Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "story-within-a-story"

1. Animal (I) (2023)

Not Rated | 204 min | Action, Crime, Drama

The hardened son of a powerful industrialist returns home after years abroad and vows to take bloody revenge on those threatening his father's life.

Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga | Stars: Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna

Votes: 88,913

2. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

R | 139 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

A middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.

Directors: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert | Stars: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan

Votes: 532,459 | Gross: $72.86M

3. Nocturnal Animals (2016)

R | 116 min | Drama, Thriller

A wealthy art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.

Director: Tom Ford | Stars: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Votes: 304,551 | Gross: $10.66M

4. The French Dispatch (2021)

R | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional twentieth century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in "The French Dispatch Magazine".

Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux

Votes: 150,499

5. Seven Psychopaths (2012)

R | 110 min | Comedy, Crime

A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu.

Director: Martin McDonagh | Stars: Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken

Votes: 273,864 | Gross: $15.02M

6. A Little Princess (1995)

G | 97 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy

Sara is sent to a strict boarding school after her father enlists in WWI. When he is presumed dead, the headmistress, knowing she will not receive any more money, forces the girl to become a servant.

Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Stars: Liesel Matthews, Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham, Rusty Schwimmer

Votes: 36,692 | Gross: $10.02M

7. The Book of Life (2014)

PG | 95 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart, embarks on an adventure that spans three fantastic worlds where he must face his greatest fears.

Director: Jorge R. Gutiérrez | Stars: Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman

Votes: 77,984 | Gross: $50.15M

8. Magpie Murders (2022– )

TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

Editor Susan Ryeland gets drawn into a web of intrigue and murder when she receives Alan Conway's unfinished manuscript of an Atticus Pünd mystery.

Stars: Conleth Hill, Lesley Manville, Tim McMullan, Ian Lloyd Anderson

Votes: 6,981

9. Secret Window (2004)

PG-13 | 96 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

A successful writer in the midst of a painful divorce is stalked at his remote lake house by a would-be scribe who accuses him of plagiarism.

Director: David Koepp | Stars: Johnny Depp, Maria Bello, John Turturro, Timothy Hutton

Votes: 209,476 | Gross: $48.02M

10. The Company of Wolves (1984)

R | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

A teenage girl in a country manor falls asleep while reading a magazine, and has a disturbing dream involving wolves prowling the woods below her bedroom window.

Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Sarah Patterson, Angela Lansbury, David Warner, Graham Crowden

Votes: 18,402 | Gross: $4.39M

11. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Not Rated | 75 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

Mary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Baron Henry Frankenstein, goaded by an even madder scientist, builds his monster a mate.

Director: James Whale | Stars: Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson

Votes: 53,232 | Gross: $4.36M

12. Bad Education (2004)

NC-17 | 106 min | Crime, Drama

An examination on the effect of Franco-era religious schooling and sexual abuse on the lives of two longtime friends.

Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Gael García Bernal, Fele Martínez, Javier Cámara, Daniel Giménez Cacho

Votes: 63,406 | Gross: $5.21M

13. The Breadwinner (2017)

PG-13 | 94 min | Animation, Drama, Family

In 2001, Afghanistan is under the control of the Taliban. When her father is captured, a determined young girl disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family.

Director: Nora Twomey | Stars: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Noorin Gulamgaus, Laara Sadiq

Votes: 28,218 | Gross: $0.31M

14. The Words (2012)

PG-13 | 102 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance

A writer at the peak of his literary success discovers the steep price he must pay for stealing another man's work.

Directors: Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde, Zoe Saldana

Votes: 81,432 | Gross: $11.49M

15. Song of the South (1946)

G | 94 min | Animation, Comedy, Family

The kindly story-teller Uncle Remus tells a young boy stories about trickster Br'er Rabbit, who outwits Br'er Fox and slow-witted Br'er Bear.

