Best movies like Mad to Be Normal
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The story of Scottish psychiatrist RD Laing and his unique community at Kingsley Hall, East London in the 1960s.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, deep, inspirational, complex
Best tv shows and movies like Mad to Be Normal (2017):
Similar in 77%
Starfish (2016)
Plot Summary:
Based on the real story of Tom and Nicola Ray from Rutland. Their perfect life is totally ruined in a single moment after Tom had developed sepsis. While her husband was in coma, Nicola gave birth to their second child on the other side of the same hospital. Within a matter of days, sepsis would rob Tom of both his arms and legs, and left his face severely disfigured. As an ordinary man, Tom never put himself at risk — he just woke up two months later in a nightmare, a face-off quadruple amputee... This incredible story of survival shows what can be overcome when love is unconditional.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 709
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: UK, United Arab Emirates
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: inspirational, touching, children's story
Similar in 79%
An Adventure in Space and Time (2013)
Plot Summary:
This special one-off drama travels back in time to 1963 to see how Doctor Who was first brought to the screen. Actor William Hartnell felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles. Wannabe producer Verity Lambert was frustrated by the TV industry's glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday tea-time drama. Allied with a team of unusual but brilliant people, they went on to create the longest running science fiction series ever made.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: enigmatic, sincere, captivating, sentimental, atmospheric, stylized, serious, realistic, historical drama, tense
Similar in 80%
Churchill's Secret (2016)
Plot Summary:
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill suffers from a stroke in the summer of 1953 that's kept a secret from the rest of the world.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, captivating, disturbing, emotional, historically accurate, crying
Similar in 80%
Secret Weapon (1990)
Plot Summary:
Fact-based story of an Israeli government agent assigned to use her beauty as well as intelligence to snag a man on the run with atomic secrets.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 76
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Australia, UK
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 88%
Becoming Astrid (2018)
Plot Summary:
When Astrid Lindgren was very young something happened that affected her profoundly, and this combination of both miracle and calamity came to shape her entire life. It was an event that transformed her into one of the most inspiring women of our age and the storyteller a whole world would come to love. This is the story of when a young Astrid, despite the expectations of her time and religious upbringing, decided to break free from society's norms and follow her heart.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Sweden, Denmark
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: romantic, thought provoking, touching, captivating, retro
Similar in 82%
Lou Andreas-Salomé, The Audacity to be Free (2016)
Plot Summary:
Lou Andreas-Salomé, the woman who enraptured 19th century Europe’s greatest minds, recounts her life to Ernst Pfeiffer in this German film directed by Cordula Kablitz-Post. A published novelist, poet and essayist, Salomé’s desire to live a life free from convention scandalized society but spurred genius and passion in others, including Friedrich Nietzsche, Paul Rée and her lover, the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. Under the tutelage of Sigmund Freud, she became the first female psychoanalyst.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 620
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: psychological, thought provoking, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 80%
A Woman Called Golda (1982)
Plot Summary:
The story of the Russian-born, Wisconsin-raised woman who rose to become Israel's prime minister in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 191 min
Plot tags: sincere, uplifting, thought provoking, serious, captivating, emotional, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 81%
Thornwell (1981)
Plot Summary:
True story about James Thornwell, who was serving the Army in Europe when some military documents went missing.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 58
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 90%
Freud (1962)
Plot Summary:
This pseudo-biographical movie depicts 5 years from 1885 on in the life of the Viennan psychologist Freud (1856-1939). At this time, most of his colleagues refuse to cure hysteric patients, because they believe they're just simulating to gain attention. But Freud learns to use hypnosis to find out the reasons for the psychosis. His main patient is a young woman who refuses to drink water and is plagued by a recurring nightmare.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: psychological, philosophical, thought provoking, intellectual, spiritual, period drama
Similar in 89%
Antwone Fisher (2002)
Plot Summary:
A sailor prone to violent outbursts is sent to a naval psychiatrist for help. Refusing at first to open up, the young man eventually breaks down and reveals a horrific childhood. Through the guidance of his doctor, he confronts his painful past and begins a quest to find the family he never knew.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: inspirational, psychological, sincere, touching, emotional, thought provoking, uplifting, sentimental, intense, compassionate
Similar in 89%
Winnie Mandela (2011)
Plot Summary:
A drama that chronicles the life of Winnie Mandela from her childhood through her marriage and her husband's incarceration.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 880
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: South Africa, Canada
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, serious, captivating, realistic, political
Similar in 90%
The Glorias (2020)
Plot Summary:
An equal rights crusader, journalist and activist: Gloria Steinem embodies these and more. From her role in the revolutionary women's rights movement to her travels throughout the U.S. and around the world, Steinem has made an everlasting mark on modern history. A nontraditional chronicle of a trailblazing life.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 147 min
Plot tags: political, inspirational, uplifting, thought provoking, factual
Similar in 85%
Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019)
Plot Summary:
