6 Best Amputee and Disability Drama Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 24, 2026

These films stare at physical loss without flinching, then find the humor, grit and stubbornness waiting on the other side. 127 Hours traps a canyoneer with an agonizing choice, Born on the Fourth of July follows a paralyzed Vietnam veteran into anti-war activism, and My Left Foot tells the story of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown. The Waterdance, set on a rehab ward, plus the classics Bad Day at Black Rock and The Best Years of Our Lives, complete the six.

127 Hours (2010)

IMDb ★ 7.5 RT 93% Metacritic 82

A climber pinned under a boulder in a remote canyon makes an unthinkable choice to get out alive.

Directed by Danny Boyle · 1h 34m · Rated R

Nominated for 6 Oscars23 wins & 150 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Waterdance (1992)

TMDB ★ 7.1

Newly paralysed men bond in a rehabilitation ward as they confront the emotional weight of their new lives.

Directed by Neal Jimenez & Michael Steinberg · 1h 46m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A paralysed Vietnam veteran turns his anger and disillusionment into passionate anti-war activism.

Directed by Oliver Stone · 2h 25m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989)

TMDB ★ 7.8

An Irish writer and painter born with cerebral palsy overcomes profound physical limits.

Directed by Jim Sheridan · 1h 43m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

TMDB ★ 7.7

A one-armed stranger arrives in a hostile desert town with a dark secret about a missing Japanese-American farmer.

Directed by John Sturges · 1h 21m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 97% Metacritic 93

Three Second World War veterans struggle to adjust to civilian life when they return home.

Directed by William Wyler · 2h 51m · Rated NR

Won 7 Oscars25 wins & 4 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Amputee and Disability Drama Movies

127 Hours (2010)

The Waterdance (1992)

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989)

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

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