Best movies like Afterschool
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A prep-school student (Ezra Miller) accidentally films the drug-related deaths of two classmates, then is asked to put together a memorial video.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: disturbing, serious, bleak, independent film, suspense, cerebral, philosophical, mumblecore, controversial, teen
Best tv shows and movies like Afterschool (2008):
Similar in 75%
Prep School (2015)
Plot Summary:
Upon learning of his girlfriend's infidelity, Greg, the star player of his elite private school’s rugby team, suffers an emotional breakdown, leaving his friends and teammates to pick up the pieces and deal with the crisis in their own ways, ranging from heroic to apathetic to downright horrifying.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 563
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: surprise ending, independent film, ambiguous ending
Similar in 90%
Beware the Gonzo (2010)
Plot Summary:
Eddie "Gonzo" Gilman is starting a revolution. When the wild-eyed rebel journalist is ousted from his prep school's newspaper by its über-popular editor, Eddie fronts an underground movement to give a voice to all the misfits, outcasts, and nerds. Soon the power of the press is in Eddie's hands... but will he use it wisely?.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: witty, humorous, semi serious, light, captivating, political, teen, realistic, independent film
Similar in 87%
Humanity (1999)
Plot Summary:
When an 11-year-old girl is brutally raped and murdered in a quiet French village, a police detective who has forgotten how to feel emotions--because of the death of his own family in some kind of accident--investigates the crime, which turns out to ask more questions than it answers.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: France
Duration: 141 min
Plot tags: contemplative, slow cinema, erotic, bleak, disturbing, detective, depressing, neo noir, captivating, controversial
Similar in 80%
Paranoid Park (2007)
Plot Summary:
The teenager and skateboarder Alex is interviewed by Detective Richard Lu that is investigating the death of a security guard in the rail yards severed by a train who was apparently hit by a skate board. While dealing with the separation process of his parents and the sexual heat of his virgin girlfriend Jennifer, Alex writes his last experiences in Paranoid Park with his new acquaintances and how the guard was killed, trying to relieve his feeling of guilty from his conscience.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: France, USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: surreal, depressing, enigmatic, emotional, melancholic, lyrical, art house, visual, teen, independent film
Similar in 85%
The Son (2002)
Plot Summary:
A joinery instructor at a rehab center refuses to take a new teen as his apprentice, but then begins to follow the boy through the hallways and streets.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: Belgium, France
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: psychological, bleak, meditative, compassionate, atmospheric, sincere, spiritual, art house, christian film, suspense
Similar in 77%
She's Too Young (2004)
Plot Summary:
A mother/daughter relationship is thrown off balance when the mother (Marcia Gay Harden) discovers that her "good girl" daughter (Alexis Dziena) is part of a group who are engaging in sexual activities with multiple partners. Such activity results in an outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, serious, captivating, realistic, disturbing, teen, sexual, crying, sexy, ridiculous
Similar in 89%
Blame (2017)
Plot Summary:
A drama teacher's taboo relationship with an unstable student strikes a nerve in her jealous classmate, sparking a vengeful chain of events within their suburban high school that draws parallels to 'The Crucible'.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: realistic, emotional, talky, atmospheric, touching, thought provoking, stylized, teen, double entendre
Similar in 84%
Doubt (2008)
Plot Summary:
In 1964, a Catholic school nun questions a priest's ambiguous relationship with a troubled young student, suspecting him of abuse. He denies the charges, and much of the film's quick-fire dialogue tackles themes of religion, morality, and authority.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 135000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: suspense, period piece, sincere, psychological, clever, enigmatic, depressing, bleak, serious, surprise ending
Similar in 77%
Winter's Bone (2010)
Plot Summary:
17 year-old Ree Dolly sets out to track down her father, who put their house up for his bail bond and then disappeared. If she fails, Ree and her family will be turned out into the Ozark woods. Challenging her outlaw kin's code of silence and risking her life, Ree hacks through the lies, evasions and threats offered up by her relatives and begins to piece together the truth.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 148000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: depressing, atmospheric, harsh, bleak, disturbing, tense, gloomy, serious, neo noir, independent film
Similar in 90%
Purgatory House (2004)
Plot Summary:
An inside glimpse of how it feels to be a teen in today's disconnected world. PURGATORY HOUSE chronicles the after-life journey of Silver Strand: a lonely teen who abandons her life of turmoil and drug addiction, only to find herself caught somewhere between heaven and hell. There, she must choose whether she will accept her drab existence or discover within herself the power to change.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 470
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: gothic, serious, independent film, realistic, non-linear
