MOVIES about food are those in which the main plot point is the preparation or consumption of the meal, or maybe the character arc of the chef, or the presence of particularly mouthwatering food scenes.
When most people think of ‘food flicks’, they picture white-coated, (usually) white male chefs with an attitude who end up learning a valuable lesson. Nonetheless, you should know that there is actually much more than that.
In addition to being hungry from watching the movies alone, we might also pick up some valuable knowledge, such as new recipes or even a unique culinary culture. If you’re a moviegoer who also happens to be a foodie, you can’t go wrong with this list of films about food. So, Bon Appétit!
Chef (2014)
One good place to start when it comes to food flicks is Chef. Between its dreamy recipes and up-close shots of grilled cheese, and savory skillets, this movie has food goals written all over it.
Jon Favreau plays Carl Casper, who is stuck in a “creative rut” while working at a restaurant in Los Angeles that forces him to serve guests the same dull chocolate lava cake, over and over.
Carl erupts on Twitter, and in front of all the customers and employees when a prominent food critic trashes his meal in a harsh review that goes viral. He then leaves and starts El Jefe, a flamboyant food truck that specialises in the most decadent Cubanos smothered in butter and cheese.
He takes along his son and his old friend and line cook as they drive through America delighting hungry pedestrians. Joining the cast are Scarlett Johansson and Sofia Vergara.
Julie & Julia (2009)
No list of best food movies would be complete without this modern classic. Interlacing the lives of two women, Julie and Julia, who have never met one another, but are united in their desire to use cooking to feed their souls.
The film is based on the true story of writer Julie Powell (portrayed by Amy Adams), who took Julia Child’s famous cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and chronicled her attempts at each recipe in a daily blog.
Julie & Julia dramatises two parallel narratives between Julie Powell, living in present-day Queens and striving for fame, and Julia Child – played with delicious flair by Academy Award winner, Meryl Streep – back in the 1950s in Paris with her diplomat husband Paul, played by Stanley Tucci.
Ratatouille (2007)
One of the best movies ever made is Ratatouille. This award-winning film is one that everyone can enjoy even kids. Created by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures, this film depicts a rodent named Remy living in Paris with aspirations of becoming a renowned fine dining chef in France.
Remy devotes himself to the culinary arts while living in the drains beneath one of the city’s most acclaimed chef Auguste Gusteau’s restaurants, a world that at first refuses to acknowledge him within the limits of the kitchen.
Paris Can Wait (2016)
Paris Can Wait makes us want to grab our bags and fly to the French Riviera. A comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by Eleanor Coppola in her narrative directorial debut, as all of her previous directorial efforts had been documentaries and short films.
Diane Lane’s character, Anne, and her husband Alec Baldwin’s Michael, a successful film producer, are in Cannes when they get the news that their planned trip to Paris will be delayed. Arnaud Viard’s Jacques, Michael’s producing partner, offers to drive Anne to Paris.
A quick car ride turns into a lovely leisurely trip when French foodie Jacques can’t help but pull over every hour to try something new. When he keeps using Anne’s credit card to pay for the expensive meals they’ve been sharing, Anne starts to wonder if he’s really just trying to impress her.
The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
The Hundred-Foot Journey is an American comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallstrom and adapted from Richard C. Morais’ 2010 novel of the same name.
The film, which features Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, and Charlotte Le Bon, is set in a small French town and depicts a conflict between two restaurants. One is run by an Indian emigrant family and the other by a French woman who has earned a Michelin star for her upscale French cuisine.
