Best Movies like 'Beautiful Boy' about Complicated Parent-Child Relationships

Emotional movies like "Beautiful Boy" often put one in the space to watch more content in a similar vein. Timothée Chalamet stars in the 2018 art-house flick opposite Steve Carrell, who portrays his father.

"Beautiful Boy" is a masterful adaptation of memoirs by father and son David Sheff and Nic Sheff. The film's heart is Steve Carrell, who plays a father, David Sheff, trying to rescue his son, a moving early career turn by Timothée Chalamet, from his drug addiction.

In a departure from addiction films like "Rachel Getting Married" and "Trainspotting," the story is not told from the perspective of the addict but rather the fallout experienced by a father who needs to learn to let go.

While the intense exploration of the source material's themes can be melodramatic, the grounded performances remind one that it is based on true events.

Similar movies to "Beautiful Boy," in terms of tone, have also attracted top talents such as Sterling K. Brown and Nicole Kidman.

'The Son'

Led by an acclaimed cast of Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern, and introduces Felix Goddard in his first feature film, "The Son," is a Golden Lion nominated film that examines the impact of divorce and an absent father on a young boy's mental health.

'Beginners'

It is a quirky tale of Oliver (Ewan McGregor) being reacquainted with his dad (Christopher Plummer). Oliver dealt a double blow by finding out about his dad's terminal cancer and that he is gay. Skirting on the edges of a romantic comedy, "Beginners" earned Plummer an Oscar.

'Boy Erased'

"The Truth Cannot Be Converted," reads the tagline of "Boy Erased." Lucas Hedge plays the son of a Southern Baptist preacher (Russell Crowe) and conservative mother (Nicole Kidman), who is outed and sent to a gay conversion camp.

The film sports a stellar supporting cast of Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea and Troye Sivan. The former also contributed an original song, "Revelation," with Jónsi. The true life story is based on the Garrard Conley memoir "Boy Erased: A Memoir of Identity, Faith and Family."

'Waves'

A suburban family headed by a domineering but well-intentioned father must regroup after a loss. The A24 indie film stars Renée Elise Goldsberry and Sterling K. Brown in a multigenerational drama that mainly went under the radar on its release in 2019.

'Aftersun'

Written and directed by Charlotte Wells, "Aftersun" follows Sophie, portrayed by Frankie Corio at 11 and Celia Rowlson-Hall as an adult, as she looks back at a Turkish resort vacation that she had with her father (Paul Mescal), who suffered from depression.

Set in the late nineties, VHS-style footage from that era adds authenticity to the tender depiction of a father-daughter relationship. Mescal was a favorite to win the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2023 but lost to Brendan Fraser.

'Fatherhood'

Though a more dramatic turn for Kevin Hart, "Fatherhood" still has plenty of laughs that utilize the actor's comedic sensibility. The PG-13 film is adapted from Matthew Logelin's memoir, "Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love."

A man needs to step up and learn to ask for help when his wife dies a day after their daughter is born. The People's Choice nominated Netflix film is beautifully told over multiple years and co-stars Lil Rel Howery, Alfre Woodard, and Frankie Faison.