Best movies like Jud
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A Vietnam vet, Jud Carney. returns to Los Angeles at Christmas time, finds out it's not how he thought it was going to be. When Jud discovers his fiancee has left him, he moves into a boarding house peopled with "types." Flashback memories of the war and the suicide of fellow house resident, reduce Jud to a broken and bitter man.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 38
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: independent film
Best tv shows and movies like Jud (1971):
Similar in 79%
Powder Blue (2009)
Plot Summary:
On the gritty streets of LA, the destinies of four people desperate for connection and redemption are about to collide.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: bleak, emotional, serious, touching, realistic, scary, atmospheric, erotic, disturbing, anthology
Similar in 83%
Grand Canyon (1991)
Plot Summary:
Grand Canyon revolved around six residents from different backgrounds whose lives intertwine in modern-day Los Angeles. At the center of the film is the unlikely friendship of two men from different races and classes brought together when one finds himself in jeopardy in the other's rough neighborhood.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: clever, touching, realistic, anthology, christian film, feel good, spiritual, existential, weeping, tense
Similar in 78%
Ashes and Embers (1982)
Plot Summary:
Ashes and Embers is an original screenplay by Haile Gerima, about a Vietnam veteran, who, several years after the war, is struggling to come to terms with his role in the war, and his role as a Black person in America. He survives by working odd jobs in Washington, D.C. and living with his girlfriend and her son. When criticism of his alienated behavior come from her and a father figure too often, he runs to the streets or to his grandmother's rural house in Virginia. Her criticism and his memories of the past both send him fleeing again to Los Angeles, where he is surrounded by superficial people who have forgotten how to be compassionate human beings. It is here that the advice of his friends and grandmother combine to transform him from an embittered ex-soldier to a strong and confident man.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 173
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: non-linear, independent film, black cinema
Similar in 81%
Cease Fire (1985)
Plot Summary:
Tim Murphy is a Vietnam Vet. When he loses his job he starts to relive all the pain and horror of his time in Vietnam. The stresses and strains nearly destroy his marriage and his family. Only after joining a veterans' therapy group does Tim find relief from his nightmares. With the support of his fellow vets and the love of his wife, Tim recovers. Written by Pfyre Caidmon.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 243
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: independent film, cult film
Similar in 78%
Eye of God (1997)
Plot Summary:
A small Oklahoma town is stripped of its innocence when one of its boys (Nick Stahl) turns up mute and bloodied by the lakeside. Unable to tell his story, the local sheriff (Hal Holbrook) embarks on a quest to uncover the roots of a gruesome crime. He's led to Ainsley DuPree (Martha Plimpton) and her new husband, Jack (Kevin Anderson), a man whose interest in family may very well outweigh his morals.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: anthology, independent film, psychological, sincere, atmospheric, serious, realistic, suspenseful, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 80%
Highway (2002)
Plot Summary:
Jack is caught with the wife of his employer, a Vegas thug. The thug sends goons after Jack, who convinces his best friend, Pilot, to flee with him. Pilot insists that they head for Seattle, but doesn't tell Jack why. The goons learn from Pilot's drug source where the youths are headed, and they follow, hell bent on breaking Jack's feet. On the road, Jack and Pilot give a ride to Cassie, a distressed young woman. She and Jack hit it off. They pick up an aging stoner headed to Seattle for Kurt Cobain's memorial, and they help a circus sideshow family. Why is Pilot so set on Seattle, will the goons catch Jack, and is there any way the friends' competing needs can be resolved?.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: road movie, rough, serious, realistic, witty, cynical, offbeat, erotic, period piece, cult classic
Similar in 79%
Cool Breeze (1972)
