Best movies like Joyland
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
As a patriarchal family yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue their family line, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for a transgender starlet.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama
Country: Pakistan, USA
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: iconic
Best tv shows and movies like Joyland (2022):
Similar in 89%
Port Authority (2019)
Plot Summary:
Paul, a 20 year old midwesterner, arrives at the central bus station and quickly catches eyes with Wye, a 22 year old girl voguing on the sidewalk. After Paul seeks her out in secret, an intense love between them blossoms. But when Paul discovers Wye is trans, he is forced to confront his own identity and what it means to belong.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA, France
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 77%
Enter the Clowns (2002)
Plot Summary:
Xiao Bo (Yu Bo) lives in a world where the lines defining men from women are constantly dissolving.
IMDB Rating: 4.4
IMDB Votes: 37
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 85%
Navarasa (2005)
Plot Summary:
The film revolves around the story of a young girl Shweta (P. Shwetha) taking her first steps towards adulthood. Ready for the adventure, the thirteen-year-old is upbeat, however soon discovers that every night, her uncle Gautam (Kushboo) transforms himself into a woman to lead a completely different life.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 45
Genere: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
God Made Man (2020)
Plot Summary:
Leading double lives and seeking redemption, a transgender man, a drag queen and a corrupt lawyer collide in this urban purgatory.
IMDB Rating:
IMDB Votes:
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: neo noir, independent film, queer cinema
Similar in 81%
Tucked (2018)
Plot Summary:
TUCKED is a raw and tender drama about an aging 80 year old drag queen who forms an unlikely friendship with a younger queen, both struggling with their own issues of gender identity and mortality. As they discover more about each other, they realize how to truly be themselves. It's a 'slice of life' drama about love, loss and friendship; a feel good film with a great charm and sense of humour. Tucked was screened at Outfest Los Angeles in July 2018 and won two awards - AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE GRAND JURY PRIZE - INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 842
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: feel good, queer cinema
Similar in 75%
Tropical Carmine (2014)
Plot Summary:
This mesmerizing mystery delves deep into the heart, mind, and soul of Mabel, a Mexican muxe (transwoman) who revives past demons when she comes face to face with the people, places and memories of a faraway life. After learning that her dear friend Daniela has suddenly died, Mabel travels back to her hometown of Juchitán, Oaxaca only to discover that everything is both the same and different at once. She soon finds herself immersed in a tale of crime and passion that reveals shocking moments of emotional turmoil and unadulterated truth. Part psychological thriller, part personal love story, Carmín Tropical is a layered exploration of gender and culture in a familiar world turned upside down.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 299
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: Mexico
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 86%
The Garden Left Behind (2019)
Plot Summary:
Traces the relationship between Tina, a young Mexican trans woman, and Eliana, her grandmother, as they navigate Tina's transition and struggle to build a life for themselves as undocumented immigrants in New York City.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 616
Genere: Drama
Country: USA, Brazil
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 83%
Dinah East (1970)
Plot Summary:
A glamorous movie queen of the 1950s is revealed to be a man whose secret led to complicated relationships.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 97
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: independent film, cult film
Similar in 85%
My Emptiness and I (2022)
Plot Summary:
Raphi, from France, fantasises about romances with princes, and about starting a traditional family. But in reality, things aren’t like that. She works in a call centre in Barcelona, struggles with at times embarrassing dates, and is diagnosed by her therapist as having gender dysphoria. During this confusing, yet valuable period, we follow this trans woman as she makes her transition, as well as in her everyday life. She talks candidly with colleagues, queer friends, and the men she meets through apps. In spite of all the advice she receives, it turns out that it is mostly time and experience that will help her embrace her place in this world.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 194
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Spain
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 86%
Confused Feelings (1981)
Plot Summary:
It is the story of a middle age professor who falls deaply in love with a young student in his English literature class. The student is a boarder in the teacher's house. The teacher is married and his wife knows he is mostly attracted to young men. She loves him nevertheless. The whole story revolves around a book the professor will write, dictating to his young pupil... he will only declare his love at the end of the writing ...and, it is too late.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 115
Genere: Drama
Country: France, West Germany
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 86%
Praxis (2008)
Plot Summary:
Praxis peels away the layers of narrative even as Brian, the film's axis, struggles to create his true self. Brian, a writer on the verge of a breakdown, is aided by Joe and an Elusive Woman as he sifts through the fragments of his persona to discover his true core. Fighting against fear and the indifference of society - aptly symbolized by the medical establishment - his quest reflects the classical mythos of Proteus and the human search for meaning in the universe.