Directors: Harve Foster, Wilfred Jackson | Stars: Ruth Warrick, Bobby Driscoll, James Baskett, Luana Patten

Votes: 15,225 | Gross: $63.72M

16. The Uncanny (1977)

Not Rated | 89 min | Horror

Wilbur Gray, a horror writer, has stumbled upon a terrible secret, that cats are supernatural creatures who really call the shots. In a desperate attempt to get others to believe him, Wilbur spews three tales of feline horror.

Director: Denis Héroux | Stars: Peter Cushing, Ray Milland, Joan Greenwood, Roland Culver

Votes: 2,194

17. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)

PG | 117 min | Comedy, Drama

Two minor characters from the play 'Hamlet' stumble around unaware of their scripted lives and unable to deviate from them.

Director: Tom Stoppard | Stars: Gary Oldman, Tim Roth, Richard Dreyfuss, Livio Badurina

Votes: 23,844 | Gross: $0.74M

18. Arabian Nights (2000)

Not Rated | 88 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

To cure a Prince's murderous madness, Scheherezade tells him a series of wondrous stories.

Stars: Mili Avital, Alan Bates, James Frain, Tchéky Karyo

Votes: 5,578

19. The Phantom Carriage (1921)

Not Rated | 107 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror

On New Year's Eve, the driver of a ghostly carriage forces a drunken man to reflect on his selfish, wasted life.

Director: Victor Sjöström | Stars: Victor Sjöström, Hilda Borgström, Tore Svennberg, Astrid Holm

Votes: 14,081

20. The Lovers (I) (2015)

R | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Romance

An epic, sweeping and riveting tale of an impossible love set across two time periods and continents.

Director: Roland Joffé | Stars: Josh Hartnett, Bipasha Basu, Tamsin Egerton, James Mackay

Votes: 3,434

21. The Forbidden Room (2015)

Not Rated | 130 min | Comedy, Mystery

In this non-linear amalgamation, submarine crewmen and a woodsman wend their way through a voyage of odd experiences.

Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson | Stars: Roy Dupuis, Clara Furey, Louis Negin, Udo Kier

Votes: 3,418 | Gross: $0.03M

22. The Saragossa Manuscript (1965)

182 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Upon finding a book that relates his grandfather's story, an officer ventures through Spain meeting a wide array of characters, most of whom have a story of their own to tell.

Director: Wojciech Has | Stars: Zbigniew Cybulski, Iga Cembrzynska, Elzbieta Czyzewska, Gustaw Holoubek

Votes: 5,889 | Gross: $0.12M

23. Peter Pan Goes Wrong (2016 TV Movie)

64 min | Comedy

The Olivier Award-winning Mischief Theatre brings Peter Pan Goes Wrong to BBC One, narrated by David Suchet and filmed in front of a live audience.

Director: Dewi Humphreys | Stars: Henry Shields, Henry Lewis, Chris Leask, Harry Kershaw

Votes: 1,748

24. Alex & Emma (2003)

PG-13 | 96 min | Comedy, Romance

A writer must turn out a novel in thirty days or face the wrath of loan sharks.

Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Luke Wilson, Kate Hudson, David Paymer, Sophie Marceau

Votes: 13,905 | Gross: $14.21M

25. Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976)

PG | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Western

A cynical Buffalo Bill hires Sitting Bull to exploit him and add his credibility to the distorted view of history presented in his Wild West Show.

Director: Robert Altman | Stars: Paul Newman, Joel Grey, Kevin McCarthy, Harvey Keitel

Votes: 5,290

26. The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)

Not Rated | 80 min | Animation, Adventure, Family

A handsome prince rides a flying horse to faraway lands and embarks on magical adventures, which include befriending a witch, meeting Aladdin, battling demons and falling in love with a princess.

Directors: Lotte Reiniger, Carl Koch

Votes: 6,887

27. Joy of Life (2019–2020)

45 min | Action, Comedy, Drama

Fan Xian, born in the ancient empire of Southern Qing, inexplicably possesses memories from the 21st century. Wanting to learn about his mysterious past, he ventures to the capital, only to be entangled in the intrigues of the Emperor.

