MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for Soul Food

Soul Food

1997 · 114 min

A warm, messy family drama that pulls you into Sunday dinners and the arguments that threaten to break them apart.

Directed by
George Tillman Jr.
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Starring
Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long
Tagline
Every family needs some.
Overview
Traditional Sunday dinners at Mama Joe's turn sour when sisters Teri, Bird and Maxine start bringing their problems to the dinner table in this ensemble comedy. When tragedy strikes, it's up to grandson Ahmad to pull the family together and put the soul back into the family's weekly gatherings.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
George Tillman Jr.
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Starring
Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • warmstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • family
  • grief
  • betrayal
  • redemption
  • healing
Places
  • big city
  • home
Era
contemporary
Audience
teen
Form
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action2
Horror0
Humour5
Realism8
Romance4
Tension5
Darkness4
Complexity5
Emotional weight7

More like this

Titles like Soul Food

TV series

This Is Us

2016–2022

A tender, time-hopping family saga that regularly reduces you to tears, finding warmth and heartbreak in ordinary moments across generations.

Same director: George Tillman Jr. · Warm, melancholic · about family and grief · ensemble

Also
Same director: George Tillman Jr.
Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • grief
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
6
Details
This Is UsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Descendants

2011

A tender, bittersweet journey through grief and forgiveness, balancing humor and heartbreak with a laid-back Hawaiian rhythm.

Warm, melancholic · about family and grief · ensemble

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • grief
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
115 min
Details
The DescendantsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Pieces of April

2003

A bittersweet, intimate holiday gathering that balances awkward comedy with tender emotional reckoning, leaving a warm ache.

Warm, melancholic · about family and grief · ensemble

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • grief
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
81 min
Details
Pieces of AprilHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Upside of Anger

2005

A raw, funny-sad family drama that simmers with anger and grief, then quietly opens into warmth and forgiveness.

Warm, melancholic · about family and grief · ensemble

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • grief
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
118 min
Details
The Upside of AngerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

His Three Daughters

2024

A quiet, emotionally raw chamber piece that simmers with sibling friction and grief, rewarding patient viewers with a tender, bittersweet release.

Warm, melancholic · about family and grief · ensemble

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • grief
  • ensemble
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
104 min
Details
His Three DaughtersHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

This Christmas

2007

A warm, bustling holiday gathering where family friction and secrets surface, then resolve into a comforting, music-filled embrace.

Warm, earnest · about family and betrayal · ensemble

Via
  • warm
  • earnest
  • family
  • betrayal
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
easy-watch
Runtime
117 min
Details
This ChristmasHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Farewell

2019

A tender, bittersweet family gathering that balances quiet humor with deep emotional ache, asking you to sit with moral ambiguity.

Warm, melancholic · about family and grief

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • grief
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
100 min
Details
The FarewellHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Royal Tenenbaums

2001

A bittersweet, eccentric family portrait that balances melancholy with deadpan humor and visual charm.

Warm, melancholic · about family and grief · ensemble

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • grief
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
110 min
Details
The Royal TenenbaumsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Yi Yi

2000

A quietly absorbing, novelistic look at ordinary lives that rewards patience with deep emotional resonance.

Warm, melancholic · about family and grief · ensemble

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • grief
  • ensemble
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
174 min
Details
Yi YiHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Little Miss Sunshine

2006

A warm, funny, and bittersweet ride with a dysfunctional family that turns awkward mishaps into moments of unexpected grace.

Warm, melancholic · about family and grief · ensemble

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • grief
  • ensemble
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
102 min
Details
Little Miss SunshineHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Hate U Give

2018

A heartfelt and urgent coming-of-age drama that balances warmth with raw pain, leaving you moved and provoked.

Same director: George Tillman Jr. · Warm, melancholic · about family

Also
Same director: George Tillman Jr.
Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
133 min
Details
The Hate U GiveHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

A Christmas Tale

2008

A talky, emotionally intricate family reunion that mixes warmth and resentment, demanding attention as it unfolds its messy, bittersweet dynamics.

Warm, melancholic · about family and grief · ensemble

Via
  • warm
  • melancholic
  • family
  • grief
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
152 min
Details
A Christmas TaleHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
comedy, drama
Directed by
George Tillman Jr.
Written by
George Tillman Jr.
Starring
Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach, Mekhi Phifer, Brandon Hammond, Jeffrey D. Sams, Gina Ravera
Music
Lisa Coleman, Wendy Melvoin
Cinematography
Paul Elliott
Runtime
114 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata