Best movies like Traffic Signal
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Silsila is the "manager" of one traffic signal, that is he collects the "hafta" (protection tax) from each signal squatter plying his trade. There's Tsunami, a little scavenger boy, there's Rani - a Gujrati girl selling ethnic clothes on the sidewalk, and there's Dominic - a drug addict and the prostitute who feels for him.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic
Best tv shows and movies like Traffic Signal (2007):
Similar in 77%
The Middleman (1975)
Plot Summary:
A bright and idealistic young graduate steels himself for a dog-eat-dog world, only to flounder in a job market packed with thousands of other hopefuls. When he eventually decides to start his own business as a middle-man, he discovers that the world of business does not live up to his lofty ideals.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 131 min
Plot tags: art house, tense, clever, serious, realistic, witty, biting, suspense
Similar in 87%
Something in the Way (2013)
Plot Summary:
Ahmad, a porn obsessed taxi driver from Jakarta, falls for the beautiful young prostitute Kinar and struggles with sexual frustration and misguided piety.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 712
Genere: Drama
Country: Indonesia
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, touching, serious, bleak, sincere, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 81%
The Sea Is Behind (2014)
Plot Summary:
Tarik lives in a land without colour, a land where water is contaminated by a strange phenomenon of “water bugs”. Tarik wears make-up and dresses up as a woman. He dances on a cart that is drawn by a dying horse and his father has practically abandoned him. One day, Tarik’s horse Larbi stops in the middle of a procession and refuses to take another step forward. Tarik will have to learn to live again and surrender to the colours of his life, which is the only way to escape the dullness of the world around him.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 45
Genere: Drama
Country: Morocco, France, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, serious, realistic, disturbing, bleak, gloomy
Similar in 75%
Thanatos, Drunk (2015)
Plot Summary:
They live in an old house on the fringe of Taipei City: Rat and his elder gay brother Shanghe. Two brothers look for jobs to survive while search for themselves and long for a foothold in life. The younger works at market where he meets a mute woman who gets up to all sorts of craziness. The elder is attracted to a nightclub dancer and finds himself drawn into shifty business.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 576
Genere: Drama
Country: Taiwan
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, touching, serious, stylized, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 76%
The Night (2014)
Plot Summary:
A young man stands in front of a mirror. The night belongs to him. Every evening, he appraises his appearance, attired in a new shirt, leaves his apartment and waits in a poorly lit alleyway for his johns. One night he meets a female prostitute of his age who’s new in this part of town.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 77
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, serious, suspense, queer cinema
Similar in 83%
Sixth Happiness (1997)
Plot Summary:
Waris Hussein’s acclaimed drama is based on the autobiography of Firdaus Kanga, who stars in the lead role of Brit, a young man born with brittle bone disease, which causes him to have never grown beyond four feet tall. The film follows his sexual awakening whilst his family simultaneously disintegrates all around him. An extremely moving drama confronting stereotypes around disability, sexuality and race, featuring a powerhouse performance from Kanga.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 147
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: independent film, touching, serious, realistic, sexual, sexy
Similar in 88%
Stories of Our Lives (2014)
Plot Summary:
Created by the members of a Nairobi-based arts collective — who have removed their names from the film for fear of reprisal — this anthology film that dramatizes true-life stories from Kenya’s oppressed LGBTQ community is both a labour of love and a bold act of militancy.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 103
Genere: Drama
Country: Kenya, South Africa
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, serious, realistic, stylized, contemplative, queer cinema
Similar in 78%
Love in the Time of Civil War (2014)
Plot Summary:
Lauded Quebec filmmaker Rodrigue Jean (Lost Song) takes a fearless, unflinching look at the reality of addiction in this tough-minded docudrama set in the bleak milieu of hustlers and junkies in Montreal.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 498
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: touching, bleak, realistic, disturbing, serious
Similar in 86%
Our Country (2006)
Plot Summary:
Set in Milan, where people's lives are invisibly lead by money in its different shapes: too much, too little, stolen, earned, visible and even impalpable. The money flows from one story to the next, from one person to the other, becoming the engine of the film.Everything moves around two antagonist characters: Ugo and Rita. Ugo is a banker involved in a not really clean business. Rita, the Finance Police officer, is a strong and obstinate woman in charge of capturing Ugo. Other characters wander around them, with their weaknesses and fragility, their goodness, their evil and their contradictions. Characters meet, clash, love and hate each other, their lust for money becomes intense feelings.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 440
Genere: Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: serious, rough, bleak, realistic
Similar in 88%
Nagima (2013)
Plot Summary:
Ugly, illiterate and an uncommunicative “graduate” of the city orphanage, Nagima is a young woman whose life offers little potential for success or even happiness. Nagima rents a tiny room on the outskirts of the city of Almaty with her fellow orphanage “graduate” the pregnant, and equally isolated, Anya. In the midst of giving birth to her child, tragedy strikes and Anya dies. Never knowing her mother, the newborn girl must be submitted to the orphanage and so Nagima sees the vicious cycle of life in repetitious action and becomes severely depressed at the cruelty of life.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 40
Genere: Drama
Country: Kazakhstan
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, touching, suspenseful, rough, bleak
Similar in 78%
Within These Walls (2001)
Plot Summary:
Female prisoners train dogs to aid people with disabilities in a program started by a nun (Laura Dern).
