10 Best Movies Like Nonnas

Netflix’s new movie Nonnas is a heartfelt and entertaining examination of love, grief, and ambition told through the universal lens of food. The film stars Vince Vaughn as real-life restaurateur Joe Scaravella, who opened an Italian restaurant in 2007 in Staten Island that employed exclusively Italian grandmothers in the kitchen.

Although Nonnas is obviously a comedy movie, there’s a real sense of sentimentality that runs throughout its story. Director Stephen Chbosky is clearly interested in using this true story as a catalyst to explore the communal experience of eating at a restaurant, and the many ways in which food can bring people closer to their loved ones. It’s an excellent idea, and it’s one of the many reasons Nonnas is getting such strong reviews.

10Chocolat (2000)

Directed By Lasse Hallstrom

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Chocolat

PG-13
Romance
Drama

Release DateDecember 22, 2000
Runtime121 Minutes
DirectorLasse Hallström
WritersJoanne Harris, Robert Nelson Jacobs

For those with a sweeter tooth than the Italian cuisine in Nonnas, Lasse Hallstrom’s Chocolat is an extremely tender and heartfelt look at how food can bring a community together and allow them to overcome their differences. The movie follows a French family who opens a chocolate shop in a small village, which is met with resistance by the locals.

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Much like Nonnas, Hallstrom’s film explores how food can be a unifying force in times of particular cultural division. The story of Juliette Binoche’s protagonist closely mirrors Joe Scaravella’s journey, as both restaurateurs struggled to integrate into the community that they were trying to share their food with.

9The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

Directed By Lasse Hallstrom

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The Hundred-Foot Journey

PG
Comedy
Drama

6/10

7.0/10

Release DateAugust 8, 2014
Runtime122 Minutes

Hallstrom’s follow-up to Chocolat deals with many of the same themes as his 2000 classic but with a more lighthearted and comedic atmosphere. Starring Helen Mirren as a French gourmet chef who strikes up a professional rivalry with a local Indian restaurant, the film explores how both levels of cuisine are crucial to understanding different cultures.

The Hundred-Foot Journey features some incredible food scenes that really whet the audience’s appetites and serve as a holistic celebration of cooking as a shared experience that brings people together. This is something that it clearly shares with Nonnas, even if the levels of prestige between the restaurants are very different.

8Julie & Julia (2009)

Directed By Nora Ephron

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Julie & Julia

PG-13
Drama

8.0/10

Release DateAugust 7, 2009
Runtime123 Minutes

Julie & Julia is another very charming and funny movie that explores how cooking (in particular, family recipes) can bond generations through time. The story follows an ambitious blogger named Julie Powell, who becomes enamored with Julia Child’s cooking techniques and attempts to emulate them for herself. The film is based on a biographical book written by the real-life Julie Powell.

What’s so potent about Julie & Julia, beyond the mouthwatering food and charming sense of humor, is how effectively it presents its message about food being a bridge between generations.

What’s so potent about Julie & Julia, beyond the mouthwatering food and charming sense of humor, is how effectively it presents its message about food being a bridge between generations. This is something that’s also explored in Nonnas, as Joe opens Enoteca Maria as a tribute to his late mother. There’s less of a familial connection in Julie & Julia, but the film is equally moving.

7Chef (2014)

Directed By Jon Favreau

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Chef

R
Comedy
Drama
Adventure

8/10

8.0/10

Release DateMay 30, 2014
Runtime114 minutes

Chef is often praised for its realistic depictions of the food industry, stripping the whole business back to its core and reminding audiences of what’s so important about restaurants in the first place. The movie centers around Jon Favreau’s protagonist, Carl Casper, who loses his job as the head chef of a prestigious restaurant and opens a food truck to reconnect with his family through the power of food.