IMDB Rating: 3.4
IMDB Votes: 151
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 76%
Body Electric (2017)
Plot Summary:
Elias is a handsome young deputy manager in a garment factory in São Paulo. When he’s not working, he enjoys casual encounters in the big city. The arrival of a young African, Fernando, on the production line piques his interest and Elias finds himself increasingly drawn into socialising with his work colleagues.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 896
Genere: Drama
Country: Brazil
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 85%
B-Boy Blues (2021)
Plot Summary:
Follows the relationship of 27-year-old journalist Mitchell Crawford and 21-year-old bicycle messenger Raheim Rivers, who meet at a gay bar in Greenwich Village during the summer of 1993.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 638
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 76%
Twice a Man (1963)
Plot Summary:
A reworking of the myth of Hippolytus, in which a chaste youth rejects the incestuous advances of his mother and is saved from death by a caring physician.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 169
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 49 min
Plot tags: experimental, avant garde, deviant, independent film
Similar in 76%
That Certain Summer (1972)
Plot Summary:
The first US teleplay to deal sympathetically with homosexuality. Divorced San Francisco contractor Doug Salter is looking forward to a summer visit from his fourteen-year-old son Nick, who lives in Los Angeles with his mother Janet. The boy does not know that his father is gay and committed to Gary McClain, his life partner of several years.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 479
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 73 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 81%
Pretty/Handsome (2008)
Plot Summary:
A married father of two tells his wife and teenage sons that he is transsexual.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 444
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 67 min
Plot tags: cult classic, queer cinema, tv series pilot
Similar in 75%
Little Gay Boy (2013)
Plot Summary:
A young gay boy, from his birth to his teenage years, in which he experiments his sexuality and his own boundaries, to the day he finally meets his father.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 164
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 72 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing, experimental, avant garde, queer cinema
Similar in 86%
Destiny (1997)
Plot Summary:
Though gay-themed stories about "coming out" and accepting one's sexuality are not uncommon in Western countries, such tales are still rare in many conservative African nations. Considered a ground-breaking film in its native Guinea, and filmed amidst a storm of controversy, Mohamed Camara's Dakan is the first of its nations films to directly address issues surrounding homosexuality. The story centers on the romance between two 20-year-old men, Manga and Sory who are first seen making out in a car. The trouble begins when Manga tells his widowed mother about his love for Sory, who is busy contending with his outraged father. The parents insist that the two never see each other again. Manga's mother then uses witchcraft to cleanse her son and change him into a heterosexual. Time passes and eventually Manga begins to date a girl. But it soon becomes apparent that try as he might, Manga's heart belongs to Sory.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 188
Genere: Drama
Country: Guinea, France
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 79%
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2022)
Plot Summary:
Based on the coming-of-age young adult novel by American author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Set in El Paso, Texas in 1987, the film follows two Mexican-American teenagers, Aristotle "Ari" Mendoza and Dante Quintana, their friendship, and their struggles with racial and ethnic identity, sexuality, and family relationships.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 841
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 81%
Ranchlands (2019)
Plot Summary:
The story of a spiritually scarred man whose life changes forever when he must return to his estranged family to help care for a brother who is suffering from brain cancer. With the help of a spiritually enlightened caregiver, he faces the demons of the past and a secret that has haunted him and his family for many years.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 161
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 69 min
Plot tags: rough, touching, suspense, suspenseful
Similar in 77%
An Unusual Affair (2002)
Plot Summary:
Jochen Wenzel, a young teacher, married with two kids, one day surprisingly falls in love with a young male colleague, Tom Leuthner and they begin an unusual affair (= "Eine aussergewöhnliche Affäre"). While Ina, Jochen's wife, worries about Jochen's distanced behavior without having a clue of her husband's affair, Jochen and Tom seriously fall for each other. Torn between his family and his new love, Jochen has to make a decision. Written by Smoothhoney.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 592
