Movies Like The Elusive Joy of Labor

If you liked The Elusive Joy of Labor (2022), a comedy and drama movie directed by Miao Yu, 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
Bye Bye Morons (2020)
★ 7.2/10Also comedy and drama
When 43-year-old hairdresser Suze Trappet finds out that she's seriously ill, she decides to go looking for a child she was forced to abandon when she was only 15. On her madcap bureaucratic quest she crosses paths…
2
SubUrbia (1997)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and drama
A group of suburban teenagers try to support each other through the difficult task of becoming adults.
3
CQ (2001)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and drama
A young filmmaker in 1960s Paris juggles directing a cheesy sci-fi debacle, directing his own personal art film, coping with his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend, and a new-found infatuation with the sci-fi…
4
Macadam Stories (2015)
★ 6.8/10Also drama and comedy
Improbable encounters bring tenderness, laughter and compassion to a world of urban alienation.
5
The Big Hit (2020)
★ 7/10Also comedy and drama
Etienne, an often out of work but endearing actor, runs a theater workshop in a prison, where he brings together an unlikely troupe of prisoners to stage Samuel Beckett’s famous play Waiting for Godot. When he is…
6
All Fired Up (1982)
★ 6/10Also comedy and drama
Victor Valance, an absent father and gambler, works with shady casino operations abroad. When he returns to Paris in need of money, he plans to take advantage that Pauline, his eldest daughter now fully responsible for…
7
Don't Think Twice (2016)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
An improv group deals with several crises, including the loss of their lease and one member hitting the big time.
8
A Real Job (2023)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy and drama
Benjamin is a PhD student without scholarship support. Under the pressure of his parents, and in need of money, he becomes a substitute teacher in a middle school. Without training nor experience, and facing a…
9
Lady Windermere's Fan (1925)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy and drama
A society woman believes her husband is having an affair, a misconception which may have dire personal consequences for all involved.
10
Playing God (2021)
★ 6/10Also comedy and drama
A brother and sister con-artist duo find themselves scamming a grieving billionaire by convincing him they can introduce him to God, face-to-face.
11
New Biz in the Hood (2019)
★ 5.8/10Also comedy and drama
Fred Bartel is the charismatic boss of a trendy Parisian communication agency, Happy Few. After a heated tax audit, he was forced by the administration to relocate overnight his company in La Courneuve. Fred and his…
12
Fool Circle (2014)
★ 5.8/10Also drama and comedy
Two, very different, brothers are reunited for their father's funeral. But, when they arrive at the crematorium nobody is there, not even the corpse, except for Chloe who introduces herself as their sister.
13
Two Tickets to Greece (2023)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and drama
As teenagers, Blandine and Magalie were inseparable. Years passed and they lost sight of each other. As their paths cross again, they decide to take the trip together that they have always dreamed of. Direction Greece…
14
Alice and the Mayor (2019)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and drama
The mayor of Lyon, Paul Théraneau, is in a delicate position. After 30 years in politics, he is running out of ideas and is faced with a feeling of existential emptiness. To overcome this, Paul hires a young and…
15
Hooking Up (2020)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy and drama
Bailey and Darla embark upon a misguided and mutually deceitful form of therapy, one in which they must drive across the country, re-enacting Darla's colorful history as a sex addict. As their true motivations for the…
16
Kitchen Brigade (2022)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
Cathy is a sous-chef wanting to open a restaurant. With financial difficulties, Cathy accepts a job at a shelter for young migrants. At first she hates the job then her passion for cuisine starts to change children's…
17
The Beanie Bubble (2023)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
Ty was a frustrated toy salesman until his collaboration with three women turned his stuffed animals into a defining '90s trend. This behind-the-scenes look at history's biggest toy craze is a wild story about what—and…
18
Maybe More (2024)
★ 5.8/10Also comedy and drama
After 25 years together, married life has taken its toll on Xavier and Sophie, so when Sophie decides to invite their neighbours over for dinner, Xavier is less than enthusiastic to say the least! He can’t stand how…
19
Uranus (1990)
★ 6.7/10Also drama and comedy
After World War II, a small French village struggles to put the war behind as the controlling Communist Party tries to flush out Petain loyalists. The local bar owner, a simple man who likes to write poetry, who only…
20
Break (2018)
★ 6/10Also comedy and drama
Lucie, a young dancer suffers an accident. When she wakes up from a coma, she and her partner start training for a dance show. On the way, she starts looking for her estranged father, a path that might lead her to…