Films about dementia: 10 films and shows to help you understand it

Families do everything they can to make life easier and more comfortable for a loved one living with dementia. You follow doctors' advice and learn more about the condition. But you can only imagine what they're really going through. Films can help you understand them a little better by showing the moments other families and people living with dementia experience. They're a step towards understanding what it's like to live with dementia, so your loved one doesn't have to face it alone. And neither do you.

We've picked dramas, documentaries and one film to watch with children. Some are hard to watch, so each has a short guide to help you choose. Where-to-watch details are for the UK and were checked in October 2026. For the latest options, search for the film on JustWatch UK.

Films that show dementia from the inside

These two films don't just watch a person living with dementia. They try to show you the world as that person sees it.

1. The Father (UK and France, 2020)

Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) is fiercely independent. He turns away every carer his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) arranges for him. As the film goes on, rooms change, faces swap and days blur. You're never quite sure what's real, and that's the point. You feel the confusion Anthony feels.

Why watch it: Few films capture so well how disorienting dementia can be. It also shows Anne's love, guilt and exhaustion.

Good to know: Hopkins won the Oscar for Best Actor for this role. It's a powerful but unsettling watch, so you may want to see it with someone.

Where to watch: Stream with Lionsgate+ on Amazon Prime Video, or rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon, Sky Store, Rakuten TV and BFI Player.

2. Familiar Touch (USA, 2024)

Ruth (Kathleen Chalfant) is a retired cook in her eighties. One morning she dresses up, thinking she's off on a date. In fact, she's moving into an assisted living home. As her memory comes and goes, she works out where she is and finds her way in a new routine.

Why watch it: It shows dementia through Ruth's eyes, with dignity and even joy. Instead of dwelling on loss, it shows what stays: her charm, her love of food and her need for touch.

Good to know: Director Sarah Friedland once worked in care. Real residents and staff from a California retirement home appear in the film. It won three awards at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, including Best Actress for Chalfant.

Where to watch: Rent or buy on Apple TV and Amazon, or rent on BFI Player.

Films about caring for a partner or parent with dementia

Dementia affects everyone around a person, not just the person themselves. These films focus on the people who love them.

3. Supernova (UK, 2020)

Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci) have been together for 20 years. Tusker has been diagnosed with young onset dementia. Now they're heading off in a campervan through the Lake District to see family and old friends. Not much happens on the surface. Underneath, both men are quietly preparing for what's ahead.

Why watch it: It shows that the person with dementia is often protecting the people they love, too. The conversations between Sam and Tusker feel real and tender.

Good to know: It's a British film, written and directed by Harry Macqueen. The story touches on Tusker's wishes about the end of his life.

Where to watch: Stream with StudioCanal Presents on Amazon Prime Video, or rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon and Sky Store.

4. The Savages (USA, 2007)

Wendy (Laura Linney) and Jon (Philip Seymour Hoffman) are siblings who haven't been close for years. When their father starts showing signs of dementia, they have to work together to decide how he'll be cared for.

Why watch it: It's honest about the practical side: the phone calls, the arguments between siblings and the guilt of not being able to do it all. Many adult children will recognise themselves.

Good to know: It's a drama with moments of dark humour, so it's a little lighter to watch than some films on this list.

Where to watch: Rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon and Sky Store.

5. Robot & Frank (USA, 2012)

Frank (Frank Langella) lives alone and is showing signs of dementia. Worried about him, his son gives him a robot helper that cooks, cleans and keeps him to a routine. Frank hates it. Then he realises it could be the perfect partner in crime: Frank used to be a jewel thief.

Why watch it: It's funny and touching, and shows how much someone can value their independence and their own home. It also shows how the right support can bring back a sense of purpose and companionship.

Good to know: It's set in the near future and is one of the lightest films on this list. Susan Sarandon co-stars, and Peter Sarsgaard voices the robot.

Where to watch: Stream with Lionsgate+ on Amazon Prime Video, or rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon, Sky Store and Rakuten TV.

