Movies Like Joy Is My Mother's Name

If you liked Joy Is My Mother's Name (2021), a movie directed by Carlo Enciso Catu, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)
★ 7.1/10
Two teenagers trapped in an endless time loop set out to find all the tiny things that make that one day perfect.
2
Encanto (2021)
★ 7.6/10
The tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has…
3
Kidnap (2017)
★ 6.3/10
A mother (in her Minivan) stops at nothing to recover her kidnapped son.
4
Aftersun (2022)
★ 7.7/10
Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories fill the gaps between camcorder footages as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with…
5
Poetic Justice (1993)
★ 6.7/10
Still grieving after the murder of her boyfriend, hairdresser Justice writes poetry to deal with the pain of her loss. Unable to get to Oakland to attend a convention because of her broken-down car, Justice gets a lift…
6
Columbus (2017)
★ 7.1/10
When a renowned architecture scholar falls suddenly ill during a speaking tour, his son Jin finds himself stranded in Columbus, Indiana - a small Midwestern city celebrated for its many significant modernist buildings…
7
Curve (2016)
★ 6.9/10
Clinging to a smooth, curved surface high above a sentient abyss, a woman tries to cover the few feet back to safety without losing purchase and falling to her death.
8
The Lost Daughter (2021)
★ 6.4/10
A woman's seaside vacation takes a dark turn when her obsession with a young mother forces her to confront secrets from her past.
9
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
★ 7.7/10
An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save what's important to her by connecting with the lives she could have led in other universes.
10
Doing Life (2026)
★ 7.8/10
A single mother and an incarcerated man forge an unlikely bond through heartfelt letters, unlocking a door to redemption, hope and love against all odds.
11
The Florida Project (2017)
★ 7.4/10
The story of a precocious six year-old and her ragtag group of friends whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder, possibility and a sense of adventure while the adults around them struggle with hard times.
12
Wasp (2003)
★ 7.2/10
Zoë is a single mother who lives with her four children in Dartford. She is poor and can't afford to buy food. One day her old flame drives by and asks her to go on a date with him. Scared that he doesn't want to go…
13
Propeller One-Way Night Coach (2026)
★ 6.2/10
During the golden age of aviation, a young airplane enthusiast and his mother embark on a cross-country journey to Hollywood—and their simple flight transforms into the trip of a lifetime.
14
My Girl (1991)
★ 7.4/10
Vada Sultenfuss is obsessed with death. Her mother is dead, and her father runs a funeral parlor. She is also in love with her English teacher, and joins a poetry class over the summer just to impress him. Thomas J…
15
We Bought a Zoo (2011)
★ 6.8/10
Benjamin has lost his wife and, in a bid to start his life over, purchases a large house that has a zoo – welcome news for his daughter, but his son is not happy about it. The zoo is in need of renovation and Benjamin…
16
Room (2015)
★ 8/10
Held captive for 7 years in an enclosed space, a woman and her young son finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time.
17
Hereditary (2018)
★ 7.3/10
When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about her ancestry.
18
Mother's Day (2016)
★ 6/10
Three generations come together in the week leading up to Mother's Day.
19
Pearl (2022)
★ 7.2/10
Trapped on her family’s isolated farm, Pearl must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Lusting for a glamorous life like she’s seen in the movies, Pearl’s ambitions…
20
Memoir of a Snail (2024)
★ 8.1/10
Forcibly separated from her twin brother when they are orphaned, a melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of misfortunes and everyday life.