Movies like Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back
The best movies like Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back are House of Cards (1993), Jack of the Red Hearts (2016) and Miracle Run (2004). If Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSTILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023)7.8/10 from 268 votes
- NewestThe Unbreakable Boy (2025)Released 2025
House of Cards (1993)
When Ruth Matthews's husband is killed in a fall at an archaeological dig, her daughter Sally handles her father's death in a very odd manner. As Sally's condition worsens, Ruth takes her to see Jake, an expert in childhood autism. Jake attempts to bring Sally out of her mental disarray through traditional therapy methods, but Ruth takes a different route. She risks her own sanity by attempting to enter her daughter's mind and make sense of the seemingly bizarre things that Sally does, including building a wondrous house of cards
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJack of the Red Hearts (2016)
A teenage con artist tricks a desperate mother into hiring her as a live-in companion for her autistic daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMiracle Run (2004)
Corinne is a single mother of twin 5-year-old boys, Steven and Phillip, who are diagnosed with autism. Public school officials threaten to remove them from school due to their behavior, but through therapy, the boys are able to make major strides in their capabilities. A decade later, teens Steven and Phillip seek to prove they can handle high school while still struggling with their disorder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Unbreakable Boy (2025)
When Scott and Teresa LeRette learn that their son Austin is both autistic and has brittle bone disease, they initially worry for their son’s future. But with Scott’s growing faith and Austin’s incredible spirit, they become 'unbreakable', finding joy, gratitude, and courage even in the most trying times.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisLife, Animated (2016)
At three years old, a chatty, energetic little boy named Owen Suskind ceased to speak, disappearing into autism with apparently no way out. Almost four years passed and the only stimuli that engaged Owen were Disney films. Then one day, his father donned a puppet—Iago, the wisecracking parrot from Aladdin—and asked “what’s it like to be you?” And poof! Owen replied, with dialogue from the movie. Life, Animated tells the remarkable story of how Owen found in Disney animation a pathway to language and a framework for making sense of the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSTILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023)
A short kid from a Canadian army base becomes the international pop culture darling of the 1980s—only to find the course of his life altered by a stunning diagnosis. What happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMatilda (1996)
Matilda Wormwood is an brilliant and intelligent little girl. Unfortunately, her parents, Harry and Zinnia, fail to see that fact. As time passes, she finally starts school and has a kind teacher, loyal friends, and a terrifying, sadistic headmistress. As she becomes fed up with the constant cruelty, she discovers she has a special gift that she just might be able to use to outwit the unruly adults around her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSeven Up! (1964)
A group of British children aged 7 from widely ranging backgrounds are interviewed about a range of subjects. The filmmakers plan to re-interview them at 7 year intervals to track how their lives and attitudes change as they age.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOctober Baby (2011)
A beautiful and naive college freshman discovers that her entire life is a lie and sets out on a road trip with a host of misfits to discover herself and the answers she craves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Year Earth Changed (2021)
Never-before-seen footage shows how our living in lockdown opened the door for nature to bounce back and thrive. Across the seas, skies, and lands, Earth found its rhythm when we came to a stop.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAdam (2009)
Adam, a lonely man with Asperger's Syndrome, develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbor, Beth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Boy Called Po (2016)
A recently widowed, now single father struggles to raise his sixth-grade son with autism. The pressure of his job and coping with the loss of his wife proves to push him nearly to the breaking point.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMickey's Once Upon a Christmas (1999)
Mickey, Minnie, and their famous friends Goofy, Donald, Daisy and Pluto gather together to reminisce about the love, magic and surprises in three wonder-filled stories of Christmas past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Child Is Waiting (1963)
Dr. Matthew Clark is the head of a state institution for intellectually disabled children. Jean Hansen, a former music teacher anxious to give her life some meaning, joins the staff of the hospital. Jean, who tries to shelter the children with her love, suspiciously regards Dr. Clark's stern training methods. She becomes emotionally involved with 12-year-old Reuben Widdicombe, who has been abandoned by his divorced parents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAthlete A (2020)
Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRecess Christmas: Miracle On Third Street (2001)
Principal Prickly gets his car stuck in a snowbank and decides it has to be the Recess gang's fault, but the teachers look back and remember all the good times they've had with T.J. and the rest of the gang.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever (2025)
In this documentary, wealthy entrepreneur Bryan Johnson puts his body and fortune on the line to defy aging and extend his life beyond all known limits.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGoing Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015)
The film profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, shining a light on how they attract true believers and the things they do in the name of religion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Miracle Worker (2000)
Devoted teacher Anne Sullivan leads deaf, blind and mute Helen Keller out of solitude and helps integrate her into the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEzra (2024)
Stand-up comedian Max Bernal lives with his father Stan while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra with his ex-wife. When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son's future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back?
The closest matches to Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back are House of Cards (1993), Jack of the Red Hearts (2016) and Miracle Run (2004). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back?
Start with House of Cards (1993), the closest match to Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back.
What is the highest-rated movie like Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back?
STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023), rated 7.8/10 by 268 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back?
The Unbreakable Boy (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back?
Yes: House of Cards (1993), Jack of the Red Hearts (2016) and Miracle Run (2004).
How are movies similar to Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Recovered: Journeys Through the Autism Spectrum and Back, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.