Movies Like Custody (2016)

Custody is a 2016 drama film from James Lapine with a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Miracle on 34th Street and Awaara.

Drama

Miracle on 34th Street

1947

Kris Kringle, seemingly the embodiment of Santa Claus, is asked to portray the jolly old fellow at Macy's following his performance in the Thanksgiving Day parade. His portrayal is so complete that many begin to question if he truly is Santa Claus, while others question his sanity.

7.4

MagicScore

Awaara

1951

A petty thief is put on trial for the attempted murder of a lawyer. Through a series of flashbacks, the intertwining lives of the thief, the lawyer, and the thief's defense lawyer are illustrated.

7.2

MagicScore

Daddy's Little Girls

2007

Monty is a mechanic struggling to make ends meet as he raises his three young daughters. When the court awards custody of his daughters to his shady ex-wife, Monty desperately tries to win them back with the help of Julia, a beautiful, Ivy League-educated attorney. Monty and Julia couldn't be less alike, but a flame is ignited... touching off a firestorm of love and conflict.

6.9

MagicScore

Earth Mama

2023

A pregnant single mother, with two children in foster care, embraces her Bay Area community as she fights to reclaim her family.

5.9

MagicScore

Stepmom

1998

Jackie is a divorced mother of two. Isabel is the career minded girlfriend of Jackie’s ex-husband Luke, forced into the role of unwelcome stepmother to their children. But when Jackie discovers she is ill, both women realise they must put aside their differences to find a common ground and celebrate life to the fullest, while they have the chance.

7.2

MagicScore

The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob

1973

In this riot of frantic disguises and mistaken identities, Victor Pivert, a blustering, bigoted French factory owner, finds himself taken hostage by Slimane, an Arab rebel leader. The two dress up as rabbis as they try to elude not only assasins from Slimane's country, but also the police, who think Pivert is a murderer. Pivert ends up posing as Rabbi Jacob, a beloved figure who's returned to France for his first visit after 30 years in the United States. Adding to the confusion are Pivert's dentist-wife, who thinks her husband is leaving her for another woman, their daughter, who's about to get married, and a Parisian neighborhood filled with people eager to celebrate the return of Rabbi Jacob.

7.4

MagicScore

Just Mercy

2019

The powerful true story of Harvard-educated lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who goes to Alabama to defend the disenfranchised and wrongly condemned — including Walter McMillian, a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence. Bryan fights tirelessly for Walter with the system stacked against them.

7.9

MagicScore

Anatomy of a Murder

1959

Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner, who's hiding a dark secret.

7.8

MagicScore

Spotlight

2015

The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

7.8

MagicScore

#10

12 Angry Men

1997

During the trial of a man accused of his father's murder, a lone juror takes a stand against the guilty verdict handed down by the others as a result of their preconceptions and prejudices.

7.7

MagicScore

#11

The Judge

2014

A successful lawyer returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral only to discover that his estranged father, the town's judge, is suspected of murder.

7.3

MagicScore

#12

The Lincoln Lawyer

2011

Mick Haller is a charismatic defense attorney who does business out of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Mick spends most of his time defending petty crooks and other bottom-feeders, so it comes as quite a surprise when he lands the case of a lifetime: defending a Beverly Hills playboy who is accused of attempted murder. However, what Mick initially thinks is an open-and-shut case with a big monetary reward develops into something more sinister.

7.2

MagicScore

#13

Guilty

2011

Investigates the corrupt judicial system under which Alain Mar'caux and his wife Edith were arrested on accusations of pedophilia horrific acts they never committed- and the years he spent fighting to get out of prison, clear his name and keep his family.

7.2

MagicScore

#14

You’re Missing the Point

1940

Cantinflas, the boyfriend of the servant of a rich industrial man, gets into the house in order to kill a mad dog. Suddenly this man appears so the servant tells him that Cantinflas is his wife's brother (Leonardo), who had been lost for years. The rich man then remembers that his father in law's testament could only be paid when all brothers get together, so treats Cantinflas, a real bum, as a king.

8.1

MagicScore

#15

Coyote vs. Acme

2026

After Acme products fail him one too many times in his dogged pursuit of the Roadrunner, Wile E. Coyote decides to hire a billboard lawyer to sue the Acme Corporation.

7.6

MagicScore

#16

Un Quijote sin mancha

1969

A lawyer trying to fix everyone's problems, instead causes problems, which always end up in funny situations.

7.1

MagicScore

#17

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean

1972

Outlaw and self-appointed lawmaker Judge Roy Bean rules over an empty stretch of the West that gradually grows, under his iron fist, into a thriving town, while dispensing his his own quirky brand of frontier justice upon strangers passing by.

6.4

MagicScore

#18

Blind Date

1987

When bachelor Walter Davis is set up with his sister-in-law's pretty cousin, Nadia Gates, a seemingly average blind date turns into a chaotic night on the town. Walter's brother, Ted, tells him not to let Nadia drink alcohol, but he dismisses the warning and her behaviour gets increasingly wild. Walter and Nadia's numerous incidents are made even worse as her former lover David relentlessly follows them around town.

6.0

MagicScore

#19

Madea's Family Reunion

2006

Southern matriarch Madea has a lot on her plate. Her nieces, Vanessa and Lisa, have relationship troubles - Vanessa moves into Madea's house with her 2 young children and Lisa is engaged to a controlling man that her mother set her up with. In addition, Madea has just been court-ordered to become the guardian of Nikki, a rebellious runaway teenager. Madea must keep the peace and her family together while simultaneously planning her clan's reunion.

6.4

MagicScore

#20

In Bed with Victoria

2016

Victoria is a thirty-something divorced lawyer who's struggling to raise her two daughters. She is canny and cynical but on the verge of an emotional breakdown. At a friend's wedding she reconnects with Vincent, an old friend, and Sam, an old client. Her life is about to take a new turn.

5.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Custody?

The top films similar to Custody by MovieMagicScore are Miracle on 34th Street (7.4), Awaara (7.2), Daddy's Little Girls (6.9). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Custody worth watching?

Custody holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10 from 53 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Custody?

Custody (2016) is a drama film directed by James Lapine, starring Viola Davis, Hayden Panettiere, Catalina Sandino Moreno.

Where can I find more recommendations like Custody?

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 Miracle on 34th Street Movies like Awaara Movies like Daddy's Little Girls Movies like Earth Mama Movies like Stepmom Movies like The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob

About movies like Custody

This ranked list pairs Custody (2016), a drama film from James Lapine, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Viola Davis 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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