Did you see Crazy Rich Asians? Are you now obsessed with it? Do you want more? Are you all about Constance Wu, Singapore, rom-coms, Henry Golding‘s abs and the amazing-ness that is Awkwafina?
Unfortunately, we’re going to have to keep crossing our fingers that a sequel will come. But if you’re feeling particularly antsy about getting the CRA feeling once again, you can watch some similar movies and TV shows that will hopefully satisfy your need for more. The TV shows and films feature some of our favorite actors and actresses, celebrate diversity, have similar themes, and are all very entertaining. Let the binge-watching begin.
16. Fresh off the Boat
It might be an obvious pick, but it needs to be on the list. After all, Fresh off the Boat was what helped put Constance Wu on many people’s radars. Furthermore, the ABC comedy celebrates diversity within its cast and highlights the story of a first generation boy and migrant Asian parents. Like Crazy Rich Asians, it’s also based on a book. In the TV show’s case, it’s Eddie Huang‘s best-selling memoir of the same name. Oh, and another thing the two have in common? Both are super funny.
15. The Joy Luck Club
Coincidentally, The Joy Luck Club is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. When it was released in 1993, it gained much attention, like Crazy Rich Asians, for featuring a predominantly Asian cast. There are obvious problems regarding the fact it took 25 years before another film to share an Asian story came along, but that doesn’t undermine The Joy Luck Club‘s legacy. It was directed by Wayne Wang, was written by Amy Tan, and is based on the latter’s novel. Told in 16 vignettes, it looks at a group of Chinese women who meet to play Mahjong. It shows their life experiences across generations and continents.
14. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
The other film besides Crazy Rich Asians that’s currently being celebrated for featuring an Asian lead is Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. There are some similarities between the two works with the cute love stories and fact Crazy Rich Asians could have been a Netflix movie, too. Yeah, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is based on a book. The 2018 Netflix film is different because it’s a teen love story about Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) writing secret love notes to her crushes. Then the boys end up receiving them. And the adorable film gave us Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), so that’s just another reason to watch.
13. Love, Simon
Like Crazy Rich Asians, 2018’s Love, Simon is a love story that isn’t the same old seen-it-a-thousand-times cliché. We’ll get it out of the way now and say that it’s based on a book, too. This time it’s “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli. What’s more, Love, Simon features a diverse cast and highlights a perspective (LGBTQ+ love and relationships) that still isn’t seen regularly in YA flicks.
12. A Simple Favor
Featuring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, A Simple Favor brings the dashing Henry Goulding back to the big screen. The drama is directed by Paul Feig and looks at Stephanie, played by Anna Kendrick, trying to figure out what’s going on when her best friend, Blake’s Emily, goes missing from their small town. It’s definitely got a different theme than Crazy Rich Asians, but we think you’ll dig it all the same.
11. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?
We’re throwing it back with this one. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? was released in 1967 and looks at interracial relationships. Joanna Drayton (Katharine Houghton) brings her boyfriend John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) home to reveal their engagement. We’re not spoiling things when we say that *some people* take issue with a white woman wanting to marry a Black man. The disagreements will bring to mind Rachel Chu‘s struggle with Nick Young‘s family in Crazy Rich Asians.
10. EastSiders
Want more Constance Wu? Then add EastSiders to your watch list. The actress plays Kathy on the dark comedy series. The show explores different relationships, including Kathy’s, who is in her longest relationship to date. It also looks at the same-sex relationship between Cal (Kit Williamson) and Thom (Van Hansis). The show was originally on YouTube before it made its way over to Netflix.
9. Guess Who
Guess Who is a very loose remake of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? Given that we featured the latter film, it makes sense to feature the newer one. After all, they both talk about race and relationships. The 2005 movie shows a woman named Theresa (Zoe Saldana) preparing to introduce her fiancé Simon Green (Ashton Kutcher) to her family – including her dad Percy Jones (the late, great Bernie Mac). Let’s just say he’s not thrilled with her choice of suitor.
8. De Dana Dan
You probably haven’t heard of De Dana Dan. It’s a 2009 Bollywood musical comedy. It’s loosely based on a number of films, but it’s connected to Crazy Rich Asians because it’s funny, looks at love, and it focuses on the story of Singapore-based Nitin Bankar (Akshay Kumar). Like CRA, you’ll be singing the soundtrack because it’s that good.
7. Ocean’s 8
You can find Awkwafina’s songs on the internet. If you want to see her in full acting mode, 2018’s Ocean’s 8 is the movie to watch. Awkwafina plays a character named Constance (another coincidence) and she’s part of a team of badass women who plan to steal a necklace at the Met Gala that’s worth more than $150 million. No biggie. It’s extravagant, entertaining and has a lot of laughs, like Crazy Rich Asians.
6. Killing Eve
A British TV show about a disenchanted MI5 security officer and a sociopath serial killer and an opulent rom-com set in Singapore might not seem like they have a whole lot in common. But, what they do have in common is very important. Crazy Rich Asians showed that a film with Asian leads can be extremely successful and highlighted stories not often seen on the big screen. Killing Eve also furthers representation and diversity because star Sandra Oh made history as the first Asian actress to be nominated for an Emmy with her role as the titular Eve. Trust us, you’ll be addicted to this show.
5. Eat Drink Man Woman
This is another film you might not have heard of, but it’s definitely worth a watch if you liked Crazy Rich Asians. Eat Drink Man Woman is a 1994 Taiwanese comedy-drama directed by Ang Lee. You probably guessed that there’s plenty of eating and drinking involved, but there’s more than that. It’s about a master chef who has three unmarried daughters and would like to see that changed. Commence the familial relationships struggles.
4. Secret Diary of a Call Girl
Secret Diary of a Call Girl is a TV show that was on from 2007 to 2011 and featured popular actresses like Billie Piper and Lily James. It also featured Gemma Chan, who plays Astrid Leong-Teo in Crazy Rich Asians. On the TV show, Billie stars as the main character, Hannah “Belle” Baxter. She is a 27-year-old who works at a London escort service but her parents think she’s a legal secretary. It’s based on the blogs and novel “Belle de Jour.” Gemma plays one of the “girls.”
3. The Big Sick
Like Crazy Rich Asians, The Big Sick looks at a couple from different backgrounds trying to navigate their situation with friends and family. The 2017 movie is loosely based on Kumail Nanjiani‘s own story. The title character Kumail (played by Kumail, obviously) meets Emily (Zoe Kazan) at one of his stand-up shows. They form a relationship, but he’s keeping her from his family for fear they’ll judge him for dating a white woman. You’ll have to watch to see what happens next.
2. Fresh Meat
Fresh Meat was a British comedy series that was on from 2011 to 2016 and gives us more Gemma Chan. It’s about six freshmen (get it?) who are attending the Manchester Medlock University and all end up sharing a house because of their late applications. Gemma is part of season one and plays a drama student. We don’t want to give too much away, but there’s a relationship element to the role.
1. Kim’s Convenience
Kim’s Convenience is another show with a predominantly Asian cast. It was released in 2016 and looks at a Korean-Canadian family running a convenience store in Toronto, hence the name. The Kim(s) in question are Kim Sang-il aka Mr. Kim aka Appa (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and Kim Yong-mi/Mrs. Kim/Umma (Jean Yoon). The show recently premiered on Netflix so a wider audience can watch it.