As long as there have been movies, there have been tales of triumphs and failures, with films that fall into the rags-to-riches genre always holding a special place in the hearts of viewers and critics. In recent years, many of the new films that explore these themes carefully subvert the genre and question what it means to achieve success in the modern world. Throughout history, the cost of success and ambition have played into the way these narratives unfold, as amassing money and power doesn’t necessarily equate to happiness or long-term stability.
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While not all of these films fall into the category of the best underdog movies, the underdog archetype is frequently seen in these stories as the protagonist or someone they come up against. As fun and inspiring as it is to watch someone achieve their dreams, it can be just as engaging to witness someone’s downfall, and many of the most iconic additions to this genre understand that. Rags-to-riches have the power to spark as much joy as they do anxiety, as the characters are created to allow the viewer to see themselves and their personal dreams reflected back onscreen.
You are watching: 10 Best Rags-To-Riches Movies
10
Oliver! (1968)
Directed by Carol Reed
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Oliver!
G
DramaFamilyMusical
Release Date
September 26, 1968
Runtime
153 Minutes
Director
Carol Reed
Writers
Lionel Bart, Vernon Harris, Charles Dickens
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One of the many movie musicals that have won Best Picture at the Oscars, Oliver! brought Charles Dickens’ iconic Victorian tale to life for the screen in vivid color. With amazing songs and dance numbers, Oliver! draws the audience in, from the first moments of the story, with the orphan Oliver (Mark Lester), at the center of the story. The child is immediately sympathetic and his plight tugs at the audience’s heartstrings, making them root for him to escape his circumstances.
One of the most uplifting rags-to-riches movies of its period, Oliver! has been highly influential within the genre.
Like every Dickens story, Oliver! touches upon the extreme class disparity in England during the Victorian age, with Oliver experiencing luxury and poverty in quick succession. Though the viewer wants Oliver to be reunited with his grandfather and leave behind the life of thievery that he falls into in London, the sense of family he initially finds with Dodger (Jack Wild) can’t be overlooked. One of the most uplifting rags-to-riches movies of its period, Oliver! has been highly influential within the genre.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Oliver! (1968) |
91% |
81% |
9
The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
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The Wolf of Wall Street
R
ComedyCrimeBiography
Release Date
December 25, 2013
Runtime
180 Minutes
Director
Martin Scorsese
Writers
Terence Winter
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Martin Scorcese’s iconic collaborative relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio might have reached its peak with The Wolf of Wall Street. DiCaprio plays the notorious Jordan Belfort, a Wall Street tycoon who was embroiled in a mountain of corruption and fraud, leading to his eventual arrest and loss of everything. When Belfort enters the financial scene in New York City, he’s still relatively uncorrupt but receives a torrent of advice telling him the only way to get a leg up in this business and the world is to scam people.
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Graphic, violent, and filled to the brim with expletives and sexual content, The Wolf of Wall Street immediately made its mark on Hollywood, stirring up controversy and admiration. Even though the highs of The Wolf of Wall Street are undeniably fast-paced, luxurious, and attractive, The Wolf of Wall Street firmly cements itself as a black comedy. It makes it clear that though Belfort has the time of his life, this rise to power was paved with exploitation and was never going to last.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) |
79% |
83% |
8
My Fair Lady (1964)
Directed by George Cukor
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My Fair Lady
G
MusicalDramaFamily
Release Date
December 25, 1964
Runtime
170 Minutes
Director
George Cukor
Writers
Alan Jay Lerner, George Bernard Shaw
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Based on the play Pygmalion, the stage musical My Fair Lady was adapted into the 1964 movie musical starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Hepburn’s character, Eliza Doolittle, is one of the most iconic rags-to-riches characters of all time, as the entire plot revolves around Professor Higgins (Harrison) teaching her how to be a lady. From a flower girl with no prospects to a young woman so refined she passes for a princess, Eliza goes through a lot in My Fair Lady.
The realization of what appearing like a member of the ruling class does for her changes Eliza’s worldview forever.
