Magic realism movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant magic realism movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out surreal, weird, melancholic, visually appealing, feel good and talky films and TV shows about / with magic realism, loneliness, mentor, storytelling, dialogue, catastrophe, magic, friendship, life philosophy and bittersweet plots mostly in Drama, Fantasy and Comedy genres shot in USA, France, UK and other countries.
2094
TOP 10 movies tagged as magic realism: Citizen Dog (2004), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), The House of the Spirits (1993), Antonia's Line (1995), Like Water for Chocolate (1992), Groundhog Day (1993), Happy as Lazzaro (2018), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), The Fall (2006).
Best films
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Thailand
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
Follow the life of Pod as he moves to Bangkok from the country. Pod's new life starts with getting a job, loosing a finger and dreaming about a girl. A movie were nothing is impossible, and just because you get killed by raining red helmets ...
Style:
surreal, semi serious, humorous, feel good, sad ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
factory, fall in love, magic realism, surrealism, looking for love, adventurer, mountain, worker, child, bus, dog, love and romance ...
Place:
bangkok thailand, thailand
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA, UK, Canada, Japan
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Scott Pilgrim is a 23 year old Canadian slacker and wannabe rockstar who falls in love with an American delivery girl, Ramona V. Flowers, and must defeat her seven "evil exes" to be able to date her.
Style:
stylized, entertaining, funny, visually stunning, offbeat ...
Audience:
teens, date night, chick flick, kids, family friendly ...
Plot:
magic realism, coming of age, twentysomething life, music band, musician, rock, dating, fight scenes, manic pixie dream girl, love and romance, hipster, teenage girl ...
Time:
2010s, year 2010, 21st century
Place:
canada, montreal, north america, toronto ontario canada
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink in 'the Bathtub', a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink’s tough love prepares her for the unraveling of the universe – for a time when he’s no ...
Style:
emotional, independent film, sad, surreal, harsh ...
Audience:
family outing, kids
Plot:
poverty, climate change, children, global warming, magic realism, father daughter relationship, childhood, coming of age, flood, single father, crab, child protagonist ...
Time:
year 2012, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
louisiana, new orleans, southern usa, usa, tokyo ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Germany, Denmark, Portugal, USA
Duration: 145 min.
Story:
A rancher, his clairvoyant wife and their family face turbulent years in South America.
Style:
sexy, emotional, touching, costume drama, family saga ...
Plot:
coup d'etat, farm, politics, civil war, dictatorship, magic realism, sexualized violence, justice, rape, dysfunctional family, father daughter relationship, family relations ...
Time:
1940s, year 1993, 1930s, 1920s, 60s ...
Place:
latin america, south america, chile
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Country: Thailand, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
Suffering from acute kidney failure, Uncle Boonmee has chosen to spend his final days surrounded by his loved ones in the countryside. Surprisingly, the ghost of his deceased wife appears to care for him, and his long lost son returns home in a ...
Style:
disturbing, surreal, art house, philosophical, cerebral ...
Plot:
surrealism, jungle, magic realism, supernatural, loneliness, existentialism, interspecies sex, buddhist monk, buddhism, reincarnation, life philosophy, introspection ...
Time:
year 2010, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
asia, thailand, india, tokyo, japan
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Netherlands, Belgium, UK, France
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
After World War II, Antonia and her daughter, Danielle, go back to their Dutch hometown, where Antonia's late mother has bestowed a small farm upon her. There, Antonia settles down and joins a tightly-knit but unusual community. Those around ...
Style:
touching, intellectual, melancholic, sentimental, independent film ...
Plot:
strong female character, lgbtq, village, lesbian, philosophy, strong female lead, friendship, magic realism, women, village life, unwed mother, nude model ...
Time:
post world war two
Place:
germany, holland
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Mexico
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Tita is passionately in love with Pedro, but her controlling mother forbids her from marrying him. When Pedro marries her sister, Tita throws herself into her cooking and discovers she can transfer her emotions through the food she prepares, ...
Style:
touching, sentimental, sexy, sweet, emotional ...
