Movies Like Sounder (1972)

Sounder is a 1972 drama film from Martin Ritt with a MovieMagicScore of 7.5/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Hard Times and The Color Purple.

Drama

Hard Times

1975

In the depression, Chaney, a strong silent streetfighter, joins with Speed, a promoter of no-holds-barred street boxing bouts. They go to New Orleans where Speed borrows money to set up fights for Chaney, but Speed gambles away any winnings.

6.8

MagicScore

The Color Purple

2023

A decades-spanning tale of love and resilience and of one woman's journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

7.0

MagicScore

The Long, Hot Summer

1958

Accused barn burner and conman Ben Quick arrives in a small Mississippi town and quickly ingratiates himself with its richest family, the Varners.

7.1

MagicScore

The Green Mile

1999

A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.

8.5

MagicScore

12 Mighty Orphans

2021

Haunted by his mysterious past, a devoted high school football coach leads a scrawny team of orphans to the state championship during the Great Depression and inspires a broken nation along the way.

7.2

MagicScore

Lawless

2012

In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Virginia, run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business — bootlegging. Middle brother Forrest is the brain of the operation; older Howard is the brawn, and younger Jack, the lookout. Though the local police have taken bribes and left the brothers alone, a violent war erupts when a sadistic lawman from Chicago arrives and tries to shut down the Bondurants operation.

7.1

MagicScore

Seabiscuit

2003

True story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation.

7.1

MagicScore

The Tarnished Angels

1957

In the 1930s, once-great World War I pilot Roger Shumann performs as a daredevil barnstorming pilot at aerial stunt shows while his wife, LaVerne, works as a parachutist. When newspaper reporter Burke Devlin arrives to do a story on the Shumanns’ act, he quickly falls in love with the beautiful--and neglected--LaVerne.

6.7

MagicScore

The Legend of Bagger Vance

2000

World War I has left golfer Rannulph Junuh a poker-playing alcoholic, his perfect swing gone. Now, however, he needs to get it back to play in a tournament to save the financially ravaged golf course of a long-ago sweetheart. Help arrives in the form of mysterious caddy Bagger Vance.

6.6

MagicScore

#10

Honkytonk Man

1982

During the Great Depression, a young boy leaves his family's Oklahoma farm to travel with his country musician uncle who is trying out for the Grand Ole Opry.

6.4

MagicScore

#11

Mary Poppins Returns

2018

Mary Poppins returns to the Banks family and helps them evade grave dangers by taking them on magical, musical adventures.

6.5

MagicScore

#12

Monsieur Verdoux

1947

The film is about an unemployed banker, Henri Verdoux, and his sociopathic methods of attaining income. While being both loyal and competent in his work, Verdoux has been laid-off. To make money for his wife and child, he marries wealthy widows and then murders them. His crime spree eventually works against him when two particular widows break his normal routine.

7.7

MagicScore

#13

Road to Perdition

2002

Mike Sullivan works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney. Sullivan views Rooney as a father figure, however after his son is witness to a killing, Mike Sullivan finds himself on the run in attempt to save the life of his son and at the same time looking for revenge on those who wronged him.

7.3

MagicScore

#14

Places in the Heart

1984

In 1935 rural Texas, recently widowed Edna Spaulding struggles to survive with two small children, a farm to run, and very little money in the bank - not to mention a deadly tornado and the unwelcome presence of the Ku Klux Klan. Edna is aided by her beautician sister, Margaret; a blind boarder, Mr. Will; and a would-be thief, Moze, who decides to teach Edna how to plant and harvest cotton.

7.2

MagicScore

#15

Heroes for Sale

1933

World War I veteran Tom Holmes is marked by the unbearable suffering caused by his battle wounds. Over the years, he comes to experience both the pain of misfortune and a love for other human beings.

7.0

MagicScore

#16

Bound for Glory

1976

A biography of Woody Guthrie, one of America's greatest folk singers. He left his dust-devastated Texas home in the 1930s to find work, discovering the suffering and strength of America's working class.

6.9

MagicScore

#17

King Kong

2005

In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with the leading lady.

6.9

MagicScore

#18

The Funeral

1996

After the funeral of one of their own, a criminal family decides to embark on an emotionally unnerving journey in an attempt to exact bloody revenge.

6.8

MagicScore

#19

Emperor of the North

1973

Hobos encounter a sadistic railway conductor that will not let anyone "ride the rails" for free.

6.7

MagicScore

#20

Rambling Rose

1991

Rose is taken in by the Hillyer family to serve as a 1930s housemaid so that she can avoid falling into a life of prostitution. Her appearence and personality is such that all men fall for her, and she knows it. She can't help herself from getting into trouble with men.

6.1

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Sounder?

The top films similar to Sounder by MovieMagicScore are Hard Times (6.8), The Color Purple (7.0), The Long, Hot Summer (7.1). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Sounder worth watching?

Sounder holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.5/10 from 53 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Sounder?

Sounder (1972) is a drama film directed by Martin Ritt, starring Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks.

Where can I find more recommendations like Sounder?

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 Hard Times Movies like The Color Purple Movies like The Long, Hot Summer Movies like The Green Mile Movies like 12 Mighty Orphans Movies like Lawless

About movies like Sounder

This ranked list pairs Sounder (1972), a drama film from Martin Ritt, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Cicely Tyson 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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