Stars: Ruoyun Zhang, Yu Tian, Qin Li, Daoming Chen

Votes: 1,599

28. The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (2017)

G | 83 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Whoever thinks that the countryside is calm and peaceful is mistaken. In it we find especially agitated animals, a Fox that thinks it's a chicken, a Rabbit that acts like a stork, and a Duck who wants to replace Father Christmas. If you want to take a vacation, keep driving past this place.

Directors: Patrick Imbert, Benjamin Renner | Stars: Guillaume Darnault, Damien Witecka, Kamel Abdessadok, Antoine Schoumsky

Votes: 3,679 | Gross: $0.04M

29. Dragon Age II (2011 Video Game)

M | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

The medieval world of Thedas is invaded by demonic Darkspawn. Hawke and his family are saved by a powerful mysterious witch Flemeth. They end up in a foreign city where racial, religious and political tensions threaten to tear it apart.

Director: Mark Darrah | Stars: Jo Wyatt, Nicholas Boulton, Adam Howden, Joanna Roth

Votes: 5,257

30. Intrigo: Death of an Author (2018)

R | 106 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

One solitary man at the rudder in a small open boat ploughs through a troubled sea off the Dutch coast.

Director: Daniel Alfredson | Stars: Ben Kingsley, Benno Fürmann, Tuva Novotny, Michael Byrne

Votes: 2,067

31. The Nutcracker Prince (1990)

G | 75 min | Animation, Adventure, Family

An adaption of the classic tale of a girl's dreams turned reality when her new toy turns out to be a young man placed under a curse.

Director: Paul Schibli | Stars: Kiefer Sutherland, Megan Follows, Peter O'Toole, Mike MacDonald

Votes: 2,659 | Gross: $1.78M

32. Allegro non troppo (1976)

PG | 75 min | Animation, Comedy, Fantasy

An enthusiastic filmmaker thinks he's come up with a totally original idea: animation set to classical music! When he is informed that some American named "Prisney" (or something) has ... See full summary »

Director: Bruno Bozzetto | Stars: Maurizio Nichetti, Maurizio Micheli, Marialuisa Giovannini, Néstor Garay

Votes: 3,213

33. I Sell the Dead (2008)

Not Rated | 85 min | Comedy, Horror

A grave robber reflects on his life of crime.

Director: Glenn McQuaid | Stars: Dominic Monaghan, Ron Perlman, Larry Fessenden, Angus Scrimm

Votes: 11,198 | Gross: $0.01M

34. Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)

Passed | 70 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy

Abbott and Costello's version of the famous fairy tale, about a young boy who trades the family cow for magic beans.

Director: Jean Yarbrough | Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Buddy Baer, Dorothy Ford

Votes: 3,436

35. Mysteries of Lisbon (2011–2020)

Not Rated | 317 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance

Follows a jealous countess, a wealthy businessman, and a young orphaned boy across Portugal, France, Italy and Brazil where they connect with a variety of mysterious individuals.

Stars: Adriano Luz, Maria João Bastos, Ricardo Pereira, João Arrais

Votes: 3,608 | Gross: $0.11M

36. Dreamaniac (1986)

Not Rated | 82 min | Horror

A heavy-metal musician makes a deal with a satanic succubus to make him successful with women, in return for the succubus being able to feed on the girls.

Director: David DeCoteau | Stars: Thomas Bern, Ashlyn Gere, Sylvia Summers, Lauren Peterson

Votes: 660

37. Arabian Nights (1942)

Approved | 86 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

The caliph of Baghdad must go into hiding with a group of traveling performers when his brother usurps the throne. Both brothers desire a beautiful dancing girl, who is torn between power and true love.

Director: John Rawlins | Stars: Jon Hall, Maria Montez, Sabu, Leif Erickson

Votes: 1,664 | Gross: $3.71M

38. Om Jai Jagadish (2002)

Not Rated | 172 min | Drama, Musical, Romance

The story of a mother and her three sons. Om has deep-rooted values, Jai is an ambitious car designer, and Jagdish is a carefree youngster.

