Movies Like Brain on Fire (2017)

Brain on Fire is a 2017 drama film from Gerard Barrett with a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Concussion and Extreme Measures.

Drama

Concussion

2015

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.

7.1

MagicScore

Extreme Measures

1996

Guy Luthan, a British doctor working at a hospital in New York, starts making unwelcome enquiries when the body of a man who died in his emergency room disappears. After the trail leads Luthan to the door of an eminent surgeon at the hospital, Luthan soon finds himself in extreme danger people who want the hospital's secret to remain undiscovered.

6.0

MagicScore

Patch Adams

1998

The true story of Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams, who in the 1970s found that humor is the best medicine, and was willing to do just anything to make his patients laugh—even if it meant risking his own career.

7.3

MagicScore

Something the Lord Made

2004

A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.

7.8

MagicScore

Frances

1982

The true story of Frances Farmer's meteoric rise to fame in Hollywood and the tragic turn her life took when she was blacklisted.

6.9

MagicScore

October Baby

2011

A beautiful and naive college freshman discovers that her entire life is a lie and sets out on a road trip with a host of misfits to discover herself and the answers she craves.

6.4

MagicScore

White Coats

2004

Follows the misadventures of a group of young interns at a hospital/medical school - dealing with the pressures of school and love.

4.9

MagicScore

Woman on the Run

2017

After surviving an attempt on her life, a reclusive mystery author discovers that her nanny has stolen her identity, forcing her to go to extreme lengths to get her children back.

5.8

MagicScore

Girl, Interrupted

1999

Set in the changing world of the late 1960s, Susanna Kaysen's prescribed "short rest" from a psychiatrist she had met only once becomes a strange, unknown journey into Alice's Wonderland, where she struggles with the thin line between normal and crazy. Susanna soon realizes how hard it is to get out once she has been committed, and she ultimately has to choose between the world of people who belong inside or the difficult world of reality outside.

7.6

MagicScore

#10

Awakenings

1990

Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a shy research physician, uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease. Leonard is the first patient to receive the controversial treatment. His awakening, filled with awe and enthusiasm, proves a rebirth for Sayer too, as the exuberant patient reveals life's simple but unutterably sweet pleasures to the introverted doctor.

7.8

MagicScore

#11

Molly's Game

2017

Molly Bloom, a young skier and former Olympic hopeful becomes a successful entrepreneur (and a target of an FBI investigation) when she establishes a high-stakes, international poker game.

7.2

MagicScore

#12

Working Girl

1988

When a secretary's idea is stolen by her boss, she seizes an opportunity to steal it back by pretending she has her boss' job.

6.6

MagicScore

#13

Dallas Buyers Club

2013

Loosely based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, a drug-taking, women-loving, homophobic man who in 1986 was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and given thirty days to live.

7.9

MagicScore

#14

The Theory of Everything

2014

The Theory of Everything is the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde.

7.8

MagicScore

#15

12 Feet Deep

2018

Two sisters are trapped under the fiberglass cover of an Olympic sized public pool and must brave the cold and each other to survive the harrowing night.

6.0

MagicScore

#16

Joy

2015

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

6.5

MagicScore

#17

Something from Tiffany's

2022

One woman's life is forever changed by an engagement ring meant for someone else.

6.7

MagicScore

#18

Italian Studies

2022

A mysterious woman wanders the streets of Manhattan in a confused state. Finding herself inexplicably drawn to a group of teenagers she embarks on an adventure with them through the cityscape and into the unknown. As the night progresses, she approaches something intangible on the journey back to herself.

5.1

MagicScore

#19

Wildcat

2024

Can scandalous art still serve God? Does suffering precede all greatness? Can illness be a blessing? In 1950, writer Flannery O'Connor visits her mother Regina in Georgia when she is diagnosed with lupus at twenty-four years old. Struggling with the same disease that took her father’s life when she was a child and desperate to make her mark as a great writer, this crisis pitches her imagination into a feverish exploration of belief.

5.8

MagicScore

#20

The Immigrant

2013

1921 New York. An immigrant woman is tricked into a life of burlesque and vaudeville until a dazzling magician tries to save her and reunite her with her sister who is being held in the confines of Ellis Island.

6.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Brain on Fire?

The top films similar to Brain on Fire by MovieMagicScore are Concussion (7.1), Extreme Measures (6.0), Patch Adams (7.3). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Brain on Fire worth watching?

Brain on Fire holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10 from 1,408 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Brain on Fire?

Brain on Fire (2017) is a drama film directed by Gerard Barrett, starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Thomas Mann, Richard Armitage.

Where can I find more recommendations like Brain on Fire?

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 Concussion Movies like Extreme Measures Movies like Patch Adams Movies like Something the Lord Made Movies like Frances Movies like October Baby

About movies like Brain on Fire

This ranked list pairs Brain on Fire (2017), a drama film from Gerard Barrett, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Chloë Grace Moretz 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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