Best movies like Border Radio
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Before carving out a niche as one of the most distinct voices in nineties American cinema, Allison Anders made her debut, alongside codirectors and fellow UCLA film school students Kurt Voss and Dean Lent, with 1987’s Border Radio. A low-key, semi-improvised postpunk diary that took four years to complete, Border Radio features legendary rocker Chris D., of the Flesh Eaters, as a singer/songwriter who has stolen loot from a club and gone missing, leaving his wife (Luanna Anders), a no-nonsense rock journalist, to track him down with the help of his friends (John Doe of the band X; Chris Shearer). With its sprawling Southern Californian and Mexican landscapes, captured in evocative 16mm black and white, Border Radio is a singular, DIY memento of the indie film explosion in America.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 741
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: black and white, cult classic, indie film, independent film, sincere, atmospheric, serious, realistic, contemplative, talky
Best tv shows and movies like Border Radio (1987):
Similar in 82%
Promised Land (1987)
Plot Summary:
Three recent high school grads - star athlete Hancock, his cheerleader girlfriend, Mary, and the awkward Senator - aim to leave their small town behind and realize big dreams, but their idealistic plans collide with life's harsh realities.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: independent film, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 78%
Not Fade Away (2012)
Plot Summary:
Set in suburban New Jersey in the 1960s, a group of friends form a rock band and try to make it big.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: sincere, sentimental, touching, captivating, atmospheric, serious, realistic, independent film, whimsical, period drama
Similar in 89%
Strangers Kiss (1983)
Plot Summary:
To help his actress girlfriend regain her confidence a Hollywood bigshot bankrolls a small budget film being made by a first-time producer and director pair. Despite the hand-to-mouth way it has to be made the film starts to come good, as does the off-set relationship between the actress and her unknown male lead.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 206
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: neo noir, independent film, sentimental, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative, talky, eighties
Similar in 83%
Just Like a Woman (2012)
Plot Summary:
Two women get on the highway heading to Santa Fe. Marilyn dreams of winning a contest held by a famous belly dancing company, while her friend, Mona, has a secret: she's a fugitive from justice - accused of her mother-in-law's death.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK, USA, France
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, captivating, disturbing, sex comedy, touching, realistic, independent film, interesting
Similar in 75%
Small Town Saturday Night (2010)
Plot Summary:
Just days before Rhett (Chris Pine) is leaving for Nashville to pursue a lifelong dream of being a singer/songwriter, his girlfriend Samantha (Bre Blair) realizes that "his" future may not be "their" future. This news comes as a shock to Rhett, and he is faced with having to choose between following his dream and staying in his hometown in order to be with the woman he loves.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative, independent film
Similar in 89%
Ten Benny (1995)
Plot Summary:
The story of a young shoe salesman whose overestimation of his own sharpness leads to gambling debts, pissed-off loan sharks, and overall misery.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 408
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: independent film, psychological, clever, serious, realistic, contemplative, talky, gloomy
Similar in 89%
Northless (2009)
Plot Summary:
Andres reaches the Mexican border to cross into the United Sates. There between each attempt, he discovers that Tijuana is a troubled city. As he waits there, Andres is not only confronted with his feelings and what he left behind, but also with those he meets.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 366
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico, Spain
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 83%
Redemption Road (2010)
Plot Summary:
A Tennessee-set drama focused on an individual's spiritual redemption.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 586
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, semi serious, contemplative, psychological, captivating, sincere, touching, humorous, talky, independent film
Similar in 87%
This Is Martin Bonner (2013)
Plot Summary:
Two men, at opposite ends of the social spectrum, find themselves starting new lives in the same, small town and form an unlikely friendship.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, serious, emotional, realistic, sincere, contemplative, talky, independent film
Similar in 85%
Black Limousine (2010)
Plot Summary:
A ghost story set in the city of dreams (IMDb.com).
