53 Food Movies To Make You Bring Out Your Cooking Utensils

2007 | 1h 51m | Directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava | IMDB: 8.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
 
Away with the elitist idea that only the selected few can cook! Remy the rat has only one dream in his life, and that is to cook like his idol, Chef Gusteau. If that means he has to physically manipulate his human counterpart Linguini, then so be it. Soaked in a Parisian vibe and love for French cuisine, this movie is as heartwarming as it is deliciously fun.

2000 | 2h 1m | Directed by Lasse Hallström | IMDB: 7.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
 
Before Willy Wonka, Johnny Depp was in another chocolate-making movie that tells a story of a woman and her daughter who arrive in a small traditional French village to set up a chocolate shop. At first, they face a lot of resistance from the locals, but gradually their kindness — and very delicious chocolate — help them change the community for the better.

2014 | 1h 54m | Directed by Jon Favreau | IMDB: 7.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
 
Carl Casper is a successful chef, but he has lost his creative spark. After his lava cake is criticized by a food critic, Casper does something no respectable chef would dream of doing in their worst nightmares — he opens a food truck and drives around the country with his old friend and line cook, and his young son. The movie manages to combine a perfect balance of respect for food and criticism of the elitist food culture and the people that create it.

2002 | 1h 35m | Directed by Joel Zwick | IMDB: 6.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
 
A lot can happen when two cultures meet, especially when neither of them are ready to compromise their traditions. While Toula and Ian may be fine with each other’s differences, their families are horrified to learn about the eating habits of the other side. And yet, it is food — and love — that will bring them all together to a happy ending.

1971 | 1h 40m | Directed by Mel Stuart | IMDB: 7.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
 
Admit it, how many times did you dream of being one of the kids who won a ticket to the Wonka Chocolate Factory? This film is filled with desserts beyond your wildest imagination and makes you wish a chocolatier like Willy Wonka did exist in real life.

1998 | 1h 35m | Directed by John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton | IMDB: 7.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
 
Sure, the food in this movie is not exactly something that will make your mouth water, but it does play a huge role in the story nonetheless. Protagonist Flik and other ants have to work and collect food for the grasshoppers who promised them protection from other predators, but after a while, they realize the grasshoppers only use them to get food. The movie tells the story of unfair and oppressive food systems that make you rethink the way modern society is organized.

2004 | 1h 59m | Directed by Hayao Miyazaki | IMDB: 8.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
 
Studio Ghibli is famous for making its food scenes very vivid and inviting, but the breakfast scene in this one could easily take the cake. Not only is it incredibly beautiful and flowy, but it also showcases the nature of every character, even Calcifer, the sentient fire that keeps the Moving Castle, well, moving.

2011 | 1h 21m | Directed by David Gelb | IMDB: 7.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
 
Somewhere in one of Tokyo’s many subway stations, there is a sushi place called Sukiyabashi Jiro. The place can only serve ten people, and getting a reservation is nothing short of a quest. This documentary explores the life and career path of Jiro Ono, the owner and sushi master of the restaurant, who at the time the film was made was 86 years old.

2009 | 2h 3m | Directed by Nora Ephron | IMDB: 7.0/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
 
Julia Child’s cookbook on French cuisine is regarded as nothing short of a textbook. But back in 1950s Paris, Julia was just another woman who followed her diplomat husband to a foreign land and was trying to carve a path for herself. And as Julie Powell, a modern-day food blogger, recreates Child’s recipe for her followers in the hopes of becoming famous, we are left to wonder how similar, though separated by decades, the stories of the two women are.

2019 | 2h 12m | Directed by Bong Joon Ho | IMDB: 8.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
 
This movie has a lot to its credit to keep you glued to the screen till the very end. After all, it is not every year that a foreign film wins the Academy Award for Best Picture. And just like many other details, food is used to highlight the social imbalance between the classes in Korean society. One of the most vivid examples is the ram-don scene, where the mother of the poor family has to cook a dish that combines cheap noodles with high-quality beef, just like these two families have to connect their lives.

