Best movies like Molière
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin is raised by his father and his grandfather because his mother dies when he's still very little. He works as a handyman, studies the law at a university and travels the country as an actor before he becomes the celebrated playwright Molière who impresses firstly the Duke of Orleans and then even King Louis XIV.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 877
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 260 min
Plot tags: weird, period drama
Best tv shows and movies like Molière (1978):
Similar in 89%
The Rise of Louis XIV (1966)
Plot Summary:
Cardinal Mazarin dies, leaving a power vacuum in which the young Louis asserts his intention to govern as well as rule. Mazarin's fiscal advisor, Colbert, warns against Fouquet, the Superintendant who has been systematically looting the treasury and wants to be prime minister. Fouquet believes Louis will soon tire of exercizing power and overplays his hand by offering a bribe to Louis' mistress to be his ally. She reports this to the king who arrests Fouquet. Louis and Colbert design a brilliant strategy to keep merchants making money, nobles in debt, the urban poor working and fed, and peasants untaxed. Years later, in a coda, we see Louis exercizing the power of the sun.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, History
Country: France
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: epic, political, historical drama, historically accurate, baroque, weird, period drama
Similar in 83%
Becoming Colette (1991)
Plot Summary:
Erotic French author Colette during her formative years in Paris at the turn of the century, married to a hedonistic bounder who publishes her writings under his name until she leaves him to embark on her own career.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 276
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Germany, UK, France
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: erotic, independent film
Similar in 78%
The Youth of Peter the Great (1980)
Plot Summary:
The years of the tsar’s adolescence and youth were permeated with deadly danger coming from some of the Boyars, the rebellious Streltsy and Tsarevna Sophia who aspired for power. But already at that early time Peter demonstrates a profound, bright intellect, a strong will and the sense of purpose, which help him disarm both his open and secret enemies.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 208
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Soviet Union, East Germany
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 81%
A Season in Hell (1971)
Plot Summary:
Biopic about the life of the French poet Arthur Rimbaud.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 78
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 82%
Molière (2007)
Plot Summary:
Molière, a down-and-out actor-cum-playwright up to his ears in debt. When the wealthy Jourdain offers to cover that debt (so that Molière's theatrical talents might help Jourdain win the heart of a certain widowed marquise), hilarity ensues.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Biography, Comedy
Country: France
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: witty, humorous, stylized, semi serious, period piece, inspirational, sexy, epic, historical drama, realistic
Similar in 84%
The King Is Dancing (2000)
Plot Summary:
Louis XIV, the French sun-king has two passions, establishing absolute rule over the realm -after decades of religious/civil wars- by divine right and artistic brilliancy as a dancer.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History, Music
Country: France, Germany, Belgium
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, stylized, serious, realistic, captivating, dramatic, visual, historical drama, mesmerizing, contemplative
Similar in 86%
The King's Daughters (2000)
Plot Summary:
Late 17th Century: Anne de Grandcamp and Lucie de Fontenelle, two little girls from Normandy, arrive at the Saint-Cyr school founded by Madame de Maintenon for educating the daughters of impoverished nobles ruined in wars and making them into free women. Madame de Maintenon is the secret wife of Louis XIV, and empowered by his support, she offers "her" two hundred fifty girls a playful and avant-garde education. Anne and Lucie, two inseparable friends, allow themselves to be carried away by the promise of a bright future. But Maintenon has arrived at the pinnacle of power through scheming and debasing herself and she now fears the fires of hell. She is counting on her model school to atone for her past sins.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 700
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: France, Germany, Belgium
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: captivating, sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, epic, baroque, weird
Similar in 85%
Zelda (1993)
Plot Summary:
Biopic about Zelda Fitzgerald, as played by Natasha Richardson.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 141
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration:
Plot tags:
Similar in 76%
Versailles: The Dream of a King (2008)
Plot Summary:
Docudrama about the life of Louis XIV nicknamed "the Sun King", the King of France who ran a glamorous court, expanded the borders of France, loved women and parties and built an incredible palace for himself - the Versailles.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 364
Genere: Documentary, Biography, Drama, History
Country: France
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: political, historical drama, baroque, weird
Similar in 75%
Marquise (1997)
Plot Summary:
Marquise is a drama about the rise and fall of a beauteous actress. As cheerfully portrayed by Sophie Marceau, the eponymous heroine is an engagingly ribald, but perhaps rather too modern, character. She rises from an impoverished background to become a favourite of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and the mistress of the celebrated Racine, who wrote roles especially for her; but her fate, in the end, is a tragic one.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, History
