With Michelle Yeoh at the height of her popularity after winning her first Best Actress Oscar, people might be checking out her filmography and may have found a not-so-hidden gem, 2018’s box office hit Crazy Rich Asians, who featured Yeoh in a very different role than her Everything Everywhere All At Once part. After revisiting this movie, you may want to see similar ones like it, so I’ve compiled this list that has the same feel and genre.
If you’ve seen Crazy Rich Asians recently and are looking for more movies in that romantic comedy genre, with perhaps some Asian touches and rich lifestyle nods as well, here are ten possibilities that you might enjoy!
10 Movies like Crazy Rich Asians
Roman Holiday (1953)
William Wyler’s Roman Holiday may not be about rich Asians, but it is a movie based on a rich lifestyle. Audrey Hepburn, in yet another extremely charismatic performance that gave her an Oscar, plays Crown princess Ann, who falls in love with a reporter, played by Gregory Peck, on her European tour. A true classic of the romantic genre, if you enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians, you should give Roman Holiday a shot; William Wyler doesn’t miss either.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
Besides many other themes and sub-genres, we can take Crazy Rich Asians as a wedding movie. The glamour and excitement surrounding the ceremony is an appealing side of the film, so we can also throw into the list a couple of movies that take place around weddings. The first, as it couldn’t be any other way, is My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a new classic of the genre starring primarily a Greek-American cast (as opposed to Asian Americans in Crazy Rich Asians) and that follows Toula (Nia Vardalos) as she falls in love with Ian (John Corbett), a white Anglo-Saxon protestant. It became a sleeper hit at the box office and earned a Best Original Screenplay nomination at the Oscars that year.
Wedding Crashers (2005)
Keeping the theme of wedding movies, let’s now talk about Wedding Crashers, a film that has earned a cult following based on the charming performances by Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. They play two divorce mediators who make a living out of crashing weddings and seducing women. Their paths inevitably lead them to meet Rachel McAdams’ Claire and Isla Fisher’s Gloria, and as they say, the rest is history.
Mamma Mia! (2008)
The final wedding movie in this list is another delightful entry about love and family that will have you singing Abba tunes for an entire week. If you enjoyed the romantic side of Crazy Rich Asians, you might like to meet Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who is about to marry the love of her life, Dominic Cooper’s Sky; her struggle? She would like his birth father to walk her down the aisle, but she can’t figure out who that person is out of three possible candidates, played by Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth, and Pierce Brosnan. Oh, and there are a lot of Abba musical numbers; have I not sold you yet?
Crazy, Stupid Love (2011)
If you’re looking for movies based on a rich lifestyle, Ryan Gosling’s character in Crazy, Stupid Love is just for you. This romantic comedy written by This is Us‘ Dan Fogelman has become a new icon of the genre; in addition to Gosling, the film also stars Marisa Tomei, Emma Stone, Kevin Baco, Julianne Moore, and Steve Carell, and it is a hilarious trip through the love lives of a group of individuals whose lives interconnect in a small town in unlikely ways.
The Big Sick (2017)
Kumail Nanjiani partnered with his wife, Emily V. Gordon, to tell the story of how the two met and fell in love with each other. There is no rich lifestyle here, but The Big Sick explores the social dynamics of two people from different ethnicities starting a relationship. Zoe Kazan (She Said) plays Emily, with Nanjiani playing himself. It is a true delight of a movie that earned the couple a Best Original Screenplay nomination.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
Based on Jenny Han’s novel of the same name, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a teen romantic comedy that follows shy high school junior Lara Jean (Lana Condor), who secretly writes letters to all the boys she falls for, but locks them in a closet for her own personal collection. Probably anyone could see coming that those letters will eventually be found and sent to their intended recipients, and Lara Jean will have to face her social awkwardness and embrace her feelings.
Always Be My Maybe (2019)
If you are looking for the next best Asian romance movie, you might want to consider Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe, which stars Ali Wong and Randall Park as childhood friends, Sasha and Marcus, who lost contact after a short romance in their teenage years. Sasha has since become a successful chef and reunites with Marcus after she moves back to San Francisco to open a restaurant; he must now learn how to face the economic and social differences between the two, despite still having feelings for her. The film has been praised by critics and fans for its exuding charm, charismatic leaders, and on-screen chemistry.
The Farewell (2019)
Regarding Asian romance movies, we can smoothly switch to the best kind of love, genuine family love. Lulu Wang’s The Farewell follows a Chinese American family who reunites after learning their grandmother hasn’t much time left but pledge not to tell her. Awkwafina, who already appeared in Crazy Rich Asians, headlines the film as Billi Wang, an aspiring writer who has a very close connection to her grandmother. The story is inspired by the writer/director’s real-life experience.
Palm Springs (2020)
Max Barbakow’s feature directorial debut stars Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, two strangers who get caught up in a time loop after meeting at a wedding. The film will take the viewer into unexpected places and fully exploit all the different genres it draws from, including drama, romance, and science-fiction. Check it out if you haven’t yet!
Do you have any other recommendations for Movies like Crazy Rich Asians? Let us know!
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