7 Movies Like Anora (2024)

When the world gets dark– when something bad happens that makes you lose your faith in the world around you– it can be hard to think that art would be of any help. After all, a piece of paper with scribbles on it can’t undo the wrong that’s happened, or help out directly with the concrete, solidified systems and solutions to the world’s problems. Look Back even acknowledges the possibility of art harming its creators, but through the friendship forged by Fujino and Kyomoto, it also acknowledges the way art can save you and the people who share that love, through some of the most beautiful animation ever created.

Genre: Animation, Drama

Actor: Daisuke Takahashi, Kota Oka, Kureha Maki, Maaya Sakamoto, Masumi Taira, Mizuki Yoshida, Rina Endou, Shinnosuke Tokudome, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Yoichiro Saito, Yuumi Kawai

Director: Kiyotaka Oshiyama

Rating: NR

Though wordless and human-less, Flow might be one of the most charming films about humanity you’ll ever see. It follows a group of different-species animals who’ve formed an unlikely bond as they try to survive a massive flood. There’s a quirky lemur, a friendly dog, a majestic bird, a wise capybara, and connecting them all through its curiosity (and cuteness) is a cat. They go through an adventure of sorts as they look for high ground, but don’t mistake this for a Disney or Dreamworks picture. This independent Latvian film gets unapologetically bleak. And as adorable as it is, there’s also a sense of endless dread coming from the uncertainty of their future. The filmmakers aren’t afraid to show things like death and predation—this is a survival, post-apocalyptic movie after all—but without spoiling anything, it still has a gleaming sliver of hope. That Flow can make ideas like selflessness, cooperation, and community feel like instinctive, animalistic urges is inspiring, and maybe more than we deserve.

Genre: Adventure, Animation, Fantasy

Director: Gints Zilbalodis

Rating: PG

It’s always refreshing to see people in esteemed positions let their guard down, not to mention smoke a vape or gossip feverishly, as we mere mortals do. But Conclave is more than just a candid look at what goes down in a process as elaborate as a papal election. It’s a portrait of man’s innate thirst for power. And since it has more to do with humanity than divinity, it’s also rightfully silly. Cardinals are scrambling for votes and fighting over politics. They can be peaceful and reasonable, but they can also be petty and spiteful, just like any person pressured to vote for their future (or just like any person, period). Conclave is far from perfect—its intentions are murky at times and the visuals, though beautiful, are oddly sparse—but it works because no one in the film, not even the protagonist, is infallible. It’s a welcome reminder of our limitations, regardless of faith.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Actor: Balkissa Souley Maiga, Brian F. O'Byrne, Carlos Diehz, Garrick Hagon, Isabella Rossellini, Jacek Koman, John Lithgow, Joseph Mydell, Loris Loddi, Lucian Msamati, Madhav Sharma, Merab Ninidze, Ralph Fiennes, Roberto Citran, Romuald Kłos, Sergio Castellitto, Stanley Tucci, Thomas Loibl

Director: Edward Berger

Rating: PG

Juror #2 is the kind of film that doesn’t waste time: it’s immediately compelling as it throws questions about morality, guilt, and conscience straight to your face. There are familiar people in this stacked cast, including Chris Messina and J.K. Simmons, but it’s Nicholas Hoult as the titular second juror and Toni Collete as the ambitious prosecutor who stand out. The weight of the film’s heavy questions lies on their shoulders, and they convey every feeling—from doubt and remorse to exaltation and hope—with painful clarity. I only the film hadn’t taken the easy way out, and that the debate among the jury could have been thornier and trickier, but as it is, Juror #2 is a compelling addition to our book of excellent courtroom dramas.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Actor: Adrienne C. Moore, Amy Aquino, Bria Brimmer, Cedric Yarbrough, Chikako Fukuyama, Chris Messina, Drew Scheid, Francesca Eastwood, Gabriel Basso, Grant Roberts, Hedy Nasser, J.K. Simmons, Jason Coviello, Javier Vazquez Jr., KateLynn E. Newberry, Kellen Boyle, Kevin Saunders, Kiefer Sutherland, Kurt Yue, Leslie Bibb, Megan Mieduch, Nicholas Hoult, Phil Biedron, Rachel Walters, Rebecca Koon, Scott Alan Smith, Tom Thon, Toni Collette, Zele Avradopoulos, Zoey Deutch

Director: Clint Eastwood

Rating: PG-13

Given the genre being centered on a child protagonist, many coming-of-age stories sideline parents in the narrative, sometimes to the point they’re not mentioned at all. So when Andrea Arnold returned to fiction filmmaking with coming-of-age story Bird, it was surprising to see how true it delves into parenthood, albeit from the eyes of the teenager being parented. Maybe it shouldn’t have been a surprise, considering Barry Keoghan, fresh off of Saltburn, was casted as the protagonist’s single dad, but Arnold structures the entire story to fit in different stages of parenthood in a rundown town, through the strong way she characterizes the people Bailey gets to know in her journey and through the brilliant incorporation of magic in a not-so-magical place. The parents here may not be perfect, but Bird takes flight precisely because of the film’s empathy and understanding.

Genre: Drama, Fantasy

Actor: Barry Keoghan, Frankie Box, Franz Rogowski, James Nelson-Joyce, Jasmine Jobson, Jason Buda, Jason Williamson, Kirsty J. Curtis, Nykiya Adams, Rhys Yates

Director: Andrea Arnold

Rating: R