Movies Like The Lady in the Van (2015)

The Lady in the Van is a 2015 comedy, drama film from Nicholas Hytner with a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Nomadland and A Home of Our Own.

Comedy Drama

Nomadland

2021

A woman in her sixties embarks on a journey through the western United States after losing everything in the Great Recession, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.

7.2

MagicScore

A Home of Our Own

1993

In 1960s Los Angeles an energetic widow and her six children try to make a dream of theirs come true: to have a home of their own. They leave L.A. and head for the countryside, all the while facing numerous difficulties and obstacles during their journey.

6.8

MagicScore

Prick Up Your Ears

1987

When the young, attractive Joe Orton meets the older, more introverted Kenneth Halliwell at drama school, he befriends the kindred spirit and they start an affair. As Orton becomes more comfortable with his sexuality and starts to find success with his writing, Halliwell becomes increasingly alienated and jealous, ultimately tapping into a dangerous rage.

6.6

MagicScore

The Man Who Knew Infinity

2016

Growing up poor in Madras, India, Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar earns admittance to Cambridge University during WWI, where he becomes a pioneer in mathematical theories with the guidance of his professor, G.H. Hardy.

7.2

MagicScore

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

1931

Dr. Henry Jekyll believes that there are two distinct sides to men - a good and an evil side. He believes that by separating the two, man can become liberated. He succeeds in his experiments with chemicals to accomplish this and transforms into Hyde to commit horrendous crimes. When he discontinues use of the drug, it is already too late.

7.2

MagicScore

The Pursuit of Happyness

2006

A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.

7.9

MagicScore

I'm Not Ashamed

2016

Based on the journal entries of Rachel Joy Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.

7.2

MagicScore

Denial

2016

Acclaimed writer and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt must battle for historical truth to prove the Holocaust actually occurred when David Irving, a renowned denier, sues her for libel.

6.8

MagicScore

The Trials of Oscar Wilde

1960

England, 1890s. The brutal and embittered Marquis of Queensberry, who believes that his youngest son, Bosie, has an inappropriate relationship with the famous Irish writer Oscar Wilde, maintains an ongoing feud with the latter in order to ruin his reputation and cause his fall from grace.

6.3

MagicScore

#10

The Hours

2002

The story of three women searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.

7.3

MagicScore

#11

I, Tonya

2017

Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the sport is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.

7.5

MagicScore

#12

A Dog's Way Home

2019

The adventure of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home after she is separated from her beloved human.

7.4

MagicScore

#13

6 Days

2017

London, England, April 1980. Six terrorists assault the Embassy of Iran and take hostages. For six days, tense negotiations are held while the authorities decide whether a military squad should intervene.

6.0

MagicScore

#14

The Man Who Invented Christmas

2017

In 1843, despite the fact that Dickens is a successful writer, the failure of his latest book puts his career at a crossroads, until the moment when, struggling with inspiration and confronting reality with his childhood memories, a new character is born in the depths of his troubled mind; an old, lonely, embittered man, so vivid, so human, that a whole world grows around him, a story so inspiring that changed the meaning of Christmas forever.

6.8

MagicScore

#15

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

2008

London, England, on the eve of World War II. Guinevere Pettigrew, a strict governess who is unable to keep a job, is fired again. Lost in the hostile city, a series of fortunate circumstances lead her to meet Delysia LaFosse, a glamorous and dazzling American jazz singer whose life is a chaos ruled by indecision, a continuous battle between love and fame.

6.8

MagicScore

#16

Emma

1996

Emma Woodhouse is a congenial young lady who delights in meddling in other people’s affairs. She is perpetually trying to unite men and women who are utterly wrong for each other. Despite her interest in romance, Emma is clueless about her own feelings, and her relationship with gentle Mr. Knightley.

6.6

MagicScore

#17

Wendy and Lucy

2008

A near-penniless drifter's journey to Alaska in search of work is interrupted when she loses her dog while attempting to shoplift food for it.

6.8

MagicScore

#18

Wild Boys of the Road

1933

At the height of the Great Depression, Tommy's mother has been out of work for months when Eddie's father loses his job. Eager not to burden their parents, the two high school sophomores decide to hop the freight trains and look for work.

6.8

MagicScore

#19

Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets

2001

Ali, Kwita, Omar and Boubker are street kids. The daily dose of glue sniffing represents their only escape from reality. Since they left Dib and his gang, they have been living on the portside of Casablanca. They live in constant fear of Dib's revenge. Ali wants to become a sailor - when he was living with his mother, a prostitute, he used to listen to a fairy tale about the sailor who discovered the miracle island with two suns. Instead of finding his island in the dream, Ali and his friends are confronted with Dib's gang. Matters are getting serious.

6.5

MagicScore

#20

The Imitation Game

2014

Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.

8.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Lady in the Van?

The top films similar to The Lady in the Van by MovieMagicScore are Nomadland (7.2), A Home of Our Own (6.8), Prick Up Your Ears (6.6). Each shares comedy/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Lady in the Van worth watching?

The Lady in the Van holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10 from 778 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is The Lady in the Van?

The Lady in the Van (2015) is a comedy, drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner, starring Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings, Frances de la Tour.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Lady in the Van?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more comedy recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Nomadland Movies like A Home of Our Own Movies like Prick Up Your Ears Movies like The Man Who Knew Infinity Movies like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Movies like The Pursuit of Happyness

About movies like The Lady in the Van

This ranked list pairs The Lady in the Van (2015), a comedy and drama film from Nicholas Hytner, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Maggie Smith take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

← Back to The Lady in the Van