Plot Summary:
A paroled crook masterminds a $3 million jewelry theft to fund a bank for businessmen.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 404
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: neo noir, detective, black cinema
Similar in 77%
Sonny (2002)
Plot Summary:
New Orleans, 1981. Sonny Phillips, just discharged from the Army, returns home. The only life he's known is as a gigolo, working for his mother, but he wants to leave that behind. However, the job his Army buddy promised doesn't materialize, and he can't escape his past.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: psychological, rough, serious, disturbing, erotic, bleak, realistic, crying, southern gothic, crime drama
Similar in 82%
The Visitors (1972)
Plot Summary:
Bill, Martha and their little child Hal are spending a quiet winter Sunday in their cosy house when they get an unexpected visit from Mike Nickerson and Tony Rodriguez. Mike and Tony are old acquaintances of Bill; a few years back, in Vietnam, they were in the same platoon. They also became opposed parties in a court martial - for a reason that Bill never explained to Martha. What happened in Vietnam, and what is the reason for the presence of Mike and Tony ?.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 80%
Rolling Thunder (1977)
Plot Summary:
A Vietnam veteran, Charles Rane, returns home after years in a POW camp and is treated as a hero. When thugs invade his home to steal the silver coins he received for his service, they mangle his hand and leave him and his family for dead. Rane survives and becomes obsessed with getting revenge. Aided by his loyal friend Johnny Vohden, Rane, now wielding a hook for a hand, sets out on his mission of vengeance.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, neo noir, bleak, stylized, harsh, rough, serious, suspenseful, suspense, road movie
Similar in 77%
Tracks (1976)
Plot Summary:
A soldier returns from Vietnam on special assignment, accompanying the body of his friend by train to California for burial. During the trip, he falls in love with a gentle college student. But their relationship is shattered by his flashbacks to combat.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 591
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: indie film, independent film, psychological, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 77%
Winter of Frozen Dreams (2009)
Plot Summary:
Barbara Hoffman is a University of Wisconsin science student. She is a part-time employee at a local massage parlor. She is also a killer. Now all Detective Lulling has to do is prove it.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 895
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, serious, realistic, christmas horror, suspense, mind bending, suspenseful, detective, independent film
Similar in 86%
The Killer Inside Me (1976)
Plot Summary:
A sheriff struggles to hide his violent murderous acts.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 498
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: neo noir, psychological, tense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy, psychotronic, suspense
Similar in 86%
The Hillz (2004)
Plot Summary:
A promising college athlete takes a turn for the worse when he hooks up with old highschool friends during his summer break.
IMDB Rating: 2.0
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: serious, surreal, realistic, captivating, suspenseful, black comedy, dark comedy
Similar in 76%
Less Than Zero (1987)
Plot Summary:
A college freshman returns to Los Angeles for the holidays at his ex-girlfriend's request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-control drug habit.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: stylized, erotic, inspirational, retro, sad, art house, cerebral, cult classic, visually stunning, erotic drama
Similar in 76%
River's Edge (1986)
Plot Summary:
A group of high school friends discover that they are in the presence of a killer. One of them, Samson, has murdered his girlfriend Jamie. He brags to his friends about killing her, and when they discover he is telling the truth, their reactions vary.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 20000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: disturbing, independent film, dark, grim, creepy, cult classic, controversial, psychological, bleak, retro
Similar in 80%
Execution of Justice (1999)
Plot Summary:
The story of an assassin who killed a mayor in the 1970's in what was known as the "Twinkie Defense".