2013 | 1h 44m | Directed by Ritesh Batra | IMDB: 7.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
 
It all starts with a mistake, like any romantic meet-cute. Two lunchboxes get mixed up, and this is how Ila and Saajan learn of each other’s existence. What follows is an exchange of letters, delicious lunches, and a contemplation of whether one should succumb to their fate or break out of an unhappy place and build their own happiness.

2005 | 1h 34m | Directed by Rob McKittrick | IMDB: 6.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 30%
 
If you ever thought that yelling chefs, overworked servers, and horribly mixed orders were the fruits of a writer’s imagination, you couldn’t be more wrong. In fact, everyone who has worked in the catering industry will tell you that movies are more likely to underplay the real chaos that takes place in any industrial kitchen. So when you watch the hijinks of this movie, rest assured that all of this could have happened in real life.

2009 | 1h 30m | Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller | IMDB: 6.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
 
Loosely based on Judi Barrett’s book of the same name, this movie tells the story of Flint Lockwood, who invented a machine that turns all sorts of weather into various kinds of food. And yes, it is as chaotic and fun as it sounds. But besides food literally falling from the sky, the animation also deals with the complicated relationship Flint has with his father.

1992 | 1h 45m | Directed by Alfonso Arau | IMDB: 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
 
You have probably heard the thought that your cooking reflects your emotion. In this movie, this saying comes to life in the most literal way. At times absurd, at times tragic, at times joyous, and at all times dedicated to the food it depicts, Alfonso Arau’s masterpiece will introduce you to a family that tries to navigate their way through the hardships of relationships and the necessity of keeping up with the times.

2018 | 8m | Directed by Domee Shi | IMDB: 7.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
 
Telling the story of a mother and her anthropomorphic bao son, this short animation will manipulate you into feeling all the emotions. With a great take on the inevitable separation of children from their parents, it is a must-see for every parent and child.

1988 | 1h 44m | Directed by Donald Petrie | IMDB: 6.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
 
A small and absolutely not-famous pizza place is more than just a place of work for three young girls who are trying to find their place in life. While they go through heartbreaks and reconciliations, an influential food critic comes to Mystic Pizza. His review can decide the fate of the establishment.

2007 | 1h 48m | Directed by Adrienne Shelly | IMDB: 7.0/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
 
Jenna makes great pies and gives them great creative names. Apart from that, everything else is crumbling in her life: an unwanted pregnancy, loveless marriage, and an affair that shouldn’t be there in the first place. There is also a big pie competition she wants to participate in. This lighthearted comedy will make you fall in love with pies even if you’ve never tried one before.

1985 | 1h 54m | Directed by Jûzô Itami | IMDB: 7.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
 
Tampopo (dandelion in Japanese) is a widowed chef who runs a ramen shop. Two truck drivers decide to help her on her quest to make the perfect bowl of ramen, which up until now she’s failed to do. The movie uncovers individual relationships with the food we eat and ventures into exploring the sensuality of both cooking and consuming food.

2014 | 2h 2m | Directed by Lasse Hallström | IMDB: 7.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
 
A lot has been said about fusion cuisine. Some love it, some object to it, but what really happens when two different cultures come together in the kitchen? This movie explores the idea of cultural differences and similarities, blood and acquired family, and above all, dedication to your calling.

1982 | 1h 50m | Directed by Barry Levinson | IMDB: 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
 
Several close friends reunite in Baltimore before the wedding of one of them. As they choose a diner as the place for their meetups, there will be a lot of eating as well as discussing both matters of utmost importance and completely trivial ones over a plate.

2022 | 1h 47m | Directed by Mark Mylod | IMDB: 7.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
 
How far are you willing to go for a fancy experience at a fancy restaurant from a chef everyone keeps talking about? Being stranded on an island? Eating weird things that do nothing for your stomach? Witnessing bizarre and very disturbing events unfold in front of you? And what will it take to put an end to all of this?