Genere: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, suspense, captivating, queer cinema
Similar in 78%
In a Year with 13 Moons (1978)
Plot Summary:
This drama follows the last few days in the life of Elvira (formerly Erwin) Weisshaupt. Years before, Erwin told a co-worker, Anton, that he loved him. "Too bad, you aren't a woman," he replied. Erwin took Anton at his word. Trying to salvage something from the wreckage love has made of his life, he now hopes that Anton will not reject him again.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama
Country: West Germany
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: disturbing, philosophical, depressing, controversial, art house, psychological, serious, emotional, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 78%
Close-Knit (2017)
Plot Summary:
After being neglected by her mother, a little girl is taken in by her uncle and his transgender girlfriend, who create a loving home for her.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: psychological, disturbing, educational, sexual, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
Melting Away (2011)
Plot Summary:
Shlomo who discovers in his son's Assaf room, women's clothing and accessories, decides to 'teach the boy a lesson'. When Assaf returns to his parents' home on a rainy night from a party, his attempts to enter home fail. His father, with the silent consent of his mother, locked the door. At present, 4 years later, Gallia turns to an investigation agency to help her find her son Assaf and bring him to Shlomo, his father who is dying of cancer. One night, at a night club in Tel Aviv, Assaf is seen performing as a beautiful transgender lady singer who goes by the name of Anna. After a few days a private nurse turns up at Shlomo's room at the hospital, sent as she claims by the insurance agency to assist Shlomo. The nurse is Anna (his son Assaf) and she manages to conquer Shlomo's heart by her charming personality and her special attitude toward life.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 194
Genere: Drama
Country: Israel, Canada
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, touching, realistic, captivating, psychological, sincere, serious
Similar in 76%
Trade (2019)
Plot Summary:
Trade tells the story of two men, one a streetwise hustler, the other a straight-laced lawyer, who meet and form a relationship that brings to light who they really are. Inspired by the book "Boulevard Girls" by David Kaye.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 93
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: psychological, sentimental, sexy, unusual plot structure, melancholic, contemplative
Similar in 83%
Cowboys (2020)
Plot Summary:
Troy and his young transgender son Joe are on the run from his conservative mother in the Montana wilderness, with a detective in hot pursuit.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing, social, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
The Goddess of Fortune (2019)
Plot Summary:
Alessandro and Arturo have been together for over 15 years and, despite the feeling they still have for each other, their relationship is now at crisis. When Alessandro’s best friend, out of the blue, asks them to take care of her two kids for a few days, something changes in their daily routine and love will drive them to a crazy and unexpected turn in their life.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: sincere, psychological, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 75%
1985 (2018)
Plot Summary:
Having been gone for three years, closeted advertising executive Adrian returns to his Texas hometown and struggles to reveal his dire circumstances to his conservative family.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, sentimental, sincere, unusual plot structure, disturbing, sad, black and white, crying, queer cinema
Similar in 78%
Viva (2015)
Plot Summary:
Jesús, a young hairdresser, works at a Havana nightclub for drag performers, and dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama, Jesús finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when Angel, his estranged father, abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. The macho Angel, recently released from a 15-year stint in prison, tries to squelch his son’s ambition to perform in drag. Father and son clash over their opposing expectations of each other, struggling to understand one another and reconcile as a family. Shot in a gritty neighbourhood far from the Havana most tourists know, Viva is a heartrending story of music, performance and survival.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Ireland, Cuba
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, disturbing, lgbt cinema, queer cinema
Similar in 89%
Tiger Orange (2014)
Plot Summary:
In the small Central California town where they grew up, two estranged gay brothers struggle to reconnect after the recent death of their father.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 75 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, captivating, realistic, lgbt cinema, homoerotic, queer cinema