Best movies like Special Education
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Educator and those educated in a home for juvenile delinquents in the same test: approach, take a peek into his soul to become a man. The story of a minor, neglected boys-offenders and their teachers who try to reject the old methods of rehabilitation.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Yugoslavia
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: educational
Best tv shows and movies like Special Education (1977):
Similar in 85%
Of Skies and Earth (2011)
Plot Summary:
Welcome to the hometown of Yoyong, Poklat, Boying and Uding. Here, there are no big shopping malls, no tall buildings. There are only huge mountains and vast fields as far as the eye can see, and clouds that seem to be always embracing the mountains. Life is simple for the four boys. They are content and very happy if they could eat three meals a day and are able to play. All of them, except for Uding who is an orphan, have left their homes in the mountains because they couldn’t bear the harsh treatment of their parents.
IMDB Rating:
IMDB Votes:
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 75%
The 40th Door (2009)
Plot Summary:
Fourteen-year-old Rustam lives with his mother in a village; his father was killed by the Russian mafia. After his father's death, Rustam tries to provide for himself and his mother without resorting to illegal money-making schemes. But his dream is to join a music band. The title of the film refers to an Azerbaijani fairy tale about saving a princess from a house with 40 doors; no one has succeeded in opening the last door, and thus its secret remains hidden. The villagers have named their village the 40th door as well.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 115
Genere: Drama
Country: Azerbaijan
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: fairy tale
Similar in 82%
Guardian Angel (1987)
Plot Summary:
A journalist investigates the smuggling of gypsy children on the black market and tries to save a young boy.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 247
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Yugoslavia
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 82%
In the Thick of It (1995)
Plot Summary:
This optimistic Italian slice-of-life drama chronicles a typical day in the lives of teenagers living in the grim suburbs of Rome. The story is set in the suburb of Tuscolano which is located near the Cinecitta studios and concerns a group of friends in their mid-teens. In the beginning, Lorenzo, the imaginative leader of the group convinces the rest of them one of them is terminally ill. The rest then become determined that the dying group member should have at least one fling with the local whore, that is if they can convince her into performing the merciful act. Two years pass and the youths are seen engaging in various endeavors ranging from petty theft to manual labor, or both. The boys are also seen pursuing romance. Troubles ensue when Lorenzo's brother disappears, and when one of the thieves is captured.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 35
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 83%
Round Trip (1978)
Plot Summary:
The story of a group of people who came to France to the temporary work, their sufferings, persecutions, and a constant struggle for survival.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 43
Genere: Drama
Country: Yugoslavia
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 78%
Avalude Ravukal (1978)
Plot Summary:
Raji is forced into prostitution to support her brother's education after their parents' death. She falls in love with Babu, who faces social ridicule after their affair becomes public.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 82
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 144 min
Plot tags: sexual, sexy
Similar in 87%
The Mutants (1998)
Plot Summary:
The Mutants (Portuguese: Os mutantes) is a 1998 Portuguese film by director Teresa Villaverde, starring Ana Moreira and Alexandre Pinto. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 645
Genere: Drama
Country: Portugal, France
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: bleak
Similar in 81%
Desperate Lives (1982)
Plot Summary:
A brother and sister get caught up in the drug scene in their local high school, with tragic results.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 226
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 86%
The Handsome Priest (1989)
Plot Summary:
A young petty thief befriends the local priest.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 72
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 89%
Babai (2015)
Plot Summary:
10-year-old Nori is obliged to grow up at a very young age after the early death of his mother and then being abandoned by his father Gezim in the Kosovo of the 1990s.After a dangerous and eventful journey, Nori finally arrives in Germany and is reunited with his father, but he cannot understand how Gezim could just have left him. And chances of them being able to stay in Germany look bleak when Gezim’s application for asylum is rejected.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 589
Genere: Drama
Country: Germany, Kosovo, France
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: suspense, psychological, tense, suspenseful, art house
Similar in 86%
A Thousand Months (2003)
Plot Summary:
1981, Morocco. A village in the Atlas mountains. A city in the distance. A child. A family facing its destiny.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 254
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Belgium, Morocco, Germany
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 82%
The Last Snows of Spring (1973)
Plot Summary:
A 10-year-old boy starts to die of neglect when his widowed father spends too much time forsaking his parental duties in favour of playboy activities and a jet-set life-style.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 250
Genere: Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 79%
Luminous Motion (1998)
Plot Summary:
A mom and her 10 year son motor around the country as she makes ends meet by turning tricks until her car breaks down. She then temporarily takes up with a hardware store owner until she gets her own place. Then the kid's father shows up to try to take the two over.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 347
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: independent film, psychological, offbeat, serious, realistic, detective, black comedy, dark comedy
Similar in 90%
Last Summer (2018)
Plot Summary:
During a long hot summer in the 1970s, four boys roam free through a neglected rural paradise, until a tragedy strikes that sets them against the adult world and changes their lives forever.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 357
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 82%
Moving Out (1983)
Plot Summary:
Coming-of-age story about an Italian-Australian teenager making his way in the world.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 105
Genere: Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: touching, humorous, realistic, semi serious, independent film
Similar in 86%
The Good Son (2001)
Plot Summary:
Bonjour tristesse: Teenager Luc lives with his mother Liliane and his little brother Paul in Paris, has to cope with the fact that his mother is a prostitute and practically raise his brother alone. Luc is disillusioned. One day, little Paul wants to phone his grandmother in Nord-pas-de-Calais, one thing leads to another and suddenly the whole family finds themselves in a holiday in northern France. For Liliane it means a reunion with her mother, for Luc and Paul the reunion with their grandmother. And then someday on the beach Luc gets to know Manu(el) who teaches him lessons in love, life, fun, teenagerhood and friendship.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 59