A huge critical and commercial success, My Fair Lady is the template for many contemporary rags-to-riches stories, as it includes a clearly defined character arc and a compelling central relationship. By the end of the film, Eliza understands both her own ignorance and the ignorance of others in how people are treated based on their class and way of speaking. Higgins is exempt from many of the social rules that are forced upon Eliza because he’s a rich man. The realization of what appearing like a member of the ruling class does for her changes Eliza’s worldview forever.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
My Fair Lady (1964) |
94% |
90% |
7
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Directed by F. Gary Gray
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Straight Outta Compton
R
MusicBiographyDrama
Release Date
August 14, 2015
Runtime
147minutes
Director
F. Gary Gray
Writers
Jonathan Herman, Andrea Berloff
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Based on the true story of the iconic Los Angeles-based group N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton takes its name from one of their best-known songs and tells the narrative of their ups and downs. Produced by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, two of the men who were part of N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton dramatizes some of their history. However, it overwhelmingly balances the myths and realities of what their meteoric rise to success and the struggle to stay at the top meant.
Straight Outta Compton engages with the fact that fame and fortune don’t solve all of the problems that people face and that maintaining a high level of success can be extremely difficult. The film also touches upon the long history of police brutality and discrimination against Black people in the U.S. and how the neighborhoods the men grew up in were targets of corrupt law enforcement. This cultural and social critic accompanies many of the changes the film tracks throughout the 1980s and ’90s, exposing how the definitions and paths to success have evolved.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Straight Outta Compton (2015) |
89% |
91% |
6
Knives Out (2019)
Directed by Rian Johnson
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Knives Out
PG-13
DramaCrimeMystery
Release Date
November 27, 2019
Runtime
130 minutes
Director
Rian Johnson
Writers
Rian Johnson
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Knives Out successfully began Rian Johnson’s iconic franchise, with the sequel Glass Onion and upcoming third installment, Wake Up Dead Man, making a splash in the mystery genre. However, none of this would have been possible without Knives Out. Though at its heart, Knives Out is meant to be a fun and twisting thriller, it does make some comments about class, race, and the power of wealth in the United States.
The family she works for is continuously manipulative and belittles her for being an immigrant.
Ana de Armas’ character, Marta, is the protagonist of Knives Out and is an example of someone who achieves wealth and comfort not through betrayals and inherent privilege but because she is a good person. While this might not reflect the realities of life, it’s a compelling fantasy, and it’s easy to root for Marta throughout the story. The family she works for is continuously manipulative and belittles her for being an immigrant. This makes it incredibly satisfying when their conniving ways don’t lead to prosperity but ruin.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Knives Out (2019) |
97% |
92% |
5
Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)
Directed by Michael Apted
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Coal Miner’s Daughter
PG
BiographyDocumentaryDrama
Release Date
March 7, 1980
Runtime
125 minutes
Director
Michael Apted
Writers
Loretta Lynn, Thomas Rickman, George Vecsey
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One of the best music biopic movies, Coal Miner’s Daughter stars Sissy Spacek as the iconic country singer Loretta Lynn. Like all the best rags-to-riches stories based on real life, Coal Miner’s Daughter takes some liberties with Lynn’s story but stays as close as possible to the emotional truths. Spacek went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Lynn, with Spacek doing all of her own singing for the film.
Much of Lynn’s music is considered the pinnacle of American folk music, and her origins are a large part of what fueled her music. Her story begins in Kentucky in poverty, but by the end of the film, Lynn is renowned for her beautifully written songs and performing abilities. While Coal Miner’s Daughter tackles plenty of the heavy and difficult moments in Lynn’s life, it’s an ultimately uplifting tale that’s anchored by Spacek’s performance.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) |
85% |
86% |
4
Scarface (1983)
Directed by Brian De Palma
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9.3/10
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Scarface
R
CrimeDrama
Release Date
December 9, 1983
Runtime
170 minutes
Director
Brian De Palma
Writers
Oliver Stone, Howard Hawks, Ben Hecht
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Al Pacino’s role in Scarface has become one of his most iconic roles and part of why he’s known as one of the best gangster actors in film history. His character, Tony Montana, has a classic rise and fall in the Miami drug scene after arriving in the U.S. during the Mariel boatlift. Despite the fact that Scarface was a critical and box office failure at the time of its release, the cultural opinion surrounding the movie has changed considerably. Even with its flaws, Scarface successfully takes its time painting a realistic and tragic portrait of Tony.
