You can watch The Descendants on HBO Max. Yes, you heard that right. The Descendants is a brilliant movie that earned a staggering $177,243,185 at the box office. It was directed by Alexander Payne and features a fantastic cast led by George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, and Amara Miller. The story revolves around Matt King, an attorney and the sole trustee of a valuable family land on Kauai. Despite its monetary value, the land holds great sentimental significance as a family legacy. However, his extended family insists on selling it for money. Meanwhile, his wife experiences a tragic boating accident that leaves her in a coma.
Also, the story of the movie is really great. You will relate to many of the characters and the plot is simple but effective. What’s more, it is worth your while to watch the movie on a weekend. Because it is for both you and your family. Now, we know it will not scratch your itch to watch some more movies like this. Therefore, we have gathered a list of 11 movies that you will love if you loved The Descendants.
1. Blue Valentine
Director Derek Cianfrance had co-stars Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling live together for a month to prepare for their roles in Blue Valentine. This created intense closeness and a feeling of being trapped, which is important to the story. Blue Valentine explores the painful decay of a once-happy marriage. It mixes passionate memories with the harsh reality of married life. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling give powerful performances, showing both love and anger. This movie is emotional, so be prepared for tears. Also, this is a movie that will make you feel sad and refreshed at the same time. A real powerhouse.
2. 50/10
Superbad creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg surprised us with their comedy movie 50/50, which tackles the sensitive topic of cancer. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam, a young man who discovers he has tumors along his spine. With his overbearing mom, supportive but slightly annoying best friend, self-help groups, and therapist, Adam faces his 50/50 chance of survival. The movie strikes a balance between humor, emotions, and honesty, finding compassion in a dark situation. It bravely explores the challenges of cancer with jokes, heartwarming moments, and genuine authenticity. Also, you will discover many genuinely tragic moments in the movie.
3. The Kids Are All Right
One of the most feel-good movies in the world, this one has an ensemble cast. Julianne Moore and Arnette Bening play a gay couple with kids. And the kids one day discover their biological father, a laid back, goofy sperm donor played by the incredible Mark Ruffalo. It is an extremely arresting and astute movie. You will love all the performances and feel for the actors as though they live in your backyard. The Kids Are All Right went on to win two Golden Globes and earned a lot of accolades for its beautiful creation.
4. Mud
Matthew McConaughey is a legendary actor. Sometimes we wonder if there is anything the man cannot do. After the Dallas Buyers Club and True Detective, Mud is yet another intense and evocative drama from Matthew. Set in the American South, the film explores several themes of life, love and loss. The film involves two children, Ellis and Neckbone, who meet Mud, who in turn is wanted for murder. At first they are scared of him. However, eventually a bond of trust and understanding develops between them. If you like reading old American adventure tales, this one will hit you right in the feels with its nostalgic value.
5. Philomena
Philomena is apparently inspired by a true story about a woman who goes on a quest to find her long lost son. The story itself is pretty tragic, but the writers wove in wit and bland humor in it. You will find a lot of moments which hit hard. Also, the lead star of the movie is Judi Dench. We do not need to tell you about her acting talent, do we? She is both distressing to watch and sweet in her attempts to cope with the pain. And the story, though sorrowful, teaches us a lot of lessons about human nature. Worth a watch for you.
6. Nebraska
How do you make a poem into a film? Well, Nebraska is here to tell us how. Like life itself, it is both a comedy and a drama at the same time. Also, you will enjoy the acting, the plot and the cinematography of the film at the same time. We cannot spoil the movie for you. Suffice it to say, it is about a senile old man and his son, and the moments they share together. Anything else at this point is simply going to ruin the experience for you.
7. The Ides of March
This is one of the movies that is both a political drama as well as a personal story at the same time. Ryan Gosling plays the role of an ambitious campaign staffer named Stephen Meyers who uncovers a dirty secret about his candidate. When he confronts his boss about it, several problems arise that are not just restricted to the political sphere. Tense, edgy and often witty, the drama packs a powerful punch and you will find yourself questioning a lot of things after watching it.
8. Your Sister’s Sister
This movie contains one of the most magnificent acting of all time. Emily Blunt is an incredible actress. We all have to admit that is also criminally underused. Also, the director has made great use of all the talents at his disposal. The result is a brilliant comedy that pushes the envelope when it comes to acting and what’s more, it is also far smarter than your average comedy movie. There are so many ingredients here that you will struggle to choose which one to admire. Love, sex, secrets and plenty of lies for you.
9. Foxcatcher
Foxcatcher is about Olympic wrestlers and brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz. Also, it comes from the acclaimed director of Moneyball which everyone likes. It also involves the multimillionaire investor John du Pont. du Pont invites both the brothers to his estate to train for the upcoming games there. His motives are apparently very patriotic. But only Mark accepts his invitation in the end. And then we slowly begin to see what du Pont really has in mind for the brothers. The film is a bit slow in the beginning but it is worth the wait. You will love the movie.
10. Chef
We have all heard this one before. A popular chef loses his job because of bad reviews and people start disrespecting him. In order to show the world he has his creative side still, he begins spending more time honing his craft. Also, he tries his best to bond with his family at the same time. This movie has it all. A sweet drama, loss and a lot of food. This one will surely tickle all your palates at the same time. You will love it. It is a guarantee. Moreover, the performances of the cast are just formidable.
11. Begin Again
Begin Again is a movie directed by John Carney, who is great at capturing charm. It’s about a singer who feels sad because of a broken heart. One day, a person who used to work in showbiz but failed finds her and discovers her talent. They both love music and use it to deal with their own disappointments and express their creativity. The songs in the movie are nice, and the cast, including Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Adam Levine, and Cee-Lo Green, have great chemistry and tell the story beautifully. Begin Again is a pleasant and easy-to-watch film, but it’s not like the typical romantic comedy.
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