Best Movies like Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Lion follows an Indian protagonist as he reflects on his past while trying to reunite with his family, mirroring Slumdog Millionaire’s focus on memory and the search for identity in India. Both films trace sweeping, emotional journeys across the Indian landscape anchored by formative childhood experiences.

A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family. Lion is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 8.0 by 7,014 people. The movie made an estimated total of $140,312,928 in the box office.

City of God and Slumdog Millionaire both depict young protagonists navigating difficult circumstances in impoverished urban environments. Each film uses a narrative structure based on personal recollection to explore themes of fate, survival, and coming of age amid harsh societal realities.

In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime. City of God is a movie from Brazil in Portuguese, with a total 2h 9m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 8.4 by 8,317 people. The movie made an estimated total of $30,641,770 in the box office.

Salaam Bombay! centers on the experiences of street children in India, providing a gritty, realistic look at poverty and struggle much like Slumdog Millionaire. Both films spotlight the resilience of youth facing adversity in the bustling streets of Indian cities.

When a revengeful Krishna destroys his brother's motorbike, his mother asks him to return home only when he earns INR 500 to repair it. In a turn of events, he finds himself in a Bombay slum. Salaam Bombay! is a movie from India in Hindi, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 1988 with an average rating of 7.3 by 125 people. The movie made an estimated total of $7,434,176 in the box office.

The Kite Runner shares with Slumdog Millionaire a narrative driven by childhood memories and a protagonist who must confront his past in the face of present conflict. Both explore social divides and the effects of early trauma on adult identity.

After spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble. The Kite Runner is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 8m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.3 by 1,262 people. The movie made an estimated total of $73,276,047 in the box office.

Life of Pi, like Slumdog Millionaire, features an Indian protagonist reflecting on formative and life-changing events. Both films weave past and present together, and use personal storytelling to explore themes of hope, destiny, and resilience.

The story of an Indian boy named Pi, a zookeeper's son who finds himself in the company of a hyena, zebra, orangutan, and a Bengal tiger after a shipwreck sets them adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Life of Pi is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 7.4 by 13,883 people. The movie made an estimated total of $609,016,565 in the box office.

The Lunchbox is set in India and emphasizes personal connection and fate, paralleling Slumdog Millionaire’s exploration of chance encounters and longing for love in contemporary Indian society. Both highlight the transformative power of hope in everyday life.

A mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunchbox delivery system (Mumbai's Dabbawallahs) connects a young housewife to a stranger in the dusk of his life. They build a fantasy world together through notes in the lunchbox. Gradually, this fantasy threatens to overwhelm their reality. The Lunchbox is a movie from India in Hindi, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 7.4 by 833 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,240,000 in the box office.

The White Tiger features an Indian character climbing out of poverty, mirroring Slumdog Millionaire’s exploration of class divides and personal ambition. Both stories are set against the backdrop of modern India and critique social hierarchies through the eyes of a determined protagonist.

An ambitious Indian driver uses his wit and cunning to escape from poverty and rise to the top. An epic journey based on the New York Times bestseller. The White Tiger is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 5m runtime, released in 2021 with an average rating of 7.0 by 1,012 people.

Millions, also directed by Danny Boyle, centers on a young protagonist facing moral challenges after a life-changing event, similar to the youthful journey and ethical dilemmas in Slumdog Millionaire. Both films blend realism with elements of fantasy and chance.

Two boys, still grieving the death of their mother, find themselves the unwitting benefactors of a bag of bank robbery loot in the week before the United Kingdom switches its official currency to the Euro. What's a kid to do? Millions is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 6.4 by 416 people. The movie made an estimated total of $11,782,282 in the box office.

Tsotsi follows a young man from a troubled background seeking redemption, paralleling Slumdog Millionaire’s focus on survival, moral choices, and the transformative journey of a marginalized protagonist amidst urban hardship.

A young South African boy from the Johannesburg ghetto named Tsotsi, meaning Gangster, leaves home as a child to get away from his helpless parents. Now a teenage thug, Tsotsi finds a baby in the back seat of a car he's just stolen. He decides that it is his responsibility to care for the infant and in the process learns that maybe the criminal life isn’t the best way. Tsotsi is a movie from South Africa in Tswana, with a total 1h 34m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 6.9 by 354 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,891,303 in the box office.

Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids, like Slumdog Millionaire, is set in India and highlights the adversity faced by children in marginalized communities, offering an intimate look at resilience and aspiration in difficult circumstances.

Documentary depicting the lives of child prostitutes in the red light district of Songachi, Calcutta. Director Zana Briski went to photograph the prostitutes when she met and became friends with their children. Briski began giving photography lessons to the children and became aware that their photography might be a way for them to lead better lives. Born into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 25m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 6.8 by 250 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,529,201 in the box office.

