Best movies like Mass Appeal
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A young seminarian rattles the established order at a Catholic parish run by an older pastor. (TCM.com).
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: talky, psychological, captivating, realistic, semi serious, sentimental, light, inspirational, sexy, touching
Best tv shows and movies like Mass Appeal (1984):
Similar in 85%
Change of Life (2006)
Plot Summary:
A gay-bashing evangelical minister gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change his hateful ways following a life-altering tragedy. Gary Catell is the intolerant host of a nationally syndicated radio program. He uses the airwaves to spread the message that all homosexuals are destined to burn in hell. But when Gary's lesbian daughter calls in and commits suicide on the air, he prays that God will give him a second chance to save her. And God grants Gary's wish, but with an unexpected twist. The following day, Gary awakens to discover that not only has he been transformed into a gay man, but time has also been turned back two weeks. His daughter is still alive, but saving her won't be easy. Only by redeeming himself and learning to love all of God's creatures will the man who once condemned homosexuals be able to save his own daughter from committing the ultimate sin, and suffering for all of eternity. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 37
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: humorous, serious, captivating, independent film
Similar in 81%
Forgive Me (2013)
Plot Summary:
A series that breaks the seal of the Catholic confessional booth. A young insomniac priest gets caught up in the sins of his congregants while a secret from his own past threatens his calling.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 33
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration:
Plot tags: sincere, psychological, serious, realistic, contemplative, talky, touching, gloomy
Similar in 85%
The David Dance (2014)
Plot Summary:
Away from the microphone, David is soft spoken, shy and unsure of himself. However, as his on-air alias ‘Danger Dave,’ the host of “Gay Talk,” he’s poised, witty, and every listener’s best friend! His sister, Kate, a thrice divorced banker has a yen for Schumann and cats. Though successful, the siblings suffer from a secret, yet vast, sense of inadequacy. Kate fills her void through an adoption; David gawkily romances his coworker; then, life one day throws him a lemon. Past and present intertwine to tell the story of a man learning to love and accept himself.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 157
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: touching, psychological, sexy, unusual plot structure, melancholic, independent film, queer cinema
Similar in 79%
Right to Believe (2014)
Plot Summary:
Tony Morris (Christopher Hunt) is a local newspaper reporter who is demoted to writing for his paper’s community section after his credibility is falsely called into question. Little does Tony know that his first assignment in his new role presents the biggest challenge of his young career. With his job on the line, Tony is assigned to cover the town’s first Gay Pride Day and interview parade organizer Markus Fry (Timothy Paul Taylor).
IMDB Rating: 2.8
IMDB Votes: 141
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: christian film, psychological, romantic, sexy, touching, unusual plot structure, melancholic, gay cinema
Similar in 79%
Poster Boy (2004)
Plot Summary:
With the help of a hot, slightly older new acquaintance (Noseworthy), the closeted son (Newton) of a conservative U.S. Senator (Lerner) puts a shocking spin on his dad's re-election campaign.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: realistic, semi serious, captivating, queer cinema
Similar in 86%
The Third Miracle (1999)
Plot Summary:
The Vatican sends a priest to verify some miracles, performed by a woman who has been nominated for sainthood.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: biblical, controversial, sincere, thought provoking, serious, realistic, contemplative, independent film, psychological, sentimental
Similar in 80%
Mrs. Worthington's Party (2007)
Plot Summary:
Father Jonathan Keene - a cold, impatient Catholic priest arrives in a tiny fishing village the week before Christmas to do what he does best: shut down a dying parish.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 647
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: touching, feel good, serious, realistic, contemplative, independent film
Similar in 82%
Pieces of Dreams (1970)
Plot Summary:
A young priest (Robert Forster) questions his faith after he falls in love with a social worker.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 345
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: uplifting, thought provoking, touching, serious, realistic, sexual, sexy
Similar in 89%
Therese (1986)
Plot Summary:
The life of little St. Therese of Lisieux, depicted in minimalist vignettes. Therese and her sisters are all nuns in a Carmelite convent. Her devotion to Jesus and her concept of "the little way" to God are shown clearly, using plain modern language. A sense of angelic simplicity comes across without fancy lights, choirs, or showy miracles.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 978