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 274
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, controversial, surprise ending, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
Rampart (2011)
Plot Summary:
Follows veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, as he struggles to take care of his family, and fights for his own survival.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: bleak, intense, rough, psychological, neo noir, suspense, harsh, thought provoking, detective, cult classic
Similar in 81%
Prince of the City (1981)
Plot Summary:
New York City detective Daniel Ciello agrees to help the United States Department of Justice help eliminate corruption in the police department, as long as he will not have to turn in any close friends. In doing so, Ciello uncovers a conspiracy within the force to smuggle drugs to street informants.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 167 min
Plot tags: tense, neo noir, detective, bleak, realistic, epic, political, crime drama, grim, sincere
Similar in 75%
Straight Time (1978)
Plot Summary:
After being released on parole, a burglar attempts to go straight, get a regular job, and just go by the rules. He soon finds himself back in jail at the hands of a power-hungry parole officer.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: neo noir, serious, realistic, psychological, thought provoking, cynical, crime drama, contemplative, independent film, tension
Similar in 85%
The Onion Field (1979)
Plot Summary:
Greg Powell, a disturbed ex-con, recruits Jimmy Youngblood (Smith) a petty thief, as partner in crime. Powell panics when they two of are pulled over by two cops for tail lights. Powell decides to kidnap the cops and Smith goes along with his crazy scheme. They drive out to a deserted onion field in Bakersfield, where one cop is killed and the other escapes. The film explores the consequences.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: neo noir, atmospheric, psychological, realistic, rough, serious, disturbing, detective, bleak, emotional
Similar in 84%
Blood In, Blood Out (1993)
Plot Summary:
Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on half-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial cousin Miklo. It opens in 1972, as the three are members of an East L.A. gang known as the "Vatos Locos", and the story focuses on how a violent crime and the influence of narcotics alter their lives. Miklo is incarcerated and sent to San Quentin, where he makes a "home" for himself. Cruz becomes an exceptional artist, but a heroin addiction overcomes him with tragic results. Paco becomes a cop and an enemy to his "carnal", Miklo.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 33000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: intense, bad ending, entertaining, rough, serious, realistic, disturbing, cult classic, inspirational, retro
Similar in 86%
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)
Plot Summary:
Dito Montiel, a successful author, receives a call from his long-suffering mother, asking him to return home and visit his ailing father. Dito recalls his childhood growing up in a violent neighborhood in Queens, N.Y., with friends Antonio, Giuseppe, Nerf and Mike.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: emotional, harsh, rough, thought provoking, intense, realistic, sentimental, epic, crying, hood
Similar in 76%
Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
Plot Summary:
Bob and his friends Dianne, Rick and Nadine have been drug addicts for years and live from one high to the next. Gus Van Sant attempts to show an intimate look into the lives of heroin addicts with his film Drugstore Cowboy.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: road movie, independent film, cult classic, depressing, dark, grim, realistic, psychedelic, art house, aesthetic
Similar in 89%
Dusty and Sweets McGee (1971)
Plot Summary:
A "straight" couple dabbles in drugs and become heroin addicts.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 289
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, emotional, realistic
Similar in 89%
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)
Plot Summary:
Young Anthony Soprano is growing up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark, N.J., history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters start to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, whose influence over his nephew will help shape the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss, Tony Soprano.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 61000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, dramatic, hood, anamorphic, powerful, surprise ending, neo noir
Similar in 90%
House of Sand and Fog (2003)
Plot Summary:
Behrani, an Iranian immigrant buys a California bungalow, thinking he can fix it up, sell it again, and make enough money to send his son to college. However, the house is the legal property of former drug addict Kathy. After losing the house in an unfair legal dispute with the county, she is left with nowhere to go. Wanting her house back, she hires a lawyer and befriends a police officer. Neither Kathy nor Behrani have broken the law, so they find themselves involved in a difficult moral dilemma.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 72000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: psychological, bad ending, depressing, emotional, bleak, tense, sad, atmospheric, gloomy, touching
Similar in 76%
Boyz n the Hood (1991)
Plot Summary:
Boyz n the Hood is the popular and successful film and social criticism from John Singleton about the conditions in South Central Los Angeles where teenagers are involved in gun fights and drug dealing on a daily basis.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 151000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: disturbing, tense, thought provoking, hood, cult classic, brutal, bleak, independent film, rough, suspenseful
Similar in 79%
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Plot Summary:
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 371000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA, Italy
Duration: 229 min
Plot tags: epic, ambiguous ending, atmospheric, melancholic, breathtaking, captivating, rough, visually appealing, realistic, talky
Similar in 80%
Taxi Driver (1976)
Plot Summary:
A mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran works as a night-time taxi driver in New York City where the perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge for violent action, attempting to save a preadolescent prostitute in the process.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 898000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: psychological, neo noir, bleak, cult classic, disturbing, controversial, psychological thriller, depressing, rough, atmospheric