Director: Anupam Kher | Stars: Waheeda Rehman, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Abhishek Bachchan

Votes: 2,142

39. Honeyglue (2015)

R | 107 min | Drama, Romance

After learning she only has three months to live, Morgan flips her conservative protected life upside down. That is where she meets Jordan, a rebellious gender-defying artist, who takes her on the adventure of a lifetime.

Director: James Bird | Stars: Adriana Mather, Christopher Heyerdahl, Jessica Tuck, Booboo Stewart

Votes: 625

40. Night Across the Street (2012)

Not Rated | 110 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

A drama centered on an office worker on the verge of retirement who begins to relive both real and imagined memories.

Director: Raúl Ruiz | Stars: Christian Vadim, Sergio Hernández, Santiago Figueroa, Valentina Vargas

Votes: 525

41. Eerie Tales (1919)

112 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery

A demon, a reaper, and the ghost of a prostitute read gothic short stories and act them out.

Director: Richard Oswald | Stars: Anita Berber, Conrad Veidt, Reinhold Schünzel, Hugo Döblin

Votes: 658

42. Turning Paige (2001)

Not Rated | 109 min | Drama

A young would-be writer is forced to confront her past upon the return of her angry, wayward brother.

Director: Robert Cuffley | Stars: Nicholas Campbell, Katharine Isabelle, Philip DeWilde, Torri Higginson

Votes: 263

43. Evil in the Woods (1986)

Not Rated | 89 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

A young boy checks out a book titled Evil in the Woods from his local library. He immediately takes the book home, begins to read it and is soon sucked into a strange world set in Mildew ... See full summary »

Director: William J. Oates | Stars: Brian Abent, Carolina Antonini, Schelli Marie Barbaro, Jennifer Bates

Votes: 161

44. The Land of Rain Trees (I) (2015)

Drama

Nobuyuki found a review website of his favorite book. He felt the same way as the website owner (Rika) about the book's story. Since then, he has interested in Rika with sensorineural hearingloss.

Director: Yoshishige Miyake | Stars: Mariya Nishiuchi, Yûta Tamamori, Jôji Abe, Yumi Asô

Votes: 84

45. The Haunting of Deiana Wood (2017)

28 min | Short, Comedy, History

Two young gay friends, Luke and Toby, go camping in local beauty spot Deiana Wood. As darkness falls, they share ghostly bedtime stories about Deiana Wood's blood-soaked history.

Director: Adrian Hume Robinson | Stars: Jack Cameron, Tom Paul, Adrian Hume Robinson, Mitchell Fisher

Votes: 40

46. Chorabali (2016)

108 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

A whodunit thriller set in the backdrop of North Kolkata with its British Raj charm, based on Agatha Christie's Cards on the Table.

Director: Subhrajit Mitra | Stars: Barun Chanda, Tanushree Chakraborty, George Baker, Locket Chatterjee

Votes: 159

47. Keïta! L'héritage du griot (1995)

94 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy

A storyteller named Djeliba comes to the town of a young boy named Mabo with promises that he will reveal the origin of the boy's ancestry.

Director: Dani Kouyaté | Stars: Seydou Boro, Hamed Dicko, Abdoulaye Komboudri, Sotigui Kouyaté

Votes: 174

48. The Trial of Mr. Wolf (1941)

Approved | 7 min | Animation, Family, Short

The Big Bad Wolf is put on trial for harassing Little Red Riding Hood. He then decides to tell his false side of the story, portraying Little Red Riding Hood and Grandma to be scheming to make a coat out of him.

Director: Friz Freleng | Stars: Mel Blanc, Sara Berner

Votes: 399

49. The Whalers

105 min | Documentary | Announced

For centuries, whaling ships sailed the seas hunting for great cetaceans, crewed largely by free Black, Indigenous, and Afro-Indigenous men, despite the slave trade and blatant discrimination. This is their story.

Directors: PJ Marcellino, Jerri Thrasher

50. Painting in the Rain (2011)

92 min | Drama, Romance

A couple gets to live their relationship over and over again until they get it right.

Director: Shayde Christian | Stars: Josh Adamson, Michelle Renee Allaire, Irina Björklund, Stephen Bowman