Movies Like Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Beasts of the Southern Wild is a 2012 drama, fantasy film from Benh Zeitlin with a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Hebe and Marley & Me.

Drama Fantasy

Hebe

2019

Hebe Camargo is one of the most emblematic entertainments in Brazil. At her 60s, she went on to control her own career and, despite the criticism, the dreadful husband and the powerful and sexist bosses, she revealed herself to the public as an extraordinary woman, capable of overcoming any personal or professional crisis.

7.1

MagicScore

Marley & Me

2008

A newly married couple, in the process of starting a family, learn many of life's important lessons from their trouble-loving retriever, Marley. Packed with plenty of laughs to lighten the load, the film explores the highs and lows of marriage, maturity and confronting one's own mortality, as seen through the lens of family life with a dog.

7.2

MagicScore

Stonewall

2015

Kicked out by his parents, a gay teenager leaves small-town Indiana for New York's Greenwich Village, where growing discrimination against the gay community leads to riots on June 28, 1969.

6.0

MagicScore

Hard Paint

2019

Pedro earns a living in chat rooms. He transforms himself into NeonBoy in front of the webcam. Slowly, this young man dips his fingers into pots of coloured paint and glides them across his naked body. But things change when Pedro notices that somebody is imitating his performances. He agrees to go on a date with his mysterious rival. This rendezvous will have far-reaching consequences.

6.3

MagicScore

A Piece of Cake

2019

The legendary Elfkins (Heinzelmännchen) of Cologne were gnomes secretly helping craftsmen at night until they were ousted by a tailor's malevolent wife 200 years ago. This is the story of their return.

6.5

MagicScore

How to Train Your Dragon 2

2014

Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time charting unmapped territories. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons -- and a mysterious dragon rider. Now, Hiccup and Toothless find themselves at the center of a battle to protect Berk from a power-hungry warrior.

7.7

MagicScore

Breaking Surface

2020

Two Swedish/Norwegian half sisters go on a winter diving trip in Northern Norway, when they get trapped after a rockslide.

6.7

MagicScore

How to Train Your Dragon

2010

As the son of a Viking leader on the cusp of manhood, shy Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III faces a rite of passage: he must kill a dragon to prove his warrior mettle. But after downing a feared dragon, he realizes that he no longer wants to destroy it, and instead befriends the beast – which he names Toothless – much to the chagrin of his warrior father.

7.9

MagicScore

The Personal History of David Copperfield

2019

A fresh and distinctive take on Charles Dickens’ semi-autobiographical masterpiece, The Personal History of David Copperfield, set in the 1840s, chronicles the life of its iconic title character as he navigates a chaotic world to find his elusive place within it. From his unhappy childhood to the discovery of his gift as a storyteller and writer, David’s journey is by turns hilarious and tragic, but always full of life, colour and humanity.

6.4

MagicScore

#10

Fireheart

2022

The film explores the world of firefighters in 1920s New York City and tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who will have to become a hero in order to save her city.

7.2

MagicScore

#11

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

1994

Two drag performers and a transgender woman travel across the desert to perform their unique style of cabaret.

7.3

MagicScore

#12

Meskina

2021

A thirty-something aspiring children's author, labeled "meskina" (pity case) by her Moroccan-Dutch community for still being career-less and single, sets out to once and for all find professional success and true love.

5.9

MagicScore

#13

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

2019

As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.

7.8

MagicScore

#14

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within

2010

After a bloody invasion of the BOPE in the High-Security Penitentiary Bangu 1 in Rio de Janeiro to control a rebellion of interns, the Lieutenant-Colonel Roberto Nascimento and the second in command Captain André Matias are accused by the Human Right Aids member Diogo Fraga of execution of prisoners. Matias is transferred to the corrupted Military Police and Nascimento is exonerated from the BOPE by the Governor.

7.8

MagicScore

#15

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

2012

British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than its advertisements, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways as the residents find new purpose in their old age.

7.0

MagicScore

#16

Galveston

2018

After a violent encounter, Roy finds Rocky and sees something in her eyes that prompts a fateful decision. He takes her with him as he flees to Galveston, an action as ill-advised as it is inescapable.

6.1

MagicScore

#17

Up Close & Personal

1996

Tally Atwater has a dream: to be a prime-time network newscaster. She pursues this dream with nothing but ambition, raw talent and a homemade demo tape. Warren Justice is a brilliant, hard edged, veteran newsman. He sees Tally has talent and becomes her mentor. Tally’s career takes a meteoric rise and she and Warren fall in love. The romance that results is as intense and revealing as television news itself. Yet, each breaking story, every videotaped crisis that brings them together, also threatens to drive them apart...

6.3

MagicScore

#18

Iron Mask

2019

Commissioned to map the Far East territories of the Russian Empire, cartographer Jonathan Green sets off on a long journey of unbelievable adventures—making breath-taking discoveries and meeting mysterious creatures, Chinese princesses, deadly masters of oriental martial arts, and even the King of Dragons.

6.1

MagicScore

#19

The Sessions

2012

Though a childhood bout with polio left him dependent on an iron lung, Mark O'Brien maintains a career as a journalist and poet. A writing assignment dealing with sex and the disabled piques Mark's curiosity, and he decides to investigate the possibility of experiencing sex himself. When his overtures toward a caregiver scare her away, he books an appointment with sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen-Greene to lose his virginity.

6.9

MagicScore

#20

Charcoal

2022

In the Brazilian countryside, a family straining to care for their bedridden patriarch have their lives changed when a shady nurse offers a diabolical deal: put their elder to rest and host an Argentinian drug kingpin who urgently needs a place to hide.

6.5

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Beasts of the Southern Wild?

The top films similar to Beasts of the Southern Wild by MovieMagicScore are Hebe (7.1), Marley & Me (7.2), Stonewall (6.0). Each shares drama/fantasy themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Beasts of the Southern Wild worth watching?

Beasts of the Southern Wild holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10 from 1,096 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Beasts of the Southern Wild?

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) is a drama, fantasy film directed by Benh Zeitlin, starring Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly.

Where can I find more recommendations like Beasts of the Southern Wild?

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 Hebe Movies like Marley & Me Movies like Stonewall Movies like Hard Paint Movies like A Piece of Cake Movies like How to Train Your Dragon 2

About movies like Beasts of the Southern Wild

This ranked list pairs Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), a drama and fantasy film from Benh Zeitlin, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Quvenzhané Wallis 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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