Audience:
date night, girls' night, chick flick, adult
Plot:
cooking, magic realism, food, forbidden love, wedding, cooking and food, nudity, mexican revolution, sex, sisters, love story, family drama ...
Time:
20th century, 19th century, 1910s, 1930s, 1890s ...
Place:
mexico, latin america, texas, usa, san antonio texas
Is relevant?
734K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
A narcissistic TV weatherman, along with his attractive-but-distant producer and mawkish cameraman, is sent to report on Groundhog Day in the small town of Punxsutawney, where he finds himself repeating the same day over and over.
Style:
feel good, romantic, philosophical, humorous, sentimental ...
Audience:
date night, kids, chick flick, teens, family outing ...
Plot:
time loop, existentialism, small town, redemption, time travel, groundhog day, life & death, life philosophy, time warp, fall in love, time, destiny ...
Time:
20th century, 90s, year 1993, future
Place:
pennsylvania, usa, america, persia, pittsburgh
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
The tale of a meeting between Lazzaro, a young peasant so good that he is often mistaken for simple-minded, and Tancredi, a young nobleman cursed by his imagination. Life in their isolated pastoral village Inviolata is dominated by the terrible ...
Style:
touching, thought provoking, inspirational, breathtaking, sincere ...
Plot:
poverty, wolf, missing person, debt, lgbt teen, peasant, rich and poor, blood, friendship, fake kidnapping, abandoned house, ransom demand ...
Time:
2010s, 90s
Place:
italy
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 82 min.
Story:
Cecilia is a waitress in New Jersey, living a dreary life during the Great Depression. Her only escape from her mudane reality is the movie theatre. After losing her job, Cecilia goes to see 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' in hopes of raising ...
Style:
sentimental, romantic, sexy, surreal, humorous ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
love story, movie star, magic realism, daydreamer, satire, writers, surrealism, imagination, unlikely couple, life turned upside down, fish out of water, real world ...
Time:
1930s, 20th century, year 1985, 1900s, year 1935
Place:
usa, new jersey, new york
Is relevant?
127K
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA, South Africa, India
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a fantastic story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, ...
Style:
surreal, offbeat, fairy tale, cerebral, emotional ...
Audience:
kids, date night, adult
Plot:
hospital, surrealism, suicide attempt, imagination, escape from reality, suicide, desert, storytelling, stuntman, magic realism, imaginary kingdom, friendship ...
Time:
1920s, year 2006, 2000s, 20th century, 1910s
Place:
india, los angeles, california, cambodia, taj mahal ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
In the affluent, gated community of Camelot Gardens, bored wives indiscriminately sleep around while their unwitting husbands try desperately to climb the social ladder. Trent, a 21-year-old outsider who mows the neighborhood lawns, quietly observes ...
Style:
independent film, touching, semi serious, humorous, sentimental ...
Plot:
friendship, hypocrisy, infidelity, male nudity, girl man relationship, magic realism, dog attack, coming of age, female protagonist, baking, security guard, trailer home ...
Time:
90s, year 1997
Place:
australia
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
696K
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA, Taiwan, UK, Canada, India, France
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
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.
Style:
philosophical, touching, visually appealing, reflective, scenic ...
Audience:
date night, girls' night, kids, family outing, chick flick ...
Plot:
survival, animal, ocean, human animal relationship, loneliness, life & death, stranded, survivor, hopes, beautiful scenery, storm at sea, journey ...
Time:
70s, year 2012, 2010s
Place:
india, america, asia, montreal, pacific ocean ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Italy, Belgium
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
A gravity-defying boy raised in seclusion matures into an extraordinary man -- and an international celebrity -- who longs for human connection.
Style:
light, absurd, humorous, disturbing, emotional ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
magic realism, hopes, levitation, lifestyle change, imaginary, grownups, adaptation, magic, parents and children, irresponsible, lifestyle, couples ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Russia, France, Germany
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Natasha is a lonely, middle-aged admin employee at the zoo who still lives at home with her mother. One day her life is turned upside down when she discovers she has grown a tail…
Style:
social, absurd, suspense
Plot:
zoo, older woman younger man, magic realism, life turned upside down, doctor, social misfits, female protagonist, small town, pariah, love story, mother daughter relationship, photograph ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 166 min.
