Best movies like Heavenly Bodies
Last updated March 2024
Looking for movies like Heavenly Bodies? Contribute your familiarity to help others toward movies and tv series you've viewed before that may also consume them. Help enlarge the circle of people referring videos between each other. We welcome your engagement!
Plot Summary:
A small "Dance-ercize" studio fights for its existence against the unscrupulous owner of a rival club. The conflict boils down to a "Dance Marathon" to settle the score.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 887
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: independent film
Best tv shows and movies like Heavenly Bodies (1984):
Similar in 81%
The Truth About Alex (1986)
Plot Summary:
Alex admits to his best friend Brad that he is gay.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 164
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 50 min
Plot tags: crying, queer cinema
Similar in 85%
Thrashin' (1986)
Plot Summary:
Corey and his band of skater buddies sometimes make mischief, but they're more interested in girls and having fun on their boards than in getting into any real trouble. Notorious enemy crew the Daggers, led by Tommy Hook, get their kicks terrorizing the locals at Venice Beach. When Corey starts dating Tommy's kid sister Chrissy, the Daggers are furious. The boys then take their beef to the "L.A. Massacre," a deadly skate race down a canyon road.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Action, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: independent film, sentimental, period piece, colorful, exciting, tense, serious, captivating, realistic, cult film
Similar in 77%
Perfect (1985)
Plot Summary:
A female aerobics instructor meets a male reporter doing a story on health clubs, but it isn't love at first sight. This film contains one of the greatest scenes of the '80s, an across the room sexual dance-off between the two main characters, inside a hot n' sweaty gym class.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: cult classic, sexy, retro, sex comedy, romantic drama, clever, humorous, realistic, semi serious, romantic
Similar in 90%
Split Image (1982)
Plot Summary:
An impressionable young man finds himself literally enslaved by a modern-day religious cult. In an effort to bring him back to reality, the boy's parents hire a deprogrammer to kidnap him and return him to his family.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: spiritual, retro, independent film, weird
Similar in 90%
The Handyman (1980)
Plot Summary:
One of Canada's talented directors, actress Micheline Lanctot expresses an effective, engaging approach in this simple, poignant drama about Armand (Jocelyn Berube), a handyman with one problem romance after another. The quiet Armand settles into Montreal after his wife has left him and before long, he continues the momentum when an ill-considered liaison with a nubile woman ends on her insistence. Next, Armand gives his heart to a frustrated housewife, though this decision is hardly well thought out. In the meantime, a gay man who rents out a room in his apartment has unfulfilled longings directed at the unsuspecting handyman. L'Homme a Tout Faire won a Silver Medal for "Best Picture" at the 1980 San Sebastian Film Festival.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 106
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 77%
Unfinished Business (1984)
Plot Summary:
Seventeen year old Izzy Marks lives in Toronto with her divorced mother and finds her life boring and directionless. Meant to be a sequel to Don Owen's acclaimed 1964 film "Nobody Waved Good-bye", "Unfinished Business" looks at life two decades later for Peter and Julie's (Peter Kastner and Julie Biggs) daughter Isabelle "Izzy" Marks (Isabelle Mejias). Curious, funny and intelligent, 17 year old Izzy feels the frustrations of her limiting environment and the pull of a more exciting, larger world. She meets passionate anarchist wannabe Jessie 'Fixit' (Peter Spence) and is quickly drawn into his free living alternative lifestyle. Much to the displeasure of her once free-thinking parents and friends.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 43
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 85%
Ticket to Heaven (1981)
Plot Summary:
David is a young man seduced by a religious cult that uses starvation, exhaustion, and brainwashing to mold recruits into money hustling disciples of a messiah-like leader. Chronicles David's chilling transformation into a gaunt, mindless shadow of his former self...and his ultimate salvation when friends and family launch a plan to kidnap and deprogram him.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 862
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, thought provoking, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, independent film
Similar in 81%
The Souvenir (2019)
Plot Summary:
A shy but ambitious film student falls into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship with a charismatic but untrustworthy older man.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: psychological, romantic, sweet, captivating, disturbing, erotic, breathtaking, independent film, cult classic, aesthetic
Similar in 80%
Hitting Home (1988)
Plot Summary:
Canadian businesswoman Dinah Middleton's is devastated when her teenage son, Alex, is killed by a hit-and-run driver. When the police fail to turn up any suspects, she turns private detective to track the killer down. She traces the murderer to New York, only to discover that the crime is not covered by the extradition treaty between Canada and the US. She becomes obsessed with bringing the criminal to justice.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 139
Genere: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, independent film
Similar in 81%
The Custodian (1993)
