If you were captivated by the raw, honest portrayal of poverty and childhood in The Florida Project, you’re probably hungry for more movies that shine a light on the often overlooked corners of society. Sean Baker’s 2017 indie gem followed six-year-old Moonee and her young single mom living week-to-week in a budget motel near Disney World. It was a vivid slice-of-life that found moments of joy, wonder and friendship amidst challenging circumstances.
Movies like The Florida Project don’t shy away from hard truths, but they also find the humanity and even humor in their characters’ struggles. If that sounds up your alley, queue up these 18 must-see movies next:
1. Capernaum (2018)
Capernaum is a gut-wrenching Lebanese drama that bears many similarities to The Florida Project. It follows 12-year-old Zain, a streetwise kid scraping by in the slums of Beirut, who sues his negligent parents for the “crime” of giving him life in an unjust world.
Like The Florida Project, Capernaum features a remarkable child actor in a gritty, realistic setting. It shines an unflinching light on poverty and the refugee crisis, but also celebrates the resilience of children. Bring tissues, because this one is a tearjerker.
2. Shoplifters (2018)
Shoplifters, from Japanese master Hirokazu Kore-eda, bears a spiritual kinship with The Florida Project. It’s a bittersweet, intimate family drama about a makeshift household of small-time thieves whose bonds are tested when they take in a child they find on the streets.
Like Sean Baker, Kore-eda has an eye for the small details of everyday life and a deep empathy for his characters on the margins of society. Shoplifters will steal your heart and make you look at the idea of “family” in a new light.
3. American Honey (2016)
If you liked the youthful energy and road movie feel of The Florida Project, give American Honey a spin. This freewheeling epic from Andrea Arnold follows a teenage girl who escapes her troubled home life to join a “mag crew” – a ragtag group of teens who travel the country selling magazine subscriptions and partying hard.
It’s a wild, sometimes difficult journey through the American heartland, anchored by a star-making performance from newcomer Sasha Lane. Like The Florida Project, it’s a vivid, immersive portrait of youth on the edge.
4. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
Beasts of the Southern Wild is a dreamy, magical-realist cousin to The Florida Project. Set in a remote Louisiana bayou community, it follows a six-year-old girl named Hushpuppy who must be brave in the face of both natural disasters and a declining father.
With its child’s-eye view, lush visuals, and defiant spirit, Beasts is a unique and moving experience. Its young star Quvenzhané Wallis, like Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project, will blow you away with her raw talent.
5. The Glass Castle (2017)
Based on Jeannette Walls’ bestselling memoir, The Glass Castle depicts a childhood full of adventure and hardship with a dysfunctional, nomadic family. Brie Larson plays the adult Jeannette looking back on her youth spent in poverty with her dreamer father (Woody Harrelson) and artist mother (Naomi Watts).
Like The Florida Project, The Glass Castle doesn’t romanticize its characters’ struggles, but it does find moments of joy, love and resilience amidst the chaos. It’s a poignant look at an unconventional upbringing.
6. Tangerine (2015)
Another raw indie gem from Sean Baker, Tangerine follows a day in the life of two transgender sex workers on the streets of Los Angeles. Shot entirely on iPhones, it has a gritty, immediate feel similar to The Florida Project.
While the subject matter is very different, Tangerine shares a humanist spirit and an interest in characters living on the fringes. It’s a funny, raunchy, ultimately big-hearted film that will leave a lasting impression.
7. Moonlight (2016)
Moonlight is a lyrical masterpiece that bears little surface-level resemblance to The Florida Project, but they share a compassionate interest in children growing up in difficult circumstances. Told in three chapters, Moonlight follows a young black man’s coming-of-age in a rough Miami neighborhood as he grapples with his sexuality and identity.
Like The Florida Project, Moonlight has a poetic visual style and a deep sense of place. More than that, it’s a profoundly empathetic character study that will open your heart and mind.
8. Short Term 12 (2013)
Short Term 12 is set in a group home for troubled teens, where a young counselor (Brie Larson, before Room and Captain Marvel catapulted her to fame) tries to make a difference while wrestling with demons of her own. It’s a moving, authentic portrait of at-risk youth.
Like The Florida Project, Short Term 12 doesn’t shy away from harsh realities, but it also celebrates small victories and moments of grace. It showcases Larson’s incredible talent and introduces other gifted young actors like Lakeith Stanfield and Kaitlyn Dever.
9. Wendy and Lucy (2008)
In Wendy and Lucy, Michelle Williams gives a heartbreaking performance as Wendy, a cash-strapped young woman traveling to Alaska with her dog in hopes of a summer job. When her car breaks down in Oregon and her dog goes missing, Wendy faces a series of everyday challenges that push her to the breaking point.
It’s a quiet, minimalist film that shares The Florida Project’s interest in the lives of the working poor. Williams fully inhabits her character, and her bond with her dog Lucy will move any animal lover to tears.
10. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
The Pursuit of Happyness is based on the incredible true story of Chris Gardner, a single father who went from homeless to successful stockbroker. Will Smith gives one of his finest performances as Gardner, with his real-life son Jaden playing the role of Christopher Jr.
Though it’s a bit more Hollywood than The Florida Project, The Pursuit of Happyness is still a poignant, eye-opening look at poverty and perseverance. Smith and his son have a powerful onscreen bond.
11. Winter’s Bone (2010)
Winter’s Bone launched Jennifer Lawrence to stardom in her gritty, Oscar-nominated turn as Ree, an Ozark Mountain teen trying to track down her missing father while keeping her family afloat. To save their home, Ree must navigate the dangerous social codes of the local criminal underworld.
It’s a tense, slow-burning mystery that, like The Florida Project, immerses you in a very specific regional milieu. Lawrence is a revelation as a tough, resourceful heroine doing what it takes to survive.
12. Precious (2009)
Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Precious is a harrowing yet ultimately hopeful story of a Harlem teen overcoming unimaginable odds. Gabourey Sidibe is heartbreaking as Precious, an overweight, illiterate 16-year-old pregnant with her second child by her own father and abused by her mother (a fearsome Mo’Nique).
It’s a much darker film than The Florida Project, but it shares a raw emotional honesty and a belief in the resilience of the human spirit. The performances are unforgettable.
13. Frozen River (2008)
Frozen River stars Melissa Leo in an Oscar-nominated performance as Ray, a desperate single mother in upstate New York who turns to smuggling immigrants over the Canadian border to make ends meet. When she partners with a Mohawk woman named Lila, the two form an uneasy alliance.
It’s a tense, finely observed drama that, like The Florida Project, puts a human face on the struggles of America’s working poor. Leo and Misty Upham have a prickly chemistry that gives way to a moving bond.
14. Where the Day Takes You (1992)
An under-seen gem from the 90s, Where the Day Takes You follows a group of teenage runaways and street kids trying to survive in Los Angeles. The ensemble includes Dermot Mulroney, Sean Astin, Lara Flynn Boyle, Will Smith (in his first dramatic role) and Ricki Lake.
While it’s a bit dated and more melodramatic than The Florida Project, Where the Day Takes You still feels authentic in its gritty depiction of homeless youth. The young cast is excellent, and the film has empathy for its characters’ plight.
15. Fish Tank (2009)
Fish Tank is a fierce British drama that put Michael Fassbender on the map and won the Jury Prize at Cannes. Katie Jarvis stars as Mia, a volatile 15-year-old living in a grim Essex housing project, whose life is disrupted when her mother brings home a charming new boyfriend (Fassbender).
With its frank depiction of a teenage girl’s sexual awakening and simmering anger, Fish Tank makes for uncomfortable viewing at times. But like The Florida Project, it has a vivid sense of place and a keen understanding of how poverty can derail young lives.
16. Gummo (1997)
Gummo, the directorial debut of Harmony Korine (Spring Breakers, The Beach Bum) is not for everyone. A plotless, transgressive portrait of poor white teens in Ohio, it’s more like a fever dream than a traditional narrative. But its vivid, often disturbing images burrow deep into the brain.
If you appreciated The Florida Project’s unvarnished depiction of poverty and were entranced by its dreamlike interludes, Gummo is worth a look. Just steel yourself for a whole lot of weirdness and squalor.
17. Ratcatcher (1999)
Set in 1970s Glasgow, Ratcatcher marked the impressive debut of Scottish director Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin, You Were Never Really Here). It follows a sensitive 12-year-old boy named James who accidentally causes the death of his friend and retreats into a dreamworld as his family is relocated from the slums to a new housing development.
With its child’s-eye view, poetic imagery, and themes of guilt and escapism, Ratcatcher would make a fascinating double bill with The Florida Project. It introduced Ramsay as a major talent to watch.
18. Kes (1969)
Kes is a British classic of social realism that has been called one of the best films about childhood ever made. Directed by Ken Loach, it centers on a scrawny, bullied 15-year-old named Billy who finds meaning in training a wild kestrel hawk. The hawk becomes his escape from a dead-end future in Northern England’s coal mining country.
With its naturalistic style and political undertones, Kes set the template for many of the films on this list. Its portrayal of a boy and his bird is both soaring and heartbreaking. If you love The Florida Project, Kes is essential viewing.
So there you have it – 18 outstanding movies to watch if you loved The Florida Project and want to further explore the world through the eyes of characters living on the margins. These films are not always easy to watch, but they pulse with empathy, honesty and hard-earned hope. They’ll make you laugh, cry, and see the world a bit differently.
What are your favorite movies like The Florida Project? Share your recommendations in the comments!