6. Mr Holmes (UK and USA, 2015)

It's 1947, and Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) is 93. Long retired, he lives in a Sussex farmhouse with his housekeeper, Mrs Munro (Laura Linney), and her young son, Roger. His memory is failing, and he's desperate to piece together his last case before it slips away for good.

Why watch it: It shows how frightening memory loss can be for someone whose mind has always been their strength. It also shows how much patience and companionship at home can help.

Good to know: It's gentle and slow-paced, and rated PG, so it's suitable for most of the family.

Where to watch: Rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon, Sky Store and Rakuten TV, or rent on BFI Player.

Documentaries about dementia

If you'd prefer real people to actors, these documentaries are honest, warm and, at times, joyful.

7. Alive Inside (USA, 2014)

Social worker Dan Cohen brings personalised music playlists to people living with dementia. Its best-known scene features Henry, who usually sits slumped and silent. When he hears the music of his youth, he comes alive. He sings, talks and remembers.

Why watch it: It's hopeful. It shows how music from someone's past can help them connect with the people around them. You might come away wanting to build a playlist for someone you love.

Good to know: It won the Audience Award for documentaries at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

Where to watch: Rent or buy on Apple TV and Amazon.

8. Robin's Wish (USA, 2020)

This documentary tells the story of Robin Williams' final years through his wife, Susan Schneider Williams, and close friends. Robin was told he had Parkinson's disease. Only after his death did doctors find he'd had Lewy body dementia, which affects memory, thinking, movement and sleep.

Why watch it: It explains a type of dementia that many people haven't heard of. It also shows how frightening changes in someone's thinking and behaviour can be when nobody knows the cause.

Good to know: The film talks about his death by suicide. If that's hard for you, you may prefer to skip it or watch it with someone. Samaritans are available any time on 116 123.

Where to watch: Free with adverts on Pluto TV, or rent or buy on Apple TV, Amazon, Sky Store and Rakuten TV.

9. Our Dementia Choir with Vicky McClure (UK, BBC, 2019)

Actor Vicky McClure's nan lived with dementia. Here, she brings together people with different types of dementia to form a choir in her home city of Nottingham. Over a few months, they rehearse for a big public concert, while scientists look at how music affects the brain.

Why watch it: It's warm, British and full of personality. It shows people living with dementia as individuals with talents, humour and something to give.

Good to know: It's a TV series rather than a film, first shown on BBC One. A follow-up series came out in 2022.

Where to watch: BBC iPlayer, while available.

A film about dementia to watch with children

Animation can make a hard subject easier to approach, especially for younger family members.

10. Coco (USA, 2017)

This Pixar film follows Miguel, a boy who dreams of being a musician. His great-grandmother, Mamá Coco, rarely speaks and struggles to recognise her family. Through Miguel's adventure, we learn why her memories matter so much, and how a familiar song can reach her.

Why watch it: It's a gentle way to start a conversation with children about a grandparent or great-grandparent whose memory is changing. It also shows how music can help someone connect.

Good to know: It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It isn't a dementia film as such: dementia isn't named, and the story deals with death and remembering loved ones.

Where to watch: Disney+.

Tips for watching films about dementia

These films can stir up a lot, especially if dementia is part of your life right now. A little planning helps.

• Choose your moment. Pick a time when you have space to reflect afterwards, rather than late at night after a hard day.
• Watch with someone. A partner, sibling or friend can help you talk through what the film brought up. It can also be a gentle way to start a family conversation about care.
• Think about who's in the room. If you're watching with someone living with dementia, a familiar musical, a favourite old film or a nature documentary may be more enjoyable. Films like The Father could be confusing or upsetting.
• Take what's useful. Every person's experience of dementia is different. Use the films to build understanding, not to predict what will happen to someone you love.

If a film raises worries you'd like to talk through, Dementia UK's Admiral Nurses offer free advice on their helpline: 0800 888 6678.

From understanding to support

A film can help you see the world through someone else's eyes. The next step is thinking about what would help them day to day.

Staying at home means your loved one can keep their own routines, belongings and neighbours around them. If you're exploring support at home, Elder can help you find a self-employed carer, including carers with experience of supporting people living with dementia.

Want to talk it through? Speak to our friendly team to find out how live-in care could work for your family.