Monsoon Wedding, set in India, explores personal relationships and social dynamics within an Indian context, similar to the way Slumdog Millionaire weaves together themes of love, fate, and family amidst vibrant local culture.

A stressed father, a bride-to-be with a secret, a smitten event planner, and relatives from around the world create much ado about the preparations for an arranged marriage in India. Monsoon Wedding is a movie from United States of America in Hindi, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 6.8 by 223 people. The movie made an estimated total of $30,787,356 in the box office.

In This World, like Slumdog Millionaire, follows youths on life-altering journeys driven by survival and hope. Both films use a narrative rooted in harsh realities to examine destiny, resilience, and the effects of circumstance on young people.

Torn straight from the headlines, Michael Winterbottom's compelling and prescient 'In This World' follows young Afghan Jamal and his older cousin Enayat as they embark on a hazardous overland trip from their refugee camp at Peshawar, north-west Pakistan. Entering Turkey on foot through a snowy, Kurdish-controlled pass, the pair again take their lives into their hands and face suffocation when they are locked in a freight container on a ship bound for Italy. From there they plan to travel on to Paris, the Sangatte refuge centre and ultimately asylum in London. In This World is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 28m runtime, released in 2003 with an average rating of 6.2 by 57 people.

Parched, set in India, examines themes of struggle, societal pressure, and personal transformation much like Slumdog Millionaire, where characters strive for love and dignity against the odds in traditional and patriarchal societies.

In the arid landscape of Rajasthan, four women navigate their way through personal and cultural difficulties. Parched is a movie from India in Hindi, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.3 by 99 people.

Wadjda tells the coming-of-age story of a young girl striving for agency in a restrictive environment, paralleling the focus in Slumdog Millionaire on youthful determination to break free from constraining circumstances and achieve personal dreams.

An enterprising Saudi girl signs on for her school's Quran recitation competition as a way to raise the remaining funds she needs in order to buy the green bicycle that has captured her interest. Wadjda is a movie from Saudi Arabia in Arabic, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 7.2 by 522 people. The movie made an estimated total of $6,499,169 in the box office.

Beasts of No Nation presents a child protagonist navigating violence and hardship, similar to Slumdog Millionaire’s focus on youth overcoming adversity. Each film addresses the lasting impact of formative struggles on character development.

Based on the experiences of Agu, a child fighting in the civil war of a West African country. Follows Agu's journey as he's forced to join a group of soldiers. While he fears his commander and many of the men around him, his fledgling childhood has been brutally shattered by the war raging through his country, and he is at first torn between conflicting revulsion and fascination. Beasts of No Nation is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 17m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.6 by 1,896 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,077,700 in the box office.

Barfi! shares with Slumdog Millionaire the Indian setting and a tender exploration of love through the experiences of an unconventional protagonist. Both dramas weave romance and heartfelt longing with social challenges specific to contemporary India.

The heartwarming tale of Barfi, a charming deaf-mute young man from 1970s Darjeeling, and two unalike women who can't help but fall for him. Barfi! is a movie from India in Hindi, with a total 2h 31m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 7.6 by 378 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,804,874 in the box office.

Mina Walking focuses on a young protagonist navigating adult responsibilities and adversity, resonating with Slumdog Millionaire’s depiction of youthful resilience, economic struggle, and the search for hope in difficult environments.

Saddled by a senile grandfather and a neglectful father, Mina, an impulsive twelve-year-old Afghan street seller sees her future slipping away when she is forced to neglect her education and walk the streets of Kabul to support her fragmented family. In the seven days that follow her life, Mina’s quest to emancipate her father from the claws of a local drug dealer and her attempt to secretly attend school underlines the current struggle of a young generation of Afghans trying to shake off the echoes of oppression from the Taliban era that continues to haunt those who bore witness to it. Mina Walking is a movie from Afghanistan in Pushto, with a total 2h 5m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 10.0 by 1 people.

Pather Panchali, a cornerstone of Indian cinema, similarly presents the challenges faced by a young Indian protagonist growing up in poverty. Both films convey emotional depth through a child's perspective amid trying circumstances.

Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work. Alone, his wife, Sarbojaya, looks after her rebellious daughter, Durga, and her young son, Apu, as well as Harihar's elderly aunt Indir. The children enjoy the small pleasures of their difficult life, while their parents suffer the daily indignities heaped upon them. Pather Panchali is a movie from India in Bengali, with a total 2h 5m runtime, released in 1955 with an average rating of 7.8 by 499 people. The movie made an estimated total of $536,364 in the box office.

