Sidney Falco to find a way to split the couple, no matter how ruthless the method.

Feels alike?
Ace in the Hole poster
Ace in the Hole
1951 Β· dir. Billy Wilder
πŸ… 88%β˜… 8.1drama

Both trade on stillness more than on being drama

The difference: 21 years apart, and the 1950s show

An arrogant reporter exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to revitalize his career.

Feels alike?
Rocky III poster
Rocky III
1982 Β· dir. Sylvester Stallone
πŸ… 66%β˜… 6.9drama

Transporter runs into sports in each of them

The difference: Critics were much harder on this one

Following Rocky Balboa's intense battle with his most powerful adversary yet – the ferocious Clubber Lang – Rocky joins forces with former rival Apollo Creed in an effort to get back his fighting spirit.

Feels alike?
The Set-Up poster
The Set-Up
1949 Β· dir. Robert Wise
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.8drama Β· crime

Both circle boxer and boxing

The difference: Plays it as crime more than Fat City does

Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.

Feels alike?
The Whales of August poster
The Whales of August
1987 Β· dir. Lindsay Anderson
πŸ… 64%β˜… 7.1drama

Drama built on stillness, twice over

The difference: Not nearly as atmospheric as Fat City

Two aged sisters reflect on life and the past during a late summer day in Maine.

Feels alike?
An Autumn Afternoon poster
An Autumn Afternoon
1962 · dir. Yasujirō Ozu
πŸ… 95%β˜… 8drama

Both are drama through and through

Widower Shuhei Hirayama's caretaker is his 24-year-old daughter, Michiko. Gradually, he comes to realize that Michiko should not be obliged to look after him for the rest of his life, so he arranges a marriage for her.

Feels alike?
Million Dollar Baby poster
Million Dollar Baby
2004 Β· dir. Clint Eastwood
πŸ… 90%β˜… 8.1drama

Transporter is the engine of both

Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her.

Feels alike?
The Asphalt Jungle poster
The Asphalt Jungle
1950 Β· dir. John Huston
πŸ… 98%β˜… 7.8crime Β· drama

John Huston directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar "Doc" Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo Emmerich, a crooked lawyer, gathers a small group of veteran criminals together in the Midwest for a big jewel heist.

Feels alike?
Philadelphia poster
Philadelphia
1993 Β· dir. Jonathan Demme
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7.7drama

The same drama instincts

Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.

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Scent of a Woman poster
Scent of a Woman
1992 Β· dir. Martin Brest
πŸ… 82%β˜… 8drama

Cut from the same drama cloth

Charlie Simms is a student at a private preparatory school who comes from a poor family. To earn the money for his flight home to Gresham, Oregon for Christmas, Charlie takes a job over Thanksgiving looking after retired U.S. Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, a cantankerous middle-aged man who lives with his niece and her family.

Feels alike?
Rocky II poster
Rocky II
1979 Β· dir. Sylvester Stallone
πŸ… 68%β˜… 7.3drama

Both keep circling back to sports

After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.

Feels alike?
12 Angry Men poster
12 Angry Men
1957 Β· dir. Sidney Lumet
πŸ… 100%β˜… 9drama

Drama approached the same way

The defense and the prosecution have rested and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young Spanish-American is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open and shut case soon becomes a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, and each other.

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In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Fat City's defining feeling.