2004 | 2h 7m | Directed by Alexander Payne | IMDB: 7.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
 
You might argue that wine is not exactly food, but this movie treats it with all the respect it deserves. Most of the plot happens in the Santa Ynez Valley, known for its wineries, and revolves around the misadventures of two friends, one of whom is struggling to move past his divorce and career failures, while the other wants to have one last fling before he settles in marriage.

2010 | 2h 13m | Directed by Ryan Murphy | IMDB: 5.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 36%
 
Based on the memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, this movie is set in three different countries. The first part of the story takes place in Italy, and as you can tell by the title, is full of food. But here it is not just to satiate hunger: for the protagonist who just came out of a messy divorce, food is a cathartic but also sensual experience on her way to rediscovering herself.

1987 | 1h 43m | Directed by Bryan Singer | IMDB: 7.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
 
Set in 19th-century Denmark, this film is a great example of how food, when prepared with expertise and lots of love, can change animosity into friendship and turn life into a beautiful experience. Paired with shots and dialogues centered around food, this film will leave you craving for a feast with your friends.

1996 | 1h 49m | Directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci | IMDB: 7.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
 
Life in America is not easy for the Italian immigrant brothers Primo and Secondo. Though the former is a brilliant chef and the latter is a great manager, their restaurant keeps failing to take off the ground. The “big night” is the event that they expect to save their business. It is a story about family, about authenticity, about assimilation, but also very importantly, it is a story about food, where a complex Italian baked pasta dish known as timpano holds the center stage.

2019 | 1h 41m | Directed by Nahnatchka Khan | IMDB: 6.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
 
It’s a story of food, it’s a story of childhood memories and how they shape our lives, it’s a story of love, but most importantly, it’s a story of how no matter who you are and where you come from, if you have a dream and allow yourself to make it come true, you can change the whole world around you.

2003 | 2h 8m | Directed by Nancy Meyers | IMDB: 7.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
 
This movie isn’t exactly about cooking, and none of the characters are connected to the catering industry either, but show it to any real gourmand and they will immediately recognize two locations in the movie: a place in East Hampton where Ina Garten filmed her culinary TV show Barefoot Contessa, and Le Grand Colbert, one of the poshest Parisian restaurants.

2004 | 1h 40m | Directed by Morgan Spurlock | IMDB: 7.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
 
To create this documentary, director Morgan Spurlock put his own health on the line. For a whole month, he only ate products from one well-known fast food chain. And while the company may claim that everybody is “lovin’ it,” it didn’t take Spurlock long to discover what negative effects consuming fast food on a daily basis can bring. He was very honest about his experience on camera, talking not only about his physical health but also his mental health after each meal.

2011 | 1h 30m | Directed by Jim Field Smith | IMDB: 6.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 34%
 
What can you do with butter? Cook, sure. But in this movie, butter becomes molding material as the participants of a carving competition at the Iowa State Fair have to prove who can make the best sculpture out of butter. There will be a lot of emotions, alliances, betrayals, and epiphanies in the process.

2019 | 1h 40m | Directed by Lulu Wang | IMDB: 7.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
 
This movie follows Billi, an aspiring writer who lives in the US, on her trip to China to visit her parents and her terminally ill grandmother who still doesn’t know about her diagnosis. The plot may not revolve around food in a direct manner, but a lot of family dynamics are revealed when everybody is gathered around the table, be it at home, at a restaurant, or in a dining hall.

2016 | 1h 32m | Directed by Eleanor Coppola | IMDB: 5.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 47%
 
What happens when you travel with a foodie through a country with one of the most famous cuisines in the world? That’s right, every inch of that journey is filled with samplings, picnics, and wine tastings. And who knows, this may lead to something deeper, too.