Country: France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: sexy, costume drama, historical drama, serious, captivating, realistic, sexual, period drama, baroque
Similar in 75%
I, the Worst of All (1990)
Plot Summary:
A viceroy and an archbishop take their posts in Mexico. A local nun, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651-1695), intrigues them. The viceroy and his wife find her brilliant and fascinating. The prelate finds her a symbol of European laxity. He engineers the election of a new abbess, severe and ascetic. The virreina visits Sor Juana often and inspires her to write passionate poetry that the archbishop finds scandalous. The viceroy protects her. After he is replaced and returns to Spain with his wife, Sor Juana faces envy and retribution. A bishop betrays her, her confessor humbles her. Plague, a tribunal, and her confession as "the worst of all" end the great poet's life.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 710
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: Argentina
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: biblical, psychological, tense, serious, realistic, gloomy, sexual, crying, erotic, light
Similar in 88%
Sade (2000)
Plot Summary:
A man prepares himself to be transferred to a detention center and rest home where he will relive one more time the highlights of his youth.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: serious, atmospheric, realistic, sexy, sexual, melancholic, sensual, tense, erotic, independent film
Similar in 85%
Vatel (2000)
Plot Summary:
In 1671, with war brewing with Holland, a penniless prince invites Louis XIV to three days of festivities at a chateau in Chantilly. The prince wants a commission as a general, so the extravagances are to impress the king. In charge of all is the steward, Vatel, a man of honor, talent, and low birth. The prince is craven in his longing for stature: no task is too menial or dishonorable for him to give Vatel. While Vatel tries to sustain dignity, he finds himself attracted to Anne de Montausier, the king's newest mistress. In Vatel, she finds someone who's authentic, living out his principles within the casual cruelties of court politics. Can the two of them escape unscathed?.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: France, UK, Belgium
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: light, melancholic, tricky, captivating, visually appealing, period piece, costume drama, stylized, epic, political
Similar in 88%
Artemisia (1997)
Plot Summary:
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653) was one of the first well-known female painters. The movie tells the story of her youth, when she was guided and protected by her father, the painter Orazio Gentileschi. Her professional curiosity about the male anatomy, forbidden for her eyes, led her to the knowledge of sexual pleasure. But she was also well known because in 1612 she had to appear in a courtroom because her teacher, Agostino Tassi, was suspected of raping her. She tried to protect him, but was put in the thumb screws.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: France, Italy, Germany
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: erotic, factual, sexual, spiritual, art film, historical drama, serious, captivating, realistic, stylized
Similar in 75%
Caravaggio's Shadow (2022)
Plot Summary:
The Catholic Church secretly investigates Caravaggio as the Pope weighs whether to grant him clemency for killing a rival.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 85%
Brecht (2019)
Plot Summary:
Bertolt Brecht, a theatre revolutionary, poet of the state, outsider, looks back on his life in 1956, the year of his death, in East Berlin: adolescent provocations in Augsburg during the First World War, early poetic and amorous flights of fancy in the Munich and Berlin of the 1920s, his escape from Hitler, returning from the US exile, followed by his later years caught in a dilemma between timeless classic and a failing GDR class fighter, an indefatigable free spirit and compromised artist.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 388
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Germany, Austria, Czech Republic
Duration: 187 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, thought provoking, disturbing, humorous, visually appealing, fun
Similar in 88%
The Outlaw (2010)
Plot Summary:
A chronicle of the life of Spanish playwright and poet Lope de Vega, who dominated Spain’s early Golden Age of Theatre in the 16th Century. Lope returns home from war and enters the theatre world when a producer’s beautiful daughter takes a shine to him. They embark on a passionate affair as his plays begin to win popular acclaim.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Spain, Brazil, France
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, clever, realistic, stylized, baroque, weird
Similar in 86%
Giordano Bruno (1973)
Plot Summary:
Flying from his enemies in the Catholic Church, the free thinking philosopher, poet and scientist Giordano Bruno (1548-1600) has found some protection in Venice. But the Roman Inquisition, fearing his influence in Europe, wants to bring him on trial for 'heresy'.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 950
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: spiritual, philosophical, dramatic, esoteric, sincere, serious, captivating, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 85%
Young Andersen (2005)
Plot Summary:
A powerful modern film narrative, set in a historical framework, about the crucial encounter between vulnerable eighteen-year-old Hans Christian Andersen, who rates himself so highly, and Mr. Meisling, the cynical school principal. An encounter that fundamentally transforms Hans Christian's life.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 533
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Denmark, Norway, Sweden
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: period piece
Similar in 78%
Enid (2009)
Plot Summary:
Edwardian child Enid Blyton begins to tell stories to her brothers as an escape from their parents' rows before the father deserts the family.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, costume drama, cult classic, period drama, weird
Similar in 81%
The Demons of St. Petersburg (2008)
Plot Summary:
St. Petersburg, 1860. A member of the imperial family is assassinated. A few days later, the writer Fëdor Michajlovic Dostoevskij meets with Gusiev, a young man committed to a psychiatric hospital. Gusiev confesses that he took part in the terrorist plot and reveals that his fellow conspirators are planning to kill another of the Tsar’s relatives. The young man also gives Dostoevsky the address of Alexandra, their leader. The writer must find her and convince her to call off the new assassination attempt.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 333
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Italy
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing, historical drama
Similar in 76%
The Bronte Sisters (1979)
Plot Summary:
In a small presbytery in Yorkshire, England, living under the watchful eyes of their aunt and father, a strict Anglican pastor, the Bronte sisters write their first works and quickly become literary sensations.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, period drama, gay cinema, beautiful
Similar in 87%
Anton Chekhov 1890 (2015)
Plot Summary:
Summer 1890. In order to make some money to feed his family, Anton Chekhov, modest physician, wrote short stories for newspapers to sign Antosha Tchékhonté. Important characters, writer and editor, just make him aware of his talent. His situation is improving and Anton Chekhov gets the Pushkin prices and admiration of Tolstoy. But when one of his brothers died of tuberculosis, Anton saw it as a personal failure and wants to escape his fame and his love.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 297
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, psychological, captivating, gloomy, costume drama
Similar in 77%
Louis, the Child King (1993)
Plot Summary:
History buffs will glory in the riches of Louis, Enfant Roi, others will perhaps find this complex story of intrigues and betrayals in the court of the young king tough sledding. When Louis the Fourteenth (1638-1715) was born, the power of government was shared between the monarchy, the church, the nobility, and the Parlement. His predecessor had greatly centralized the powers of government following the advice of Cardinal Richelieu. Louis XIV (often called "The Sun King" for the brilliance of his rule) followed the advice of Richelieu's successor, Cardinal Mazarin (Paolo Graziosi), and brought the powers of government under the sole sway of the monarch. He expanded the territory and influence of France in a series of wars throughout his reign. How he came to be so autocratic and ruthless both personally and politically is the subject of this biographical drama.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 293
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: France
Duration: 160 min
Plot tags: historical drama, baroque, period drama
Similar in 80%
The Libertine (2004)
Plot Summary:
The story of John Wilmot, a.k.a. the Earl of Rochester, a 17th century poet who famously drank and debauched his way to an early grave, only to earn posthumous critical acclaim for his life's work.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, Australia
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: period piece, costume drama, atmospheric, melancholic, surreal, stylized, serious, erotic, thought provoking, scenic
Similar in 83%
Colette (2018)
Plot Summary:
French novelist, Colette, overcomes an abusive marriage to emerge as a leading writer in her country and a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, USA, Hungary
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: captivating, costume drama, intellectual, inspirational, lyrical, period piece, erotic, social, art film, historical drama
Similar in 84%
The Invisible Woman (2013)
Plot Summary:
In 1857, at the height of his fame and fortune, novelist and social critic Charles Dickens meets and falls in love with teenage stage actress Nelly Ternan. As she becomes the focus of his heart and mind, as well as his muse, painful secrecy is the price both must pay.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: costume drama, sentimental, serious, captivating, realistic, romantic, romantic drama, historical drama, crying, period piece
Similar in 88%
Danton (1983)
Plot Summary:
Danton and Robespierre were close friends and fought together in the French Revolution, but by 1793 Robespierre was France's ruler, determined to wipe out opposition with a series of mass executions that became known as the Reign of Terror. Danton, well known as a spokesman of the people, had been living in relative solitude in the French countryside, but he returned to Paris to challenge Robespierre's violent rule and call for the people to demand their rights. Robespierre, however, could not accept such a challenge, even from a friend and colleague, and he blocked out a plan for the capture and execution of Danton and his allies.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France, Poland
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: political, epic, talky, spiritual, anthology, art film, historical drama, historically accurate, serious, captivating
Similar in 79%
All Is True (2018)
Plot Summary:
A look at the final days in the life of playwright William Shakespeare.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: captivating, psychological, tense, touching, sad, frightening, historical drama, period drama
Similar in 76%
To Walk Invisible (2016)
Plot Summary:
To Walk Invisible takes a new look at the extraordinary Brontë family, telling the story of these remarkable women who, despite the obstacles they faced, came from obscurity to produce some of the greatest novels in the English language.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: captivating, dark, cult classic, historical drama, gothic, period drama