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 278
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sentimental, uplifting, touching, feel good, serious, emotional, realistic
Similar in 77%
Freaking Beautiful World (1997)
Plot Summary:
Ippe and Papu are two teenagers spending the summer, when they get into trouble with their drug-dealer. They are forced to act as drug-mules. Along the way they meet a new girl, Mia.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 855
Genere: Drama
Country: Finland
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: rough, bleak, serious, realistic, disturbing, slang
Similar in 83%
Margarita with a Straw (2014)
Plot Summary:
In this inspirational love story, a Delhi university student and aspiring writer afflicted with cerebral palsy leaves India for New York University, where she falls for a fiery young activist.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: serious, emotional, uplifting, touching, realistic, deep, queer cinema
Similar in 83%
Dealer (2004)
Plot Summary:
In an impressive follow up to his debut film Forest, Benedek Fliegauf tells the uncompromising story of a day in the life of a drug dealer. His clients include the leader of a religious sect, a friend who needs a final fix, a former lover who has had his child, a student, and a black marketeer. Fliegauf's film recreates life in a city that resembles a ghost town, an alienated world with its own priorities and realities. It is, he says '. an imaginary city with a strongly spiritualist atmosphere. This necropolis is the film's real protagonist'.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Hungary
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: psychological, atmospheric, serious, stylized, contemplative, experimental, avant garde, cult classic, bleak, realistic
Similar in 80%
Just the Wind (2012)
Plot Summary:
Drawing inspiration from the death-squad murders of several Gypsy families in Hungary in 2008, director Bence Fliegauf's chilling and unforgettable real-life horror story follows a family whose dreams of emigration and escape are suddenly, horribly destroyed.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Hungary, Germany, France
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sincere, bleak, serious, realistic, thought provoking, slow cinema, aesthetic, tense
Similar in 85%
In Vanda's Room (2000)
Plot Summary:
With the intimate feel of a documentary and the texture of a Vermeer painting, In Vanda’s Room takes an unflinching, fragmentary look at a handful of self-destructive, marginalized people, but is centered around the heroin-addicted Vanda Duarte.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Portugal, Germany, Switzerland
Duration: 171 min
Plot tags: touching, realistic, emotional, semi documentary, contemplative, bleak, art house, slow cinema, serious, gloomy
Similar in 90%
Letter to the King (2014)
Plot Summary:
In Letter to the King we meet a group of refugees, all with their own agendas, on an excursion to Oslo. A young man about to be deported visits his former employers to collect his off-the-books salary, a martial arts expert is looking for work, a young woman is haunted by the past and out for vengeance and an old man named Mirza is busy writing a letter to the king to get his final wish granted. An altogether urgent and nuanced portrait of a motley group of individuals, too often regarded as a homogeneous group.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 255
Genere: Drama
Country: Norway, United Arab Emirates
Duration: 75 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, sincere, anthology, bleak, gloomy
Similar in 77%
Cocaine Angel (2006)
Plot Summary:
A week in the life of a young drug addict.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 323
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 75 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, psychological, captivating, mumblecore, independent film, sincere, witty, gloomy
Similar in 79%
Bo (2010)
Plot Summary:
Fifteen year old Deborah meets Jennifer who steers her into a career as an escort. Under the alias Bo she begins a new life that she cannot handle and starts a downward spiral that only she can end.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Belgium
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: serious, rough, captivating, realistic, erotic, sad, bleak
Similar in 90%
3:13 (2014)
Plot Summary:
From living a normal life to surviving homelessness in the city of Miami, Peter is a victim of the turbulent U.S. recession during late 2000's. A drama based on true events.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 78
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, serious, realistic, bleak
Similar in 89%
The Toy Soldiers (2014)
Plot Summary:
On one evening in a decade of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, the innocence of youth and family unravels. Five parallel coming-of-age stories dramatize the stages of grief. A youthful mother in a custody battle over her children, finds tranquility with the bottle. The abuse of her ex-husband still haunts the children; a nineteen year old drug addict, and his younger brother, a bullied closet homosexual.There's the story of the dog; a teen who offers sexual favors to gain acceptance, the challenged classmate who would do anything for her love, and the redhead beauty, haunted by a secret, tragic past. These lives and others will change forever on this final evening before their hangout, The Toy Soldiers Roller Rink, closes its doors for the final time.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 143 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, serious, suspenseful, sexy, captivating, realistic, independent film
