Best movies like Custody
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
When a hard-working single mother, Sara Diaz, has her children taken from her after she is suspected of injuring her son, Ally Fisher, a recent law school graduate, is assigned to represent her case before Judge Martha Schulman, a veteran of the Family Court System.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: suspense, psychological, captivating, disturbing, dark
Best tv shows and movies like Custody (2016):
Similar in 78%
The Violators (2015)
Plot Summary:
When Shelly meets Rachel, two dysfunctional girls from radically opposed backgrounds set off on a collision course that will leave one of them shattered, the other re-born. Set in the forsaken wastelands of Cheshire's little-seen urban overspill, The Violators charts a teenage girl's path from battle-hardened cynicism to the hope of a better life.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 507
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 84%
The Color Of Love: Jacey's Story (2000)
Plot Summary:
Set in a small town in the South, movie centers on Georgia Potter, an old-fashioned widow (Rowlands), whose life changes drastically when her estranged daughter and the son-in-law she never met die in a car crash. When she visits her granddaughter Jacey in the hospital, she’s shocked to discover that she’s half black, but conceals her misgivings and decides to raise her by herself.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 386
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: captivating, entertaining
Similar in 88%
The Children Act (2017)
Plot Summary:
In the midst of a marital crisis, a High Court judge must decide if she should order a life-saving blood transfusion for a teen with cancer despite his family's refusal to accept medical treatment for religious reasons.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, rough, captivating, suspenseful, serious, emotional, suspense, entertaining, interesting
Similar in 84%
In the Best Interest of the Children (1992)
Plot Summary:
Fact-based story of a legal battle fought over custody of five siblings.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 483
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: sad, crying
Similar in 82%
The Justice of Bunny King (2021)
Plot Summary:
Bunny King is a mother of two, a rough cut diamond with a sketchy past. While battling the system to reunite with her children, a confrontation leads her to take her niece Tonyah under her wing. With the world against her and Tonyah, Bunny’s battle has just begun.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 671
Genere: Drama
Country: New Zealand
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 83%
Paper Angels (2014)
Plot Summary:
An abused wife leaves her alcoholic husband and moves with her children to another town. There their lives become entwined with another family in trouble.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 719
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, captivating, disturbing, inspirational
Similar in 83%
Aurora Borealis: Northern Light (2017)
Plot Summary:
The Aurora Borealis is a story of family that is rich in twists and turns. It breaks the depths of the relationship between mother and daughter. A successful lawyer in Vienna, Olga is called back to Hungary when her old mother, Mary suddenly falls into a coma. While Mary is floating between life and death, Olga finds a deeply silent secret. The increasingly passionate research leads back to the post-war Europe of the '50s.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Hungary
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing, motivational, thought provoking
Similar in 86%
A Mouthful of Air (2021)
Plot Summary:
Julie is a new mom and children's book author, who escapes into the bright Crayola-colored world of her creation in order to leave behind the darkness caused by her post-partum depression.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing, touching
Similar in 86%
One Potato, Two Potato (1964)
Plot Summary:
Study of interracial marriage in the 1960's. A white divorcée falls in love with and marries an African-American man. When her ex-husband sues for custody of her child, arguing that a mixed household is an improper place to raise the girl, the new husband fights for his parental rights in court, fighting against a judge who represents the prejudices of the era.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 926
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: independent film, black cinema
Similar in 83%
Treeless Mountain (2008)
Plot Summary:
In Seoul, Korea, two sisters must look after each other when their mother leaves them to search for their estranged father.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA, South Korea
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, sentimental, serious, realistic, depressing, stylized, contemplative, crying
Similar in 88%
Paris Trout (1991)
Plot Summary:
Paris Trout is a vile Southern bigot. He owns a store and is a loanshark. He often sues people, and so his lawyer, Harry Seagraves, eventually meets Paris' wife Hannah. A former schoolteacher, she made the mistake of her life when she married Paris, who brutalizes her. Soon Paris goes beyond the overgenerous bounds of what a man in his position can get away with even in the segregated South, leading to a spiral of perverse insanity.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: neo noir, psychological, serious, emotional, realistic, disturbing, biting, suspense
Similar in 80%
Last Night in Rozzie (2021)
Plot Summary:
When a New York lawyer returns to his Boston hometown to reunite his dying friend with his young son, he is forced to finally confront a childhood trauma.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 365
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 88%
Deiva Thirumagal (2011)
Plot Summary:
A mentally retarded man fights for custody of his 7-year-old daughter, and in the process teaches his opponent lawyer the value of love and family.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 166 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing, sad
Similar in 87%
The Girl in the Book (2015)
Plot Summary:
The story of a young writer's transformation when her past invades her present.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, serious, realistic
Similar in 82%
A Way of Life (2004)
Plot Summary:
At 17 LeighAnne Williams has a six month old baby to look after, with only the help of three teenage squatters who flog stolen gear to make ends meet. A neighbour (actually from Turkey) across the street becomes target to her growing paranoia that Social Services are going to take her daughter, Rebecca, away from her. Her behavior becoming increasingly desperate as her delusions over her neighbor grow.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 669
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: psychological, bleak, realistic, disturbing, sad, serious, gloomy
Similar in 81%
Listen (2020)
Plot Summary:
In the outskirts of London, Portuguese couple and parents of three, Bela and Jota, struggle to make ends meet. When a misunderstanding arises at school with their deaf daughter, the British social services grow concerned for the safety of their children. The film portrays the tireless battle of these immigrant parents against the law to keep their family together.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Portugal, UK
Duration: 73 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing, social
Similar in 89%
Liar, Liar: Between Father and Daughter (1993)
Plot Summary:
An 11 year old girl accuses her father of incest.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 465
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: historical drama, crying, independent film
Similar in 86%
Parisienne (2015)
Plot Summary:
The new film from Lebanese director Danielle Arbid follows a young Arab immigrant in Paris, whose encounters with three men reveal different facets of her new country, and of herself.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 753
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: sincere, sexy, psychological, tense, touching, suspense
Similar in 88%
Black or White (2014)
Plot Summary:
A grieving widower is drawn into a custody battle over his granddaughter, whom he helped raise her entire life.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: touching, compassionate, sincere, thought provoking, happy, colorful, serious, realistic, contemplative, independent film
Similar in 77%
The Russell Girl (2008)
Plot Summary:
Sarah Russell, a 23-year-old aspiring medical school student, visits her loving family to share some important news, but instead finds herself attempting to finally confront a difficult period from her past.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 77%
North to Home (2022)
Plot Summary:
Suzanne McBride is excited to spend her birthday with her family. It will be the first time that her three adopted daughters will be together in years. This seems like a great time for a family reunion, but the sisters are each wrestling with unique challenges that threaten to derail this special occasion.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 80%
The Florida Project (2017)
Plot Summary:
The story of a precocious six year-old and her ragtag group of friends whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder, possibility and a sense of adventure while the adults around them struggle with hard times.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 124000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: touching, sincere, captivating, social, aesthetic, inspirational, anamorphic, visually stunning, funny, political
Similar in 81%
North Country (2005)
Plot Summary:
A fictionalized account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States -- Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, where a woman who endured a range of abuse while working as a miner filed and won the landmark 1984 lawsuit.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 45000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: dramatic, sincere, emotional, factual, disturbing, inspirational, realistic, educational, rough, touching
Similar in 84%
Losing Isaiah (1995)
Plot Summary:
Khaila Richards, a crack-addicted single mother, accidentally leaves her baby in a dumpster while high and returns the next day in a panic to find he is missing. In reality, the baby has been adopted by a warm-hearted social worker, Margaret Lewin, and her husband, Charles. Years later, Khaila has gone through rehab and holds a steady job. After learning that her child is still alive, she challenges Margaret for the custody.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: heartbreaking, touching, emotional, melancholic, serious, thought provoking, sexy, sad, hood, cult classic
Similar in 87%
Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)
Plot Summary:
Difficult tale of poor, struggling South Carolinian mother & daughter, who each face painful choices with their resolve and pride. Bone, the eldest daughter, and Anney her tired mother, grow both closer and farther apart: Anney sees Glen as her last chance. The film won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or a Special" and was nominated for "Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Special", "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special", and "Outstanding Made for Television Movie". It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: disturbing, emotional, realistic, touching, suspense, thought provoking, serious, heartbreaking, depressing, gothic
Similar in 88%
Precious (2009)
Plot Summary:
Set in Harlem in 1987, Claireece "Precious" Jones is a 16-year-old African American girl born into a life no one would want. She's pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother, an angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is chaotic and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and a secret--she can't read.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 115000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: bleak, depressing, emotional, rough, sad, inspirational, disturbing, touching, independent film, harsh
Similar in 75%
Won't Back Down (2012)
Plot Summary:
Two determined mothers, one a teacher, look to transform their children's failing inner city school. Facing a powerful and entrenched bureaucracy, they risk everything to make a difference in the education and future of their children.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: touching, uplifting, realistic, serious, emotional, inspirational
Similar in 82%
A Civil Action (1998)
Plot Summary:
Jan Schlickmann is a cynical lawyer who goes out to "get rid of" a case, only to find out it is potentially worth millions. The case becomes his obsession, to the extent that he is willing to give up everything - including his career and his clients' goals, in order to continue the case against all odds.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: suspense, suspenseful, thought provoking, serious, disturbing, sincere, realistic, inspirational, feel good, sad
Similar in 90%
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Plot Summary:
Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 152000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, sad, realistic, clever, emotional, inspirational, crying, scary, philosophical
Similar in 80%
I Am Sam (2001)
Plot Summary:
Sam has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old. He has a daughter with a homeless woman who abandons them when they leave the hospital, leaving Sam to raise Lucy on his own. But as Lucy grows up, Sam's limitations start to become a problem and the authorities take her away. Sam shames high-priced lawyer Rita into taking his case pro bono and in turn teaches her the value of love and family.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 154000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 132 min
Plot tags: inspirational, emotional, touching, tear jerker, sad, sentimental, sincere, serious, heartbreaking, sweet