6 Best Dysfunctional Family Reunion Drama Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 7, 2026

Nothing makes buried resentments boil over like a family reunion. August: Osage County gathers a family after a father’s disappearance, This Is Where I Leave You traps four adult siblings under one roof for a week of mourning, and The Family Stone has a buttoned-up girlfriend spending Christmas with an eccentric clan. Little Miss Sunshine, Secrets & Lies and Ordinary People complete the six.

This Is Where I Leave You (2014)

TMDB ★ 6.6

Four adult siblings are forced to live under one roof for a week to mourn their father.

Directed by Shawn Levy · 1h 43m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

August: Osage County (2013)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A family gathers at their childhood home after their father disappears and decades of resentment spill out.

Directed by John Wells · 2h 01m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 91% Metacritic 80

A dysfunctional family road-trips a young girl to a beauty pageant she barely wants to attend.

Directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris · 1h 42m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars73 wins & 112 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Family Stone (2005)

IMDb ★ 6.3 RT 52% Metacritic 56

A girlfriend's awkward first Christmas with her boyfriend's judgemental, close-knit family.

Directed by Thomas Bezucha · 1h 43m · Rated PG-13

4 wins & 8 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Secrets & Lies (1996)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A successful Black optometrist tracks down the white woman who gave her up for adoption decades earlier.

Directed by Mike Leigh · 2h 22m · Rated R

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Ordinary People (1980)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 90% Metacritic 86

Robert Redford's directorial debut, in which a family unravels after the accidental death of one son.

Directed by Robert Redford · 2h 04m · Rated R

Won 4 Oscars21 wins & 14 nominations

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

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 Dysfunctional Family Reunion Drama Movies

This Is Where I Leave You (2014)

August: Osage County (2013)

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

The Family Stone (2005)

Secrets & Lies (1996)

Ordinary People (1980)

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