Although Chef is often noted for its delicious dishes and dynamic cooking scenes, what’s most interesting about Favreau’s movie is how effectively he proves that “good food” isn’t just about prestige or presentation; it’s about the feelings and memories that it can unlock. Nonnas has a very similar message. Neither Carl’s food truck nor Joe’s restaurant are too focused on being traditionally “fancy”, but rather bringing people together through comfort food.

6Tampopo (1985)

Directed By Juzo Itami

Juzo Itami’s Tampopo is one of the most ambitious and least conventional cooking movies ever made, so it’s perfect for those who enjoyed the message of Nonnas but want to see it presented in a slightly different way. The movie follows a jaded widow who’s struggling to make her roadside ramen business succeed until a chance encounter with two travelers gives her the inspiration she needs.

The quirky comedy of Tampopo is certainly very different from the more traditional storytelling of Nonnas, but the way they both explore the healing power of food, particularly its ability to connect us with strangers, is surprisingly similar.

5Coco (2017)

Directed By Adrian Molina & Lee Unkrich

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Coco

PG
Animation
Adventure
Comedy
Family
History

8/10

8.6/10

Release DateOctober 27, 2017
Runtime105 minutes

Coco gives a glimpse of Mexican culture, particularly on a key holiday like the Day of the Dead. Although its story doesn’t directly center around food or cooking, there’s an unexpected familiarity in the Disney movie’s exploration of family and legacy that’s mirrored in Nonnas.

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Both are films about connecting with previous generations and overcoming grief, even if the methods used by the protagonists are very different. It’s this emotional maturity that makes Coco such a great Pixar movie, and it’s also what elevates Nonnas beyond its otherwise formulaic storytelling.

4The Farewell (2019)

Directed By Lulu Wang

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The Farewell

PG
Comedy

9/10

9.0/10

Release DateJuly 12, 2019
Runtime98 minutes
DirectorLulu Wang

Cast

The Farewell is another film that doesn’t center around food specifically but uses its story to explore themes of loss, family, and community that are very similar to Nonnas. The narrative follows a Chinese immigrant who learns that her grandmother has even less time to live than expected, spurring the family into organizing a last-minute wedding to celebrate the time they still have together.

It’s very similar to what Joe experiences in Nonnas, losing his mother and using the restaurant as a way to preserve her memory.

Wang’s film is a very powerful and emotional portrait of what it means to lose somebody, and how their culture can often be lost alongside them. It’s very similar to what Joe experiences in Nonnas, losing his mother and using the restaurant as a way to preserve her memory. For those who resonated with Nonnas’ heartfelt themes of loss and generational grief, The Farewell is a fitting, if unconventional, follow-up.

3Big Night (1996)

Directed By Stanley Tucci & Campbell Scott

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Big Night

R
Drama
Romance

Release DateSeptember 20, 1996
Runtime107 Minutes
DirectorCampbell Scott, Stanley Tucci

A more conventional partner-piece to Nonnas, Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott’s 1996 comedy Big Night is one of the defining pieces of cooking cinema. The story follows two Italian brothers who undertake the impossible task of saving their ruined restaurant before a famous singer arrives, offering them an opportunity to finally become successful. Much like Nonnas, it’s a very chaotic story about the difficulties that come alongside opening a restaurant and the strong friendships that can be forged along the way.

2The Taste of Things (2023)

Directed By Tran Anh Hung

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The Taste of Things

PG-13
Drama
Romance

Release DateFebruary 9, 2024
Runtime135 Minutes

Cast

The Taste of Things received strong reviews upon its release in 2023 thanks to its masterful visual language and compelling human stories. They may not be factors that initially come to mind regarding Nonnas, but both films serve as powerful testaments to the bonding power of food and its relation to love and memory.

Where Nonnas is a more laid-back film that honors traditional Italian cooking, The Taste of Things is a more prestigious story about haute cuisine. Nevertheless, both movies tell rich, honest stories about emotional connections that are forged in the kitchen.

1Ratatouille (2007)

Directed By Brad Bird