Movies Like Philadelphia (1993)

Philadelphia is a 1993 drama film from Jonathan Demme with a MovieMagicScore of 7.7/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Marley & Me and Dark Waters.

Drama

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

Dark Waters

2019

A tenacious attorney uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths to one of the world's largest corporations. In the process, he risks everything — his future, his family, and his own life — to expose the truth.

7.5

MagicScore

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

Eternity

2025

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with and her first love, who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.

7.0

MagicScore

Longtime Companion

1989

During the summer of 1981, a group of friends in New York are completely unprepared for the onslaught of AIDS. What starts as a rumor about a mysterious "gay cancer" soon turns into a major crisis as, one by one, some of the friends begin to fall ill, leaving the others to panic about who will be next. As death takes its toll, the lives of these friends are forever redefined by an unconditional display of love, hope and courage.

6.7

MagicScore

1985

2018

Having been gone for three years, closeted advertising executive Adrian returns to his Texas hometown and struggles to reveal his dire circumstances to his conservative family.

6.2

MagicScore

Summer of 85

2020

What do you dream of when you're 16-years-old and in a seaside resort in Normandy in the 1980s? A best friend? A lifelong teen pact? Scooting off on adventures on a boat or a motorbike? Living life at breakneck speed? No. You dream of death. Because you can't get a bigger kick than dying. And that's why you save it till the very end. The summer holidays are just beginning, and this story recounts how Alexis grew into himself.

7.4

MagicScore

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

2021

The extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain, whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public's perception of cats forever.

7.0

MagicScore

The Pink Cloud

2021

After a toxic and mysterious pink cloud suddenly appears around the globe, people are forced to shelter in place. A woman finds herself stuck in an apartment with a stranger after a one-night stand, and the two come to terms with staying together.

5.8

MagicScore

#10

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

2016

An American Ambassador is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound in Libya as a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.

7.3

MagicScore

#11

Chernobyl: Abyss

2021

The aftermath of a shocking explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power station made hundreds of people sacrifice their lives to clean up the site of the catastrophe and to successfully prevent an even bigger disaster that could have turned a large part of the European continent into an uninhabitable exclusion zone. This is their story.

6.2

MagicScore

#12

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

#13

The Color Purple

1985

An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing 'Mister' Albert Johnson, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa.

7.7

MagicScore

#14

Set It Off

1996

Four inner-city Black women, determined to end their constant struggle, decide to live by one rule — get what you want or die trying. So the four women take back their lives and take out some banks in the process.

7.2

MagicScore

#15

Edge of Tomorrow

2014

Major Bill Cage is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously demoted and dropped into combat. Cage is killed within minutes, managing to take an alpha alien down with him. He awakens back at the beginning of the same day and is forced to fight and die again... and again - as physical contact with the alien has thrown him into a time loop.

7.6

MagicScore

#16

Midnight Express

1978

Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of Turkey. The Turkish courts decide to make an example of him, sentencing him to more than 30 years in prison. Hayes has two opportunities for release: the appeals made by his lawyer, his family, and the American government, or the "Midnight Express".

7.5

MagicScore

#17

Dallas Buyers Club

2013

Loosely based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, a drug-taking, women-loving, homophobic man who in 1986 was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and given thirty days to live.

7.9

MagicScore

#18

Crush

2022

When an aspiring young artist is forced to join her high school track team, she uses it as an opportunity to pursue the girl she's been harboring a long-time crush on. But she soon finds herself falling for an unexpected teammate and discovers what real love feels like.

7.4

MagicScore

#19

A Time to Kill

1996

A young lawyer defends a black man accused of murdering two white men who raped his 10-year-old daughter, sparking a rebirth of the KKK.

7.4

MagicScore

#20

Bohemian Rhapsody

2018

Singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bass guitarist John Deacon take the music world by storm when they form the rock 'n' roll band Queen in 1970. Hit songs become instant classics. When Mercury's increasingly wild lifestyle starts to spiral out of control, Queen soon faces its greatest challenge yet – finding a way to keep the band together amid the success and excess.

8.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Philadelphia?

The top films similar to Philadelphia by MovieMagicScore are Marley & Me (7.2), Dark Waters (7.5), Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (7.8). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Philadelphia worth watching?

Philadelphia holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.7/10 from 4,453 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Philadelphia?

Philadelphia (1993) is a drama film directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards.

Where can I find more recommendations like Philadelphia?

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 Marley & Me Movies like Dark Waters Movies like Elite Squad: The Enemy Within Movies like Eternity Movies like Longtime Companion Movies like 1985

About movies like Philadelphia

This ranked list pairs Philadelphia (1993), a drama film from Jonathan Demme, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Tom Hanks 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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