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Babette's Feast poster

Movies that feel likeBabette's Feast (1987)

A French housekeeper with a mysterious past brings quiet revolution in the form of one exquisite meal to a circle of starkly pious villagers in late 19th century Denmark.

If you loved Babette's Feast, the closest films we have are Roger & Me (1989), An Honest Liar (2014) and Ed Wood (1994). All three share Babette's Feast's contemplative and epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Real Life (1979).

πŸ… 97% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.7 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Gabriel Axelcontemplativeepicwittyplayful
5 of 12 streaming nowAmazon Prime Video Β· Criterion Channel Β· Brew

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If Babette's Feast hit the spot, these will too

Roger & Me poster
Roger & Me
1989 Β· dir. Michael Moore
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.5documentary Β· history Β· comedy

Contemplative where it counts, epic underneath

The difference: Leans harder into documentary than Babette's Feast does

A documentary about the closure of General Motors' plant at Flint, Michigan, which resulted in the loss of 30,000 jobs. Details the attempts of filmmaker Michael Moore to get an interview with GM CEO Roger Smith.

An Honest Liar poster
An Honest Liar
2014 Β· dir. Justin Weinstein
πŸ… 98%β˜… 7.4history Β· comedy Β· documentaryPrime Video

Both land wit and play at once

The difference: 27 years apart, and the 2010s show

An Honest Liar tells the incredible story of the world-famous magician, escape artist, and world-renowned enemy of deception, James 'The Amazing' Randi. The film brings to life Randi's intricate investigations that publicly exposed psychics, faith healers, and con-artists with quasi-religious fervor. A master deceiver who came out of the closet at the age of 81, Randi created fictional characters, fake psychics, and even turned his partner of 25 years, Jose Alvarez, into a sham guru named Carlos.

Ed Wood poster
Ed Wood
1994 Β· dir. Tim Burton
πŸ… 92%β˜… 7.8comedy Β· drama Β· history

Drama built on stillness, twice over

The mostly true story of the legendary "worst director of all time", who, with the help of his strange friends, filmed countless B-movies without ever becoming famous or successful.

Project A poster
Project A
1983 Β· dir. Jackie Chan
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7.2action Β· adventure Β· comedy

Both lean on scale more than on comedy

The difference: Takes it somewhere less contemplative than Babette's Feast does

In late 19th century Hong Kong, the British may rule the land, but the pirates rule the waters. Coast Guard officer Dragon Ma is determined that his beloved Coast Guard will not be made a fool of.

Armour of God poster
Armour of God
1986 Β· dir. Jackie Chan
πŸ… 80%β˜… 6.9adventure Β· action Β· comedyRent or buy

History with a pulse of wit, in both cases

The difference: Easier on the stillness than Babette's Feast

After an adventurer known as the Asian Hawk steals a mysterious sword known to be a piece of the Armour of God, a magical suit of armour that dates back to the Crusades, a cult of Satanic monks kidnap his ex-girlfriend and demand he turn over the sword and recover the rest of the armour.

Il Sorpasso poster
Il Sorpasso
1962 Β· dir. Dino Risi
β˜… 8.2drama Β· comedy Β· adventure

Playful drama in both cases

Roberto, a shy law student in Rome, meets Bruno, a forty-year-old exuberant, capricious man, who takes him for a drive through the Roman and Tuscany countries in the summer. When their journey starts to blend into their daily lives though, the pair’s newfound friendship is tested.

The In-Laws poster
The In-Laws
1979 Β· dir. Arthur Hiller
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7.3comedy Β· adventure

Epic comedy, and it commits to that

In preparation for his daughter's wedding, dentist Sheldon Kornpett meets Vince Ricardo, the groom's father. Vince, a manic fellow who claims to be a government agent, then proceeds to drag Sheldon into a series of chases and misadventures from New York to Central America.

My Favorite Year poster
My Favorite Year
1982 Β· dir. Richard Benjamin
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.3comedy Β· drama

Contemplative history in both cases

Fledgling comic Benjy Stone can't believe his luck when his childhood hero, the swashbuckling matinee idol Alan Swann, gets booked to appear on the variety show he writes for. But when Swann arrives, he fails to live up to his silver screen image. Instead, he's a drunken womanizer who suffers from stage fright. Benjy is assigned to look after him before the show, and it's all he can do to keep his former idol from going completely off the rails.

Clockwise poster
Clockwise
1986 Β· dir. Christopher Morahan
πŸ… 83%β˜… 6.6comedy

Comedy built on wit, twice over

School headmaster Brian Stimpson is obsessed with timeliness, order, and discipline. Brian misses his train after meticulously preparing a speech for an education conference. With no one else to turn to, he asks young former student Laura Wisely for a ride. Laura, upset over a break-up, agrees to drive him in her parents' car - which alarms her mother and father, who worry that she has run away with a married man and subsequently alert the police.

There's Still Tomorrow poster
There's Still Tomorrow
2023 Β· dir. Paola Cortellesi
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7.7drama Β· comedy Β· historyRent or buy

Drama with a pulse of play, in both cases

In postwar Rome, a working-class woman dreams of a better future for herself and her daughter while facing abuse at the hands of her domineering husband. When a mysterious letter arrives, she discovers the courage to change the circumstances of her life.

Smoke poster
Smoke
1995 Β· dir. Wayne Wang
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7.4comedy Β· drama

Drama of the same temperament

Writer Paul Benjamin is nearly hit by a bus when he leaves Auggie Wren's smoke shop. Stranger Rashid Cole saves his life, and soon middle-aged Paul tells homeless Rashid that he wouldn't mind a short-term housemate. Still grieving over his wife's murder, Paul is moved by both Rashid's quest to reconnect with his father and Auggie's discovery that a woman who might be his daughter is about to give birth.

Real Life poster
Real Life
1979 Β· dir. Albert Brooks
πŸ… 84%β˜… 7comedyRent or buy

Both know what they want from comedy

A pushy, narcissistic filmmaker persuades a Phoenix family to let him and his crew film their everyday lives, in the manner of the ground-breaking PBS series "An American Family".

In the mood for more contemplative?

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