Similar in 80%
2:37 (2006)
Plot Summary:
A contemporary, ensemble drama telling the complex tale of six high school students whose lives are interwoven with situations that so many of today's youth are faced with. The story takes place during a normal school day. At precisely 2:37 a tragedy will occur, affecting the lives of a group of students and their teachers. As the story unfolds, the individual stories of the six teenagers are revealed, each with its own explosive significance. An unwanted pregnancy unravels a terrible, dark secret; all is not as it appears for the seemingly confident school football hero; an outcast must deal with everyday taunts from his peers; a beautiful young girl battles an eating disorder; a stellar student constantly struggles to win his parents' approval; while another uses drugs to escape from his own demons.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: psychological, bleak, sincere, serious, depressing, sad, contemplative, teen, realistic, thought provoking
Similar in 85%
The Class (2007)
Plot Summary:
An average guy of an Estonian high-school decides to defend his bullied classmate. This starts war between him and the informal leader of the class. As teenagers' honour is a touchy thing, everything ends in bloodshed.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Drama
Country: Estonia
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: serious, disturbing, tense, emotional, realistic, sad, crying, thought provoking, touching, brutal
Similar in 76%
Odd Girl Out (2005)
Plot Summary:
A mother and her daughter confront the intimidation of teen peer pressure and the emotionally brutalizing social rituals of high school.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, exciting, captivating, touching, suspenseful, sad, teen
Similar in 90%
Tom Brown's Schooldays (2005)
Plot Summary:
The determined new headmaster of an English prep school attempts to reform the frequently unruly students, who are tormented by a ruthless bully.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: touching, realistic, serious, exciting, tense, suspenseful, crying, period drama
Similar in 79%
Evil (2003)
Plot Summary:
Stockholm, the fifties. Though academically bright, violent pupil Erik Ponti is expelled from his state school with the headmaster’s words “there’s only one word for people like you – evil… what you need is a good thrashing, and more”. In fact already Erik frequently receives a ‘good’ thrashing at the hands of his sadistic stepfather – so he is packed off by his mother to boardingschool.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Drama
Country: Sweden, Denmark
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: psychological, disturbing, touching, rough, emotional, bleak, harsh, teen, realistic, serious
Similar in 79%
Trust (2010)
Plot Summary:
A suburban family is torn apart when fourteen-year-old Annie meets her first boyfriend online. After months of communicating via online chat and phone, Annie discovers her friend is not who he originally claimed to be. Shocked into disbelief, her parents are shattered by their daughter's actions and struggle to support her as she comes to terms with what has happened to her once innocent life.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 44000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: realistic, emotional, teen, serious, sexy, psychological, disturbing, sincere, depressing, social
Similar in 76%
Mysterious Skin (2004)
Plot Summary:
A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 75000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA, Netherlands
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: disturbing, depressing, psychological, independent film, realistic, controversial, heartbreaking, serious, gloomy, emotional
Similar in 80%
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
Plot Summary:
In the early 1900s, Miranda attends a girls boarding school in Australia. One Valentine's Day, the school's typically strict headmistress treats the girls to a picnic field trip to an unusual but scenic volcanic formation called Hanging Rock. Despite rules against it, Miranda and several other girls venture off. It's not until the end of the day that the faculty realizes the girls and one of the teachers have disappeared mysteriously.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: Australia
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: scenic, atmospheric, surreal, stylized, psychological, art house, breathtaking, melancholic, meditative, period piece
Similar in 76%
Innocence (2004)
Plot Summary:
A look inside an offbeat boarding school for young girls.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: France, Belgium, UK, Japan
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: disturbing, surreal, art house, enigmatic, atmospheric, stylized, suspenseful, erotic, visual, allegory
Similar in 77%
The Falling (2014)
Plot Summary:
It's 1969 at a strict English girls' school where charismatic Abbie and intense and troubled Lydia are best friends. After a tragedy occurs at the school, a mysterious fainting epidemic breaks out threatening the stability of all involved.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, tense, realistic, suspense, psychological thriller, dark, slasher, sad, stylized
Similar in 80%
Everybody Dies But Me (2008)
Plot Summary:
One Monday morning Katya, Vika and Zhanna learn that there will be a school disco, their first disco, on the coming Saturday night. The girls feverishly start preparing for the event, which rapidly becomes the most important moment ever in their universe, and looks like the ideal way to escape their daily lives.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: Russia
