Movies Like Lion (2016)

Lion is a 2016 drama film from Garth Davis with a MovieMagicScore of 8.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Hebe and Ammonite.

Drama

Hebe

2019

Hebe Camargo is one of the most emblematic entertainments in Brazil. At her 60s, she went on to control her own career and, despite the criticism, the dreadful husband and the powerful and sexist bosses, she revealed herself to the public as an extraordinary woman, capable of overcoming any personal or professional crisis.

7.1

MagicScore

Ammonite

2020

In 1840s England, palaeontologist Mary Anning and a young woman sent by her husband to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship. Despite the chasm between their social spheres and personalities, Mary and Charlotte discover they can each offer what the other has been searching for: the realisation that they are not alone. It is the beginning of a passionate and all-consuming love affair that will defy all social bounds and alter the course of both lives irrevocably.

6.9

MagicScore

The Banker

2020

In the 1960s, two entrepreneurs hatch an ingenious business plan to fight for housing integration—and equal access to the American Dream.

7.6

MagicScore

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

2012

British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than its advertisements, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways as the residents find new purpose in their old age.

7.0

MagicScore

Paper Towns

2015

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge, he follows. After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Quentin arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Quentin soon learns that there are clues, and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer Quentin gets, the less he sees of the girl he thought he knew.

6.2

MagicScore

Reagan

2024

Told through the voice of former KGB agent Viktor Petrovich, whose life becomes inextricably linked with Ronald Reagan's when Reagan first caught the Soviets’ attention as an actor in Hollywood, Reagan overcomes the odds to become the 40th president of the United States.

6.3

MagicScore

Van Diemen's Land

2009

The true story of Australia’s most notorious convict, Alexander Pearce and his infamous journey into the beautiful yet brutal Tasmanian wilderness. A point of no return for convicts banished from their homeland, Van Diemen’s Land was a feared and dreaded penal settlement at the end of the earth.

5.3

MagicScore

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within

2010

After a bloody invasion of the BOPE in the High-Security Penitentiary Bangu 1 in Rio de Janeiro to control a rebellion of interns, the Lieutenant-Colonel Roberto Nascimento and the second in command Captain André Matias are accused by the Human Right Aids member Diogo Fraga of execution of prisoners. Matias is transferred to the corrupted Military Police and Nascimento is exonerated from the BOPE by the Governor.

7.8

MagicScore

Eternity

2025

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with and her first love, who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.

7.0

MagicScore

#10

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

2021

The extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain, whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public's perception of cats forever.

7.0

MagicScore

#11

Antonio das Mortes

1969

A new incarnation of Cangaceiro bandits, led by Coirana, has risen in the badlands. A blind landowner hires Antônio to wipe out his old nemesis. Yet after besting Coirana and accompanying the dying man to his mountain hideout, Antônio is moved by the plight of the Cangaceiro’s followers. The troubled hitman turns revolutionary, his gun and machete aimed towards his former masters.

6.9

MagicScore

#12

He Got Game

1998

A basketball player's father must try to convince him to go to a college so he can get a shorter prison sentence.

6.7

MagicScore

#13

Enough Said

2013

Eva is a divorced soon-to-be empty-nester wondering about her next act. Then she meets Marianne, the embodiment of her perfect self. Armed with a restored outlook on being middle-aged and single, Eva decides to take a chance on her new love interest Albert — a sweet, funny and like-minded man. But things get complicated when Eva discovers that Albert is in fact the dreaded ex–husband of Marianne...

6.7

MagicScore

#14

Boys in the Trees

2016

On Halloween 1997, two estranged teen skaters embark on a surreal journey through their memories, dreams and fears.

6.6

MagicScore

#15

Three Summers

2020

Over a trio of summers, a caretaker for luxury condominiums relies on her resourcefulness and her eye for opportunity to take advantage of whatever comes her way.

6.4

MagicScore

#16

Alice Júnior

2020

This is the story of Alice Junior, a transgender girl full of life, who wants to give her first kiss, but first, she just wants to be who she really is.

6.3

MagicScore

#17

The Tunnel

2019

When a truck crashes inside a tunnel, people on their way home for Christmas are brutally trapped in a deadly fire. With a blizzard raging outside, and the first responders struggling to get to the accident, it's every man for himself.

6.3

MagicScore

#18

The Pink Cloud

2021

After a toxic and mysterious pink cloud suddenly appears around the globe, people are forced to shelter in place. A woman finds herself stuck in an apartment with a stranger after a one-night stand, and the two come to terms with staying together.

5.8

MagicScore

#19

American Sniper

2014

U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle takes his sole mission—protect his comrades—to heart and becomes one of the most lethal snipers in American history. His pinpoint accuracy not only saves countless lives but also makes him a prime target of insurgents. Despite grave danger and his struggle to be a good husband and father to his family back in the States, Kyle serves four tours of duty in Iraq. However, when he finally returns home, he finds that he cannot leave the war behind.

7.4

MagicScore

#20

How to Train Your Dragon 2

2014

Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time charting unmapped territories. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons -- and a mysterious dragon rider. Now, Hiccup and Toothless find themselves at the center of a battle to protect Berk from a power-hungry warrior.

7.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Lion?

The top films similar to Lion by MovieMagicScore are Hebe (7.1), Ammonite (6.9), The Banker (7.6). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Lion worth watching?

Lion holds a MovieMagicScore of 8.0/10 from 6,786 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Lion?

Lion (2016) is a drama film directed by Garth Davis, starring Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, David Wenham.

Where can I find more recommendations like Lion?

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

Keep exploring

Movies like Hebe Movies like Ammonite Movies like The Banker Movies like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Movies like Paper Towns Movies like Reagan

About movies like Lion

This ranked list pairs Lion (2016), a drama film from Garth Davis, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Dev Patel 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.

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