12 Cooking Movies to Binge: An Appetizing Sight

Not only action and science fiction movies are exciting films to add to your watch list. Cooking movies are also fun to binge-watch, not only of their mouthwatering food aesthetics but because it feeds your hungry mind with motivation and uplifting stories.

Whether an aspiring chef or a foodie, grab the chance to watch these cooking movies. Who knows? These movies might motivate your inner foodie to recreate these delicious dishes or inspire you to work hard to bag that Michelin star rating! How many of these 12 cooking movies have you watched?

1. Boiling Point (2021)

English 1h 32m IMDb
Boiling Point (2021)

Director: Philip Barantini

Stars: Stephen Graham, Vinette Robinson, Alice Feetham

We are usually annoyed when our food is served a little longer than promised. But, this movie will change your perspective and teach you to become more patient in restaurants. Boiling Point shows the behind-the-scenes in a restaurant kitchen during their busy days.

The audience was impressed by the single long frame shot, making the scene intensely captivating. It gives off the feeling you watch the chefs in a high-end restaurant keeping everything together to survive a chaotic night.

Do not miss out on this movie from the menu. It is such an excellent slice-of-life movie with superb camerawork!


2. Delicious (2021)

French (France) 1h 52m IMDb
Delicious (2021)

Director: Éric Besnard

Stars: Grégory Gadebois, Isabelle Carré, Benjamin Lavernhe

There is something unique in foreign movies: the culture they incorporate into the movie narrative. Although Delicious is unrelated to any actual history of the first restaurant, it shows how appetizing French cuisine is. You can admire how the foods are laid tastefully on the table in the movie.

Audiences applaud the cinematography and the artists’ execution in the movie. Delicious narrates the life of an enslaved person in France in 1789 who invented the modern restaurant concept.

The story is beautifully written. Amidst the drama and tension to show the audience how and why revolutions happen, it does not fail to remind the audience about cooking and food serving.


3. Chef Flynn (2018)

English 1h 22m IMDb
 Chef Flynn (2018)

Director: Cameron Yates

Stars: Flynn McGarry, Meg McGarry, Paris McGarry

A cooking movie documentary that will surprise you: Chef Flynn. This movie is the life story of how Flynn McGarry became a successful chef and restaurant owner in New York. At 11, Chef Flynn was interested in and ventured into the cooking world. At 19, Chef Flynn owns a restaurant.

It is inspiring and motivating how some youngsters know what they want in life and has the will to focus on being great at it. However, inspiring this documentary is for youngsters. The viewers, who are parents, pointed out the distant relationship between Flynn and his mom.

Perhaps this documentary shows the genuine passion of a child towards cooking and an unhealthy family dynamic.


4. Cook Up a Storm (2017)

Chinese 1h 37m IMDb

Cook Up a Storm (2017)

Director: Wai-Man Yip

Stars: Nicholas Tse, You Ge, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong

Are you a fan of the Step Up movie? Cook Up a Storm has the same vibe, except the competition is about cooking. It is the story of two chefs and their cooking show-offs. Although the plot is a cliche, the cast execution and cinematography make the movie heartwarming and visually stunning.

There are a lot of cooking scenes in the movie as the chefs show off their skills and recipe.  Do not watch it with an empty stomach, or it might rumble halfway through the film.


5. Burnt (2015)

English 1h 41m IMDb
Burnt (2015)

Director: John Wells

Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Daniel Brühl

Let’s take it from the movie title. Besides the burning desire and passion of a chef to redeem his career, there is a sizzling romance on the side of this movie. Chef Adam Jones may have thought that his hard work to achieve his third Michelin star was burnt. But it went into a dramatic journey that craves you for more inspiration to achieve goals.

The movie makes you realize that behind the delicious feast on your table is a fast-paced and stressful life in the restaurant’s kitchen. Next time you go out to dine, thank the servers or chef! It means a lot to them.


6. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Japanese  1h 21m IMDb
 Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Director: David Gelb

Stars: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is another documentary cooking movie on the list. The film shows the life of Jiro Ono, a sushi master in Tokyo, managing his small sushi restaurant.

Jiro is dubbed the world’s best sushi. His first sushi restaurant in Tokyo has earned three Michelin stars. However, the Michelin star rating has been stripped from Jiro’s restaurant because they were not accepting booking reservations from the public.

The movie does not have visual-worthy shots of foods and cooking, but that’s understandable because the nature of sushi-making is quite complex, especially when you are filming one of the best; the obsession and discipline they have to make the dish perfect.

