Best movies like Happy Birthday
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
As a common birthday approaches, five very different people are faced with very similar problems. Jim, a gay, overweight telemarketer (for a weight loss program) faces his self esteem issues. Ron, is a minister who preaches about conversion but practices watching gay porn whenever he can. Javed living in the US with a gay porn actor faces deportation as a Pakistani and condemnation from his Islamic family. Javed living in the US with a gay porn actor faces deportation as a Pakistani and damnation from his Islamic family. Kelly, a young lesbian weathers a breakup with her lover and considers an earlier unrequited love. Tracy, an asian lesbian, goes back in the closet when her mother visits.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 118
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic, gloomy, sexual, crying, sexy, queer cinema
Best tv shows and movies like Happy Birthday (2002):
Similar in 84%
The Country Teacher (2008)
Plot Summary:
A gifted and well-qualified young teacher takes a job teaching natural sciences at a grammar school in the country. Here he makes the acquaintance of a woman and her troubled 17-year old son. The teac... read more read more...her has no romantic interest in the woman but they quickly form a strong friendship, each recognizing the other's uncertainties, hopes and longing for love.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Czech Republic, France, Germany
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, realistic, serious, sexual, crying, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 83%
Regarding Billy (2005)
Plot Summary:
After Billy's parents are killed he moves home to care for his little brother Johnny, who is mentally challenged. Together the two struggle through the loss of their parents. Meanwhile, Billy's best friend from childhood, Dean, has moved back to town having been injured from the war in Iraq. Over time, Billy's childhood feelings toward Dean resurface, feelings that he fears may end their friendship if discovered. Both men discover hidden secrets that will change their lives forever. These three people must come together to rebuild friendships and family in a time where everything in their world seems unsure. Written by Jeff London.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 544
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, serious, realistic, sexual, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 79%
A Thousand Peace Clouds Encircle the Sky (2003)
Plot Summary:
A teenager discovers that mending a broken heart is no simple thing in this independent romantic drama from Mexico. Gerardo (Juan Carlos Ortuno), a 17-year-old who has recently embraced his homosexuality, has just parted ways with his first serious boyfriend, Bruno (Juan Carlos Torres). Gerardo has fallen into a deep depression after losing Bruno, and he drifts through Mexico City, where he meets and makes love with a number of attractive strangers. However, his hedonistic adventures cannot wash away the pain in his heart. The first feature-length project from director Julian Hernandez, Mil Nubes de Paz Cercan el Cielo, Amor, Jamás Acabarás de Ser Amor was screened at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival, where it received the Teddy award, given to the best Gay or Lesbian-themed film shown at the fest.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 519
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Mexico
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, emotional, realistic, erotic, gloomy, sexual, crying, independent film, sexy
Similar in 75%
Circuit (2001)
Plot Summary:
John is an ex-cop who leaves small-town life and provincial attitudes behind for a new existence in West Hollywood. As he seeks an open, accepting gay life, John is introduced to the fast-paced Circuit Party scene, featuring beautiful people and a tantalizing mixture of sex and drugs.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, captivating, realistic, contemplative, sexual, crying, independent film, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 75%
Race You to the Bottom (2005)
Plot Summary:
Nathan and Maggie are in the throes of a passionate affair. They're young, good-looking, and both have boyfriends. When Nathan is assigned to write a travel article on romantic hot-spots in Napa Valley, these unconventional lovers test the limits of the sensuality and fantasy that bond them.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 438
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 73 min
Plot tags: realistic, sincere, touching, serious, independent film, contemplative, semi serious, sexual, sexy
Similar in 79%
Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom (2008)
Plot Summary:
As Noah and Wade prepare to marry in Martha's Vineyard, the personal problems of their friends - and the unexpected arrival of rapper Baby Gat - threatens to permanently end their relationship.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 888
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: touching, humorous, realistic, witty, semi serious, crying, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
Arizona Sky (2008)
Plot Summary:
Jake and Kyle are two boys who grew up together in rural Arizona. They are best friends, and they begin to take their relationship to the next level when Jake's father moves him and his family away to California. Jake and Kyle can never forget their strong emotional bond, and Jake, overworked and unattached, goes back to his hometown for the first time in 15 years to see Kyle and renew their special friendship.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 632
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, captivating, emotional, sincere, serious, sexual, independent film, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 83%
Whirlwind (2007)
Plot Summary:
A hot, young and charming man with ulterior motives enters the lives of a tight-knit group of gay men in New York City and at first adds excitement and intrigue to their group, but events soon spiral out of control as he deliberately attempts to destroy their relationships.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 542
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, captivating, sexy, sincere, serious, gloomy, sexual, emotional
Similar in 79%
Eban and Charley (2000)
Plot Summary:
29-year-old Eban has retreated home to his parent's house in Seaside Oregon after the dissolution of his teaching job in Seattle. There he courts 15-year-old Charlie and eventually the two start a sexual relationship. As the age of consent in Oregon is 18 years and given the age difference, the adults in this drama take a dim view of this development.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 792
