Best movies like Dancing in the Dark
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Via the New York Times: "To all outward appearances, Edna Cormick (Martha Henry) is the perfect housewife.... She's married to a man who'll stand up in public and say, "This is my wife," so that there'll be no confusion as to who she is. Edna has no identity without Harry, an ambitious, successful salesman who seems to love and care for Edna long after other men might become worried about her housewifely obsessions... Edna is reviewing her life - in neatly chronological flashbacks - from the room in the psychiatric hospital where she's been confined ever since Harry's sudden death.".
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 100
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: independent film, psychological, serious, realistic, suspenseful, contemplative, gloomy
Best tv shows and movies like Dancing in the Dark (1986):
Similar in 83%
Desolation Sound (2005)
Plot Summary:
Noir thriller from Vancouver plays out a destructive friendship between a depressed housewife and her childhood friend to an ugly conclusion.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 314
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, suspenseful, suspense, realistic
Similar in 89%
Abraham's Valley (1993)
Plot Summary:
Ema is a very attractive but innocent girl, so pretty that cars crash in her presence. Young marries Dr. Carlo Paiva, who she is not attracted to, but is her father's friend. They move to the Valley of Abraham. Carlo loves her, but decides to sleep in a separate room, to avoid waking Ema when he has to return late at night. With time she begins to feel unhappy about her marriage so she finds a lover.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Portugal, Switzerland
Duration: 187 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, realistic
Similar in 90%
Morlang (2001)
Plot Summary:
Inspired by true events, a chilling psychological drama. A couple's secret pact takes an unexpected, sinister turn.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 474
Genere: Drama
Country: Netherlands
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: psychological, atmospheric, serious, realistic, scary, non-linear
Similar in 78%
Where Love Has Gone (1964)
Plot Summary:
A divorced couple's teen-age daughter stands trial for stabbing her mother's latest lover.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: slasher, sincere, serious, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy, campy
Similar in 78%
Burning Secret (1988)
Plot Summary:
Burning Secret is a 1988 drama film, based on the short story Brennendes Geheimnis by Stefan Zweig, about an American diplomat's son who befriends a mysterious baron while staying at an Austrian spa during the 1920s. The film was written and directed by Andrew Birkin.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 506
Genere: Drama
Country: UK, West Germany
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, sincere, serious, captivating, realistic, contemplative, independent film
Similar in 82%
Double Standard (1988)
Plot Summary:
The true story of a judge who lives a double life, and stays married to two women for more than 15 years. While one knows nothing of the other, his second wife doesn't care that he is married already as long as he comes home to her as well. When his secret finally does come out, tragedy strikes, costing him more than he could have thought.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 124
Genere: Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, sexual, sexy
Similar in 76%
Guilty Hearts (2002)
Plot Summary:
Quiet and unassuming church organist Jenny Moran is depressed with her marriage to working-class Matt and leaves him. Jenny begins an affair with the manipulative and charming Dr. Stephen Carrow, who is also deacon of her church and a married man. Someone kills Carrow's wife after she learns of the affair between Jenny and her husband. The murderer is caught and confesses, but that confession leads to new lies which tear apart Jenny Moran's life.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 202
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 87%
The Touch (1971)
Plot Summary:
A seemingly happy Swedish housewife and mother begins an adulterous affair with a foreign archaeologist who is working near her home.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Sweden, USA
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: art house, independent film, psychological, serious, realistic
Similar in 84%
Limbo (2010)
Plot Summary:
Sonia arrives in Trinidad with her two children to join her husband Jo who is working as an oil engineer. On the surface she lives a life of luxury in a large houses with servants. The days are uneventful and blend together into an everlasting holiday, where the women nurse their superficial relationships over cocktails poolside – the perfect climate for self-delusion.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 506
Genere: Drama
Country: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 80%
We Won't Grow Old Together (1972)
Plot Summary:
Jean has been married to Francoise for years, but his relationship with his wife has been all but over for a long time. She's hardly ever around, always traveling to Russia for work, and she drifts in and out of the film as well, reflecting the ephemeral nature of their marriage.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, sincere, serious, emotional, realistic, talky, adaptation directed by original author
Similar in 79%
Deceit (2004)
Plot Summary:
Ellen's life is turned upside down after her wealthy hubby vanishes at sea. Everyone close to her is a liar - especially Ellen's missing spouse. Was this a case of an affair gone bad? A corporate cover-up? Or something far more sinister? The truth can only be found when all of the deceit is finally revealed.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 139
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, suspense, mind bending
Similar in 75%
Prague (2006)
Plot Summary:
Christoffer and Maja's trip to Prague to bring back Chistoffer's deceased father, evolves into the story of a brake-up. With the dead father lurking in the background, secrets gradually emerge threatening to destroy their marriage.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: Denmark
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: emotional, realistic, psychological, captivating, serious, gloomy, independent film
Similar in 85%
The Happy Ending (1969)
Plot Summary:
The triumphs and failures of middle age as seen through the eyes of runaway American housewife Mary Wilson (Jean Simmons), a woman who believes that ultimate reality exists above and beyond the routine procedures of conscious, uninspired, everyday life. She feels cheated by an older generation that taught her to settle for nothing less than storybook finales, people who are disillusioned and restless and don't know why, people for whom life holds no easy answers. Great supporting cast includes John Forsythe, Teresa Wright, Lloyd Bridges, Shirley Jones, Bobby Darin, Tina Louise, Dick Shawn, and Nanette Fabray.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: realistic, disturbing, serious, touching, suspenseful, gloomy
Similar in 89%
Signs & Wonders (2000)
Plot Summary:
Under the influence of signs and premonitions, a man allows himself to veer in and out of a love affair with his colleague.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 692
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Greece
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: clever, serious, emotional, realistic, independent film, psychological, talky, gloomy, biting, suspense
Similar in 78%
The Vertical Ray of the Sun (2000)
Plot Summary:
Hanoi comes across almost picture-perfect in director Tran Anh Hung's beautiful, elegiac tale about the lives and loves of three Vietnamese sisters. A mood characteristic of Hung's films is set early on with the vivid sounds of birds, insects and water and the way the lighting enhances the subtle use of color. They all combine to gem-like effect here.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: Vietnam, France, Germany
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: melancholic, sincere, psychological, sentimental, touching, serious, talky, emotional, uplifting, artsy
Similar in 90%
Satisfaction (2014)
Plot Summary:
A provocative drama that explores modern marriage at its midpoint. Through the lens of one couple, Neil Truman and his wife, Grace, this series answers the question, “What do you do when having it all is not enough?” by delving into their shocking and unconventional choices.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 44 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, tense, captivating, erotic, psychological, sexy, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 75%
Kira's Reason: A Love Story (2001)
Plot Summary:
Kira and Mads try to work out their marriage, after Kira has been two years in a mental institution, but is she really ready for the real world?.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 997
Genere: Drama
Country: Denmark
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, clever, talky, sexy, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 89%
In His Hands (2005)
Plot Summary:
In Lille, Claire Gauthier is an ordinary married woman with a young daughter that works in an insurance company analyzing losses of insured properties. When the single veterinary Laurent Kessler claims damage in his basement caused by a flooding due to water leakage, Claire resolves the situation favorably for him. The weird Laurent visits Claire in her office successively, inviting her for drinks and lunch, and they get close to each other. Meanwhile, a serial killer is terrorizing Lille, killing women with a scalpel. Claire feels a great attraction for Laurent, who has an unusual behavior in her apartment. When Claire sees a scalpel in the pocket of Laurent's jacket, she fears him, but still loves him.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 77%
Daybreak (2003)
Plot Summary:
Sweden, shortly before Christmas. Surgeon Rickard is told the job he expected goes to a Dane, because of his substance abuse. It's too late to cancel dinner with his in-laws. The guest couple announces their in-vitro is a success. Then Richard's wife learns he cheated her with Sofie. Meanwhile ugly hag Anita trades drugs to afford a taser to use on her ex Olof and his former physiotherapist. Workaholic builder Anders is disgusted by his grieve-deranged client Knut's plan and decides to spend time on his family, not just money.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Sweden
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, touching, bleak, realistic, serious, emotional, gloomy
Similar in 86%
Suburban Madness (2004)
Plot Summary:
Based on the real story of Clara Harris, the Houston, Texas dentist who made headlines in July 2002 when she killed her adulterous husband by repeatedly running over him with her car.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 317
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, disturbing, psychological
Similar in 83%
The Law of Enclosures (2000)
Plot Summary:
Story of the same couple, first in their teenage years and then in their twilight years, paradoxically set in the same time during the backdrop of the Gulf War in the Middle East.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 276