Story:
Tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences.
Style:
touching, philosophical, sentimental, dramatic, melancholic ...
Audience:
date night, chick flick, teens, girls' night, adult
Plot:
destiny, true love, life philosophy, life & death, aging, existentialism, love and romance, life changing, melancholy, magic realism, love, life lesson ...
Time:
50s, 1940s, 20th century, 1930s, year 2008 ...
Place:
southern usa, cambodia, usa, new orleans, russia ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Romance
Country: France, Belgium, Japan, USA
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
The dialogue-less film follows the major life stages of a castaway on a deserted tropical island populated by turtles, crabs and birds.
Style:
meditative, atmospheric, stylized, anime, colorful ...
Audience:
kids, family friendly, adult
Plot:
nature, loneliness, island, raft, sea turtle, isolation, desert island, sea, swimming, magic realism, turtle, solitude ...
Time:
year 2016, 2010s
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Country: France
Duration: 73 min.
Story:
Eight-year-old Nelly has just lost her beloved grandmother and is helping her parents clean out her mother's childhood home. She explores the house and the surrounding woods where her mother used to play and where she built the fort Nelly has ...
Style:
talky, psychological, captivating, disturbing, sincere ...
Audience:
kids, teens
Plot:
forest, friendship, death of grandmother, female protagonist, magic realism, mother daughter relationship, female friendship, pyramid, female bonding, lake, father daughter relationship, little girl ...
Time:
2020s, 21st century
Place:
france
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
A man entranced by his dreams and imagination is lovestruck with a French woman and feels he can show her his world.
Style:
surreal, psychological, psychedelic, philosophical, visually stunning ...
Audience:
girls' night, date night
Plot:
dream, surrealism, magic realism, love story, magic, daydreamer, escape from reality, artist, existentialism, melancholy, imagination, childhood ...
Time:
year 2006, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
paris france, mexico, france, europe, latin america ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: France, USA
Duration: 142 min.
Story:
An Innuit hunter races his sled home with a fresh-caught halibut. This fish pervades the entire film, in real and imaginary form. Meanwhile, Axel tags fish in New York as a naturalist's gofer. He's happy there, but a messenger arrives to ...
Style:
art house, surreal, melancholic, atmospheric, dark comedy ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
desert, magic realism, car salesman, nervous breakdown, self discovery, surrealism, family relations, fall in love, love and romance, eccentric family, on the road, sex scene ...
Time:
90s, year 1993
Place:
arizona, alaska, usa, new york, papua new guinea
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Country: Czechoslovakia
Duration: 77 min.
Story:
Valerie, a Czechoslovakian teenager living with her grandmother, is blossoming into womanhood, but that transformation proves secondary to the effects she experiences when she puts on a pair of magic earrings. Now seeing the world around her in a ...
Style:
fairy tale, allegory, surreal, sexual, suspenseful ...
Audience:
teens, pre-teens
Plot:
innocence, teenage girl, folk horror, wedding night, surrealism, menstruation, folklore, magic realism, older man younger woman relationship, supernatural, female protagonist, vampire ...
Time:
19th century, year 1970, near future
Place:
central europe, eastern europe, europe, czech republic
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Musical, Romance
Country: New Zealand
Duration: 73 min.
Story:
Portrait of a Knight is a musical romance about the way in which historic ideals inform contemporary urban life. Rachel is a young archivist living and working in Wellington, New Zealand. Feeling alone and disconnected from life, she projects her ...
Style:
visually appealing, unusual plot structure, captivating, surreal
Audience:
adult
Plot:
magic realism, knight, chivalry, opera, painting, portrait, magic, friendship between men, archive, charm, loneliness, miraculous event ...
Place:
new zealand
Is relevant?
32K
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Country: France
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
A man and his friends come up with an intricate and original plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers. Avid movie-watcher and video store clerk Bazil has had his life all but ruined by weapons of war. His father was killed by a landmine in ...