Plot Summary:
Det. Quinlan has left his alcoholic wife, sprouting a bloom of insecurity, anger and self-motivation within him to expose the corrupt police force that surrounds him. He abandons his 'straight' life to partner in crime with his co-worker, Det. Church, in order to get on the inside of the circle of double-agents. He sides privately with a reporter, Reynolds, and an Internal Affairs lawyer, Ferguson, to expose them to the press. Once they have gathered enough information, all the corrupt police, including the newly recruited Quinlan are arrested. Ferguson then works to get Quinlan a reduced sentence for helping them.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 367
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Australia
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: neo noir, serious, realistic, suspenseful, independent film, detective
Similar in 83%
Fire with Fire (1986)
Plot Summary:
A young woman from a Catholic school and a young man from a nearby prison camp fall in love and run away together to escape the law, the church and their parents.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: romantic, sexy, serious, captivating, realistic
Similar in 75%
Summer Affair (1971)
Plot Summary:
A very young Ornella Muti plays a rich girl who falls for an older hippie boy. Her parents don't approve and try to stop her from seeing him so they run away to a villa (Her parents') by the sea. Later they are shipwrecked on a deserted island. The plot focuses on the efforts of the police to figure out where the girl is, which is set against the developing relationship between the two young people.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 221
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Italy
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: surprise ending, ambiguous ending, freeze frame
Similar in 84%
Cowards Bend the Knee (2003)
Plot Summary:
Story of Guy Maddin, hockey player for the Maroons, and son of a local hairdresser/abortion doctor. Guy tries to overcome his own cowardice (and multiple head-knocks) as he navigates through a dream-like Winnipeg.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: surreal, romantic, psychological, atmospheric, suspenseful, mind bending, dark comedy, black and white, psychedelic, cerebral
Similar in 76%
Goin' Down the Road (1970)
Plot Summary:
Story of desolation as two friends travel from Nova Scotia to Toronto in hope of finding a better life. Drifting from job to job: bottling plant, car wash, bowling alley, newspaper delivery, and in between enjoying the night life of the big city. Their previous life is looking better all the time. This movie is a time capsule of Toronto's Yonge Street - record stores (defunct A&A's), bars, and old neighbourhood side streets.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 967
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: disturbing, independent film, sentimental, sincere, thought provoking, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 87%
By the Sea (2015)
Plot Summary:
Set in France during the mid-1970s, Vanessa, a former dancer, and her husband Roland, an American writer, travel the country together. They seem to be growing apart, but when they linger in one quiet, seaside town they begin to draw close to some of its more vibrant inhabitants, such as a local bar/café-keeper and a hotel owner.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France, Malta, USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: psychological, depressing, melancholic, scenic, artsy, erotic, sexy, thought provoking, cult classic, aesthetic
Similar in 78%
Love After Love (2017)
Plot Summary:
A sixty-something mother and her two adult sons cope and move onward following the death of their larger-than-life father/husband.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspenseful, contemplative, unusual plot structure
Similar in 90%
And Then We Danced (2019)
Plot Summary:
Merab has been training since a young age at the National Georgian Ensemble with his dance partner Mary. His world is suddenly turned upside down when the charismatic and carefree Irakli arrives and becomes both his strongest rival and desire. In this conservative setting Merab finds himself having to break free and risk it all.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Sweden, Georgia, France
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: disturbing, captivating, psychological, romantic, social, art house, independent film, cute, romantic drama, queer cinema
Similar in 88%
Windrider (1986)
Plot Summary:
A rock star falls for a rich man's son who competitively board-sails the coast of Western Australia.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 749
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Australia
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: sentimental, realistic, serious, melancholic, touching, disturbing, erotic, independent film
Similar in 83%
Turkish Delight (1973)
Plot Summary:
Sort of a cross between "Love Story" and an earthy Rembrandt painting, this movie stars Rutger Hauer as a gifted Dutch sculptor who has a stormy, erotic, and star-crossed romance with a beautiful young girl. The story follows the arc of their relationship and his interaction with her family.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Netherlands
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: sensual, disturbing, controversial, cult classic, romantic, epic, experimental, manga, erotic drama, insightful
Similar in 88%
Now & Forever (2002)
Plot Summary:
Against a backdrop of clashing cultures, John Myron and Angela Wilson find each other and over the years form a powerful bond. One tragic night, John rescues Angela from a wicked act of betrayal. Faced with its aftermath, Angela flees town, unaware that she has put into motion a dramatic and intense string of events that will forever change the course of their lives. Harboring a secret, John guides Angela to a shocking realization that will uncover the past. A dramatic contemporary love story combining elements of spirituality, heart and integrity.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 482
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, emotional, independent film, realistic, gloomy, crying
Similar in 80%
The Crossing (1990)
Plot Summary:
A single day. To challenge the past. To accept the present. To decide the future. Sam arrives in his home town after 18 months away, hopeful that Meg, the girlfriend he abandoned, will go back with him to the city. His return brings the outside world into the parochial confines of the town, provoking mixed reactions which fuel conflict. Meg, heartbroken when Sam left her, has begun an affair with Sam's friend Johnny. On the eve of Sam's arrival, Johnny asks Meg to marry him. The marriage proposal, along with Sam's unexpected return, forces Meg to choose not only between the two men but also the type of life she wants. The conflicting loyalties and emotions generated by the triangle provide the focus for an array of inter-related characters enmeshed in the life of this country town. There is a feeling of impending tragedy as night falls and Johnny becomes increasingly desparate.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 642
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Australia
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, crying, independent film
Similar in 82%
Heatwave (1982)
Plot Summary:
A woman attempts to stop a redevelopment plot which she thought was the cover-up for fraud and other criminal activity.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 410
Genere: Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: neo noir, retro, tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, independent film, detective
Similar in 82%
The Hero (2017)
Plot Summary:
Lee, a former Western film icon, is living a comfortable existence lending his golden voice to advertisements and smoking weed. After receiving a lifetime achievement award and unexpected news, Lee reexamines his past, while a chance meeting with a sardonic comic has him looking to the future.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, touching, captivating, exciting, thought provoking, spaghetti western, neo western, feel good, iconic
Similar in 80%
After the Rain (1999)
Plot Summary:
Steph, an Afrikaner, struggles with his past and heritage in the new South Africa. When his girlfriend befriends a black South African man called Vusisizwe trouble brews.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 278
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: South Africa, USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, crying, tragic
Similar in 87%
Tim (1979)
Plot Summary:
Handsome but backward gardener Tim Melville has a new woman in his life. She is Mary, his widowed employer, a woman who had given up on love until she had found Tim. At first they are friends. But soon they become lovers, as Mary, drawn to Tim's innocence and magnetism, begins to teach him all about life - and love.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Australia
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: romantic, sentimental, sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, independent film
Similar in 83%
Martin Eden (2019)
Plot Summary:
The tale of an individualist proletarian in a time marked by the rise of mass political movements. In early 20th-century Italy, illiterate sailor Martin Eden seeks fame as a writer while torn between the love of a bourgeois girl and allegiance to his social class.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Italy, France, Germany
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, social, sentimental, sweet, realistic, philosophical, political, sad, cerebral
Similar in 76%
Lianna (1983)
Plot Summary:
A happily married woman comes to realize herself of being a repressed lesbian after she has an affair with a female college professor, and then tries to come to terms with her newfound lifestyle.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: sensual, cult classic, independent film, sincere, touching, realistic, sexual, serious, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 86%
Better Than Sex (2000)
Plot Summary:
After a one-night stand a couple is faced with the terrifying possibility of what they really want.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Australia, France
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sexy, emotional, erotic, humorous, witty, clever, talky, sexual, intense, realistic
Similar in 76%
Heartbeats (2010)
Plot Summary:
Francis is a young gay man, Marie is a young straight woman and the two of them are best friends -- until the day the gorgeous Nicolas walks into a Montreal coffee shop. The two friends, instantly and equally infatuated, compete for Nicolas' indeterminate affections, a conflict that climaxes when the trio visit the vacation home of Nicolas' mother. The frothy comedy unfolds through narrative, fantasy sequences and confessional monologues.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: sexy, atmospheric, romantic, sincere, realistic, visually appealing, aesthetic, thought provoking, independent film, suspense
Similar in 77%
Children of the Revolution (1996)
Plot Summary:
A man (Richard Roxburgh) the Australian government blames for 1990s political woes blames his mother (Judy Davis), a communist Stalin seduced in 1951.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Australia
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: dark comedy, clever, humorous, black comedy, offbeat, realistic, witty, semi serious, biting, crying