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Credit: Courtesy of Hulu
This is Streamalikes, where you can find a curated list of recommendations to stream based on what you already like.
Though it was hardly the first show to attempt kitchen-based drama, The Bear’s recipe was pretty unique: with a focus on characters, a willingness to experiment with narrative style, and an intimate knowledge of a world most people don’t know much about, it was an ambitious and ultimately successful series.
Carmy, Richie, and Sydney’s stories may have ended with Season 5, but that doesn’t mean you can’t devour more slow-burn kitchen tension set in or around a fine dining establishment. If you’ve watched (and rewatched) The Bear and all the other series that offer similar pleasures, there’s one movie you should check out right away: 2021’s Boiling Point.
Boiling Point Also Explores a High-Pressure Kitchen Culture
Before Carmy unlocked the doors to Chicago’s The Original Beef in the first episode of The Bear, Chef Andy Jones (Stephen Graham) stepped into Jones & Sons in London — and if you loved The Bear best when chaos reigned and the chefs were shouting at each other, strap in for a similar ride. Boiling Point (which was extended into a sequel TV series a few years later) is filmed in one take: a single 90-minute scene of escalating tension, as everything that could possibly go wrong for an alcoholic, emotionally volatile chef and his stressed-out staff does, indeed, go wrong.
Boiling Point is rooted in the same professional kitchen culture as The Bear, and offers a similar dynamic to the early seasons of the show. Andy is a disaster — he secretly drinks on the job, his personal life is a mess, and he’s deeply in debt. The staff at Jones & Sons is top-notch, but they’re all suffering from Andy’s unpredictable moods and their inevitable effects. The restaurant has just been knocked down a health rating, the evening is overbooked, and personalities can’t stop clashing. It all leads to a dynamite climax with real emotional punch.
Another reason fans of The Bear will love Boiling Point is the care the film takes to center food culture. A lot of kitchen dramas treat the cooking and service as set dressing, but this film, like The Bear, knows that what goes into the food and the service is just as important to the story as anything else. You won’t find a closer match to the tone and impact of the celebrated Hulu series in another movie.
Bonus: Stephen Graham — now best known for his incredible performance in Adolescence — is one of the best under-the-radar actors working today, and he brings his A-game to the lead role. Stream Boiling Point on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, or Tubi, or rent it on digital platforms.