2016 | 1h 55m | Directed by John Lee Hancock | IMDB: 7.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 80%
 
Meet Ray Kroc, the real brains behind McDonald’s. When he first met the McDonald brothers, Kroc convinced them to go into business with him to expand their restaurant into a franchise. And while the initial steps he takes will indeed be very successful, soon the McDonalds will realize their partnership with Kroc might have been a hasty decision.

2016 | 1h 44m | Directed by Bruce Beresford | IMDB: 7.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 24%
 
Eddie Murphy has portrayed characters of various professions, and in this film, he plays a personal cook to a family of a single mother and her young daughter. Staying with the family for decades, he helps them through the lows and celebrates with them through the highs. But there are things about him that are concealed from the eye.

1994 | 2h 4m | Directed by Ang Lee | IMDB: 7.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
 
A master of exploring family connections through the prism of the transition from traditional to modern, Ang Lee does it once again, this time bringing in food and cooking as another very important member of the family. While the interpersonal conflicts will have you thinking about values and relationships, every single frame of meal prepping will become a feast for your visual senses.

2021 | 1h 32m | Directed by Michael Sarnoski | IMDB: 6.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
 
A man on a farm somewhere in the Pacific Northwest doesn’t like to talk much. He lives with his partner who helps him search for truffles that they sell to a distributor. The man shares a very unique bond with his partner, who is probably the only living being he shares his thoughts and feelings with. The partner is a huge truffle-hunter pig. But when the pig is stolen by a gang, the man will leave no stone unturned to find his partner and bring her back.

2020 | 1h 44m | Directed by Prentice Penny | IMDB: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
 
Wine is not exactly considered to be the number one drink to go with a barbecue. For the owners of a Memphis barbecue chain, it seems unnatural that anyone, much less their own son and heir, would want to pursue a career in wine. But for their son Elijah, wine is a ticket out of his hometown, out of the business he is not interested in, and out of his family. Generational tension finds a perfect representation in the “rivalry” between barbecue and wine.

2000 | 1h 38m | Directed by Kar-Wai Wong | IMDB: 8.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
 
This film explores the idea of missed connections and missed opportunities due to a fear of being happy. The relationship between the protagonists, both of whom realize their spouses are cheating on them, starts in a noodle shop they frequently visit. Step by step, they develop feelings for each other but fail to pursue their happiness.

2012 | 2h 4m | Directed by Nicholas Stoller | IMDB: 6.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
 
Following the ups and downs of the relationship between sous-chef Tom and PhD graduate Violet, this movie will give you all the things you expect from a rom-com in their best form. And when a five-year-long engagement ends not only with a happily ever after but a taco truck as a bonus, what better resolution could you ask for?

2006 | 1h 56m | Directed by Richard Linklater | IMDB: 6.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 49%
 
Based on a book of the same name, this film takes a hard look at the fast food industry and the sanitary conditions throughout the process, from ingredient supply to cooking. The food chain, suppliers, and facilities may be fictitious in this movie, but deep down you know that all the events in the film have a good chance of taking place in real life, including at your favorite fast food joint.

2008 | 1h 50m | Directed by Randall Miller | IMDB: 6.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 48%
 
Who knows more about wine than the French? Who makes better wine than the French? Well, Steve Spurrier is set to shatter this myth. Initially, all he wanted to do was revive his wine-selling business, but after he meets Bo Barrett in California, things take a different turn. Packed with great performances from Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, and other cast members, this movie is bound to make you fall in love with wine.

2010 | 1h 48m | Directed by Gereon Wetzel | IMDB: 6.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 60%
 
For six months, chef Ferran Adrià worked on new creations for his restaurant El Bulli. This documentary follows his journey and witnesses the birth of each culinary masterpiece in the hands of the star chef.

2012 | 1h 35m | Directed by Christian Vincent | IMDB: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
 
Based on the life of Danièle Mazet-Delpeuch, this film explores the life story of a female cook who was appointed as the chef at the Presidential Palace of France. Despite her great skills, it will take her quite some effort to overcome the jealousy of her colleagues in the kitchen and the political traps that fill the corridors of the presidential residence.

