Movies Like Kolya (1996)

Kolya is a 1996 comedy, drama film from Jan Svěrák with a MovieMagicScore of 7.3/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Hilary and Jackie and A Bronx Tale.

Comedy Drama

Hilary and Jackie

1998

The tragic story of world-renowned cellist Jacqueline du Pré, as told from the point of view of her sister, flautist Hilary du Pré-Finzi.

6.5

MagicScore

A Bronx Tale

1993

Set in the Bronx during the tumultuous 1960s, an adolescent boy is torn between his honest, working-class father and a violent yet charismatic crime boss. Complicating matters is the youngster's growing attraction - forbidden in his neighborhood - for a beautiful black girl.

7.9

MagicScore

King of California

2007

Charlie gets released from an insane asylum and moves in with Miranda, the young daughter he left behind. Charlie believes that there is treasure hidden beneath the local Costco, so he puts together a plan to unearth the loot. By convincing Miranda to quit her job at McDonald's and instead work at the wholesale store, he is able to obtain a key. Although Miranda is skeptical, she helps her father with his irrational quest.

6.4

MagicScore

The Cuckoo

2002

September of 1944, a few days before Finland went out of the Second World War. A chained to a rock Finnish sniper-kamikadze Veikko managed to set himself free. Ivan, a captain of the Soviet Army, arrested by the Front Secret Police 'Smersh', has a narrow escape. They are soldiers of the two enemy armies. A Lapp woman Anni gives a shelter to both of them at her farm. For Anni they are not enemies, but just men.

7.0

MagicScore

Spanglish

2004

Mexican immigrant and single mother Flor Moreno finds housekeeping work with Deborah and John Clasky, a well-off couple with two children of their own. When Flor admits she can't handle the schedule because of her daughter, Cristina, Deborah decides they should move into the Clasky home. Cultures clash and tensions run high as Flor and the Claskys struggle to share space while raising their children on their own, and very different, terms.

6.0

MagicScore

Cassandra's Dream

2007

The tale of two brothers with serious financial woes. When a third party proposes they turn to crime, things go bad and the two become enemies.

6.3

MagicScore

Billy Elliot

2000

County Durham, England, 1984. The miners' strike has started and the police have started coming up from Bethnal Green, starting a class war with the lower classes suffering. Caught in the middle of the conflict is 11-year old Billy Elliot, who, after leaving his boxing club for the day, stumbles upon a ballet class and finds out that he's naturally talented. He practices with his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson for an upcoming audition in Newcastle-upon Tyne for the royal Ballet school in London.

7.6

MagicScore

Frances Ha

2013

An aspiring dancer moves to New York City and becomes caught up in a whirlwind of flighty fair-weather friends, diminishing fortunes and career setbacks.

7.3

MagicScore

Once Were Warriors

1994

A drama about a Maori family living in Auckland, New Zealand. Lee Tamahori tells the story of Beth Heke’s strong will to keep her family together during times of unemployment and abuse from her violent and alcoholic husband.

7.4

MagicScore

#10

The Last Emperor

1987

A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.

7.6

MagicScore

#11

Nimic

2020

A professional cellist has an encounter with a stranger on the subway which has unexpected and far-reaching ramifications on his life.

6.6

MagicScore

#12

Lights in the Dusk

2006

Outcast by his co-workers and living alone, Koistinen is a security guard who works the night shift in a luxury shopping mall in Helsinki. But when icy blonde Mirja approaches him, the lonely Koistinen falls helplessly for her, unaware she is manipulating him for her criminal boyfriend.

6.7

MagicScore

#13

To the Sea

2010

Before leaving for Rome with his mother, five year old Natan is taken by his father, Jorge, on an epic journey to the pristine Chinchorro reef off the coast of Mexico. As they fish, swim, and sail the turquoise waters of the open sea, Natan discovers the beauty of his Mayan heritage and learns to live in harmony with life above and below the surface, as the bond between father and son grows stronger before their inevitable farewell.

6.9

MagicScore

#14

The Next Best Thing

2000

A comedy-drama about best friends - one a straight woman, Abbie, the other a gay man, Robert - who decide to have a child together. Five years later, Abbie falls in love with a straight man and wants to move away with her and Robert's little boy Sam, and a nasty custody battle ensues.

5.3

MagicScore

#15

Body Without Soul

1996

A stark documentary about young male prostitutes in Prague, aged 15 to 18, who work the streets, train stations, and clubs. Through candid interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of gay porn shoots, the film explores their lives, struggles, and dreams, touching on themes of exploitation, identity, AIDS, and survival.

6.5

MagicScore

#16

Not Angels But Angels

1994

Interviews with a procurer and with nineteen boys and young men who are prostitutes in Prague. The youths range in age from 14 to 19. They hustle at the central train station and at clubs. Most of their clients are foreign tourists, many are German. The youths talk about why they hustle, their first trick, prices, dangers, what they know about AIDS, their fears (disease and loneliness), and how they imagine their futures. The film's title, its liturgical score, much of it elegiac, and shots of the city's statues of angels underline the vulnerability and callow lack of sophistication of the young men.

5.8

MagicScore

#17

Rocky V

1990

A lifetime of taking shots has ended Rocky’s career, and a crooked accountant has left him broke. Inspired by the memory of his trainer, however, Rocky finds glory in training and takes on an up-and-coming boxer.

5.8

MagicScore

#18

Follow That Bird

1985

Big Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker, who thinks it would be better for him to live with other birds. Unhappy, Big Bird runs away from his foster home, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.

6.3

MagicScore

#19

Those People

2015

On Manhattan's gilded Upper East Side, a young gay painter is torn between an obsession with his infamous best friend and a promising new romance with an older foreign pianist.

6.9

MagicScore

#20

Black Cat, White Cat

1998

Matko is a small time hustler, living by the Danube with his 17-year-old son Zare. After a failed business deal he owes money to the much more successful gangster Dadan. Dadan has a sister, Afrodita, that he desperately wants to see get married so they strike a deal: Zare is to marry her.

7.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Kolya?

The top films similar to Kolya by MovieMagicScore are Hilary and Jackie (6.5), A Bronx Tale (7.9), King of California (6.4). Each shares comedy/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Kolya worth watching?

Kolya holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.3/10 from 195 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Kolya?

Kolya (1996) is a comedy, drama film directed by Jan Svěrák, starring Zdeněk Svěrák, Andrei Khalimon, Libuše Šafránková.

Where can I find more recommendations like Kolya?

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

Keep exploring

Movies like Hilary and Jackie Movies like A Bronx Tale Movies like King of California Movies like The Cuckoo Movies like Spanglish Movies like Cassandra's Dream

About movies like Kolya

This ranked list pairs Kolya (1996), a comedy and drama film from Jan Svěrák, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Zdeněk Svěrák 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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