Aside from cooking and sushi making, this cooking movie documentary shows the stories behind his success.


7. Ratatouille (2007)

English 1h 51m IMDb
Ratatouille (2007)

Director: Brad BirdJan Pinkava(co-director)

Stars: Brad Garrett(voice), Lou Romano(voice), Patton Oswalt(voice)

Let’s add this animated cooking movie to the list. The movie is a bit dreamy. It narrates the struggle of a garbage boy being controlled by a rat that aspired to be a chef. It might seem childish, but if you pay attention to the dialogue and the cooking scenes, it reflects reality, and you will learn something from it.

Age does not matter in this movie. It is fun to watch with friends or younger siblings. Who knows, you might draw inspiration from this movie.


8. No Reservations (2007)

English 1h 44m IMDb
No Reservations (2007)

Director: Scott Hicks

Stars: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart, Abigail Breslin

The list of movies will not be complete if it does not include a romantic-comedy movie. Some are disappointed while others are satisfied, just like food preferences; others might love your cooking, and others do not. No Reservations is the American adaptation of Mostly Martha (original title: Bella Martha), a German cooking movie.

There are noticeable changes in No Reservations that give the movie a lighter tone than the original one. The screenplay, casting, and romantic-comedy formula are well-executed. I believe it is the viewer’s preference whether they liked the adaptation more or the original. Without reservations, this is still a highly recommended cooking movie to watch.

If you want to compare the American and German versions of the film, watch Mostly Bella (Bella Martha).


9. Chef (2014)

English 1h 54m IMDb

Director: Jon Favreau

Stars: Jon Favreau, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson

Chef is a laid-back film, its light tone highlight the food and cooking. Unlike the setting of the previous movies, Chef happens in a food truck selling Cuban sandwiches and dishes. Watching the father and son grow through their journey in innovating recipes, cooking, and serving food in their food truck is heartwarming.

In this movie, you can see how Jon Favreau enjoys cooking and Cuban cuisine. Yes, the movie shows food culture. If you are craving something, you better watch out because this cooking movie makes you search for its recipes to make them in your kitchen. You better add the dishes you discovered in this movie to your bucketlist!


10. Julie & Julia (2009)

English 2h 3m IMDb
Julie & Julia (2009)

Director: Nora Ephron

Stars: Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina

This is known to be the best cooking movie of all time, and it is based on the real-life story of chef Julia Child and author Julie Powell. Watching this film brings you to the time Julia started her cooking profession and how her life was intertwined with Julie. Both people lived in different eras, yet the universe found a way to coincide.

Julia penned her French cuisine recipes and introduced them to the Americans. In a different lifetime, Julie tried Julia’s recipe and made a blog as she cooked all the 524 recipes from the cookbook.

The cast has well-executed characters that the audience has been exhilarated to see in such a rare film. Watch how this charming movie convinces you to try some of the recipes at home.


11. The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

English 2h 2m IMDb
The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

Director: Lasse Hallström

Stars: Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal

A must-watch cooking movie for aspiring restaurant owners, it portrays the life of a talented cook who fled to Europe with his family and started a restaurant business only to become a rival of a Michelin-starred restaurant.

It is an excellent slice-of-life movie. You will witness the difference between two cultures through culinary and cuisine. Amidst the sorrow and challenges in this world, the characters brought positive and uplifting messages to their viewers. At the end of the movie, you will find yourself longing to taste the cooking of both restaurants.


12. East Side Sushi (2014)

English 1h 46m IMDb
East Side Sushi (2014)

Director: Anthony Lucero

Stars: Diana Elizabeth Torres, Yutaka Takeuchi, Rodrigo Duarte Clark

Single mothers are superheroes, and the amount of sacrifice they make to give their families a better future. That’s the storyline of East Side Sushi, a single mother who took a job at a Japanese restaurant and tried to venture into the career path of a sushi chef, yet she is discredited because of her race and gender.

Audiences love the storyline and cinematography of the movie. It touches on social concerns about racism and women’s equality. This movie brings two cultures and societal norms together.

You have probably seen some of these cooking movies and became hungry immediately. Beyond the food and cooking aesthetics in the movies, these films offer heartwarming slice-of-life stories that several of us can relate to.

What Cooking Movie to Expect this 2022?

The Menu is a psychological thriller movie set to release on November 18. It is about a young couple who travelled to a remote island to have a taste at an exclusive restaurant. How lavish could the menu be in this restaurant?

Best Cooking Movies to Binge An Appetizing Sight

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