2012 | 1h 33m | Directed by Joseph Levy | IMDB: 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
 
Three restaurants, three locations, three different stories. At first glance, they don’t seem to have anything in common except for the fact that they all serve food. But as this documentary unfolds, you will realize that even though they might be very different, there is one thing that unites them, and that is a love for cooking.

2015 | 1h 53m | Directed by Naomi Kawase | IMDB: 7.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
 
You will learn two life lessons from this movie. First, how to make really good Japanese pancakes called dorayaki. And second, that our life is not valued by our career path or our past. We live in the moment and should try to be good people right here and now.

2010 | 1h 52m | Directed by Michael Winterbottom | IMDB: 7.0/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
 
Author and comedian Steve Coogan embarks on a journey around the UK to review the best restaurants for The Observer, all in an attempt to impress his food-snob girlfriend. He takes his friend, comedian Rob Brydon, with him, even though he can’t really stand him. The film is full of spectacular food and dry British wit, but underneath it all there lies a contemplation of what happiness really becomes once you enter adulthood.

2015 | 1h 41m | Directed by John Wells | IMDB: 6.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 28%
 
In a kitchen, it is hard to tell what will bring worse results, a burnt dish or a burnt chef. Packed with sequences of magnificent cooking, this movie tells the story of Adam, whose personal and behavioral problems interfere with his career and put his entire professional life under threat. And though Adam is a chef, whatever profession you might be pursuing, you’ll find a valuable lesson in this one.

2015 | 1h 32m | Directed by Mark Helenowski and Kevin Pang | IMDB: 7.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
 
This documentary is a must-watch for anyone who aspires to become a great chef. It follows Curtis Duffy in his efforts to create the best restaurant in the country, from building it to the opening night. And while his career is on the rise, constant focus on the restaurant he called Grace and perfecting his cooking skills leaves Curtis’ personal life in shambles.

2008 | 1h 47m | Directed by Kyu-dong Min | IMDB: 6.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
 
If you want to find the love of your life, opening a bakery is a foolproof method — women are just bound to flow to your shop, and one of them will definitely be the one, right? Armed with this logic and a genuine love for making cakes, Jin Hyuk opens his bakery together with three other young men, each of whom has a secret from the past they need to face.

2000 | 1h 39m | Directed by Bob Giraldi | IMDB: 7.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
 
A restaurateur-bookmaker, a gambling sous-chef, a star chef who is also the son of the owner, organized crime, and of course, lots and lots of kitchen talk. All of this you will find in this film, the events of which take place during one evening inside the restaurant or just outside it.

2017 | 1h 48m | Directed by Pratim D. Gupta | IMDB: 7.1/10
 
Dev wanted to be a chef and was ready to do anything for it. Even if it meant quitting his job as an engineer, leaving his wife and parents behind in India and moving to France. For 13 years, he has been pursuing his dream, but when his mother falls ill, he has to return and face his past.

2012 | 1h 26m | Directed by Paul Lacoste | IMDB: 6.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
 
Having parents who’ve made a name for themselves in any industry is not an easy task. Taking over the business from them is even more pressuring. This documentary follows renowned French chef Michel Bras as he is about to retire and put his son in charge of the restaurant.

2007 | 1h 53m | Directed by Marcos Jorge | IMDB: 7.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
 
This film follows the life of Raimundo Nonato in two separate periods of his life. In one of them, he is a successful cook in an Italian restaurant. In the other, he is also a cook, but as a prisoner. As the events unfold simultaneously in both periods, the viewer learns what blood-chilling events took place in Nonato’s life and how he plans to get out of his predicament.

2016 | 1h 29m | Directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan | IMDB: 6.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
 
It’s not just food-themed; the food in this one is the protagonist, and also the antagonist, and most of the secondary characters as well. Centered around a sausage, Frank, the film is full of humor that won’t be liked by everybody, and is probably better kept away from children. But if you are looking for something silly to watch, you may want to give it a try.