Style:
surreal, cult classic, visually stunning, light, atmospheric ...
Plot:
brutality, magic realism, dark humor, eccentricity, teamwork, loneliness, satire, friendship, lifestyle change, goofy hero, misfit, revenge ...
Time:
year 2008, year 2009, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
france, europe, paris france
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Country: USA, India
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Three American brothers who have not spoken to each other in a year set off on a train voyage across India with a plan to find themselves and bond with each other -- to become brothers again like they used to be. Their "spiritual quest", ...
Style:
road movie, emotional, dark comedy, surreal, talky ...
Audience:
family friendly
Plot:
train, dysfunctional family, journey, on the road, suicide attempt, road trip, reconciliation, writers, travel, magic realism, dark humor, introspection ...
Time:
2000s, year 2007, 21st century
Place:
india, himalaya, asia, new york, seattle
Is relevant?
Genre: Animation, Drama, Family, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: 'Seiji Amasawa'. Curious as to who he is, Shizuku meets ...
Style:
anime, touching, feel good, uplifting, realistic ...
Audience:
teens, family outing, pre-teens, kids, family friendly ...
Plot:
imagination, self discovery, school, teenage life, high school life, follow your dream, youth, fall in love, love and romance, teenage love, love, hopes ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, year 1994, year 1995
Place:
japan, tokyo, europe, asia, italy
Is relevant?
16K
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Country: UK, Canada, USA
Duration: 24 min.
TV show
Story:
Fearless, free-spirited Hilda finds new friends, adventure and magical creatures when she leaves her enchanted forest home and journeys to the city.
Style:
sweet, captivating, entertaining, light, fairy tale ...
Audience:
family outing, kids, teens, family friendly, teen fantasy ...
Plot:
magic, girl, female protagonist, friendship, friends, magical creature, travel, mythical creature, troll, folklore, children, child protagonist ...
Time:
future
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Romance
Country: France, Germany, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Austria, Greece
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
Matko is a small time hustler, living by the Danube with his 17 year old son Zare. After a failed business deal he owes money to the much more successful gangster Dadan. Dadan has a sister, Afrodita, that he desperately wants to see get married so ...
Style:
surreal, art house, funny, dark comedy, witty ...
Plot:
gypsy, magic realism, dark humor, wedding, music, surrealism, gangster, corruption, debt, european, ethnic, drinking ...
Time:
year 1998, 90s, 20th century
Place:
serbia, balkan, eastern europe, europe, former yugoslavia
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust and intrigue. Now they've decided to take on one last job – showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a ...
Style:
visually stunning, witty, realistic, semi serious, cult classic ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens
Plot:
twists and turns, cons and scams, crime gone awry, fall in love, con artists, caper, magic realism, con man, partner, family relations, dishonesty, escapades ...
Time:
year 2008, 21st century
Place:
montenegro, former yugoslavia, prague, tokyo, berlin germany ...
Is relevant?
183K
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
The son of a sailor, 5-year old Sosuke lives a quiet life on an oceanside cliff with his mother Lisa. One fateful day, he finds a beautiful goldfish trapped in a bottle on the beach and upon rescuing her, names her Ponyo. But she is no ordinary ...
Style:
touching, sweet, anime, scenic, visually stunning ...
Audience:
family outing, kids, pre-teens, toddlers, preschool
Plot:
fish, magical, mermaid, magic, animal, obsessive quest, friendship, magic realism, transformation, princess, children, sea ...
Time:
year 2008, 21st century
Place:
japan, east asia, asia, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: France, Germany, Netherlands, Chile
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
When the elderly caretaker of a remote morgue discovers the body of a young woman killed during a protest, he embarks on a magical odyssey to give her a proper burial before the militia returns.
Style:
sincere, suspenseful, exciting, sentimental, melancholic ...
Plot:
magic realism, caretaker, protest, cemetery, morgue, military, moral dilemma, old man, murder, dead woman, funeral, loss ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
latin america
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
