Crazy Rich Asians, which debuted in 2018, made a big impression at the box office because of its diverse narrative, swoony romance, and complex family relationships.
The Jon M. Chu movie has everything about romantic comedies, yet it still left fans wanting more.
Many movies like Crazy Rich Asians capture the many aspects that made the movie so remarkable as fans wait for the sequel, which is unfortunate.
Here are a few ideas for other movies like Crazy Rich Asians to watch:
1. Always Be My Maybe (2019)
- Director: Nahnatchka Khan
- Star cast: Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito, Michelle Buteau, Vivian Bang, Keanu Reeves, and Susan Park
- IMDb rating: 6.8/10
If you like raunchy comedy and childhood romances, Always Be My Maybe, a 2019 movie starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, is for you. In the movie, Wong and Park play childhood best friends Sasha and Marcus, who unexpectedly separate ways after an unplanned adolescent romance.
The laugh-out-loud jokes make the movie funnier, with the Friends to Lover’s troupe taking the lead. Additionally, the movie has an excellent representation of cultural specificity, including the cuisine and the experiences of Asian Americans.
The amusing and unexpected appearance by Keanu Reeves was the icing on top of the story’s excellent writing.
Always Be My Maybe was written by Wong, Park, and Michael Golamco and directed by Nahnatchka Khan. It also features James Saito, Michelle Buteau, Vivian Bang, Karan Soni, Daniel Dae Kim, and others.
2. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
- Director: Joel Zwick
- Star cast: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Michael Constantine, Christina Eleusiniotis, Kaylee Vieira, Johnny Kalangis, and Lainie Kazan
- IMDb rating: 6.6/10
The concept of this comedy from 2002 is comparable to that of Crazy Rich Asians; however, it is less Asian and less wealthy. Nia Vardalos plays Toula in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and she struggles to find out how to introduce her lover Ian, who is not Greek, to her parents.
According to Roger Ebert, the movie’s “real” people, rather than attractive models cast as the romantic protagonists, set it apart from the previous rom-com.
After Toula’s parents eventually approve of Ian, according to FanFare, the movie appears to shift genres and is not as well received in the second half.
3. The Half of It (2020)
- Director: Alice Wu
- Star cast: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Wolfgang Novogratz, Collin Chou, Becky Ann Baker, and Enrique Murciano
- IMDb rating: 6.9/10
The Half of It, a gem from 2020, is a comedy-drama that delves into the lives of Ellie. It follows a Chinese-American student who is smart and who chooses to assist the school jock, Paul, in approaching a girl with whom she is secretly in love.
Ellie and Paul nonetheless bond and discover the real meaning of love while still attempting to approach their only love. The Half of It, called a charmer, digs further and covers topics other than love or a love triangle.
The movie focuses on bullying, queerness, and the treatment of immigrants and the everyday lives of an Asian-American teenager. In addition to having a humorous aspect, the movie is undoubtedly among the best movies like Crazy Rich Asians you should not miss.
The movie, written and directed by Alice Wu, features Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire, Collin Chou, Catherine Curtain, and others.
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
- Director: Wes Anderson
- Star cast: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, and Harvey Keitel
- IMDb rating: 8.1/10
Wes Anderson wrote the screenplay and directed the comedy-drama movie The Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014. In 1968, Zero Moustafa, the elderly owner of The Grand Budapest Hotel, is the focus of the movie, which is set in the made-up European village of Zubrowka.
In 1932, when he was a young immigrant working as a lobby boy under the supervision of the eccentric concierge M. Gustave, Zero recounts to a writer how he came to inherit the hotel. In the movie, Ralph Fiennes plays M. Gustave, while Tony Revolori plays Zero.
This is one of the movies like Crazy Rich Asians because of the romance between Zero and Agatha, two people from very different socioeconomic strata.
5. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)
- Director: Susan Johnson
- Star cast: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Andrew Bachelor, Trezzo Mahoro, and Madeleine Arthur
- IMDb rating: 7.0/10
When Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean debuted as the eternal on-screen couple in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before in 2018, they sparked a rom-com fan frenzy. Due to the movie’s popularity, two sequels were released in 2020 and 2021.
Lara Jean, a high school girl of Korean ethnicity, expresses her intense infatuation through genuine and soul-baring letters. Five letters were written by her, although she never planned to send them.
She begins a new period when she must examine her relationships, find real love, and restore connections with friends and family after her sister sends the letters to their intended recipients.
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, based on Jenny Han’s book, has received favorable reviews from both critics and audiences. The young romance comedy received praise for its swoon-worthy cast and likable characters, which eventually became a trend among many couples.
6. A Brilliant Young Mind (2014)
- Director: Morgan Matthews
- Star cast: Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Jo Yang, Martin McCann, and Jake Davies
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
A Brilliant Young Mind is a coming-of-age love drama written by James Graham and directed by Morgan Matthews. Nathan Ellis, a British teen with autism who excels in mathematics, is the movie’s focus.
While competing in the International Mathematics Olympiad, Nathan befriends Zhang Mei, a Chinese teenager and math prodigy. Nathan and Zhang Mei quickly fall in love with one another. Asa Butterfield plays Nathan Ellis in the movie, while Jo Yang plays Zhang Mei.