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: spiritual, slow cinema, aesthetic, sincere, thought provoking, touching, serious, captivating, emotional, realistic
Similar in 89%
Sister Mary Explains It All (2001)
Plot Summary:
As Sister Mary delivers a lecture on sin and its consequences, she's interrupted by several of her former students, who have little positive to say about how a Catholic education has impacted their lives.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 683
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 77 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, realistic, light, feel good, captivating, entertaining, talky, biting, suspense
Similar in 78%
The Seminarian (2010)
Plot Summary:
The Seminarian is a story about Ryan, a closeted gay student in his final semester of seminary studies. Despite his school's hostile stance towards homosexuality, Ryan has two gay classmates - Gerald and Anthony - in whom he secretly confides. He is also close to his religiously devout mother who, as things stand, is unaware of his sexual orientation. Ryan needs to complete a solid theological thesis in order to continue doctoral work at the university of his dreams. As he works on his thesis 'The Divine Gift of Love,' Ryan begins a relationship with Bradley - a guy he has met on the Internet who seems perpetually unable to commit himself. Ryan confides in Gerald and Anthony, only to learn about their romantic struggles as well. Consequently, Ryan questions his views on God's gift of love.
IMDB Rating: 4.3
IMDB Votes: 594
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: semi serious, psychological, sentimental, captivating, contemplative, sexy, touching, offbeat, humorous, realistic
Similar in 83%
Boys to Men (2001)
Plot Summary:
A four-part anthology film dealing with homosexuality from the young to the old. Crush, detailing the budding friendship of a 12-year old girl and a 16-year old boy, who bond over their favorite TV program and musical tastes. The Mountain King, details a young street hustler who makes a play for a straight man on a deserted beach one afternoon. . Lost is a look at a day in the life of a young man who is first seen engaging in unsafe sex with a random partner,. The Confession, a dying Catholic asks his partner of 35 years to send for a priest, even though the partner is greatly opposed to such a request. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 438
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 75 min
Plot tags: homoerotic, psychological, captivating, disturbing, anthology, queer cinema
Similar in 79%
The Nun (2013)
Plot Summary:
Suzanne Simonin describes her life of suffering in letters. As a young woman she is sent to a convent against her will. Since her parents cannot afford the dowry required for a marriage befitting her rank they decide she must instead become a nun. Although a kind and understanding Mother Superior helps her to learn the convent’s daily routine, Suzanne’s desire for freedom remains unabated. When the Mother Superior dies, Suzanne finds herself faced with reprisals, humiliation and harassment at the hands of the new Abbess and the other Sisters. For many years, Suzanne is subjected to bigotry and religious fanaticism. (Berlinale.de).
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Germany, Belgium
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, atmospheric, serious, psychological, erotic, sincere, independent film, period drama
Similar in 75%
Stella Days (2011)
Plot Summary:
A priest stationed in Tipperary, Ireland, is eager to return to Rome. Told he cannot do so until he has raised enough money for the building of a new church, he decides to open a cinema in the local town.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 468
Genere: Drama
Country: Ireland, Norway, Germany
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: realistic, captivating, sincere, serious, intellectual
Similar in 78%
In the Name Of (2013)
Plot Summary:
The contemporary story of a priest who launches a centre for troubled youth in a small parish. He is a good priest and is well-liked by his congregation, which remains unaware of his complicated past.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: Poland
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, atmospheric, psychological, sincere, captivating, social, gloomy, sexual, sexy
Similar in 84%
Nasty Baby (2015)
Plot Summary:
Nasty Baby centers around a Brooklyn couple, Freddy and his boyfriend Mo, who are trying to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. Freddy is an artist, and his latest work is all about babies – it’s clear he’s dying to be a father. Polly is a family practitioner who is more interested in having a baby than having a man. Mo is hesitant about the entire idea, especially when Polly isn’t having success with Freddyʼs sperm and the donor responsibility shifts to him. Set almost entirely in the multicultural vibrancy of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, the trio navigates the idea of creating life, when they are confronted by unexpected harassment from particularly aggressive neighborhood man, nicknamed The Bishop. The Bishop is bothersome in small, yet persistent ways, with a hint of danger. As their clashes become increasingly aggressive, someone is bound to get hurt.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, semi serious, captivating, psychological, emotional, mumblecore, cult classic, indie film, queer cinema