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: serious, touching, realistic, suspense, psychological, rough, sincere, gloomy
Similar in 80%
The United States of Leland (2003)
Plot Summary:
A withdrawn young man, Leland Fitzgerald is imprisoned for the murder of a mentally disabled boy, who also happened to be the brother of his girlfriend, Becky. As the community struggles to deal with the killing, Pearl Madison, a teacher at the prison, decides to write about Leland's case. Meanwhile, others affected by the murder, including Becky and her sister, Julie, must contend with their own problems.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: depressing, meditative, psychological, bleak, emotional, rough, serious, realistic, touching, melancholic
Similar in 89%
Speak (2004)
Plot Summary:
Freshman high-school student Melinda has refused to speak ever since she called the cops on a popular summer party. With her old friends snubbing her for being a rat, and her parents too busy to notice her troubles, she folds into herself, trying to hide her secret: that star senior Andy raped her at the party. But Melinda does manage to find solace in her art class headed by Mr. Freeman.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: touching, psychological, sentimental, independent film, sincere, sad, depressing, teen, thought provoking, intellectual
Similar in 76%
Kids (1995)
Plot Summary:
A controversial portrayal of teens in New York City which exposes a deeply disturbing world of sex and substance abuse. The film focuses on a sexually reckless, freckle-faced boy named Telly, whose goal is to have sex with as many different girls as he can. When Jenny, a girl who has had sex only once, tests positive for HIV, she knows she contracted the disease from Telly. When Jenny discovers that Telly's idea of "safe sex" is to only have sex with virgins, and is continuing to pass the disease onto other unsuspecting girls, Jenny makes it her business to try to stop him.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 83000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: disturbing, depressing, psychedelic, independent film, bleak, teen, rough, erotic, sexy, realistic
Similar in 82%
Ken Park (2002)
Plot Summary:
Ken Park focuses on several teenagers and their tormented home lives. Shawn seems to be the most conventional. Tate is brimming with psychotic rage; Claude is habitually harassed by his brutish father and coddled, rather uncomfortably, by his enormously pregnant mother. Peaches looks after her devoutly religious father, but yearns for freedom. They're all rather tight, or so they claim.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA, Netherlands, France
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: disturbing, art house, sexual, rough, explicit, sexy, realistic, serious, independent film, erotic
Similar in 79%
Palo Alto (2013)
Plot Summary:
Palo Alto weaves together three stories of teenage lust, boredom, and self-destruction: shy, sensitive April, torn between an illicit flirtation with her soccer coach and an unrequited crush on sweet stoner Teddy; Emily, who offers sexual favors to any boy to cross her path; and the increasingly dangerous exploits of Teddy and his best friend Fred, whose behavior may or may not be sociopathic.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: melancholic, atmospheric, serious, teen, realistic, indie film, aesthetic, erotic, mumblecore, artsy
Similar in 80%
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Plot Summary:
A coming-of-age story based on the best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, which follows 15-year-old freshman Charlie, an endearing and naive outsider who is taken under the wings of two seniors. A moving tale of love, loss, fear and hope - and the unforgettable friends that help us through life.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 539000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: touching, sincere, teen, melancholic, romantic, emotional, realistic, feel good, heartbreaking, independent film
Similar in 90%
Thirteen (2003)
Plot Summary:
Tracy is a normal 13-year-old trying to make it in school. After befriending the most popular girl at school, Evie, Tracy's world is turned upside down when Evie introduces her to a world of sex, drugs and cash. But it isn't long before Tracy's new world and attitude finally takes a toll on her, her family, and old friends.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 96000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: teen, sincere, realistic, tense, disturbing, emotional, intense, serious, depressing, bleak
Similar in 90%
Detachment (2011)
Plot Summary:
A chronicle of three weeks in the lives of several high school teachers, administrators and students through the eyes of substitute teacher, Henry Barthes. Henry roams from school to school, imparting modes of knowledge, but never staying long enough to form any semblance of sentient attachment.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 96000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: depressing, psychological, bleak, thought provoking, touching, sad, independent film, serious, inspirational, emotional
Similar in 83%
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
Plot Summary:
After her son Kevin commits a horrific act, troubled mother Eva reflects on her complicated relationship with her disturbed son as he grew from a toddler into a teenager.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 165000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA, Spain
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: psychological, disturbing, bleak, depressing, suspense, surreal, gloomy, independent film, thought provoking, tense