Best movies like Life and Death
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
When a married doctor brings home a gay medical student that he's smitten with, his wife goes along and the three try to build a non-traditional relationship. Then society's homophobia intervenes.
IMDB Rating: 4.4
IMDB Votes: 33
Genere: Drama
Country: Norway
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags:
Best tv shows and movies like Life and Death (1980):
Similar in 84%
We (2003)
Plot Summary:
A summer trip to Berlin offers a fleeting glimpse into the lives of the country's youth in this vibrant, character-driven drama from director Martin Gypkens. When twentysomething Florian arrives in town to pay a visit to long-lost pal Pit, the duo quickly reminisce before heading out to a party. Soon meeting up with many of Pit's acquaintances, the film follows various intersecting lives as they are woven to create an intricate, microcosmic look at life's ups and downs as seen through the eyes of Germany's youth.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 284
Genere: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 89%
Daydream Obsession 2: Infidelities (2004)
Plot Summary:
In this sequel to the ever-so-campy, wanna-be gay soft porn, Daydream Obsession, the naked-body-obsessed Clayton (Joseph Dain), whose previous demented daydreams turned to kidnapping and bondage nearly destroyed his friendship in the last film with his straight roommate Brian, now turns his fixated attentions upon his boyfriend Luke, who he suspects is cheating on him. Will the relationship survive Clayton's delusional fantasies? Written by Joe Fowler.
IMDB Rating: 4.3
IMDB Votes: 45
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
Once More (1988)
Plot Summary:
A man sick of his life, decides to leave his wife and find his happiness elsewhere. Along the way he meets a man with whom he falls in love. The film covers a decade of his life, each scene taking place roughly during his daughter's birthday.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 189
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: erotic, queer cinema
Similar in 80%
Ben & Sam (2010)
Plot Summary:
A college heartthrob meets a college newbie - a challenge, a tension, a discovery, and a love that will change everything between them.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 20
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 89%
William, the New Judo Master (2016)
Plot Summary:
Portrays the universe of an eternal being that exists within a lifecycle filled with disappointments and hopelessness. It's the chronicle about the search for love and the fight against oblivion.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 42
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: experimental, avant garde
Similar in 79%
Shiner (2004)
Plot Summary:
Raising the subtext of "Fight Club" into text, "Shiner" depicts a pair of amateur boxers gratified by punching each others' lights out. Theirs is among a trio of twisted love stories in the narrative feature by 29-year-old Los Angeles director Christian Calson. There's also a woman literally fighting her male lover's affections and another boxer who stalks his own shy male stalker. "Shiner" transcends sadomasochism in that no one seems aware of what he or she is doing. "I'm trying to look at desire head on," the soft-spoken Calson said by telephone. "('Shiner') is about the politics of wanting and being wanted and how people respond differently." Rife with ugly behavior, "Shiner" rejects the trend of queer filmmakers seeking straight understanding. "In L.A., we have this kind of sadness we carry around, that the only way we can make gay stories is by making more like 'Will and Grace,' " Calson said. Like the activist-filmmakers tackling the marriage issue, Calson went into ".
IMDB Rating: 3.8
IMDB Votes: 397
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: independent film, queer cinema
Similar in 81%
One Summer Night (2016)
Plot Summary:
In the winter of 2013, Yong-jun and Jae-sung, a member of the Korean People’s Army, are caught having sex by a superior. After that, Yong-jun decides to defect from North Korea to the South leaving Jae-sung behind. Yong-jun risks his life to step on the land of freedom and meets Tae-kyu. Two years after, Jae-sung comes over to the South, and Yong-jun must decide between Jae-sung and Tae-kyu. This causes misunderstandings and puts them in pain.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 139
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 81%
Burlesque King (1999)
Plot Summary:
Harry leaves Olongapo, the former site of American bases, with his best friend James. They end up in Manila where they soon find work as macho dancers in a gay bar run by Mama Odette. Harry has a troubled past -- his American father used to pimp him and his mother, Betty. When his father accidentally killed his mother, Harry struck out on his own. He made a vow to kill his father.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 200
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: erotic
Similar in 80%
Anjos da Noite (1987)
Plot Summary:
Many exotic characters meet in São Paulo night, looking for love and adventure: Malu, a model; Mauro, the drag queen; Teddy, the hustler; Guto, the gay reporter; and Marta, an actress.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 131
Genere: Drama
Country: Brazil
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 85%
The Male Gaze: Nocturnal Instincts (2021)
Plot Summary:
Strap yourself in for an exhilarating journey into darkness with these five award-winning short films from across the globe that delve into heart-pumping escapades varying from the intensely erotic to the ultra-violent to the warm-inside feels. The night has never looked so inviting. Segments: After Dawn [Passée l'aube] (2017), Poof (2018), Spiral (2018), Night of Love (2018), Floating Melon [浮果] (2015).