Peepli Live, set in India, critiques social issues and explores the lives of the underprivileged, paralleling Slumdog Millionaire’s thematic interest in socioeconomic divides and the realities of contemporary Indian society.

Natha decides to commit suicide to get the farmers' compensation. However, the media and politicians learn about his intentions and descend on their village to capture the rare event. Peepli Live is a movie from India in Hindi, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 7.3 by 77 people. The movie made an estimated total of $6,900,000 in the box office.

Beyond the Clouds, set in India, explores family bonds, hardship, and moral choices through the lens of youthful protagonists. Its themes of survival and yearning for a better life echo the struggles and hopes depicted in Slumdog Millionaire.

A love story between two kids in grasslands of Blacksea Beyond the Clouds is a movie from Turkey in Turkish, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.0 by 1 people.

Shoplifters follows a makeshift family surviving on the margins of society, much like the exploration of poverty and resilience seen in Slumdog Millionaire. Both films use the perspective of youth to navigate issues of belonging and morality.

In the outskirts of Tokyo, a poor but close-knit group living on the fringes of society survives through shoplifting and odd jobs. When Osamu and his son take in a neglected young girl, their already fragile existence begins to unravel. As the family grows attached to her, buried secrets surface, forcing them to confront the true meaning of love, belonging, and what makes a family. Shoplifters is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 7.8 by 2,330 people.

Capernaum centers on a child facing adversity and institutional neglect, mirroring Slumdog Millionaire’s focus on youth surviving challenging social conditions and embarking on an emotional journey motivated by hope and struggle.

After running away from his negligent parents, committing a violent crime and being sentenced to five years in jail, a hardened, streetwise 12-year-old Lebanese boy sues his parents in protest of the life they have given him. Capernaum is a movie from Lebanon in Arabic, with a total 2h 6m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 8.2 by 2,008 people. The movie made an estimated total of $64,978,931 in the box office.

Sin Nombre, much like Slumdog Millionaire, follows young protagonists on perilous, life-altering journeys shaped by poverty and crime. Both films intertwine personal stories with broader social challenges and the search for a brighter future.

Sayra, a Native Honduran teenager, hungers for a better life. Her chance for one comes when she is reunited with her long-estranged father, who intends to emigrate to Mexico and then enter the United States. Sayra's life collides with a pair of Indigenous Mexican and Mestizo-Mexican gangmembers who have boarded the same USA-bound train. Sin Nombre is a movie from Mexico in Spanish, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 7.6 by 789 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,102,705 in the box office.

The Class, though set in France, examines the impact of education and social mobility on youth, resonating with Slumdog Millionaire’s exploration of how a young protagonist’s experiences and learning can shape and redefine a life’s trajectory.

Teacher and novelist François Bégaudeau plays a version of himself as he negotiates a year with his racially mixed students from a tough Parisian neighborhood. The Class is a movie from France in French, with a total 2h 8m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 7.0 by 729 people. The movie made an estimated total of $28,814,580 in the box office.

A Fantastic Woman tells the story of a marginalized protagonist confronting injustice to assert identity and dignity, aligning with Slumdog Millionaire’s themes of overcoming societal obstacles and embracing self-determination despite adversity.

Marina's life is thrown into turmoil following the death of her partner. Mourning the loss of the man she loved, she finds herself under intense scrutiny from those with no regard for her privacy. A Fantastic Woman is a movie from Chile in Spanish, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 7.0 by 744 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,880,736 in the box office.

Billy Elliot features a young protagonist from a working-class background striving for self-fulfillment, echoing Slumdog Millionaire’s exploration of personal aspiration, resilience, and emotional growth against the challenges of social and economic hardship.

County Durham, England, 1984. The miners' strike has started and the police have started coming up from Bethnal Green, starting a class war with the lower classes suffering. Caught in the middle of the conflict is 11-year old Billy Elliot, who, after leaving his boxing club for the day, stumbles upon a ballet class and finds out that he's naturally talented. He practices with his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson for an upcoming audition in Newcastle-upon Tyne for the royal Ballet school in London. Billy Elliot is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 2000 with an average rating of 7.6 by 4,134 people. The movie made an estimated total of $109,280,263 in the box office.

The Road, while different in setting, shares a focus on the journey of a protagonist through adversity and uncertainty, reminiscent of Slumdog Millionaire’s structure where survival and emotional endurance are central to the character’s progression.

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind and water. It is cold enough to crack stones and, when the snow falls, it is gray. Their destination is the warmer south, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. The Road is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 7.0 by 4,350 people. The movie made an estimated total of $27,635,305 in the box office.