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, touching, sexy, serious, realistic, gloomy, sexual, crying
Similar in 81%
Coming Out (1989)
Plot Summary:
Reportedly the first film to come out of East Germany to deal openly with gay issues. Philipp, a closeted teacher is dating a female collegue to keep up appearances. One night, by 'accident' he stumbles into a gay bar, meets and promptly falls in love with a young man. Transformed by this love he is no longer afraid to face up to who he is.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: East Germany
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: psychological, sentimental, sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, sexual, crying, sexy
Similar in 78%
Defying Gravity (1997)
Plot Summary:
John Keitel wrote the film based on his personal undergraduate experience and filmed campus footage in the neighborhood and environs surrounding his graduate film school alma mater USC.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, emotional, realistic, semi serious, sexual, independent film, detective, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 76%
Slutty Summer (2004)
Plot Summary:
Hunky writer Markus returns home to find his boyfriend of four years naked with another man. Newly single, he begins waiting tables at a swinging Chelsea hotspot where the indelible supporting cast of co-workers offers conflicting directions on the off-road map to love and lust in New York City. Peter insists on holding out for "the one", and Marilyn vows by her "dating commandments." Meanwhile, lascivious Luke promises the film its title by delivering firecracker quips on the joys of his sexcapades. He believes that sleeping around is the best medicine for a broken heart. Despite disillusion, Markus falls for gorgeous model Tyler who doesn't "do relationships" because how can you promise to love somebody forever? Surprising twists, and unlikely advice await, but by the end of one unforgettable SLUTTY SUMMER, happily ever after may just be the answer. Written.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 896
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: witty, semi serious, sentimental, humorous, independent film, realistic, sexual, crying, sex comedy, sexy
Similar in 90%
Blue Citrus Hearts (2003)
Plot Summary:
A first love could quite possibly be the last for Sam, a Memphis teenager coming to terms with the romantic feelings he harbors for his best friend, Julian. Will the love he feels for this boy guide him through his struggles with his abusive father, ignorant girlfriend, and suicidal thoughts -- or will the conflict that his love for Julian stirs throughout his life prove to be more than one boy can handle?.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 315
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, atmospheric, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, crying, independent film
Similar in 83%
Crutch (2004)
Plot Summary:
An autobiographical film taken from the experiences of writer-director Rob Moretti, CRUTCH is a coming-of-age tale about a young man's struggle with family problems and substance abuse. Behind a facade of suburban middle class perfection, David's home life is falling apart. As he tries to cope with the impossible situation, the troubled and impressionable teenager falls under the spell of Kenny, a georgous, thirty-something, has-been actor turned theatre coach. When Kenny's "support" escalates into seduction, David slowly decends into an abyss of drinking and drug addition from which he must escape if he is to survive. CRUTCH is a dramatic tale of the confusion of youth and the difficulties in finding oneself.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 712
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, emotional, realistic, bleak, contemplative, gloomy, crying, queer cinema
Similar in 80%
Lola and Billy the Kid (1999)
Plot Summary:
When young Turkish talent Kutlug Ataman wanted to make a film about transvestites, the first location he had in mind was Istanbul. As he developed the script, his thought was to place these marginal characters, who are subject to societal prejudices in an environment where there is already discrimination, would add dramatic effect. Supported by funding from German sources, Ataman set his story in Berlin, inside the community of "guest workers" where Turkish transvestites are shunned not only by Germans, but by their own kind as well. The result is a strong film with moments of tenderness, emotion and laughter juxtaposed with the harsh realities of life for those who dare to be different. 16 year old Murat (Baki Davrak) is a Turk who is curious about gay life and eventually submerges himself in the gay hustler and transvestite subculture.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Germany, Turkey
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, psychological, sexual, crying, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 80%
Charlotte Sometimes (2002)
Plot Summary:
Michael, a young mechanic, is forced to choose between a daring tryst with an alluring stranger and the habitual comfort of his bittersweet obsession: his beautiful young roommate.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: sincere, sexy, light, captivating, romantic, romantic drama, erotic, serious, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 78%
Save Me (2007)
Plot Summary:
A sex and drug addicted young man who is forced into a Christian-run ministry in an attempt to cure him of his "gay affliction", where instead he is faced with the truth in his heart and spirit.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic, erotic, heartfelt, gloomy, crying, queer cinema
Similar in 83%
Beautiful Something (2015)
Plot Summary:
Four diverse gay men navigate art, sex and love in one sublime night.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: sexy, psychological, light, sincere, touching, unusual plot structure, melancholic, independent film, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
Pit Stop (2013)
Plot Summary:
Recovering from an ill-fated affair with a married man, Gabe finds solace in the relationship he maintains with his ex-wife and daughter. On the other side of town, Ernesto evades life at home with his current live-in ex-boyfriend by spending much of his spare time in the hospital with an ailing past love. Impervious to the monotony of their blue-collar world, they maintain an unwavering yearning for romance. The emotional isolation the two men have grown accustomed to is captured in a subtle, optimistic, poetic fashion while avoiding melodrama.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, serious, contemplative, psychological, mumblecore, independent film, sincere, gloomy, crying