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 90
Genere: Drama
Country: UK, Sweden, Israel, China, Belgium
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspense, disturbing, anthology
Similar in 85%
Lakki... The Boy Who Could Fly (1992)
Plot Summary:
Surreal tale of a 14 year-old boy who dreams of escaping the loneliness from an unhappy home & sexual abuse (from his mother's boyfriend who is also his school swimming coach). One day his back mysteriously sprouts feathers and he can metaphorically fly away from it all.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 279
Genere: Drama
Country: Norway
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: surreal, crying
Similar in 81%
We Are Thr3e (2018)
Plot Summary:
Nacho is an accountant, an average guy. At a party he meets Ana, a recently divorced young woman. Then they meet the charismatic bartender Sebastian, who starts flirting with both of them and they accept his invitation to spend the night at his place. A few days later, they decide to go on a weekend trip to a secluded farm. It seems like it will be a fun one-night-stand, until Sebastian confesses that he desires a long-term relationship with a man and a woman together. Sweet love story for those who believe in (unconventional) romance.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 357
Genere: Drama
Country: Argentina
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: psychological, disturbing, controversial, art house, queer cinema
Similar in 84%
The Man in Her Life (1997)
Plot Summary:
Selya is disappointed with Bobby who only wants sex but no real relationship nor marriage. So she leaves and decides to marry the gay Ramon who, she is convinced, is definitely different.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 383
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 75%
Amazing Grace (1992)
Plot Summary:
A drama about two families, each with a gay son. Jonathan is splitting from Miki because the more experienced Miki is playing around. Then Jonathan sees Thomas, the son and grandson of his neighbors, who is back in Israel after failing to make it as a musician in New York: Thomas is ill, detached, in search of hard drugs. Jonathan tries to connect with him. Meanwhile, Thomas's grandmother, facing old age, has become bitter, particularly toward her hard-working daughter. They worry about Thomas. A few blocks away, Jonathan's mother, brother and sister maintain their sometimes bickering relationships, watching Jonathan brave adulthood.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 169
Genere: Drama
Country: Israel
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 89%
Noah's Arc (2004)
Plot Summary:
Four gay friends live in L.A. and deal with today's issues, boyfriends, aids, your boyfriend's children, making it in the movie biz, etc.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 460
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 75 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 75%
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 88%
Mind Fuck (2010)
Plot Summary:
Yaki just wanted to make a porn film. As a child growing up in an ultra-orthodox family (very religious), he never even heard about this "dubious" genre. Actually, he never even encountered the world of television and film. After shooting his little film, he starts developing his interest in video-art, with the help of his good friend Ricardo. Through this medium he explores the connection between sex and religion, myth and anxiety, body and soul. This is his self portrait.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 18
Genere: Drama
Country: Israel
Duration: 75 min
Plot tags: fake documentary
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 85%
Closing Numbers (1993)
Plot Summary:
Keith, Anna and their son Peter are a close, loving family living in a smart suburban street of a provincial city. Anna is a typical middle-class housewife, filling her day with good works, until one day, when she finds a note that leads to a shattering discovery - her husband has been having an affair. Anna's intense shock at finding out Keith's secret is compounded when she arranges to meet his lover. When Steve arrives at the meeting place, Anna is forced to accept the fact that Keith has been leading a double life for the length of their marriage. Steve stresses the risk of AIDS and urges Anna to have an AIDS test. To show her what it can be like to live with the disease, he introduces her to Jim, who needs 24-hour care and has developed a realistic attitude towards his own death. When Keith leaves home suddenly, Anna is forced to tell her son about the threat of HIV, but Peter turns violently against her and runs away.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 143
