'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAv/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAzuCX/8QAIRAAAgIBAgcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDEQAEEwUGEiIxMlH/2gAIAQEAAT8A0vEerTooRC+5HE5MY9SxAoffGR83EoplebcruqKOrz//xAAWEQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARH/2gAIAQIBAT8AiP/EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAEf/aAAgBAwEBPwAXb//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Nonnas is a 2025 comedy-drama film, directed and written by Stephen Chbosky, and featuring Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, and Susan Sarandon.
Based on Joe Scaravella’s true story, Nonnas follows him as he revives a failing Staten Island restaurant in memory of his mother, hiring grandmothers from around the world to cook traditional dishes.
Driven by nostalgia, Joe tries to recreate the meals of his childhood while navigating personal and professional challenges, from rekindling an old romance to holding the restaurant together as the grandmothers clash and bond.
Nonnas is ultimately about family, not just food—showing how love, memory, and tradition unite people. Through their shared cooking, Joe and the grandmothers create more than a restaurant: they build a community rooted in comfort and connection.
Trending
Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.
Chef, Book Club and 5 other comedies to watch if you liked Nonnas
1) The Family Stone (2005)
The Family Stone (2005), by Thomas Bezucha, is the tale of Everett Stone, who brings his uptight girlfriend, Meredith, home for Christmas to propose. She gets a chilly reception from his eccentric family, and things begin to simmer when she invites her sister to be a source of support, making matters more complicated.
What begins as an intense holiday weekend becomes an emotionally intense weekend of discovery and serendipitous bonding.
Like Nonnas, The Family Stone centers on family bonds, blending humor and emotion as shifting dynamics and personal growth take the spotlight.
Where to watch: Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
2) Big Night (1996)
Big Night (1996), directed by Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott, is the story of two Italian immigrant brothers, Secondo and Primo, who attempt to rescue their restaurant, Paradise, with a special dinner. Primo, the executive chef, values culinary tradition, while Secondo wants to be a success in America.
When a rival restaurant threatens to host a famous singer at their restaurant, the brothers order a lavish meal in anticipation of a breakthrough. The night reveals their contrasts and the compromises they made along the way in chasing their dreams.
Similar to Nonnas, Big Night is founded on the cultural importance of food, where tradition and authenticity are at the heart of the plot, combined with the emotional struggles of operating a family business.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Netflix
3) My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), directed by Joel Zwick and scripted by Nia Vardalos, chronicles the life of Toula Portokalos, a timid, 30-year-old Greek-American woman from Chicago. Coerced by her traditional family to marry a Greek man, Toula pursues Ian, a non-Greek school teacher, and struggles to make her family approve of him.
As she constructs their relationship, Toula transforms, finding independence and confidence.
Like Nonnas, My Big Fat Greek Wedding approaches the topic of cultural identity and family with the story of a woman accepting her heritage and family problems for love.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Netflix
4) Steel Magnolias (1989)
Steel Magnolias, released in 1989 and directed by Herbert Ross, is a story about a group of spunky, intelligent women in a small Southern town who support one another through the trials and tribulations of life.
The film, adapted from Robert Harling's 1987 play, is about their deep friendship and how they cope with the loss of one of them, inspired by Harling's sister, Susan, who died from diabetes complications.
The women struggle with all sorts of personal issues: marriage, motherhood, and illness.
Like Nonnas, Steel Magnolias centers on deep bonds formed through shared struggles, highlighting themes of loss, friendship, and enduring connection.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, HBO Max
5) Somewhere in Queens (2022)
Somewhere in Queens (2022), directed by and written by Ray Romano, tells the story of Angela and Leo Russo, a Queens family and their teenage son Sticks, an excellent basketball player.
Leo works in his father's construction firm and is tormented by the demands of his father, while Angela deals with trauma resulting from an illness. When Sticks is awarded a college scholarship, Leo fixates on the idea, feeling it will change their lives.
As tensions rise, the Russos confront tough truths about love, ambition, and letting go. The film explores family dynamics with humor and heart, asking what it means to support your child without losing yourself.
Similar to Nonnas, Somewhere in Queens is a story about family relationships, with a focus on the significance of relationships, love, and self-improvement as they face the intricacies of daily life.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu
6) Chef (2014)
Chef (2014), directed by Jon Favreau, is the story of Carl Casper, an exceptionally talented chef who gets fired from a restaurant in Los Angeles after arguing with a food critic in public.
Embarrassed, Carl quits and goes away to establish a food truck business with his son and best friend and operates a Cuban street food venture as they travel through America.
Similar to Nonnas, Chef is food-centric, passion-driven, and a rediscovery process, with the main character on a path of self-improvement through culinary experimentation, as they also experience individual and familial experiences.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO Max
7) Book Club (2018)
Book Club (2018) is a film directed and written by Bill Holderman and tells the story of four friends in their 60s - Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen who are provoked by Fifty Shades of Grey to spice up their lives.
The book triggers a reassessment on their relationships, which inspires them to seek romance, kindle dead love, and try new things. As they face the highs and lows of life, the women stand by each other during trial, proving it is never too late to renew and find oneself.
Like Nonnas, Book Club highlights personal growth through women's bonds, showing how they break barriers and grow stronger together.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Paramount+
Interested viewers can watch Nonnas on Netflix.
