Best movies like The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The film follows Kaspar Hauser (Bruno S.), who lived the first seventeen years of his life chained in a tiny cellar with only a toy horse to occupy his time, devoid of all human contact except for a man who wears a black overcoat and top hat who feeds him.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: West Germany
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: surreal, atmospheric, melancholic, harsh, talky, touching, serious, realistic, philosophical, dramatic
Best tv shows and movies like The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974):
Similar in 83%
Home from Home: Chronicle of a Vision (2013)
Plot Summary:
Follow-up to the TV trilogy "Heimat", this time for cinemas, set again in the fictional village Schabbach in the Hunsrück region of Rhineland-Palatinate.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: Germany, France
Duration: 231 min
Plot tags: realistic, atmospheric, epic, serious, contemplative, stylized, family saga, saga, sentimental, bleak
Similar in 88%
Stroszek (1977)
Plot Summary:
Bruno Stroszek is released from prison and warned to stop drinking. He has few skills and fewer expectations: with a glockenspiel and an accordion, he ekes out a living as a street musician. He befriends Eva, a prostitute down on her luck and they join his neighbor, Scheitz, an elderly eccentric, when he leaves Germany to live in Wisconsin.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: West Germany
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: road movie, surreal, dark, depressing, dark comedy, mind bending, psychedelic, political, sad, artsy
Similar in 84%
Heart of Glass (1976)
Plot Summary:
A small Bavarian village is renowned for its "Ruby Glass" glass blowing works. When the foreman of the works dies suddenly without revealing the secret of the Ruby Glass, the town slides into a deep depression, and the owner of the glassworks becomes obssessed with the lost secret.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama
Country: West Germany
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: surreal, art house, disturbing, experimental, allegory, atmospheric, mind bending, psychedelic, psychological, serious
Similar in 90%
The Wild Child (1970)
Plot Summary:
Director François Truffaut makes a rare on-screen appearance in one of his most unusual films. Based on a true story, the film follows the discovery of a feral child (Jean-Pierre Cargol) who's grown up wild in the forest in late-18th-century France. Truffaut plays Dr. Jean Itard, the deaf specialist who tries to civilize the boy, teaching him to walk, speak and read; the screenplay was adapted from Itard's writings.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, touching, black and white, social, intelligent, historical drama, anthropological, tense, clever, serious
Similar in 89%
The Elephant Man (1982)
Plot Summary:
A taped version of the stage play about a hideously deformed 19th-century London man and how he managed to triumph over his disease.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 302
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: sincere, uplifting, touching, serious, realistic, talky, psychotronic
Similar in 81%
Andrei Rublev (1966)
Plot Summary:
An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 56000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Soviet Union
Duration: 205 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, breathtaking, art house, black and white, philosophical, epic, visual, visually appealing, spiritual, bleak
Similar in 77%
The Mill and the Cross (2011)
Plot Summary:
What would it be like to step inside a great work of art, have it come alive around you, and even observe the artist as he sketches the very reality you are experiencing? From Lech Majewski, one of Poland's most acclaimed filmmakers, The Mill and the Cross is a cinematic re-staging of Pieter Bruegel's masterpiece "Procession to Calvary," presented alongside the story of its creation.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: Poland, Sweden
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, bleak, serious, realistic, surreal, christian film, philosophical, spiritual, cerebral, offbeat
Similar in 77%
Miss Austen Regrets (2007)
Plot Summary:
An outwardly confident but unmarried woman on the verge of her fortieth birthday reflects on her past suitors and the choices she once made while attempting to help her marriage minded niece choose between a number of potential suitors in this tale inspired by the life and letters of Jane Austen. Jane Austen is about to turn forty, but she still hasn't found her ideal man. When Jane is approached by her niece Fanny and asked to help select the perfect husband for the young girl, the aging spinster begins to wonder why it is that she never found a man to share her own life with. Perhaps if Jane had accepted the proposal of a wealthy landowner she could have saved her family from financial ruin, and what of the handsome young physician who once warmed to Jane after tending to her ailing family members?.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: realistic, stylized, period piece, captivating, melancholic, historical drama, historical romance, clever, serious, period drama
Similar in 83%
Ludwig (1973)
Plot Summary:
A history of Ludwig, king of Bavaria, from his crowning in 1864 until his death in 1886.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Italy, France, West Germany, Monaco
