Movies Like The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

The Best Years of Our Lives is a 1946 drama, romance film from William Wyler with a MovieMagicScore of 7.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Men and Mudbound.

Drama Romance

The Men

1950

Ken, a WWII GI, returns home after he's paralyzed in battle. Residing in the paraplegic ward of a veteran's hospital and embittered by his condition, he refuses to see his fiancée and sinks into a solitary world of hatred and hostility. Head physician, Dr. Brock cajoles the withdrawn Ken into the life of the ward, where fellow patients Norm, Leo and Angel begin to pull him out of his spiritual dilemma.

7.0

MagicScore

Mudbound

2017

In the post–World War II South, two families are pitted against a barbaric social hierarchy and an unrelenting landscape as they simultaneously fight the battle at home and the battle abroad.

7.4

MagicScore

Cherry

2021

Cherry drifts from college dropout to army medic in Iraq—anchored only by his one true love, Emily. But after returning from the war with PTSD, his life spirals into drugs and crime as he struggles to find his place in the world.

7.3

MagicScore

Sundays and Cybele

1962

The tragic story of a young orphan girl who is befriended by an innocent but emotionally disabled veteran of the French Indochina War.

7.1

MagicScore

Dead Presidents

1995

On the streets they call cash dead presidents. And that's just what a Vietnam veteran is after when he returns home from the war only to find himself drawn into a life of crime. With the aid of his fellow vets he plans the ultimate heist -- a daring robbery of an armored car filled with unmarked U.S. currency!

6.7

MagicScore

Uncommon Valor

1983

A group of Vietnam War veterans re-unite to rescue one of their own left behind and taken prisoner by the Vietnamese.

6.2

MagicScore

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

2016

19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks the film shows what really happened to his squad – contrasting the realities of war with America's perceptions.

6.0

MagicScore

Disorder

2015

An ex-soldier with PTSD is hired to protect the wife and child of a wealthy Lebanese businessman while he's out of town.

5.7

MagicScore

The Veteran

2011

Soldier Robert Miller returns home from Afghanistan unable to fit back into society. Living on a violent council estate and finding work in undercover surveillance, he becomes obsessed with taking down a group of local gangsters who are intrinsically tied to a suspected terrorist cell. Taking the situation into his own hands, Robert embarks on a brutal quest for justice, with devastating consequences.

5.8

MagicScore

#10

Triple Crossed

2013

With a tour in Afghanistan behind him, war-torn Chris Jensen struggles to assimilate back to life in California. Drifting and living out of his car, he soon discovers that few are willing to deal with the remnants of a damaged career military man. Chris is self medicating; desperate to silence the echoes from the front lines. When an opportunity finally presents itself, he makes the hard decision to employ his most coveted talents honed in special ops. A job is a job and Chris knows civilian life can be just as cut-throat as time on active duty. But just how close does he have to get to Andrew Warner to secure the kill?

4.1

MagicScore

#11

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot

2019

Decades after serving in WWII and assassinating Adolf Hitler, a legendary American war veteran must now hunt down the fabled Bigfoot.

5.4

MagicScore

#12

Repulsion

1965

Beautiful young manicurist Carole suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister and roommate, Helen, leaves their London flat to go on an Italian holiday with her married boyfriend, Carole withdraws into her apartment. She begins to experience frightful hallucinations, her fear gradually mutating into madness.

7.4

MagicScore

#13

Fremont

2023

Donya, a lonely Afghan refugee and former translator, spends her twenties drifting through a meager existence in Fremont, California. Shuttling between her job writing fortunes for a fortune cookie factory and sessions with her eccentric therapist, Donya suffers from insomnia and survivor's guilt over those still left behind in Kabul as she desperately searches for love.

6.2

MagicScore

#14

The Caine Mutiny

1954

When a US Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardize his ship, the first officer relieves him of command and faces court martial for mutiny.

7.2

MagicScore

#15

The Railway Man

2013

A victim from World War II's "Death Railway" sets out to find those responsible for his torture. A true story.

6.8

MagicScore

#16

War Sailor

2022

War Sailor is a magnificent drama that tells the story of the more than 30,000 Norwegian war sailors and their families' fate during and after the Second World War.

6.5

MagicScore

#17

City Lights

1931

A tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind flower girl. His on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man allows him to be the girl's benefactor and suitor.

8.3

MagicScore

#18

Roman Holiday

1953

Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European princess Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. When a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, however, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter, Joe Bradley, who takes her back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, Joe finds out Ann's regal identity and bets his editor he can get exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.

7.9

MagicScore

#19

Beauty and the Beast

1946

The story of a gentle-hearted beast in love with a simple and beautiful girl. She is drawn to the repellent but strangely fascinating Beast, who tests her fidelity by giving her a key, telling her that if she doesn't return it to him by a specific time, he will die of grief. She is unable to return the key on time, but it is revealed that the Beast is the genuinely handsome one. A simple tale of tragic love that turns into a surreal vision of death, desire, and beauty.

7.5

MagicScore

#20

The Cold Blue

2018

A meditation on youth, war and stunning bravery, featuring footage, taken from the National Archives, from the documentary filmed in 1943 by legendary Hollywood director William Wyler about the famous Memphis Belle flying fortress and the gripping narration from some of the last surviving B-17 pilots.

6.6

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Best Years of Our Lives?

The top films similar to The Best Years of Our Lives by MovieMagicScore are The Men (7.0), Mudbound (7.4), Cherry (7.3). Each shares drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Best Years of Our Lives worth watching?

The Best Years of Our Lives holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.8/10 from 702 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is The Best Years of Our Lives?

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) is a drama, romance film directed by William Wyler, starring Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Harold Russell.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Best Years of Our Lives?

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 Men Movies like Mudbound Movies like Cherry Movies like Sundays and Cybele Movies like Dead Presidents Movies like Uncommon Valor

About movies like The Best Years of Our Lives

This ranked list pairs The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), a drama and romance film from William Wyler, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Dana Andrews 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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