Similar in 89%
Nine Lives (2004)
Plot Summary:
Lust and dysfuntion come full circle in this collection of nine steamy scenes exploring gay life, sex, addition, drugs and HIV/AIDS as revealed by a latino pool boy, a television writer, a meth dealer and others. As one affair leads into another, the connections betwen the characters reveal the secrets each one holds.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 407
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 74 min
Plot tags: serious, emotional, realistic, captivating, sexual, crying, hispanic, sexy, cult film
Similar in 88%
The Falls (2012)
Plot Summary:
The Falls is a feature film about two missionaries that fall in love while on their mission. RJ travels to a small town in Oregon with Elder Merrill to serve their mission and teach the words of Joseph Smith. Living together and sharing the challenge of leaving home, the two men help each other discover their strengths. They share a passion for their faith and learn to express their feelings, risking the only community they have for a forbidden intimacy.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, captivating, lgbt cinema, psychological, heartbreaking, independent film, humorous, serious, realistic
Similar in 83%
Head On (1998)
Plot Summary:
Nineteen-year-old Ari confronts both his sexuality and his Greek family. Ari despises his once-beloved parents, former radical activists, for having entombed themselves in insular tradition. Ari is obsessed with gay sex, although he does make an unenthusiastic attempt to satisfy the sister of one of his best friends. While all of this is going on, he's facing problems with his traditional Greek parents, who have no clue about his sexual activities.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Australia
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: independent film, lgbt cinema, terrifying, sincere, touching, serious, realistic, erotic, rough, sexy
Similar in 75%
Intentions (2003)
Plot Summary:
Renee leads a fulfilling life as a professor of theater, mother of two girls, and wife to a kind and successful husband. Her life of contentment is changed forever when she discovers an undeniable attraction between herself and a female graduate student. Now every element of her life is called into question -- a question only she can answer about what she wants and needs.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 224
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, serious, realistic, independent film
Similar in 86%
Full Speed (1996)
Plot Summary:
A brief extract of four kids' lives somewhere in France. Quentin, who won a writers contest and now pays more attention to his career as an author than to his friends, beautiful Julie, his girl-friend, much more mature than she looks, falling in love with Quentin's very best friend Jimmy, who is kind of stuck in his unability of self-expression and grown up under bad social circumstances. And there is the shy boy Samir, exiled from Algeria, who lost his "brother" and only friend some time ago. Samir heavily falls in love with Quentin, but he can't handle it.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 877
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: erotic, sincere, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, sexual, sexy, gay cinema, queer cinema
Similar in 88%
Julie Johnson (2001)
Plot Summary:
A New Jersey housewife is dissatisfied with her everyday life because she is smarter than she or anyone else knows. While taking a computer class, Julie discovers her abilities and finds the courage to make dramatic life changes. This is a story of realizing one's potential and being willing to turn one's life upside down to take a chance on finding happiness. Claire, Julie's best friend, goes along with Julie's secret quest and eventually moves in with her. Both women are on a search to realize their dreams and come to terms with their love for each other.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 712
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: sincere, clever, touching, realistic, emotional, talky, semi serious, queer cinema
Similar in 87%
Antarctica (2008)
Plot Summary:
Set in Tel Aviv, focuses on an interconnected group of friends and their various relationships. At the center is the adorably bookish Omer, about to turn 30, who still hasn't found himself, and his free-spirited best friend Miki, who both end up inadvertently dating the same handsome journalist, Ronen.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 847
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Israel
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, realistic, sexy, gloomy, sexual, crying, queer cinema
Similar in 90%
I Want Your Love (2012)
Plot Summary:
After a decade of living in San Francisco, Jesse is forced to move back to his Midwestern roots because he can no longer afford the city. On his final night in the city, friends and ex-lovers gather for a going away party that promises to heighten Jesse's already bittersweet feelings about leaving.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 71 min
Plot tags: mumblecore, sincere, touching, serious, realistic, controversial, sexual, erotic, independent film, sexy
Similar in 78%
Ciao (2008)
Plot Summary:
Two men meet and fall in love under the least joyous of circumstances in this low-key drama from writer and director Yen Tan.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, romantic, sensual, crying, independent film, queer cinema, gay cinema
Similar in 89%
Holding Trevor (2007)
Plot Summary:
Everybody's looking for something... Moving forward doesn't always mean leaving something behind.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, sincere, touching, lgbt cinema, cult classic, independent film, crying, dark comedy, queer cinema
Similar in 76%
Rock Haven (2007)
Plot Summary:
The coastal California community of Rock Haven is the perfect place for cute eighteen-year-old Brady and his loving mother to begin a fresh start. Their mission: to spread the word of the Lord. But while roaming the beach one day, Brady meets Clifford, a young man who is the complete opposite of him: outgoing and athletic as well as incredibly handsome. Their initial encounter stirs up feelings of homo desire that Brady has been suppressing. Once Clifford makes it clear that their attraction is mutual, Brady's conflicting feelings of religious obligation and natural impulse go into overdrive, and the two young men must navigate their confusion, lust and beliefs in order to come to a mutual understanding.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 78 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, touching, serious, sensual, realistic, contemplative, sexual, crying, sexy