Duration: 238 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, atmospheric, serious, psychedelic, homoerotic, stylized, gloomy, epic, queer cinema
Similar in 79%
Ludwig II (2012)
Plot Summary:
A dramatic retelling of the life of Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, one of the most fascinating monarchs of modern times. From his accession to the throne at the age of 18 to his passionate support of Richard Wagner and his music. From his ingenuous political commitment to his obsessive construction of extravagant palaces and to his gradual withdrawal into a lonely dream world, an epic narrative of breathtaking grandeur.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 865
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Austria, Germany
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, stylized, period drama
Similar in 85%
Leopardi (2014)
Plot Summary:
A luminously beautiful biopic of the celebrated eighteenth-century Italian poet, essayist and philosopher Giacomo Leopardi, who created immortal verse whilst struggling with a debilitating illness.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Italy
Duration: 143 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, realistic, captivating, historical drama
Similar in 78%
Louis Cyr : The Strongest Man in the World (2013)
Plot Summary:
Biopic of Louis Cyr, strongest man in the world at the end of the 19th Century.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Canada
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 77%
Mirror (1975)
Plot Summary:
A dying man in his forties remembers his past. His childhood, his mother, the war, personal moments and things that tell of the recent history of all the Russian nation.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 51000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Soviet Union
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: surreal, cerebral, atmospheric, avant garde, art house, enigmatic, serious, philosophical, psychological, thought provoking
Similar in 84%
When Nietzsche Wept (2007)
Plot Summary:
Viennese doctor Josef Bruer meets with philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche to help him deal with his despair.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, sincere, touching, realistic, talky, philosophical, mind bending, thought provoking, spiritual
Similar in 76%
My Left Foot (1989)
Plot Summary:
In this true story told through flashbacks, Christy Brown is born with crippling cerebral palsy into a poor, working-class Irish family. Able only to control movement in his left foot and to speak in guttural sounds, he is mistakenly believed to be retarded for the first ten years of his life.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 79000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Ireland, UK
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: touching, inspirational, sincere, unusual plot structure, dramatic, sentimental, motivational, sad, captivating, biting
Similar in 86%
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
Plot Summary:
A few decades after the destruction of the Inca empire, a Spanish expedition leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon river in search of gold and wealth. Soon, they come across great difficulties and Don Aguirre, a ruthless man who cares only about riches, becomes their leader. But will his quest lead them to "the golden city", or to certain destruction?.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 61000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History
Country: West Germany, Mexico
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: bleak, atmospheric, tense, suspenseful, philosophical, surreal, art house, visual, epic, realistic
Similar in 82%
The Sea Inside (2004)
Plot Summary:
The Sea Inside is about Spaniard Ramón Sampedro, who fought a 30-year campaign to win the right to end his life with dignity. It is the story of Ramón’s relationships with two women: Julia a lawyer who supports his cause, and Rosa, a local woman who wants to convince him that life is worth living.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 84000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Spain, France, Italy
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: sad, thought provoking, emotional, philosophical, touching, sentimental, breathtaking, serious, depressing, heartbreaking
Similar in 79%
Nowhere in Africa (2001)
Plot Summary:
A Jewish woman named Jettel Redlich flees Nazi Germany with her daughter Regina, to join her husband, Walter, on a farm in Kenya. At first, Jettel refuses to adjust to her new circumstances, bringing with her a set of china dishes and an evening gown. While Regina adapts readily to this new world, forming a strong bond with her father's cook, an African named Owuor.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Germany
Duration: 141 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, emotional, thought provoking, captivating, visually stunning, realistic, sad, inspirational, serious
Similar in 88%
The Elephant Man (1980)
Plot Summary:
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 254000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: emotional, psychological, touching, surreal, poignant, black and white, sad, heartbreaking, cult classic, harsh
Similar in 84%
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)
Plot Summary:
The extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain, whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public's perception of cats forever.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: sad, surreal, tragicomedy, dramatic, stylized, semi serious, thought provoking, psychedelic, cult classic, crying
