Movies Like The Eighth Day (1996)

The Eighth Day is a 1996 drama film from Jaco Van Dormael with a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Kingdom and The Peanut Butter Falcon.

Drama

The Kingdom

1994

At The Kingdom, Denmark's most technologically advanced hospital, a number of strange and otherworldly events begin occurring, much to the dismay of its doctors and patients. A ghostly ambulance appears and disappears, the voice of a little girl calls to a patient in an elevator shaft, and a doctor's fetus begins growing at an alarming rate.

7.8

MagicScore

The Peanut Butter Falcon

2019

A down-on-his-luck crab fisherman embarks on a journey to get a young man with Down syndrome to a professional wrestling school in rural North Carolina and away from the retirement home where he’s lived for the past two and a half years.

7.4

MagicScore

Born for You

2023

Alba has Down's Syndrome and was left in the hospital when she was born. Thirty families rejected her before the court decided to entrust her to Luca: a Catholic — and gay — single man.

7.2

MagicScore

Where Hope Grows

2014

Calvin Campbell is a former professional baseball player sent to an early retirement due to his panic attacks at the plate. Even though he had all the talent for the big leagues, he struggles with the curveballs life has thrown him. Today, he mindlessly sleepwalks through his days and the challenge of raising his teenager daughter. His life is in a slow downward spiral when it is suddenly awakened and invigorated by the most unlikely person – Produce, a young-man with Down syndrome who works at the local grocery store.

7.2

MagicScore

Any Day Now

2012

In the late 1970s, when a mentally handicapped teenager is abandoned, a gay couple takes him in and becomes the family he's never had. But once the unconventional living arrangement is discovered by authorities, the men must fight the legal system to adopt the child.

7.0

MagicScore

Café de Flore

2011

Jacqueline is a young mother living in 1960s Paris with her disabled son Laurent. Abandoned by her husband, Jacqueline sacrifices everything to care for her son and vows to give Laurent a “normal” life full of happiness. Antoine, is a successful DJ in present day Montreal who seems to have it all: a thriving career, two beautiful daughters, partner Rose, with whom he is passionately in love. However, nothing is perfect and Antoine’s ex-wife Carole remains devastated by their recent separation.

6.9

MagicScore

A Child Is Waiting

1963

Dr. Matthew Clark is the head of a state institution for intellectually disabled children. Jean Hansen, a former music teacher anxious to give her life some meaning, joins the staff of the hospital. Jean, who tries to shelter the children with her love, suspiciously regards Dr. Clark's stern training methods. She becomes emotionally involved with 12-year-old Reuben Widdicombe, who has been abandoned by his divorced parents.

6.9

MagicScore

Twisted Nerve

1968

Martin Durnley is a young man with an infantilizing mother, resentful stepfather and an institutionalized brother with Down's syndrome. To cope, he retreats into an alternate child personality he calls Georgie. After being caught during a theft attempt at a department store, he befriends a female customer who is sympathetic to him, but his friendship soon turns into obsession.

6.8

MagicScore

Brother of Sleep

1995

In the beginning of the 19th century, Johannes Elias Alder is born in a small village in the Austrian mountains. While growing up he is considered strange by the other villagers and discovers his love of music, especially rebuilding and playing the organ at the village church. After experiencing an "acoustic wonder", his eye color changes and he can hear even the most subtle sounds.

6.6

MagicScore

#10

24 Weeks

2016

Astrid is a comedian who makes people laugh for a living; her husband Markus is her manager and the two of them work well together. They have a nine-year-old daughter and are expecting their second child. When they learn that their child will not be born healthy, they are at first optimistic that they will be able to meet this challenge – although they have no idea what awaits them. But the closer it gets to the due date, the more Astrid begins to worry about the future of her unborn child as well as that of her family and her career. After many discussions and arguments Astrid realises that the decision that will affect all their lives must be made by her alone. What complicates matters further is the fact that, as a successful entertainer, she is in the eye of the public and the media.

6.5

MagicScore

#11

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

2008

During a blizzard in 1964, Dr. David Henry delivers his son Paul with the help of nurse Caroline. But when Henry realizes his wife is also carrying a girl with Down syndrome, he hands the second child over to Caroline without his wife's knowledge. Henry's fateful decision yields grave consequences for his family over the next 20 years.

6.4

MagicScore

#12

What Is It?

2005

A young man journeys through a bizarre land inhabited by mentally impaired people, demons, and snails.

5.4

MagicScore

#13

Red Christmas

2016

A mother must protect her family on Christmas Day from a demented stranger who is hell bent on tearing them apart.

4.3

MagicScore

#14

Mourning Wife

2001

Director Daisuke Goto, the master of the cinematic Pink Eiga, is back with this retelling of the classic film noir, The Postman Always Rings Twice. A married woman, tasked with running her handicapped husband’s failing printing business, meets a drifter and they fall in love. Soon a plan to murder the husband is put into motion and the forces of fate begin to show their hand. Featuring bravura filmmaking, fantastic performances and steamy sex, the Mourning Wife is a worthy follow up for any fan of Daisuke Goto’s masterpiece A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn.

4.5

MagicScore

#15

Vishwanath & Sons

2026

A celebrated Olympian shooter travels to America looking for a donor to help his sick child — but unexpected romance complicates his search.

7.5

MagicScore

#16

The Last Sunrise

2026

Ry, a college student with a chronic illness, escapes to Mallorca for the summer with her mother, where she unexpectedly falls for a local and begins to embrace living in the moment. But as her condition worsens and long-hidden family secrets come to light, everything she has found before summer's end is threatened.

6.7

MagicScore

#17

Rosebush Pruning

2026

When an American heir living in a luxurious Spanish villa decides to move in with his girlfriend, his departure triggers a family collapse as his brother uncovers the truth behind their mother's tragic death.

6.2

MagicScore

#18

Kaulayaw

2024

Two college schoolmates venture into the world of cybersex to support their needs. They fulfill their fans' sexual fantasy only to realized that they too, are falling for each other.

5.8

MagicScore

#19

Salitan

2024

A suspicious wife follows her husband in Bali. She meets a dashing man who captures her heart. She soon wants her husband to really have an affair to alleviate the guilt she is feeling.

4.7

MagicScore

#20

The Whisper Man

2026

When his young son vanishes, a widower enlists help from his estranged father, a retired detective who put away the serial killer now linked to the case.

6.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Eighth Day?

The top films similar to The Eighth Day by MovieMagicScore are The Kingdom (7.8), The Peanut Butter Falcon (7.4), Born for You (7.2). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Eighth Day worth watching?

The Eighth Day holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10 from 298 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is The Eighth Day?

The Eighth Day (1996) is a drama film directed by Jaco Van Dormael, starring Daniel Auteuil, Pascal Duquenne, Miou-Miou.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Eighth Day?

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 The Kingdom Movies like The Peanut Butter Falcon Movies like Born for You Movies like Where Hope Grows Movies like Any Day Now Movies like Café de Flore

About movies like The Eighth Day

This ranked list pairs The Eighth Day (1996), a drama film from Jaco Van Dormael, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Daniel Auteuil 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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