Similar in 83%
The Errand of Angels (2008)
Plot Summary:
Sister Rachel Taylor of Boise, Idaho is an eager young missionary of the LDS Church who has been sent on an 18-month long mission to Austria. Rachel finds herself having a hard time adjusting to her new cultural surroundings in the foreign country. Due to differences in opinion, she is also unable to get along with the companion missionary that was assigned to her by the church.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 293
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: realistic, contemplative, psychological, captivating, emotional, christian film, touching, serious
Similar in 90%
A Question of Faith (2017)
Plot Summary:
When Tragedy Strikes three Families, their Destiny forces them on a coverging path and mercy as the challenges of their fate could also resurrect their beliefs.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: psychological, atmospheric, touching, serious, captivating, realistic, christian film, sad, dramatic
Similar in 83%
The Wise Kids (2011)
Plot Summary:
A vivid, dynamic Southern coming-of-age drama, takes place in the transitional space between high school and college, when life seems to be all questions and no answers, and the future is scarily wide open. Set in and around a Charleston, SC Baptist church, weaving through this ensemble piece are three main characters - Brea, an introspective pastor's daughter experiencing debilitating doubt, the hyperactive Laura, Brea's best friend and a devout believer, and Tim, the open-hearted son of a single father, confronting his homosexuality for the first time. Tensions and buried feelings abound, as colleges are chosen and adults behave badly, as Brea, Laura and Tim attempt to hang onto what they have, all the while yearning to break free.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, contemplative, sexual, christian film, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 75%
Boys Life 2 (1997)
Plot Summary:
Compilation of four short films about homoerotic situations involving young men. In "Trevor", by Peggy Rajski, a teenager faces homophobia and falls in love for the first time. Tom DeCerchio directed "Nunzio's Second Cousin", telling the story of a gay cop who forces a gay-basher to come to his house and have dinner with his family. In "Alkali, Iowa", by Mark Christopher, a young gay man finds out some of his father's past secrets. And "Must Be the Music", by Nickolas Perry, follows four teenagers looking for love in nightclubs.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 487
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 74 min
Plot tags: independent film, anthology, touching, humorous, realistic, semi serious, sketch comedy, sexy, unusual plot structure, sweet
Similar in 80%
Boys Life: Three Stories of Love, Lust, and Liberation (1994)
Plot Summary:
Each of the three short films in this collection presents a young gay man at the threshold of adulthood. In "Pool Days," Justin is a 17-year old Bethesda lad, hired as the evening life guard at a fitness center. In the course of the summer, he realizes and embraces that he's gay. In "A Friend of Dorothy," Winston arrives from upstate for his freshman year at NYU. He has to figure out, with some help from Anne, a hometown friend, how to build a social life as a young gay man in the city. In "The Disco Years," Tom looks back on 1978, the year in high school that he came out of the closet after one joyful and several painful encounters.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 531
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: anthology, independent film, sentimental, touching, humorous, realistic, semi serious, sexy, feel good, sweet
Similar in 81%
War Room (2015)
Plot Summary:
The family-friendly movie explores the transformational role prayer plays in the lives of the Jordan family. Tony and Elizabeth Jordan, a middle-class couple who seemingly have it all – great jobs, a beautiful daughter, their dream home. But appearances can be deceiving. In reality, the Jordan’s marriage has become a war zone and their daughter is collateral damage. With the help of Miss Clara, an older, wiser woman, Elizabeth discovers she can start fighting for her family instead of against them. Through a newly energized faith, Elizabeth and Tony’s real enemy doesn’t have a prayer.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: christian film, inspirational, biblical, sentimental, captivating, exciting, uplifting, spiritual, entertaining, light
Similar in 76%
An Ordinary Family (2011)
Plot Summary:
AN ORDINARY FAMILY is a humorous drama about one family, two brothers and a really big problem. Thomas Biederman is blindsided when his estranged brother, Seth, shows up unannounced to the annual family vacation… with his boyfriend.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 143