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 89%
Open Bodies (1998)
Plot Summary:
Born to a North African father and a French mother, 18-year-old Parisian high school senior Rémi works part-time in an Arab grocery store while studying management and commerce. He responds to a school ad seeking subjects for a film, and Marc, who placed the ad, auditions Rémi by filming an interview with him. Rémi and Marc wind up in bed, and Rémi soon has other sexual experiences – with a guy in a men's room and with a young woman who grabs him while she's dancing in the street.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 189
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 47 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 80%
I Am Happiness on Earth (2014)
Plot Summary:
Emiliano looks at his life with the eyes of a film director, mixing the objective reality with the processes of the artistic creation. The story he is filming flounders with his daily life, until his world is trapped in the lens of his camera. Confused, always alone and in front of a screen, now become a transfigured reality, but at the same time a measurable, controllable and manipulable one, he listens in loop to a song: one of those songs you sing or repeat as a prayer and forcing you to remember, believe and convince yourself.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing, erotic, queer cinema
Similar in 85%
Sagwan (2009)
Plot Summary:
Sagwan is a story of an 18-year-old boy named Alfred, whose routinary life as a boatman becomes complicated as he discovers how much more life around him has to offer. His family's haunting dark past inhibits him from living his young life freely.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 165
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspense, queer cinema
Similar in 79%
The Mattachine Family (2023)
Plot Summary:
While Thomas and Oscar are very much in love, after their first foster child returns to his birth mother, they find that they have different ideas about what making a family actually means.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 179
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 89%
Fixing Frank (2002)
Plot Summary:
Frank (Miller) is a gay journalist who goes undercover at the urging of his therapist boyfriend Jonathan (Provenza) to write an exposé of Dr. Apsey (Butler). Apsey performs conversion therapy on gay male clients, a practice which Jonathan finds reprehensible. Frank quickly comes clean with Apsey but continues to meet with him under the pretense of interviewing him, but finds himself questioning himself, Jonathan and their six-year relationship.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 490
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: queer cinema, cult film
Similar in 84%
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 84%
So Pretty (2019)
Plot Summary:
Four young queers in New York City struggle to maintain their proto-utopian community against the outside world as their lives curiously merge with the 1980s German novel "So schön" by Ronald M. Schernikau.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 376
Genere: Drama
Country: USA, France
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, sexy, unusual plot structure, captivating, disturbing, contemplative, queer cinema
Similar in 82%
Hidden Pleasures (1977)
Plot Summary:
The plot follows a middle-aged, closeted homosexual banker from a wealthy family, who falls in love with a much younger heterosexual man.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 329
Genere: Drama
Country: Spain
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: social, independent film, gay cinema
Similar in 78%
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 82%
Open Future (1983)
Plot Summary:
A 16 year old boy growing up in the 60's, experimenting with life, sex, drugs and alcohol.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 125
Genere: Drama
Country: Norway
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: freeze frame
Similar in 84%
Label Me (2019)
Plot Summary:
Sex is power, and Waseem, a Syrian gay-for-pay hustler seeking asylum in Cologne, wields it like a shield. Keeping his johns at an emotional arm’s length while satisfying their most carnal desires in order to eke out a living, he meets his match in Lars: a kind, affluent professional with a growing personal interest in Waseem. This gripping tale of transactional identity explores the tactical exchange of trust and intimacy in a partnership, and the divisions between immigrants and their host countries in contemporary Europe.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: psychological, sentimental, romantic, sexy, touching, unusual plot structure, melancholic, contemplative, gay cinema