Family Drama backdrop

Family Drama movies

Family bonds at the center: loyalty, duty, caregiving, generational conflict, and hard-won emotional repair.

271. The Way

The Way
Adventure Comedy Drama Globetrotting Adventure Family Drama
7.3
20102h 8minSpain, United States
Director: Emilio Estevez

Overview

When his son dies while hiking the famed Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in the Pyrenees, Tom flies to France to claim the remains. Looking for insights into his estranged child’s life, he decides to complete the 500-mile mountain trek to Spain. Tom soon joins up with other travelers and realizes they’re all searching for something.

Themes

Death of son memory, Pilgrimage pressure, Communal journey and companionship, Physical hardship and endurance, Group dynamics and guidance, Memory through ashes

Available on

Apple TV
Peacock Premium
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

272. In a Better World

In a Better World
Drama Family Drama
7.6
20101h 58minDenmark, Sweden
Director: Susanne Bier

Overview

The lives of two Danish families cross each other, and an extraordinary but risky friendship comes into bud. But loneliness, frailty and sorrow lie in wait.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Intergenerational conflict, Deception and loyalty, Duty versus family, Moral compromise under pressure, Bullying and protection

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

273. The Kids Are All Right

The Kids Are All Right
Comedy Drama Family Drama Adult Comedy
7.0
20101h 46minUnited States
Director: Lisa Cholodenko

Overview

Two women, Nic and Jules, brought a son and daughter into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids go behind their mothers' backs to meet with the donor. Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other.

Themes

Artificial insemination origins, Lesbian relationship under strain, Family boundaries under pressure, Parental authority vs autonomy, Affair as boundary test, Nontraditional family tensions

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

274. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Drama Fantasy Supernatural Fantasy Family Drama
6.7
20101h 54minThailand, United Kingdom
Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Overview

Suffering from acute kidney failure, Boonmee has chosen to spend his final days surrounded by his loved ones in the countryside. Surprisingly, the ghost of his deceased wife appears to care for him, and his long lost son returns home in a non-human form. Contemplating the reasons for his illness, Boonmee treks through the jungle with his family to a mysterious hilltop cave—the birthplace of his first life.

Themes

Karma and illness, Mortality and caregiving, Nonhuman transformation, Reincarnation and longing, Spirits and human bonds, Ritual memory

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

275. The Illusionist

The Illusionist
Animation Drama Family Animation Family Drama
7.4
20101h 20minFrance, United Kingdom
Director: Sylvain Chomet

Overview

A French illusionist travels to Scotland to work. He meets a young woman in a small village. Their ensuing adventure in Edinburgh changes both their lives forever.

Themes

Economic precarity, Romantic tension, Deception and appearances, Stage life constraints, Disillusionment with performance, Adult child friendship

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

276. The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid
Action Adventure Drama Family Martial Arts Action
6.3
20102h 20minChina, Hong Kong SAR China
Director: Harald Zwart

Overview

12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying but the cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make him an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is a kung fu master. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

Themes

Cultural adjustment pressures, Outsider belonging struggle, Authority versus aggression, Mentorship through discipline, Humility through practice, Trauma shaping mentorship

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

277. Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom
Crime Drama Organized Crime Family Drama
7.2
20101h 53minAustralia
Director: David Michôd

Overview

Joshua “J” is taken in by his extended family after his mother dies of an overdose. The clan, ruled by J’s scheming grandmother, is heavily involved in criminal activities, and J is soon indoctrinated into their way of life. But J is given a chance to take another path when a cop seeks to help him.

Themes

Family loyalty under pressure, Violence as leverage, Criminal indoctrination and control, Law enforcement corruption and complicity, Trust and betrayal within kin, Youth exposure to crime

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

278. The Last Song

The Last Song
Drama Family Romance Family Drama Parent-Child Family
6.0
20101h 47minUnited States
Director: Julie Anne Robinson

Overview

A rebellious girl swears she’s done with her father and the piano, but one unfinished song and a quiet summer by the sea pull her back in. As old wounds reopen and new love complicates everything, her need to know why he really brought her here starts to consume her every choice.

Themes

Parental divorce effects, Reconciliation through music, Small town gossip dynamics, Illness and caregiving

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

279. Loose Cannons

Loose Cannons
Comedy Drama Romance Romantic Comedy Family Drama
7.2
20101h 48minItaly
Director: Ferzan Özpetek

Overview

Tommaso is the youngest son of the Cantones, a large, traditional southern Italian family operating a pasta-making business since the 1960s. On a trip home from Rome, where he studies literature and lives with his boyfriend, Tommaso decides to tell his parents the truth about himself. But when he is finally ready to come out in front of the entire family, his older brother Antonio ruins his plans.

Themes

Family expectations vs authenticity, Economic stakes of family business, Public gossip and judgment, Tradition vs modern identity, Generational conflict and reconciliation, Diversity and inclusion in families

Available on

Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

280. Extraordinary Measures

Extraordinary Measures
Drama Family Drama
6.4
20101h 46minUnited States
Director: Tom Vaughan

Overview

Working-class father John Crowley is finally on the fast track to corporate success when his two young children are diagnosed with Pompe disease—a condition that prevents the body from breaking down sugar. With the support of his wife, John ditches his career and teams with unconventional specialist, Dr. Robert Stonehill to found a bio-tech company and develop a cure in time to save the lives of his children. As Dr. Stonehill works tirelessly to prove the theories that made him the black sheep of the medical community, a powerful bond is forged between the two unlikely allies.

Themes

Venture funding pressures, Family sacrifice for science, Profit motive vs patient care, Scientific persistence under constraints, Unorthodox collaboration, Time pressure in research

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.