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 76%
Standing Tall (2015)
Plot Summary:
The film tells the story of Malony and his education as he grows from a six-year-old into an 18-year-old. A minors’ judge and a caseworker work tirelessly to try to save the young offender.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: disturbing, touching, serious, suspense, suspenseful, crying
Similar in 80%
Weirdos (2016)
Plot Summary:
Two Nova Scotian teens who hit the road in July 1976 accompanied by the laconic ghost of (the still-living) Andy Warhol.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 550
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: captivating, psychological, tense, sexy, unusual plot structure, contemplative, road movie
Similar in 85%
West Coast (2016)
Plot Summary:
Four inseparable teenagers in a small town in Brittany (France). As lifelong fans of the West Coast, they think are real gangstas. Together as a "gang", they are invincible, respected, fearless and nothing can reach them, certainly not the teasing and contempt of their fellow classmates. So when Fle-O, the leader of this merry gang, learns that he has to leave his town and his friends at the end of the year, his whole world falls apart leaving him vulnerable when the most popular kid in school decides to make fun of them in front of everyone. Humiliated, our protagonists decide to take their revenge through one last expedition together that will lead them further than they would have imagined. Through incongruous situations and successive meetings, they will grow and learn.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 792
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 80%
And Then I Go (2017)
Plot Summary:
Two teenage outsiders are demoralized daily at school, until an idea for vengeance offers them a terrifying release.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: suspense, unusual plot structure, psychological, thought provoking, suspenseful, disturbing, independent film, queer cinema
Similar in 79%
George Washington (2000)
Plot Summary:
Set in the landscape of a rural southern town, "George Washington" is a stunning portrait of how a group of young kids come to grips with a hard world of choices and consequences. During an innocent game in an abandoned amusement park, a member of the group dies. Narrated by one of the children, the film follows the kids as they struggle to balance their own ambitions and relationships against a tragic lie.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, bleak, independent film, meditative, lyrical, touching, realistic, stylized, southern gothic, thought provoking
Similar in 83%
No One's Child (2014)
Plot Summary:
The movie is based on the fascinating, true story of a feral boy whom hunters found among wolves in a forest in the mountains of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) in the mid-1980s. The boy was sent to the institution for children in an attempt to socialize him and got the Muslim name – Haris. Contrary to most predictions, he was developing and making friends quickly. When the war in BiH broke out in 1992, Haris got the letter from local Bosnian authorities which asked for his immediate return. Upon returning to BiH, he had nowhere to go. While wandering aimlessly, he came across a group of soldiers that gave him a gun and took him with them.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Serbia, Croatia
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, captivating
Similar in 80%
The Italian (2005)
Plot Summary:
Set in 2002, an abandoned 5-year-old boy living in a rundown orphanage in a small Russian village is adopted by an Italian family.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: Russia
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, realistic, breathtaking, inspirational, talky, emotional, disturbing, intense, sincere
Similar in 83%
Steal Me (2005)
Plot Summary:
Chasing his wayward mother to Montana, fifteen year old Jake finds the picture perfect Tucker family instead who photoshop him into their lives, despite his questionable past. Too bad Jake can not stop himself from stealing, being seduced by the sexy next door neighbor, courting the mother of the house, encouraging the son in his first love affair, and leading the neighborhood boys in an ever escalating series of pranks. A drama about stealing radios, cars, and hearts.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 294
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, independent film, crying
Similar in 83%
Neighborhood (1998)
Plot Summary:
A coming-of-age story in the vein of CITY OF GOD and KIDS - available for the first time in the U.S.!.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: Spain, France
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: social, hispanic, serious, realistic
Similar in 76%
The Father (1996)
Plot Summary:
Mehrollah is a 14-year-old boy who is forced to find a job to support his family after his father dies. He travels to the southern parts of Iran, looking for work. Upon his return to his hometown, he notices certain changes in his family.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Iran
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: inspirational, islamic, bleak, serious, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 81%
Not One Less (1999)
Plot Summary:
Teacher Gao loves the students in his poor village and is devoted to educating them in the hope of their greater futures. When he is called away to tend to his dying mother for a month, the Mayor calls in an inexperienced 13 year-old replacement, Wei Minzhi; much to Teacher Gao's dismay. Teacher Gao cannot stand the thought of losing anymore students: he has already lost twelve to ever-increasing attrition, and he promises Wei an extra 10 yuan if she succeeds in ensuring that upon his return, there will be not one less. Wei's difficult mission to fulfill Teacher Gao's wish and her own concern for the welfare of the children begins.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: inspirational, road movie, touching, realistic, sad, art film, informative, sincere, feel good, humorous
Similar in 80%
Farewell to Harry (2002)
Plot Summary:
A down-and-out writer, Nick Sennet, runs into Harry, a man that, legend has it, died long ago. Together they attempt to revitalize a defunct factory as well as their lives.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 165
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 85%
Half Nelson (2006)
Plot Summary:
Despite his dedication to the junior-high students who fill his classroom, idealistic teacher Dan Dunne leads a secret life of addiction that the majority of his students will never know. But things change when a troubled student Drey makes a startling discovery of his secret life, causing a tenuous bond between the two that could either end disastrously or provide a catalyst of hope.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 91000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: depressing, independent film, talky, emotional, serious, inspirational, feel good, melancholic, intense, indie film
Similar in 79%
Tom Brown's Schooldays (2005)
Plot Summary:
The determined new headmaster of an English prep school attempts to reform the frequently unruly students, who are tormented by a ruthless bully.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: touching, realistic, serious, exciting, tense, suspenseful, crying, period drama