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: humorous, emotional, psychological, captivating, independent film, sentimental, touching, realistic, talky, semi serious
Similar in 79%
FAQs (2005)
Plot Summary:
After living on the tough streets of LA for a while, India hopes that every gay basher will meet his destiny. In this case Destiny is a black, 6 foot, high heel wearing, gun toting, drag queen with an attitude and a soft place in her heart for homeless gay boys.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 528
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, talky, sexual, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 90%
Cal (2013)
Plot Summary:
Twenty-year-old Cal returns from France to Britain after receiving news that his mother is ill. His finds his home city of Bristol facing hard economic times brought on by the global economic crisis, with poverty and crime on the rise and rioting and looting almost a nightly occurrence. It is not a warm homecoming as his sick mother remains stubbornly homophobic and wants nothing to do with the now openingly gay Cal while his battered Auntie Jane, now living in a run down council house, dulls her stagnation with welfare funded booze and disturbing attempts to sexually seduce her nephew. Navigating his way across this new landscape he meets a young student who needs his help. However his act of kindness brings him into contact with a lawless drug dealing pimp and a race against time to make peace with his mother and get out of town as quickly as possible. An intense tale of a family mired in poverty, angry and lost but still searching for love, respect and acceptance.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 474
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, erotic, tense, gloomy, gay cinema, queer cinema
Similar in 78%
The Boys in the Band (1970)
Plot Summary:
A witty, perceptive and devastating look at the personal agendas and suppressed revelations swirling among a group of gay men in Manhattan. Harold is celebrating a birthday, and his friend Michael has drafted some other friends to help commemorate the event. As the evening progresses, the alcohol flows, the knives come out, and Michael's demand that the group participate in a devious telephone game, unleashing dormant and unspoken emotions.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: intense, realistic, witty, powerful, independent film, sincere, humorous, talky, cynical, semi serious
Similar in 87%
Children of God (2010)
Plot Summary:
Johnny (Johnny Ferro) is an art student in Nassau whose technique is perfect, but he’s creatively blocked. His teacher sends him off to the rural island of Eleuthera where he meets Romeo (Stephen Tyrone Williams), a hot musician. They begin a clumsy dance of attraction and romance. Romeo has a fiancé and is identified as straight, but he’s been known to play with the boys on the side secretly. The Bahamas are bound by religious traditions that discourage homosexuality and end up forcing gay men into the closet. Lena is a pastor’s wife. Her husband demonizes homosexuality to further his career, yet he’s on the DL as well. When Lena discovers that her husband has infected her with VD, he accuses her of infidelities. These characters are all bound together in this intense drama of love, family and secrets.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Bahamas
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, emotional, realistic, stylized, lgbt cinema, gloomy, crying, queer cinema, gay cinema
Similar in 79%
The Garden (1990)
Plot Summary:
A nearly wordless visual narrative intercuts two main stories and a couple of minor ones. A woman, perhaps the Madonna, brings forth her baby to a crowd of intrusive paparazzi; she tries to flee them. Two men who are lovers marry and are arrested by the powers that be. The men are mocked and pilloried, tarred, feathered, and beaten. Loose in this contemporary world of electrical-power transmission lines is also Jesus. The elements, particularly fire and water, content with political power, which is intolerant and murderous.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: UK, Germany, Japan
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, serious, realistic, art house, disturbing, cult classic, experimental, independent film, clever, offbeat
Similar in 78%
Inherit the Wind (1999)
Plot Summary:
Based on a real-life case in 1925, two great lawyers argue the case for and against a science teacher accused of the crime of teaching evolution.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: gothic, sincere, thought provoking, clever, serious, captivating, realistic, disturbing, contemplative, talky
Similar in 82%
Conspiracy of Silence (2003)
Plot Summary:
When a priest commits suicide and two trainees are expelled from a seminary, a journalist starts to investigate the Vatican’s silence on broken vows of celibacy. A thriller examining the internal conflicts in the modern Catholic church.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 412
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: disturbing, serious, realistic, suspenseful, controversial, independent film, queer cinema