Best movies like A Tale of Two Cities
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Dissolute barrister Sydney Carton becomes enchanted and then hopelessly in love with the beautiful Lucie Manette. But Lucie loves and marries Charles Darnay, and remains oblivious to Carton's undimmed devotion to her. When Darnay is ensnared in the deadly web of the French Revolution and condemned to die by the guillotine, Sydney Carton concocts a dangerous plot to free the husband of the woman he loves.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 983
Genere: Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: USA
Duration: 162 min
Plot tags: sad, costume drama, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, romantic drama, historical drama, period drama, baroque
Best tv shows and movies like A Tale of Two Cities (1980):
Similar in 84%
A Tale of Two Cities (1989)
Plot Summary:
A pair of lookalikes, one a former French aristocrat and the other an alcoholic English lawyer, fall in love with the same woman amongst the turmoil of the French Revolution.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 387
Genere: Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: UK, France
Duration: 188 min
Plot tags: historical drama, epic, fairy tale, period drama
Similar in 80%
Havana (1990)
Plot Summary:
An American professional gambler named Jack Weil (Redford) decides to visit Havana, Cuba to gamble. On the boat to Havana, he meets Roberta Duran (Olin), the wife of a revolutionary, Arturo (Julia). Shortly after their arrival, Arturo is taken away by the secret police, and Roberta is captured and tortured. Jack frees her, but she continues to support the revolution.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Drama, Romance, War
Country: USA
Duration: 144 min
Plot tags: emotional, realistic, atmospheric, serious, stylized, romantic, neo noir, sentimental, touching
Similar in 83%
Anna Karenina (1985)
Plot Summary:
Tragic Anna leaves her cold husband for dashing Count Vronsky in 19th-century Russia.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 365
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: serious, emotional, psychological, epic, realistic, gloomy, period drama
Similar in 78%
Poldark (1975)
Plot Summary:
Period drama series about the brooding rivalry between former soldier Ross Poldark and local industrialist George Warleggan, and the two women in their lives. Based on the books by Winston Graham.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: costume drama, spiritual, historical drama, serious, captivating, realistic, saga, period drama
Similar in 90%
Far from the Madding Crowd (1998)
Plot Summary:
This powerful adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel spins a story of passion and destruction set in the nineteenth century. The proud, flighty and bewitching Bathsheba Everdene finds herself entangled into the passions of three men and her impulsive nature pushes her into a web of deceit and destruction.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 955
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 54 min
Plot tags: costume drama, historical drama, serious, realistic, period drama
Similar in 82%
The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
Plot Summary:
During the French Revolution, a mysterious English nobleman known only as The Scarlet Pimpernel (a humble wayside flower), snatches French aristos from the jaws of the guillotine, while posing as the foppish Sir Percy Blakeney in society. Percy falls for and marries the beautiful actress Marguerite St. Just, but she is involved with Chauvelin and Robespierre, and Percy's marriage to her may endanger the Pimpernel's plans to save the little Dauphin.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Action, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 142 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, entertaining, period piece, exciting, serious, realistic, suspenseful, period drama, baroque, eighties
Similar in 82%
Lorna Doone (2000)
Plot Summary:
The year is 1675. England is threatened by religious and political rivalries. King Charles II's Catholic brother, James, is next in line for the throne, but many Protestants put their faith in Charles' illegitimate son, The Duke of Monmouth. On the king's death, conflict is inevitable... Over seven days journey from London, Exmoor is a primitive and lawless area. Here, farmer Jack Ridd lives with his wife Sarah, son John, and two daughters. The only shadow over their simple life is cast by the notorious outlaw family the Doones. The aristocratic Doones were banished from their ancestral lands and now live through looting, theft, and murder. Their brutality is legendary.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: emotional, realistic, serious, captivating, stylized, period piece, costume drama, historical drama, historical romance, epic
Similar in 81%
The Last September (1999)
Plot Summary:
In 1920s Ireland, an elderly couple reside over a tired country estate. Living with them are their high-spirited niece, their Oxford student nephew, and married house guests, who are trying to cover up that they are presently homeless. The niece enjoys romantic frolics with a soldier and a hidden guerrilla fighter. All of the principals are thrown into turmoil when one more guest arrives with considerable wit and unwanted advice.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 938
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: France, UK, Ireland
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: period piece, psychological, serious, emotional, realistic, gloomy, independent film, period drama
Similar in 89%
The Wings of the Dove (1997)
Plot Summary:
Kate is secretly betrothed to a struggling journalist, Merton Densher. But she knows her Aunt Maude will never approve of the match, since Kate's deceased mother has lost all her money in a marriage to a degenerate opium addict. When Kate meets a terminally ill American heiress named Millie traveling through Europe, she comes up with a conniving plan to have both love and wealth.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: sexy, atmospheric, period piece, serious, costume drama, romantic, visual, visually stunning, stylized, retro
Similar in 88%
The Old Garden (2006)
Plot Summary:
Activist Hyun-woo is released from prison after a 17-year stint. Journeying back to the village where he spent some time as a fugitive he recalls the time spent with Yoon-hee, a woman who gave him shelter and companionship.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 432
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: South Korea
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, sincere, touching
Similar in 81%
Mayerling (1968)
Plot Summary:
Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria (Omar Sharif) clashes with his father, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria (James Mason), over implementing progressive policies for their country. Ava Gardner plays his mother Empress Elisabeth. Rudolf soon feels he is a man born at the wrong time in a country that does not realize the need for social reform. The Prince of Wales (James Robertson Justice), later to become Britain's King Edward VII, provides comic relief. Rudolf finds refuge from a loveless marriage with Princess Stéphanie (Andréa Parisy) by taking a mistress, Baroness Maria Vetsera (Catherine Deneuve). Their untimely demise at Mayerling, the imperial family's hunting lodge, is cloaked in mystery, but the film's ending suggests the two lovers made a suicide pact when they decided they could not live in a world without love or prospects for peace.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, France
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, gloomy, independent film, costume drama, period drama
Similar in 87%
Forever Nevermore (2014)
Plot Summary:
A dramatic novel that presents the submission in a relationship between an Italian settler and a Brazilian woman in 1932. Luiza is a generation of women who were sent to convents to be educated, many of the high cost of permanency option ran out and became nuns ... Luiza was about to be forced to make this decision when it was delivered to marry with Domingos, who she would learn to live and love. For two years she suffer mistreatment and abuse from her husband. Living in a place away virtually inaccessible, she could not call for help. Her solitude was her most frequent company until they receive a visit from an official warning about the Constitutional Revolution, saying the Paulists approached that region to combat invading Minas Gerais, causing a reversal of their.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 29
Genere: Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: Brazil
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: serious, emotional, realistic, touching, gloomy, independent film
Similar in 90%
The Lady and the Duke (2001)
Plot Summary:
This breathtaking, visually experimental film from New Wave director Eric Rohmer tells the true story of Grace Dalrymple Elliot (Lucy Russell), a British aristocrat trapped in Paris during the French Revolution. Determined to maintain her stiff upper lip and pampered life despite the upheaval, Grace continues her friendship with the Duke of Orléans (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) while risking her life and liberty to protect a fugitive.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: France, Germany
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, captivating, realistic, disturbing, historical drama, sensitive, clever, serious, contemplative, crying
Similar in 82%
That Night in Varennes (1982)
Plot Summary:
In June of 1791, a group of passengers in a stagecoach find themselves caught up in the events of the French Revolution, when they find themselves in the city of Varennes when revolutionists arrest the fleeing King Louis.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: historical drama, road movie, costume drama, serious, realistic, surprise ending, period drama, baroque, eighties, masterpiece
Similar in 76%
Ethan Frome (1992)
Plot Summary:
Based on the novel of the same name by Edith Wharton, it is about a husband and wife (Ethan and Zeena), who need an extra hand around the house due to Zeena's debilitated body and constant illness. The young woman who joins them is a beautiful, spirited person. She and Ethan fall in love much to the dismay of Zeena. Written by Jason Ihle.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: emotional, intense, costume drama, sentimental, captivating, serious, realistic, contemplative, independent film, light
Similar in 85%
The Widow of Saint-Pierre (2000)
Plot Summary:
In 1850, on the isolated French island of Saint-Pierre, a murder shocks the natives. Two fishermen are arrested. One of them, Louis Ollivier, dies in custody. The other, Neel Auguste, is sentenced to death by the guillotine. The island is so small that it has neither a guillotine nor an executioner. While those are sent for Auguste is placed under the supervision of army Captain.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: France, Canada
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: emotional, compassionate, atmospheric, sincere, touching, intense, bleak, serious, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 86%
Les Miserables (1978)
Plot Summary:
Jean Valjean, convicted of stealing bread, is hounded for decades by the relentless and cruel policeman Javert.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: fairy tale, social, tense, touching, serious, captivating, realistic, stylized, period drama
Similar in 80%
The Princess of Montpensier (2010)
Plot Summary:
Set in the high courts of 16th Century France, where the wars of religion between Catholics and Protestants are raging. Marie de Mézières, a beautiful young aristocrat, is in love with Henri de Guise, but her hand in marriage is promised to the Prince of Montpensier.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: France, Germany
Duration: 139 min
Plot tags: serious, emotional, stylized, romantic, sad, period piece, romantic drama, historical drama, realistic, touching
Similar in 77%
The King's Whore (1990)
Plot Summary:
Set in the 17th-century, an Italian nobleman weds an impoverished countess, who is wooed by the King of Piedmont and faces pressure from his entire court to succumb to his wishes.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 864
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, France, Italy, Austria
Duration: 138 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, realistic, gloomy, sexual, sexy, period drama, baroque
Similar in 89%
Anna Karenina (1997)
Plot Summary:
Anna (Marceau) is a wife and mother who has an affair with the handsome Count Vronsky (Bean). Based on the novel by Tolstoy.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA, Russia, UK
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: costume drama, romantic, psychological, atmospheric, emotional, romantic drama, sentimental, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 87%
Lady Caroline Lamb (1972)
Plot Summary:
Lady Caroline Lamb, dissatisfied in her marriage, has an affair with the dashing Romantic poet Lord Byron.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 544
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, Italy
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, sexual, crying, sexy, period drama
Similar in 80%
The Affair of the Necklace (2001)
Plot Summary:
In pre-Revolutionary France, a young aristocratic woman left penniless by the political unrest in the country, must avenge her family's fall from grace by scheming to steal a priceless necklace.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: costume drama, period piece, factual, atmospheric, realistic, epic, serious, stylized, historical drama, light
Similar in 78%
Wuthering Heights (1970)
Plot Summary:
The Earnshaws are Yorkshire farmers during the early 19th Century. One day, Mr. Earnshaw returns from a trip to the city, bringing with him a ragged little boy called Heathcliff. Earnshaw's son, Hindley, resents the child, but Heathcliff becomes companion and soulmate to Hindley's sister, Catherine. After her parents die, Cathy and Heathcliff grow up wild and free on the Moors and despite the continued enmity between Hindley and Heathcliff they're happy-- until Cathy meets Edgar Linton, the son of a wealthy neighbor. Written by Marg Baskin.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: gothic, costume drama, atmospheric, entertaining, romantic drama, sentimental, touching, serious, emotional, realistic
Similar in 87%
Wuthering Heights (1992)
Plot Summary:
Young orphan Heathcliff is adopted by the wealthy Earnshaw family and moves into their estate, Wuthering Heights. Soon, the new resident falls for his compassionate foster sister, Cathy. The two share a remarkable bond that seems unbreakable until Cathy, feeling the pressure of social convention, suppresses her feelings and marries Edgar Linton, a man of means who befits her stature. Heathcliff vows to win her back.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: romantic, gothic, atmospheric, emotional, period piece, heartbreaking, touching, melancholic, costume drama, romantic drama
Similar in 83%
Great Expectations (1998)
Plot Summary:
Loosely based on the Charles Dickens' classic novel, "Great Expectations" is a sensual tale of a young man's unforgettable passage into manhood, and the three individuals who will undeniably change his life forever. Through the surprising interactions of these vivid characters, "Great Expectations" takes a unique and contemporary look at life's great coincidences.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 56000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: romantic, heartbreaking, emotional, sexy, touching, light, melancholic, serious, realistic, erotic
Similar in 80%
Talk of Angels (1998)
Plot Summary:
This is the story of a young Irish woman who comes to Spain to escape from the pressures she feels about her impending marriage to a political activist in Ireland. But in Spain in the 1930's, taking a job of governess in a wealthy family, she finds the same kinds of political unrest. In fact, it isn't long before she finds herself attracted to a married man who is similarly involved in the struggle against fascism and Franco. This awakens her to her nature that brings her to such men and resolves for her what she must do about the life she left in Ireland.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 893
Genere: Drama, Romance, War
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, sentimental, disturbing, independent film
Similar in 90%
Northanger Abbey (2007)
Plot Summary:
A young woman's penchant for sensational Gothic novels leads to misunderstandings in the matters of the heart.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA, Ireland
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: romantic, costume drama, feel good, realistic, period piece, gothic, psychological, humorous, historical drama, heartbreaking
Similar in 78%
Great Expectations (2012)
Plot Summary:
Miss Havisham, a wealthy spinster who wears an old wedding dress and lives in the dilapidated Satis House, asks Pip's "Uncle Pumblechook" (who is actually Joe's uncle) to find a boy to play with her adopted daughter Estella. Pip begins to visit Miss Havisham and Estella, with whom he falls in love,then Pip a humble orphan suddenly becomes a gentleman with the help of an unknown benefactor.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: captivating, emotional, sentimental, serious, realistic, costume drama, period piece, gothic, sex comedy, cult classic
Similar in 88%
Mansfield Park (2007)
Plot Summary:
In Mansfield Park, poverty-stricken Fanny Price is sent away to live with her wealthy uncle and aunt at Mansfield Park. As she struggles to adapt to her new lifestyle she begins to attract the attentions of suitors, learning about the sexual politics of high society along the way.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: period piece, costume drama, realistic, witty, stylized, romantic, historical drama, touching, gloomy, semi serious
Similar in 81%
Jefferson in Paris (1995)
Plot Summary:
His wife having recently died, Thomas Jefferson accepts the post of United States ambassador to pre-revolutionary France, though he finds it difficult to adjust to life in a country where the aristocracy subjugates an increasingly restless peasantry. In Paris, he becomes smitten with cultured artist Maria Cosway, but, when his daughter visits from Virginia accompanied by her attractive slave, Sally Hemings, Jefferson's attentions are diverted.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA, France
Duration: 139 min
Plot tags: dramatic, costume drama, historical drama, political, romantic drama, serious, realistic, contemplative, stylized, erotic