Similar in 77%
Chandni Bar (2001)
Plot Summary:
Chandni Bar, a film directed by Madhur Bhandarkar depicts the gritty life of the Mumbai underworld, including prostitution, dance bars and gun crime.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, tense, suspenseful, exciting, captivating, social, cult classic, sexual, independent film
Similar in 83%
Ship of Theseus (2012)
Plot Summary:
This first feature film from Indian playwright Anand Gandhi, tells three stories about persons forced to think about the ethics and moral issues raised by medical advances: a visually impaired Egyptian photographer, who after a cornea transplant has trouble adjusting to her newfound sense of sight; a devout Indian monk fighting against animal testing, who has to confront his beliefs when he is diagnosed with liver cirrhosis; and an Indian stockbroker, who after having a kidney transplant learns about the illegal trade in stolen organs and decides to help a poor victim of such theft - even though it means travelling all the way from India to Sweden. The film was first shown at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received great critical acclaim and was touted as "the hidden gem of the year". It was released in India in July 2013, and was awarded Best Feature Film of 2013 at the Indian National Film Awards in 2014.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Drama
Country: India, Netherlands
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, thought provoking, serious, atmospheric, philosophical, spiritual, independent film, experimental, anthology
Similar in 84%
Page 3 (2005)
Plot Summary:
'Page 3' takes a behind-the-scenes look at the lifestyles of the A-list celebrities in metro cities. It explores the networking and the power play between the air-kissing.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 139 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, captivating, social, offbeat, sexual, sexy
Similar in 81%
Mumbai, My Life (2008)
Plot Summary:
Shortly after 1800 hours, 11 July 2006, Mumbai was shattered by seven bomb blasts on Western Railway stations: Matunga, Mahim, Khar, Bandra, Jogeshwari, Borivali, and Bhayandar. It took the Police and ambulance over an hour to attend at various sites. This incident changes lives of Thomas, originally from Chennai, who sells tea from his bike; Rupali Joshi, a TV News reporter, who has to deal with the death of her to-be spouse, Ajay Kumar Pradhan; Suresh, in debt, starts to suspect all Muslims, especially Yusuf; Inspector Tukaram Patil, about to retire, goes about collecting bribes as usual, much to the chagrin of his embittered, honest and soon to-be suspended subordinate, Sunil Kadam; while Nikhil Agarwal, a Nationalist and environmentalist, debates whether he should re-locate to the United States, along with his pregnant wife, Sejal.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: disturbing, serious, realistic, thrilling, contemplative, gloomy, cult film
Similar in 86%
Jasmine (2003)
Plot Summary:
Lamington Road on Bombay's Western Railway is the nearest railway station that takes one to Kamathipura, notorious for it's red-light, in particular, and a crime-prone area in general.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, art film
Similar in 87%
Sweet Nothing (1995)
Plot Summary:
Angel celebrates the birth of his daughter by taking his first hit of crack cocaine. With the hesitant support of his wife, Monika, he joins a friend of his to deal drugs for a short time--enough time to get out of debt and buy some nice things for the family. Three years later, Angel is still dealing, and has not saved any money, instead spending it on crack. His addiction grows, straining his friendship and his family life, and he gradually loses control.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 580
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: melancholic, realistic, serious, independent film, crying, bleak, gloomy, weeping, light, road movie
Similar in 88%
Two-Legged Horse (2008)
Plot Summary:
A wealthy boy hires a poor child to carry him around like a horse.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 622
Genere: Drama
Country: Iran, France
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, disturbing, bleak, art house, islamic, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 80%
Mumbai Diaries (2010)
Plot Summary:
Arun is a reclusive and lonely modern art painter. Shai is an American banker who is on a visit to Mumbai. Munna is a washerboy also living near Arun and Yasmin. The movie is about these four characters from different class of society and how the lives of four characters are intertwined.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: realistic, semi serious, sentimental, sincere, art film, experimental, avant garde
Similar in 79%
Corporate (2006)
Plot Summary:
Two corporate giants compete in order to recklessly maximize their respective profits.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 142 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, psychological, captivating, thought provoking