6 Best Boarding House and Rooming House Movies

By Vlad Zakh · April 6, 2026

The shared boarding house, thrown together by chance and circumstance, has given cinema some of its richest ensemble dramas about hope and community. In Barton Fink (1991): A New York playwright hired by Hollywood suffers crippling writer’s block in a decaying, mysterious hotel. Just as strong is Delicatessen (1991): The eccentric tenants of a crumbling apartment building harbor a horrifying secret about their landlord.

Delicatessen (1991)

TMDB ★ 7.5

The eccentric tenants of a crumbling apartment building harbor a horrifying secret about their landlord.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro · 1h 39m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Barton Fink (1991)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A New York playwright hired by Hollywood suffers crippling writer's block in a decaying, mysterious hotel.

Directed by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen · 1h 57m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Boarding House Blues (1948)

TMDB ★ 4.9

A struggling theatrical boarding house owner schemes to keep her eccentric tenants from being evicted.

Directed by Josh Binney · 1h 26m

Where to watch

Stream: IndieFlix, Cultpix, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Grand Hotel (1932)

TMDB ★ 7.2

The intertwining lives of guests at a luxurious Berlin hotel unfold over one fateful stay.

Directed by Edmund Goulding · 1h 52m

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Stage Door (1937)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A group of aspiring actresses sharing a boarding house compete for the same coveted Broadway roles.

Directed by Gregory La Cava · 1h 32m · Rated NR

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Petrified Forest (1936)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A wandering intellectual and a desperate gangster converge at a remote desert diner and gas station.

Directed by Archie Mayo · 1h 22m · Rated NR

Where to watch

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, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.

6 Best Boarding House and Rooming House Movies

Delicatessen (1991)

Barton Fink (1991)

Boarding House Blues (1948)

Grand Hotel (1932)

Stage Door (1937)

The Petrified Forest (1936)

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