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 268
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, atmospheric, captivating, sincere, bleak
Similar in 79%
How I Got Lost (2009)
Plot Summary:
HOW I GOT LOST is the heartbreaking yet hopeful story of Andrew and Jake, two friends dealing with loss amidst events bigger than them. Andrew is the friend we all have, the one who convinces you to come along despite your better judgment. Talented but with seemingly nothing to lose, his tailspin is balanced only by his professional drive to succeed as a trader on Wall Street. His best friend Jake, broken-hearted and writing sports instead of fiction, does his best to clean up the mess his friend creates until he runs into his capricious ex, Sarah again. So Andrew convinces him to ditch New York and hit the road, going nowhere. They commandeer a cab to Philadelphia, where they borrow Andrews moms station wagon. But when their car runs out of gas in the middle of Pennsylvania, Andrew reveals the real reason for the trip -- his father has died, and he doesn't think he can make it through the funeral alone.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 309
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, sincere, captivating, contemplative
Similar in 84%
I Am (2010)
Plot Summary:
In the City of Angels, despair and heartache are the daily mail -- delivered with painful regularity whether we want them or not. Through I AM, we join an eclectic cast as they try to untangle themselves from the web of sin. All along the way, they are each joined by a mysterious companion -- ever present with a loving guidance without judgment for their actions. The more they attempt to fix their lives, the deeper they sink into chaos, pain, and loss. In addition, we discover that sin is a matrix connecting even the most remote of strangers to one another. It is at this breaking point when we see the presence of this companion was no accident. He was the ever-loving constant who refused to abandon His people -- even when they abandoned Him.
IMDB Rating: 3.3
IMDB Votes: 413
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, contemplative, psychological, captivating, spiritual, sincere, independent film
Similar in 76%
Erratum (2010)
Plot Summary:
Michał jedzie do miasta swojego urodzenia, aby załatwić sprawę o którą prosi go szef i od razu wracać. Sprawy przybierają jednak inny obrót. Michał musi pozostać tu parę dni dłużej. Chodząc po mieście spotyka bliskie mu niegdyś osoby, natrafia na znajome miejsca. Powoli odzywa się w nim coś, o czym dawno zapomniał.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 564
Genere: Drama
Country: Poland
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, contemplative, realistic, psychological, captivating, sincere, serious, gloomy
Similar in 80%
Not Waving But Drowning (2012)
Plot Summary:
Not Waving But Drowning is a chronological look at growing up, formed from two different stories. The two sets of friends represent the American dilemma between what you have known and what you hope to know; the tear between longing for the past and the desire to explore.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 431
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, atmospheric, touching, captivating, sincere, serious, gloomy, independent film
Similar in 80%
Hated (2012)
Plot Summary:
Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll are what a young underground punk band are striving for, but once they get a taste of it, they are forced to decide how far they're willing to go for fame and fortune and who they're willing to leave behind to get there.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 75
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, sincere, captivating, independent film
Similar in 84%
The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll (2009)
Plot Summary:
In this film, childhood friends come face to face with the demons of rock and roll (lust, drugs, and passion) on a cross-country road trip that compels them to face their past, present, and future. Rocker Spyder, whose debut album was a huge hit saw his follow-on album bomb, causing him to retreat to his small hometown and give up. Seven years later, 27-year-old Spyder reconnects with his long-lost best friend and writer of his debut album Eric, son of a late great punk rock guitar legend, who has long settled into the sedate life of a suburban middle school music teacher. The reunion forces the two to recall their youthful ambitions and re-examine the choices they've made.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 552
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, atmospheric, captivating, sentimental, sincere, serious, independent film
Similar in 90%
Open Window (2006)
Plot Summary:
The engagment between a struggling photographer and an assistant professor is marred by an act of violence.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, serious, realistic, independent film
Similar in 85%
Alex of Venice (2014)
Plot Summary:
After her stay-at-home husband leaves her, a workaholic lawyer finds that she is not completely up to the tasks of caring for her young son, ailing father and household all by herself.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic, romantic drama, independent film
Similar in 90%
I'm Gonna Explode (2008)
Plot Summary:
Tale of a young couple who throw caution to the wind and set out in search of their true fate. Román is the son of a contemptible, right-leaning congressman. Recently enrolled in a new high school, the rebellious teen clumsily attempts to hang himself on-stage at the big talent show. Maru is the sole member of the audience to applaud, earning both students a day of detention. After bonding during the course of their punishment, Román and Maru grab daddy's gun, steal a Volkswagen, and hit the road bound for nowhere.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 808
