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Joy poster

Movies that feel likeJoy (2015)

A story based on the life of a struggling Long Island single mom who became one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs.

If you loved Joy, the closest films we have are The Fighter (2010), On My Skin (2018) and Wild (2014). All three share Joy's contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Aquarius (2016).

πŸ… 61% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.6 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. David O. Russellcontemplative
9 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· Amazon Prime Video Β· Paramount Plus Premium

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If Joy hit the spot, these will too

The Fighter poster
The Fighter
2010 Β· dir. David O. Russell
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.8dramaParamount+

Both are David O. Russell's work, and they rhyme

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

Boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO'd by drugs and crime.

On My Skin poster
On My Skin
2018 Β· dir. Alessio Cremonini
β˜… 7.3dramaNetflix

Both are built on the same subject: biography

The incredible true story behind the most controversial Italian court cases in recent years. Stefano Cucchi was arrested for a minor crime and mysteriously found dead during his detention. In one week's time, a family is changed forever.

Wild poster
Wild
2014 Β· dir. Jean-Marc VallΓ©e
πŸ… 88%β˜… 7.1drama

The same preoccupation in both: a true story

A woman with a tragic past decides to start her new life by hiking for one thousand miles on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Aquarius poster
Aquarius
2016 Β· dir. Kleber MendonΓ§a Filho
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.4drama

Both keep coming back to the same thing: strong woman

Clara, a vibrant former music critic and widow with flowing tresses is the only remaining apartment owner in a beautiful older building targeted for demolition by ruthless luxury high-rise developers. Clara proves to be a force to be reckoned with as she thwarts the builders plans to kick her out of the apartment.

Big Eyes poster
Big Eyes
2014 Β· dir. Tim Burton
πŸ… 72%β˜… 6.9dramaStarz

One thread runs through both: biography

In the late 1950s and early '60s, artist Walter Keane achieves unbelievable fame and success with portraits of saucer-eyed waifs. However, no one realizes that his wife, Margaret, is the real painter behind the brush. Although Margaret is horrified to learn that Walter is passing off her work as his own, she is too meek to protest too loudly. It isn't until the Keanes' marriage comes to an end and a lawsuit follows that the truth finally comes to light.

Concussion poster
Concussion
2015 Β· dir. Peter Landesman
πŸ… 58%β˜… 7.1dramaNetflix

Common ground: a true story

A dramatic thriller based on the incredible true David vs. Goliath story of American immigrant Dr. Bennet Omalu, the brilliant forensic neuropathologist who made the first discovery of CTE, a football-related brain trauma, in a pro player and fought for the truth to be known. Omalu's emotional quest puts him at dangerous odds with one of the most powerful institutions in the world.

Bombshell poster
Bombshell
2019 Β· dir. Jay Roach
πŸ… 67%β˜… 6.8dramaPrime Video

Drama built on stillness, twice over

Bombshell is a revealing look inside the most powerful and controversial media empire of all time; and the explosive story of the women who brought down the infamous man who created it.

Beautiful Boy poster
Beautiful Boy
2018 Β· dir. Felix van Groeningen
πŸ… 67%β˜… 7.4dramaPrime Video

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

After he and his first wife separate, journalist David Sheff struggles to help their teenage son, who goes from experimenting with drugs to becoming devastatingly addicted to methamphetamine.

Il Divo poster
Il Divo
2008 Β· dir. Paolo Sorrentino
πŸ… 92%β˜… 7.2drama

Drama with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

Italy, early '90s. Calm, clever and inscrutable, politician Giulio Andreotti has been synonymous with power for decades. He has survived everything: electoral battles, terrorist massacres, loss of friends, slanderous accusations; but now certain repentant mobsters implicate him in the crimes of Cosa Nostra.

Burnt poster
Burnt
2015 Β· dir. John Wells
πŸ… 29%β˜… 6.6drama

Both are drama through and through

Adam Jones is a Chef who destroyed his career with drugs and diva behavior. He cleans up and returns to London, determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars.

The Butler poster
The Butler
2013 Β· dir. Lee Daniels
πŸ… 72%β˜… 7.2drama

The drama is handled with the same confidence

Cecil Gaines was a sharecropper's son who grew up in the 1920s as a domestic servant for the white family who casually destroyed his. Eventually striking out on his own, Cecil becomes a hotel valet of such efficiency and discreteness in the 1950s that he becomes a butler in the White House itself. There, Cecil would serve numerous US Presidents over the decades as a passive witness of history with the American Civil Rights Movement gaining momentum even as his family has troubles of its own. As his wife, Gloria, struggles with alcoholism and his defiant eldest son, Louis, strives for a just world, Cecil must decide whether he should take action in his own way.

Confessions of a Brazilian Call Girl poster
Confessions of a Brazilian Call Girl
2011 Β· dir. Marcus Baldini
β˜… 6.2dramaRent or buy

Both know what they want from drama

Rachel is a girl, adopted by an upper middle class family, who rebelled at 17 and left her family and studies at a traditional college in Sao Paulo to become a sexy call girl. Shortly after starting work, she decided to write a blog about her experiences. Since some clients thought she looked like a surfer she adopted the name "Surfistinha" which means little surfer girl.

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Joy’s defining feeling.