Saagar Kote
Based on the eponymous memoir by Chris Gardner and Quincy Troupe, ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ is a biographical drama directed by Gabriele Muccino. Set in San Francisco in 1981, the story follows Chris Gardner (Will Smith), who struggles to provide for his wife, Linda (Thandiwe Newton), and their young son, Christopher (Jaden Smith), while trying to sell portable bone density scanners to doctors. With sales falling short, unpaid bills and debts troubling him, and his family slipping deeper into financial hardship, Chris realizes he must find another way to build a better future, especially for his son, who is excited about life.
Chris takes a chance by applying for a highly competitive internship at the brokerage firm Dean Witter, only to discover that the six-month program offers no pay and only one position at the end. Unexpected setbacks continue to test him, and his family begins to fall apart in heartbreaking ways. Chris remains determined to complete the internship, support his son, and earn the opportunity to change their lives at any cost, even if it means surviving the extremes of poverty. This list features movies on Netflix similar to ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ that poignantly explore deeply personal themes, conflicted characters, and difficult social realities.
12. Left-Handed Girl (2025)
Crafted by Shih-Ching Tsou, ‘Left-Handed Girl‘ or ‘Zuo pie zi nü hai’ is a Taiwanese drama about a single mother trying to rebuild her life with her two daughters. After spending several years in the countryside, Shu-Fen (Janet Tsai) returns to Taipei with her elder daughter, I-Ann (Shih-Yuan Ma), and her five-year-old younger daughter, I-Jing (Nina Ye), to open a noodle stand at a busy night market. While Shu-Fen struggles to make ends meet, her daughters each adjust to their new surroundings in different ways, with the curious I-Jing quickly becoming fascinated by the lively market. Even though the family works toward a fresh start, family secrets begin to surface and challenge them.
When her grandfather forbids the left-handed I-Jing from using her dominant hand, she may have to survive through other means. On the lines of ‘The Pursuit of Happyness,’ the movie is an intimate portrait of a family in deep crisis, where uncertainty and hardship are the only constants. The two narratives are deeply connected through the examination of the sacrifices the characters make to survive and take care of their families in overwhelmingly unfair conditions. The journey unfolds on Netflix.
11. Nomadland (2020)
‘Nomadland‘ examines the events in the life of a woman in her sixties named Fern (Frances McDormand) after the closure of the US Gypsum plant in Empire, Nevada, and the death of her husband. Fern loses her home in the town where she has built her life. In 2011, she stores away what few belongings she has left, buys a second-hand van, converts it into a place to live, and begins traveling across the country in search of temporary work. As Fern adjusts to life on the road, she meets a community of fellow nomads, including former residents of Empire, who are also trying to rebuild their lives after the 2008 financial collapse.
Relying on one another through shared resources, bartering, and friendship, they search for stability while discovering what home truly means. Brought to life and written by Chloé Zhao, the drama, akin to ‘The Pursuit of Happyness,’ is a scathing portrayal of poverty, hardship, survival, relationships, dependence, liberation, and the very purpose of life. Based on the book ‘Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century’ by Jessica Bruder, the movie is streaming here.
10. Brother (2022)
Based on David Chariandy’s novel of the same name, ‘Brother’ is set in Scarborough during the summer of 1991 against the backdrop of Toronto’s early hip-hop era. The story revolves around brothers Francis (Aaron Pierre) and Michael (Lamar Johnson), the sons of Caribbean immigrants growing up with their single mother, who works long shifts as a nurse. The older brother, Francis, becomes Michael’s protector and role model while the two navigate the tough life in their neighborhood.
However, rising tensions around them gradually drive the brothers apart, leaving Michael to face a painful family tragedy years later. Like Chris’s journey in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness,’ the experiences of Francis and Michael become a symbol of family, resilience, community, and the lasting power of love in the face of hopelessness. The drama, penned and brought to life by Clement Virgo, is available on Netflix.