A Separation explores family, conflict, and individual struggle in a contemporary setting, aligning with Slumdog Millionaire’s themes of personal turmoil, ethical dilemmas, and the effect of societal pressures on intimate relationships.

A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease. A Separation is a movie from Iran in Persian, with a total 2h 3m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 7.9 by 1,984 people. The movie made an estimated total of $24,426,169 in the box office.

Gully Boy examines the rise of a young man from the slums of Mumbai through ambition and self-expression, sharing with Slumdog Millionaire an Indian urban setting, class mobility, and the transformative pursuit of dreams amid hardship.

Murad, an underdog, struggles to convey his views on social issues and life in Dharavi through rapping. His life changes drastically when he meets a local rapper, Shrikant alias MC Sher. Gully Boy is a movie from India in Hindi, with a total 2h 36m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 7.3 by 220 people. The movie made an estimated total of $28,299,498 in the box office.

Under the Same Moon, like Slumdog Millionaire, follows a young protagonist’s emotional travels and longing for reunion with family. Both capture the spirit of perseverance and hope in young people facing separation and adversity.

Tells the parallel stories of nine-year-old Carlitos and his mother, Rosario. In the hopes of providing a better life for her son, Rosario works illegally in the U.S. while her mother cares for Carlitos back in Mexico. Under the Same Moon is a movie from Mexico in Spanish, with a total 1h 46m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.9 by 357 people. The movie made an estimated total of $23,311,391 in the box office.

The Color of Paradise, centering on a child navigating hardship in a family context, echoes Slumdog Millionaire’s interest in personal growth and resilience spurred by challenging circumstances faced by youth.

Mohammad joyfully returns to his tiny village on summer vacation from the Institute for the Blind, unaware of his widowed father's intentions to disown him in order to win the hand—and dowry—of a local woman. With the wedding swiftly approaching, Mohammad's future hangs precariously in the balance as his father struggles against his destiny, unable to see the wonder of life and love that's so clear to his son. The Color of Paradise is a movie from Iran in Persian, with a total 1h 28m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 7.6 by 186 people.

Nobody Knows focuses on a group of children surviving without adults, paralleling Slumdog Millionaire’s theme of resourceful youth forging their own path while contending with instability and societal neglect.

In a small Tokyo apartment, twelve-year-old Akira must care for his younger siblings after their mother leaves them and shows no sign of returning. Nobody Knows is a movie from Japan in Japanese, with a total 2h 21m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 8.0 by 661 people.

Rosetta follows a young woman’s relentless quest for stability and dignity amid poverty, aligning with Slumdog Millionaire’s exploration of determination, survival, and the impact of formative hardships on a young protagonist’s life.

Young, impulsive Rosetta lives a hard and stressful life as she struggles to support herself and her alcoholic mother. Refusing all charity, she is desperate to maintain a dignified job. Rosetta is a movie from Belgium in French, with a total 1h 35m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 7.1 by 343 people. The movie made an estimated total of $266,665 in the box office.

A Better Life presents a protagonist striving for improvement and opportunity in the face of hardship, much like the journey in Slumdog Millionaire where economic struggle and the chance to change one’s fate form the emotional core.

A gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while traveling across town to perform landscaping work for the city's wealthy landowners. A Better Life is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 7.2 by 286 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,800,000 in the box office.

The Intouchables centers on the bond between individuals from different backgrounds, exploring themes of connection, overcoming adversity, and personal transformation that also drive the character arcs in Slumdog Millionaire.

A true story of two men who should never have met – a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects. The Intouchables is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 8.3 by 18,630 people. The movie made an estimated total of $426,590,315 in the box office.

Like Stars on Earth focuses on a young Indian protagonist whose struggles lead to self-understanding and emotional discovery, paralleling Slumdog Millionaire’s emphasis on the redemptive power of personal growth and the significance of formative experiences.

Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year-old whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate. Colours, fish, dogs, and kites don't seem important to the adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks, and neatness. Ishaan cannot seem to get anything right in class; he is then sent to boarding school, where his life changes forever. Like Stars on Earth is a movie from India in Hindi, with a total 2h 42m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 8.0 by 1,375 people. The movie made an estimated total of $28,430,000 in the box office.

Y Tu Mamá También, while set in Mexico, follows youths on a journey of self-discovery shaped by personal and social circumstances, mirroring the coming-of-age structure and exploration of identity present in Slumdog Millionaire.

In Mexico, two teenage boys and an attractive older woman embark on a road trip and learn a thing or two about life, friendship, sex, and each other. Y Tu Mamá También is a movie from Mexico in Spanish, with a total 1h 46m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 7.4 by 1,787 people. The movie made an estimated total of $33,600,000 in the box office.