From the beginning, it’s clear that Tony is a man who strives for greatness and will do anything to escape his circumstances.
From the beginning, it’s clear that Tony is a man who strives for greatness and will do anything to escape his circumstances. Through the violence and graphic nature of the film, the essential pieces of the story come through with deliberate pacing that allows the audience to understand every facet of Montana’s development. When he reaches the top and the world finally becomes his, Montana has already lost everything and become unrecognizable to himself and his loved ones.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Scarface (1983) |
79% |
93% |
3
Anora (2024)
Directed by Sean Baker
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Anora
ComedyDramaRomance
Release Date
October 18, 2024
Runtime
139 Minutes
Director
Sean Baker
Writers
Sean Baker
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One of the most talked about movies of 2024, Anora, has sparked both critical adoration and controversy, as the story follows Sean Baker’s trend of spinning a contemporary version of a fairy tale. Known for movies like Tangerine and The Florida Project, Baker has historically touched upon the lives and experiences of underrepresented members of the working class, particularly sex workers. In Anora, he follows Ani (Mikey Madison), a young dancer who gets swept away in a whirlwind romance with the son of a Russian oligarch, Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn).
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Ani’s journey to the top in Anora is short-lived as the majority of the story follows her search for Ivan when he disappears after discovering that his parents found out about their marriage. One of the best parts of Anora is the fact that Ani is such a vividly realized character. Despite being smart and savvy, knowing that Ivan likely isn’t the prince charming she hopes he’ll be, Ani can’t help but yearn for a better life and a happily-ever-after. This makes her emotional arc in Anora all the more dynamic and impactful.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Anora (2024) |
93% |
90% |
2
Citizen Kane (1941)
Directed by Orson Welles
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Citizen Kane
PG
DramaDocumentaryMystery
Release Date
April 17, 1941
Runtime
119 minutes
Director
Orson Welles
Writers
Herman J. Mankiewicz, Orson Welles, John Houseman, Roger Q. Denny, Mollie Kent
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Considered one of the best movies of all time, Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is often described as the ultimate exploration of a man’s trajectory of success and failure over the course of a life. Welles directed, co-wrote, and starred in the project as the titular Charles Foster Kane, a character who represented an amalgamation of newspaper tycoons like William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. Though Kane reaches the pinnacle of the American ideal of prosperity, Citizen Kane explores just how empty this achievement is.
It’s the small personal sacrifices and moments from childhood that haunt Kane far more than any of his awards or monetary gain.
It’s the small personal sacrifices and moments from childhood that haunt Kane far more than any of his awards or monetary gain. Outside the story, Citizen Kane‘s direction revolutionized filmmaking, with Welles’ techniques of deep focus and the brilliantly crafted mise-en-scène impacting the future of cinematography. Many of the rags-to-riches stories that followed Citizen Kane wouldn’t exist without the boundary-pushing achievements of the project. With time, the critical and audience responses to Citizen Kane have only grown in acclaim and demonstrated the movie’s importance.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
Citizen Kane (1941) |
99% |
90% |
1
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
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There Will Be Blood
R
EpicDrama
Release Date
December 26, 2007
Runtime
158 minutes
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Writers
Paul Thomas Anderson
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Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece, There Will Be Blood, isn’t just a rags-to-riches story but a rich exploration of the cost of ambition and the American West. Daniel Day-Lewis is at the height of his power as Daniel Plainview, the archetypal man who sets off into the West to seek his fortune. Though he ends up finding it, the sacrifices and mental toll this takes on Plainview are shocking, as There Will Be Blood tracks almost the entirety of his adult life.
Though There Will Be Blood lost the Academy Award for Best Picture to No Country For Old Men, this hasn’t prevented the film from cultivating an illustrious legacy. It’s largely thanks to Day-Lewis that the movie has remained so iconic today, as without his anchoring performance that communicates Plainview’s trajectory so clearly. The audience grapples with the juxtaposition of their desires to see Plainview succeed and profit off his relentless hard work and the devastating knowledge of all that he’s done in his single-minded pursuit.
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Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|
There Will Be Blood (2007) |
91% |
89% |
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Category: Entertainment