Political strategist Dominic Cummings leads a popular but controversial campaign to convince British voters to leave the European Union from 2015 up until the present day.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: psychological, political, captivating, realistic, disturbing, thought provoking, factual, political drama
Similar in 78%
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 83%
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Plot Summary:
A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, South Africa
Duration: 141 min
Plot tags: emotional, serious, realistic, political, inspirational, educational, social, novela, cult classic, informative
Similar in 79%
Cry Freedom (1987)
Plot Summary:
A dramatic story, based on actual events, about the friendship between two men struggling against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s. Donald Woods is a white liberal journalist in South Africa who begins to follow the activities of Stephen Biko, a courageous and outspoken black anti-apartheid activist.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, Zimbabwe, USA
Duration: 157 min
Plot tags: inspirational, political, cult classic, political thriller, edutainment, tense, thought provoking, bleak, serious, captivating
Similar in 80%
Unbroken: Path to Redemption (2018)
Plot Summary:
Zamperini returns to California where he wound up marrying Cynthia Applewhite while wrestling with untreated PTSD, suffering constant nightmares, angry, bitter and deeply depressed, his wife convinces Zamperini to attend the 1949 Billy Graham Crusade.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: uplifting, tense, sentimental, thought provoking, captivating, inspirational, spiritual, christian film
Similar in 83%
A Man for All Seasons (1966)
Plot Summary:
A Man for All Seasons is the filmed version of the life of Thomas More. An English man comes to Sir Thomas More to ask if he can divorce his wife since King Henry VIII has made it illegal. Sir Thomas More stands up in opposition to the King even though he knows he’s risking his own life. An award winning film from 1966.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: period piece, political, inspirational, costume drama, christian film, spiritual, talky, historical drama, retro, thought provoking
Similar in 88%
Amazing Grace (2006)
Plot Summary:
The true story of William Wilberforce's courageous quest to end the British slave trade. Although meeting intense opposition, his minister, John Newton, urges him to see the cause through.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: inspirational, emotional, period piece, political, talky, factual, compassionate, realistic, christian film, sincere
Similar in 75%
Elizabeth (1998)
Plot Summary:
The story of the ascension to the throne and the early reign of Queen Elizabeth the First, the endless attempts by her council to marry her off, the Catholic hatred of her and her romance with Lord Robert Dudley.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 104000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: factual, costume drama, period piece, realistic, historical drama, stylized, political, visually stunning, epic, erotic
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 90%
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 77%
Selma (2014)
Plot Summary:
"Selma," as in Alabama, the place where segregation in the South was at its worst, leading to a march that ended in violence, forcing a famous statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson that ultimately led to the signing of the Civil Rights Act.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 95000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: emotional, political, thought provoking, inspirational, sincere, uplifting, factual, serious, period piece, realistic
Similar in 86%
The Special Relationship (2010)
Plot Summary:
A dramatisation that follows Tony Blair's journey from political understudy waiting in the wings of the world arena to accomplished prime minister standing confidently in the spotlight of centre stage. It is a story about relationships, between two powerful men (Blair and Bill Clinton), two powerful couples, and husbands and wives.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: political, realistic, intense, tricky, sincere, thought provoking, disturbing, political thriller, serious, independent film
Similar in 77%
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 83%
The Front Runner (2018)
Plot Summary:
Gary Hart, former Senator of Colorado, becomes the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1987. Hart's intelligence, charisma and idealism makes him popular with young voters, leaving him with a seemingly clear path to the White House. All that comes crashing down when allegations of an extramarital affair surface in the media, forcing the candidate to address a scandal that threatens to derail his campaign and personal life.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: political, psychological, sentimental, thought provoking, captivating, social, cult classic, political drama
Similar in 78%
Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
Plot Summary:
The unconventional life of Dr. William Marston, the Harvard psychologist and inventor who helped invent the modern lie detector test and created Wonder Woman in 1941.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: erotic, sexy, sad, factual, historical drama, psychological, sentimental, captivating, inspirational, thought provoking
Similar in 80%
The Dig (2021)
Plot Summary:
As WWII looms, a wealthy widow hires an amateur archaeologist to excavate the burial mounds on her estate. When they make a historic discovery, the echoes of Britain's past resonate in the face of its uncertain future.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 81000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: costume drama, period piece, thought provoking, captivating, inspirational, philosophical, atmospheric, depressing, art film, powerful
Similar in 90%
The King's Speech (2010)
Plot Summary:
The King's Speech tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George ('Bertie') reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country into war.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 701000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: inspirational, sincere, period piece, uplifting, dramatic, realistic, serious, sentimental, costume drama, witty
Similar in 79%
Einstein and Eddington (2008)
Plot Summary:
A look at the evolution of Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, and Einstein's relationship with British scientist Sir Arthur Eddington, the first physicist to understand his ideas.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: clever, serious, realistic, christian film, psychological, thought provoking, captivating, suspense, disturbing, inspirational