Like Crazy Rich Asians, A Brilliant Young Mind centers on the forbidden love between two people from different social classes and ethnic backgrounds. If you love movies like Crazy Rich Asians, this movie is for you.
7. The Grace Lee Project (2005)
- Director: Grace Lee
- Star cast: Grace Lee Boggs, Grace Lee, Grace Lee, and Aldo Velasco
- IMDb rating: 7.3/10
The director of The Grace Lee Project, who was called Grace Lee, was interested in learning more about other individuals with the same name. However, she gathered a collection of interviews with other Grace Lees.
She began to see a trend as she encountered more Grace Lees. Everyone who knew Grace Lee tended to think of her as being reserved, studious, and easily forgotten. In other words, when most people viewed Grace Lee, they saw the “ideal” Asian-American woman.
However, it turns out that Grace Lee is much more than that. A Grace even attempted to set her school on fire. Some Graces are campaigners, while others make voodoo dolls. This is one of the mazing movies like Crazy Rich Asians.
8. The Farewell (2019)
- Director: Lulu Wang
- Star cast: Shuzhen Zhao, Awkwafina, X Mayo, Hong Lu, Hong Lin, Tzi Ma, and Diana Lin
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
Lulu Wang is the director and writer of the 2019 comedy-drama The Farewell, based on a similar incident in Wang’s life. Billi, a young Chinese American lady, is the movie’s focus.
To bid her grandma, Nai Nai, farewell, she and her family must go from America and return to China. The latter, suffering from terminal lung cancer and only having a few months to live, was forced into a hurried wedding ceremony without knowing the sick grandmother.
Awkwafina portrays Billie in The Farewell in a strong and nuanced performance that contrasts her fantastic comic character in Crazy Rich Asians. Shuzhen Zhao plays Nai Nai.
This is one of the great movies, like Crazy Rich Asians, that features wonderful Asian representation and explores the subtle differences between American and Chinese culture.
9. Mansoon Wedding (2001)
- Director: Mira Nair
- Star cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah, Vijay Raaz, Tillotama Shome, Vasundhara Das, and Parvin Dabas
- IMDb rating: 7.3/10
The romantic comedy-drama Monsoon Wedding was produced in 2001 and was written by Sabrina Dhawan and directed by Mira Nair. The movie, which takes place during a staged Punjabi Hindu wedding in Delhi, Indiana, follows various comic, tragic, and even romantic events.
After breaking her relationship with a prominent married television producer, Aditi Verma accepts a planned marriage with Herman Rai, an Indian American. Similar to Crazy Rich Asians, the events depicted in the movie take place in the background of a fancy wedding.
The movie stars Naseeruddin Shah as Aditi’s father, Lalit Verma, Lillete Dubey as Lalit’s wife, Pimmi Verma, and Vasundhara Das as Aditi Verma. This is one of the amazing movies like Crazy Rich Asians.
10. Double Happiness (1994)
- Director: Mina Shum
- Star cast: Sandra Oh, Stephen Chang, Alannah Ong, Donald Fong, Frances Isles, Callum Keith Rennie, and Claudette Carracedo
- IMDb rating: 7.1/10
Jade has two separate lives. When her parents are there, she plays the part of the well-behaved Chinese daughter while, in reality, she goes out in secret with white college student Mark and attends acting auditions.
If you like how Crazy Rich Asians challenged preconceived ideas about Asians, Double Happiness will not disappoint in that regard. Jade is referred to by The New York Times as “a beautiful Asian flower in a motorcycle jacket.”
Also, director Mina Shum uses the movie to provide a “bemused look at that type of cultural clash,” according to The New York Times. This is one of the best movies like Crazy Rich Asians to watch.
11. The Joy Luck Club (1993)
- Director: Wayne Wang
- Star cast: Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu, and Ming-Na Wen
- IMDb rating: 7.7/10
Four Chinese ladies who live in San Francisco are the focus of the 1993 movie. It follows them as they routinely get together to dine, play the Chinese game mahjong, and swap stories while learning about generational differences and universal truths.
The movie aims to comprehend two generations striving to keep their secrets hidden while learning about their connection with one another.
The Joy Luck Club is a must-watch because it explores the relationship between Chinese and American cultures in more detail and gradually broadens its scope.
Wayne Wang directed the movie, and Tan and Ronald Bass wrote the script. The main cast is Tsai Chin, Kieu Chinh, Lisa Lu, and France Nuyen.
12. The Big Sick (2017)
- Director: Michael Showalter
- Star cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher, Zenobia Shroff, and Adeel Akhtar
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
The Big Sick is a 2017 romantic comedy-drama written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani and directed by Michael Showalter. The latter plays a fictitious version of himself in the movie.
The movie was based on a real affair between Emily V. Gordon and married actor Kumail Nanjiani. The movie’s subject is a fictitious version of Pakistani comedian Kumail Nanjiani who falls in love with American doctoral student Emily.
When Emily becomes sick and in a coma, things become hot, and Kumail is forced to confront not just the cultural differences between him and Emily and their families but also his love for her.
The movie explores love and cultural complexities in relationships between two people from different cultures, much like Crazy Rich Asians. This is one of the best movies like Crazy Rich Asians.