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico, USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, atmospheric, serious, realistic, road movie
Similar in 84%
Not Since You (2009)
Plot Summary:
A romantic drama about a tight-knit group of college friends who graduated from NYU the year of 9/11 and reunite years later for a weekend wedding in Georgia. Unresolved conflicts and love affairs spark again.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: realistic, talky, sincere, disturbing, sex comedy, serious, contemplative, independent film
Similar in 79%
Islander (2006)
Plot Summary:
After a tragic accident at sea, Eben Cole loses his family, friends and stature in his island fishing community. He returns to the island an outcast but determined to win back the way of life he fought so hard to protect. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Maine coast, Islander captures the grit and integrity of this hard working community and celebrates man's unerring need for redemption.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 298
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic, independent film
Similar in 79%
The Nail: The Story of Joey Nardone (2009)
Plot Summary:
Tony Luke, Jr. stars as Joey Nardone, an out-of-shape boxer, who after 8 years in prison for an unfortunate accident leaves prison and gets a shot at redemption by fighting for one young boy's future - 14 year old Jesus.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 486
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, captivating
Similar in 81%
3 Nights in the Desert (2014)
Plot Summary:
Three former band mates enter a cave after hearing it has the power to give them what they need. As unsettling desires rise to the surface, they all wonder if the cave has real power.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, talky, serious, realistic, minimal cast, independent film
Similar in 89%
An American in Hollywood (2014)
Plot Summary:
A talented young filmmaker from New York sets off to Los Angeles in pursuit of the Hollywood dream, only to discover through his relationship with a beautiful feisty young actress, that Hollywood is not all that it seems.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 219
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: realistic, semi serious, sincere, captivating, humorous, independent film
Similar in 75%
Under the Starry Sky (2013)
Plot Summary:
The debut feature from Franco-Senegalese filmmaker Dyana Gaye charts the interconnected destinies of three far-flung sojourners across three continents. A quiet drama, about the anxieties of negotiating journeying to foreign countries and making a place for oneself in the world.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 92
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Belgium, Senegal
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 78%
Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967)
Plot Summary:
J.R. is a typical Italian-American on the streets of New York. When he gets involved with a local girl, he decides to get married and settle down, but when he learns that she was once raped, he cannot handle it. More explicitly linked with Catholic guilt that Scorsese's later work, we see what happens to J.R. when his religious guilt catches up with him.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: black and white, independent film, talky, offbeat, spiritual, mind blowing, sincere, clever, touching, serious
Similar in 85%
Old Joy (2006)
Plot Summary:
Two old pals reunite for a camping trip in Oregon's Cascade Mountains.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 76 min
Plot tags: road movie, atmospheric, talky, lyrical, sincere, realistic, touching, serious, independent film, entertaining
Similar in 76%
The Tic Code (1998)
Plot Summary:
A 10 year old gifted boy wants to be a jazz pianist much to the chagrin of his more classical oriented piano instructor. With his mother's help, he is an underage regular at a local nightspot, where he is teamed up with a sax superstar. Both come to learn that each suffers from Tourette's Syndrome (thus the film title). The older man has developed mannerisms to cover up his own fallibilities and resents the boy and his mother's acceptance of the disease.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 484
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, realistic, independent film, offbeat, serious, contemplative, light, inspirational, feel good
Similar in 82%
A Beautiful Secret (2002)
Plot Summary:
The beloved screen legend Katy Jurado, the lights one last time in the history of a special friendship that develops between a lonely old woman and Jorge, a rebellious teenager in Mexico City in 1984. Through the use flashbacks, Jorge, now an adult, remembers the unforgettable lessons and conversations about human nature and society in general. This fascinating film provides a beautiful tribute to the legendary actress in a history of heart that will make you laugh and think.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 219
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 87%
Hide Away (2011)
Plot Summary:
A successful businessman attempting to resurrect his life buys and boards a dilapidated sailboat.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: realistic, sentimental, emotional, psychological, captivating, sincere, touching, serious, independent film