Movies like Life Is Beautiful (1997)

Name: Life Is Beautiful
Released: 1997

10 films to watch after Life Is Beautiful, ranked by how well they match its tone — not just its genre.

A touching story of an Italian book seller of Jewish ancestry who lives in his own little fairy tale. His creative and happy life would come to an abrupt halt when his entire family is deported to a concentration camp during World War II. While locked up he tries to convince his son that the whole thing is just a game.

1

Jakob the Liar (1999)

Fit 79%

Shares Comedy and Drama with Life Is Beautiful.

In 1944 Poland, a Jewish shop keeper named Jakob is summoned to ghetto headquarters after being caught out after curfew. While waiting for the German Kommondant, Jakob overhears a German radio broadcast about Russian troop movements. Returned to the ghetto, the shopkeeper shares his information with a friend and then rumors fly that there is a secret radio within the ghetto.
2

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Fit 77%

Shares Comedy and Drama with Life Is Beautiful.

Jojo, a lonely German boy during World War II has his world shaken when he learns that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home. Influenced by a buffoonish imaginary version of Adolf Hitler, he begins to question his beliefs and confront the conflict between propaganda and his own humanity.
3

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)

Fit 73%

Shares Drama with Life Is Beautiful.

When his family moves from their home in Berlin to a strange new house in Poland, young Bruno befriends Shmuel, a boy who lives on the other side of the fence where everyone seems to be wearing striped pajamas. Unaware of Shmuel's fate as a Jewish prisoner or the role his own Nazi father plays in his imprisonment, Bruno embarks on a dangerous journey inside the camp's walls.
4

There's Still Tomorrow (2023)

Fit 71%

Shares Comedy and Drama with Life Is Beautiful.

In postwar Rome, a working-class woman dreams of a better future for herself and her daughter while facing abuse at the hands of her domineering husband. When a mysterious letter arrives, she discovers the courage to change the circumstances of her life.
5

Rome, Open City (1945)

Fit 70%

Shares Drama with Life Is Beautiful.

During the Nazi occupation of 1944 Rome, Resistance leader Giorgio Manfredi is pursued by the Nazis as he seeks refuge and a means of escape.
6

The Book Thief (2013)

Fit 70%

Shares Drama with Life Is Beautiful.

While subjected to the horrors of WWII Germany, young Liesel finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others. Under the stairs in her home, a Jewish refugee is being sheltered by her adoptive parents.
7

One Life (2023)

Fit 65%

Shares Drama with Life Is Beautiful.

British stockbroker Nicholas Winton visits Czechoslovakia in the 1930s and forms plans to assist in the rescue of Jewish children before the onset of World War II, in an operation that came to be known as the Kindertransport.
8

The Zone of Interest (2023)

Fit 61%

Shares Drama with Life Is Beautiful.

The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
9

White Bird (2023)

Fit 60%

Shares Drama with Life Is Beautiful.

After being expelled from Beecher Prep for his treatment of a classmate with a facial deformity, Julian has struggled to fit in at his new school. To transform his life, Julian's grandmother finally reveals her own story of courage of her youth in Nazi-occupied France, where a classmate shelters her from mortal danger.
10

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Fit 59%

Shares Drama with Life Is Beautiful.

Unemployed Antonio is elated when he finally finds work hanging posters around war-torn Rome. However on his first day, his bicycle—essential to his work—gets stolen. His job is doomed unless he can find the thief. With the help of his son, Antonio combs the city, becoming desperate for justice.