Similar in 76%
Amistad (1997)
Plot Summary:
In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. Freed slave Theodore Joadson wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger Baldwin to help his case. Eventually, John Quincy Adams also becomes an ally.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 82000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 155 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, period piece, epic, dramatic, compassionate, factual, uplifting, serious, captivating
Similar in 84%
At Eternity's Gate (2018)
Plot Summary:
Famed but tormented artist Vincent van Gogh spends his final years in Arles, France, painting masterworks of the natural world that surrounds him.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 39000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Ireland, Switzerland, UK, France, USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: independent film, melancholic, psychological, rough, touching, art film, captivating, suspenseful, philosophical, atmospheric
Similar in 87%
Mr. Turner (2014)
Plot Summary:
Eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner lives his last 25 years with gusto and secretly becomes involved with a seaside landlady, while his faithful housekeeper bears an unrequited love for him.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, Germany, USA, Belgium
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: enigmatic, surreal, meditative, sincere, captivating, costume drama, visual, atmospheric, clever, stylized
Similar in 89%
The Professor and the Madman (2019)
Plot Summary:
Professor James Murray begins work compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid 19th century, and receives over 10,000 entries from a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, Dr. William Minor.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 50000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, Mexico, UK, France, Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, Hong Kong
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: captivating, disturbing, thought provoking, inspirational, philosophical, gothic, depressing, entertaining, factual, costume drama
Similar in 86%
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Plot Summary:
In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 731000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: motivational, heartbreaking, disturbing, harsh, bleak, atmospheric, emotional, factual, brutal, rough
Similar in 84%
Awakenings (1990)
Plot Summary:
Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a shy research physician, uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease. Leonard is the first patient to receive the controversial treatment. His awakening, filled with awe and enthusiasm, proves a rebirth for Sayer too, as the exuberant patient reveals life's simple but unutterably sweet pleasures to the introverted doctor.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 155000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: inspirational, motivational, sentimental, sincere, uplifting, psychological, touching, serious, cerebral, emotional
Similar in 86%
Experimenter (2015)
Plot Summary:
Yale University, 1961. Stanley Milgram designs a psychology experiment that still resonates to this day, in which people think they’re delivering painful electric shocks to an affable stranger strapped into a chair in another room. Despite his pleads for mercy, the majority of subjects don’t stop the experiment, administering what they think is a near-fatal electric shock, simply because they’ve been told to do so. With Nazi Adolf Eichmann’s trial airing in living rooms across America, Milgram strikes a nerve in popular culture and the scientific community with his exploration into people’s tendency to comply with authority. Celebrated in some circles, he is also accused of being a deceptive, manipulative monster, but his wife Sasha stands by him through it all.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: psychological, philosophical, enigmatic, political, disturbing, factual, emotional, suspense, melancholic, talky
Similar in 87%
Front of the Class (2008)
Plot Summary:
"Front of the Class" is based on the true story of Brad Cohen -- played in the movie by Jimmy Wolk -- who, "after being challenged by Tourette's syndrome from a very young age, defies all odds to become a gifted teacher.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: inspirational, touching, realistic, sentimental, emotional, sweet, talky, sincere, thought provoking, spiritual
Similar in 79%
Schindler's List (1993)
Plot Summary:
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
IMDB Rating: 9.0
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 195 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, heartbreaking, realistic, thought provoking, poignant, black and white, dramatic, serious, sad
Similar in 86%
Nixon (1995)
Plot Summary:
An all-star cast powers this epic look at American President Richard M. Nixon, a man carrying the fate of the world on his shoulders while battling the self-destructive demands within. Spanning his troubled boyhood in California to the shocking Watergate scandal that would end his presidency.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 192 min
Plot tags: political, factual, talky, compassionate, intense, thought provoking, realistic, sincere, touching, serious