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: psychological, atmospheric, touching, emotional, erotic, mind bending, offbeat, serious, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 75%
The Eel (1997)
Plot Summary:
White-collar worker Yamashita finds out that his wife has a lover visiting her when he's away, suddenly returns home and kills her. After eight years in prison, he returns to live in a small village, opens a barber shop (he was trained as a barber in prison) and talks almost to no-one except for the eel he "befriended" in prison. One day he finds the unconscious body of Keiko, who attempted suicide and reminds him of his wife. She starts to work at his shop, but he doesn't let her become close to him.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: enigmatic, captivating, psychological, touching, independent film, atmospheric, offbeat, serious, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 81%
Gilles' Wife (2004)
Plot Summary:
Gilles' wife, Elise, who smiles when she thinks of him, cooks and scrubs and cheerfully makes love to him, suspects during her third pregnancy that he is having an affair with her coquettish younger sister, Victorine. Elise suffers, usually in silence. She listens to her husband rave; she asks her priest; she breaks picture frames; she weeps. She decides on a strategy to keep him. Will she succeed?.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 887
Genere: Drama
Country: Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Italy, Switzerland
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, sexual, crying, sexy
Similar in 83%
Heaven's Heart (2008)
Plot Summary:
Two couples, old friends, end up in a heated debate over adultery at a dinner party.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 691
Genere: Drama
Country: Sweden, Denmark
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: psychological, contemplative, realistic, talky, captivating, minimal cast, clever, serious
Similar in 87%
Webdultery (2010)
Plot Summary:
A couple in a failing marriage begin to cheat on each other using the power of the internet.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 111
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: sexy, emotional, realistic, psychological, captivating, sincere, touching, serious, gloomy
Similar in 82%
The Other Woman (2008)
Plot Summary:
Jill Plumley left her brilliant job as journalist when she married Derek, am important layer with a brilliant career. Now Jill is university teacher. But everything changes when she receive a message from her husbands' secretary and she start ti be scared about loosing hi.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 272
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: realistic, emotional, psychological, captivating, touching, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 81%
You (2007)
Plot Summary:
Michèle shares her life with Paul, her husband and work colleague. She has a lover, Thomas, a musician with whom she has been having a passionate affair for some time. Attracted by Thomass non-conformity and lust for life, Michèle abandons her husband, her son and her profession to live this frenzy through to its conclusion. A quest for freedom and change that sends Michèle on a turbulent drift, but remains, nevertheless, intimate and personal.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 182
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, psychological, captivating, gloomy
Similar in 76%
Existence (2000)
Plot Summary:
Astitva is a bold film with adultery. An ambitious male chauvinist and his loving wife are happily married but the guy is not able to give time to the family as he want to make it big in life. His work is of paramount importance to him. His work keeps him away from his home for days and this makes the wife very lonely. In one such instance, she succumbs to loneliness and has a physical relationship with her music teacher and becomes pregnant. She tries confessing to her husband, but he is so excited about her pregnancy, that he does not listen to her story. Twenty Five years later, circumstances force the suspicious husband's mind to work overtime and confronts his wife with facts and figures that when she was pregnant, he had not had any physical relationship with her for more than 9 months before the child's birth. Then whose child is it? The wife accepts it and ask for forgiveness.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 785
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, emotional, realistic, social, art film
Similar in 88%
Belonging (2004)
Plot Summary:
Jess (Brenda Blethyn) and town handyman Jacob (Kevin Whately) have been happily married 20 years, recently taking in a trio of Jacob's elderly relatives, including his mother (Rosemary Harris). Though the relations are demanding, kindhearted Jess -- who selflessly quit her job -- enjoys looking after them. But when Jacob disappears one day, Jess' life falls apart, and she must learn to cope with things on her own in this touching drama.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 299
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, realistic, touching
Similar in 79%
Amnesty (2011)
Plot Summary:
Amnesty is a 2011 Albanian movie directed by Buyar Alimani. It’s a story about two people who meet up in jail when they come for monthly visits of their spouses. They fall in love after becoming witnesses to a wedding in jail but relationship has to end because both their spouses get amnesty from the government. What happens next is shown in usual east european movie style.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 223
Genere: Drama
Country: Albania, Greece, France
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, touching, serious, realistic, erotic, contemplative, gloomy