5 films like Raymond & Ray you must watch

By Miguel Fernández
Published: October 29, 2022
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We discuss 5 films like Raymond & Ray you must watch – check out these recommendations and add them to your watchlist.

Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke teamed up recently for the new Apple TV Plus film Raymond & Ray, now streaming. The movie, which Ready Steady Cut gave a 3/5 to, saying it was based on “an emotionally layered, heartfelt script about growing into yourself through trauma and how that pain never really leaves you,” deals with two half-brothers dealing with the recent loss of their abusive father. If you enjoyed that movie, here are a few recommendations you might enjoy as well!

5 films like Raymond & Ray, you must watch

Big Fish (2003)

Perhaps Tim Burton’s most poignant film, Big Fish, also stars Ewan McGregor, though this time he plays (the younger version of) the dying father. Billy Crudup’s character has always had an issue with the stories his father told, as they were clearly exaggerations of what actually happened. When he goes out to say goodbye to his father (Albert Finney), he tries to untangle truth from fantasy from the tales his father tells him. And to do that, Burton flashes us back to the father’s early days, where McGregor steps in to play the role.

About Time (2013)

There are around zero story connections between Raymond & Ray and the rom-com masterpiece About Time. But the themes of looking back at the past and learning from it to build a better future for yourself that the former deals with, are one of the many pieces the latter talks about. It’s a bit of a stretch, but I will take any excuse to bring up one of my favorite movies of all time. And if you enjoyed Raymond & Ray, I can’t find a single reason why you wouldn’t enjoy About Time, even if they are completely different movies. Some films are just hard not to like.

The Judge (2014)

Robert Downey Jr.’s odd non-Marvel film in the 2010s, The Judge follows Hank Palmer (Downey Jr.), a “brilliant but shady attorney”, as he returns to his Indiana hometown to deal with her mother’s passing. That will bring up a lot of tension between him and his father (Robert Duvall), with whom he doesn’t have the best relationship as he disapproves of his son’s life choices. Duvall’s character is suddenly arrested for murder, and his son takes over his case against his father’s demand.

It’s a bit of a flip on the premise of Raymond & Ray, where it is now the son that must make up for his past mistakes in the eyes of his still-breathing father. While the film wasn’t critically acclaimed, there is enough acting power on display to keep the viewer hooked and, much like in Raymond & Ray, the premise is what keeps the movie together.

This is Where I Leave You (2014)

An all-star ensemble led by Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, and Jane Fonda, and also including Adam Driver, Kathryn Hahn, Corey Stoll, and Rose Byrne, is assembled in Shawn Levy’s This is Where I Leave You, which follows a group of siblings coming together to mourn their recently-deceased father. They spend a week together in their mother’s house remembering old times and learning to live with each other once again. Much like Raymond & Ray, it deals with themes of reconciliation and accepting one’s past and learning from it.

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman play three siblings that have not spoken since their father passed on. Now, they embark on a trip across India trying to deal with one to visit their mother in a Himalayan convent. Perhaps one of Wes Anderson’s most underlooked films, The Darjeeling Limited also deals with themes of reconciliation and family, much like Raymond & Ray.

Do you have any other recommendations for films like Raymond & Ray? Let us know!

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