9. Straw (2025)
‘Straw’ is the tale of Janiyah Wiltkinson (Taraji P. Henson), a single mother struggling to provide for her ill daughter. Living in poverty and pressed by the need for food and healthcare, Janiyah becomes entangled in a case of bank robbery that places her at the center of suspicion and a crisis. What begins as a desperate move soon escalates into a tense and claustrophobic situation. Janiyah must now not only deal with the cops and those she has held hostage at the bank, but also come to terms with the complexities of her own mind.
The psychological crime drama film is a deep and harrowing take on the African-American experience, while also exploring the brutal consequences of poverty and despair, much like ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’ The films are also commentaries on the challenges of parenthood in a broken world with nothing but apathy. Written and directed by Tyler Perry, the movie can be found here.
8. The Children’s Train (2024)
‘The Children’s Train‘ or ‘Il treno dei bambini’ is an Italian drama from the creative mind of Cristina Comencini. Set in 1946, it chronicles the life of seven-year-old Amerigo (Christian Cervone), who has never known life beyond the poor and struggling world of Naples he shares with his single mother, Antonietta (Serena Rossi). Hoping to give her son a better future, Antonietta sends him to northern Italy as part of a postwar initiative that places children from struggling families with host families. There, Amerigo is welcomed by a young woman named Derna (Barbara Ronchi), whose care opens his eyes to a very different life.
His time away changes the way he sees the world, and Amerigo is faced with a painful decision that might shape his future. The film wrestles with themes of poverty, family, and purpose, which ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ also does. However, the Italian movie also adds a layer of cultural and historical authenticity by placing its characters in a country seeking to rebuild lives after a devastating war. Based on Viola Ardone’s novel of the same name, the movie can be streamed on Netflix.
7. The Life Ahead (2020)
‘The Life Ahead‘ or ‘La vita davanti a sé’ takes place in the Italian port city of Bari and follows Madame Rosa (Sophia Loren), a Jewish Holocaust survivor and former sex worker who runs an unofficial home for the children of local sex workers and other women unable to care for their kids. Rosa’s life takes an unexpected turn when 12-year-old orphan Momo (Ibrahima Gueye), a Senegalese immigrant living on the streets, steals from her. Although it seems strange, Rosa eventually takes the boy into her care for a few months. With their lives becoming increasingly connected, the lonely pair find comfort and a sense of family in one another.
Shaped by the ideas of Edoardo Ponti, the Italian drama is an adaptation of Romain Gary’s novel ‘The Life Before Us’ and the French film ‘Madame Rosa’. The ideas of family and redemption are at the heart of the story, echoing the emotions and world of ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’ While the American movie is about survival, the Italian offering is a tale of empathy, destiny, and unlikely connection. You can watch it here.
6. Lion (2016)
With Garth Davis behind the lens, ‘Lion’ is an Australian biographical drama that adapts Saroo Brierley’s memoir ‘A Long Way Home.’ In 1986, five‑year‑old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) lives with his family in rural India until a chance outing with his brother leaves him stranded on a train. Carried away to Calcutta, he becomes lost in a city where no one can identify him. Surviving in the streets, Saroo is eventually adopted by Sue (Nicole Kidman) and John Brierley (David Wenham), an Australian couple in Tasmania. Growing up in comfort in a new country, he builds a new life yet remains haunted by memories of the family he left behind. The adult Saroo (Dev Patel) hides his desperate search for his biological family from his adoptive parents and girlfriend Lucy (Rooney Mara).
His determination eventually inspires him to travel to India to reclaim what he lost many years ago. The emotional core of the story lies in its haunting exploration of the idea of family in desperate circumstances, which reflects the world that Chris deals with in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’ In addition to this, the films also shed light on the consequences of poverty and the human suffering it leads to. You may stream the movie on Netflix.
5. Color Book (2024)
‘Color Book’ tells the story of Lucky (William Catlett), a devoted single father learning to rebuild his life after the death of his wife while raising his son, Mason (Jeremiah Alexander Daniels), who has Down syndrome. Hoping to share a special moment together, the pair set out on a journey across Metro Atlanta to attend their first baseball game. Along the way, a series of setbacks disrupts their plans, testing both their patience and their bond. As they push forward despite each obstacle, their trip becomes about more than reaching the game. Akin to ‘The Pursuit of Happyness,’ the film offers an intimate look at grief, resilience, and the experience of a struggling father raising a child, while also reflecting the realities of the African-American experience. Penned and helmed by David Fortune, the drama can be watched here.
4. All Together Now (2020)
In ‘All Together Now,’ Amber Appleton (Auli’i Cravalho) is a cheerful and musically talented high school student who dreams of attending an elite university while balancing school and working long hours at a donut shop to help support her single mother, Becky (Justina Machado). She also spends time caring for residents at a local retirement community and takes part in her school’s drama club. Despite her optimism, Amber hides a painful secret from those around her that she and her mother are homeless, living in the school bus.
When unexpected hardships threaten her future, Amber learns that accepting the support of the people who care about her may be the only way to keep her dreams alive. Crafted by Brett Haley, the drama resembles the world of ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ through its meaningful, emotional, visually engaging, and layered human moments, focusing on empathy, survival, and the dreams that shape life at a larger level. Based on Matthew Quick’s novel ‘Sorta Like a Rockstar,’ the story can be found on Netflix.
3. Fatherhood (2021)
In ‘Fatherhood,’ after the sudden death of his wife, Matthew Logelin, AKA Matt (Kevin Hart), is left to raise Maddy (Melody Hurd), his newborn daughter, on his own while learning to cope with an overwhelming loss. With his family living out of state, those closest to him question whether he can handle parenthood on his own. Matt navigates the demands of caring for an infant and finds himself in a series of difficult, awkward situations, relying on his friends’ encouragement to help him through. As the years pass and his daughter grows up, their bond becomes stronger, with the two finding comfort and strength in one another, while still being challenged by grief.
Based on Matthew Logelin’s memoir ‘Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love,’ the comedy-drama film is brought to life by Paul Weitz. The film reflects the essence and emotions that Chris experiences in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ through the struggles of Matt, who also comes to terms with grief, the idea of family, and a father’s duties and position as he learns to raise his kid in challenging circumstances. You may watch it here.
2. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
Marking the feature directorial debut of Chiwetel Ejiofor, ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ is a British drama based on the eponymous memoir by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. In a drought‑stricken region of Malawi, William Kamkwamba (Maxwell Simba), a bright teenager, sees his education cut short when his family can no longer afford school fees. Determined not to give up, he secretly spends time in a local library, studying science and engineering. When famine looms over his village, William becomes fascinated by the idea of generating electricity through wind power.
With limited resources, he sets out to construct a windmill that could bring hope to his family and community. However, his biggest challenge is to convince his pessimistic father, Trywell Kamkwamba (Chiwetel Ejiofor), that dreams can be realized. On the lines of ‘The Pursuit of Happyness,’ the narrative closely examines resilience, street smarts, and the power of knowledge to transcend economic and social barriers in demanding spaces. The character motivations and the father-son relationship bind the films tightly together. It can be streamed on Netflix.
1. 12th Fail (2023)
Based on a true story and Anurag Pathak’s book of the same name, ‘12th Fail‘ is a Hindi-language biographical drama directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The Indian film tells the true story of Manoj Kumar Sharma (Vikrant Massey), a young man from a remote, poor village in the Chambal region, where cheating on school examinations is the norm. Hoping to secure a peon’s job, Manoj appears for his Class 12 exams, but his plans fall apart when an honest police officer puts an end to the cheating, and Manoj fails. After witnessing the officer’s honesty and courage, Manoj is inspired to change the course of his life. He passes his school exams, dreaming of becoming a police officer. His journey eventually leads him toward the UPSC, one of the world’s toughest public service qualification examinations.
Along the way, he meets fellow public service aspirant Shraddha Joshi (Medha Shankr), whose love and support become an important part of his pursuit of a better future. Despite the emotional support, Manoj’s complex bond with his family and the competition around him push him to the limits. There is much in common between Manoj’s experiences in the movie and those of Chris in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’ Both characters face the brutal realities of economic hardship, while still believing that they can survive and prove themselves in a demanding world. The movies are further connected through their depiction of family dynamics and the uplifting visual elements. Watch the journey on Netflix.
Read More: Is The Pursuit of Happyness Based on a True Story?
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