Best movies like Milk
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, who became an outspoken agent for change, seeking equal rights and opportunities for all. His great love for the city and its people brought him backing from young and old, straight and gay, alike – at a time when prejudice and violence against gays was openly accepted as the norm.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 178000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, political, realistic, sincere, touching, sad, inspirational, serious, contemplative, emotional
Best tv shows and movies like Milk (2008):
Similar in 78%
J. Edgar (2011)
Plot Summary:
As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 133000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 137 min
Plot tags: political, factual, melancholic, compassionate, thought provoking, realistic, informative, bleak, serious, historical drama
Similar in 80%
Any Day Now (2012)
Plot Summary:
In the late 1970s, when a mentally handicapped teenager is abandoned, a gay couple takes him in and becomes the family he's never had. But once the unconventional living arrangement is discovered by authorities, the men must fight the legal system to adopt the child.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, sincere, uplifting, sentimental, touching, sad, educational, tear jerker, powerful, serious
Similar in 89%
The Laramie Project (2002)
Plot Summary:
"The Laramie Project" is set in and around Laramie, Wyoming, in the aftermath of the murder of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard. To create the stage version of "The Laramie Project," the eight-member New York-based Tectonic Theatre Project traveled to Laramie, Wyoming, recording hours of interviews with the town's citizens over a two-year period. The film adaptation dramatizes the troupe's visit, using the actual words from the transcripts to create a portrait of a town forced to confront itself.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: sincere, thought provoking, bleak, captivating, disturbing, clever, controversial, talky, lgbt cinema, sexual
Similar in 90%
Before Night Falls (2000)
Plot Summary:
Spanning several decades, this powerful biopic offers a glimpse into the life of famed Cuban poet and novelist Reinaldo Arenas, an artist who was vilified for his homosexuality in Fidel Castro's Cuba.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: Mexico, USA
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, bleak, lyrical, serious, emotional, realistic, independent film, sincere, sad, factual
Similar in 82%
Stonewall (2015)
Plot Summary:
"Stonewall" is a drama about a young man in New York caught up during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a pivotal event widely considered the starting point for the modern gay civil rights movement.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, serious, realistic, political, lgbt cinema, social, controversial, queer cinema
Similar in 84%
Prayers for Bobby (2009)
Plot Summary:
True story of Mary Griffith, gay rights crusader, whose teenage son committed suicide due to her religious intolerance. Based on the book of the same title by Leroy Aarons.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, sad, emotional, depressing, serious, motivational, thought provoking, heartbreaking, lgbt cinema
Similar in 80%
Rustin (2023)
Plot Summary:
Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: political, gay cinema, political drama
Similar in 80%
I Am Michael (2015)
Plot Summary:
The controversial true story of a gay activist who rejects his homosexuality and becomes a Christian pastor.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, realistic, touching, romantic, thought provoking, intellectual, lgbt cinema, romantic drama, independent film
Similar in 89%
Joe Bell (2020)
Plot Summary:
The true story of a small town, working class father who embarks on a solo walk across the U.S. to crusade against bullying after his son is tormented in high school for being gay.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: psychological, touching, melancholic, talky, inspirational, road movie, thought provoking, anamorphic, crying, independent film
Similar in 82%
My Own Private Idaho (1991)
Plot Summary:
In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," Mike Waters is a gay hustler afflicted with narcolepsy. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. Together, the two travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and finally to the coast of Italy in a quest to find Mike's estranged mother. Along the way they turn tricks for money and drugs, eventually attracting the attention of a wealthy benefactor and sexual deviant.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 61000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: road movie, cult classic, surreal, art house, lgbt cinema, touching, serious, captivating, melancholic, independent film
Similar in 75%
Boy Erased (2018)
Plot Summary:
The son of a Baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church supported gay conversion program.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Australia, USA, China
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, psychological, sentimental, captivating, intellectual, depressing, serious, lgbt cinema, sad, cult classic
Similar in 78%
Philadelphia (1993)
Plot Summary:
No one would take his case until one man was willing to take on the system. Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 254000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: touching, sad, tear jerker, sincere, emotional, thought provoking, compassionate, inspirational, lgbt cinema, crying
Similar in 79%
Wilde (1997)
Plot Summary:
The story of Oscar Wilde, genius, poet, playwright and the First Modern Man. The self-realisation of his homosexuality caused Wilde enormous torment as he juggled marriage, fatherhood and responsibility with his obsessive love for Lord Alfred Douglas.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, Japan, Germany
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: homoerotic, costume drama, touching, period piece, witty, historical drama, sentimental, sincere, serious, captivating
Similar in 85%
The Normal Heart (2014)
Plot Summary:
The story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s, taking an unflinching look at the nation's sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 132 min
Plot tags: sad, touching, emotional, sincere, compassionate, depressing, serious, thought provoking, realistic, talky
Similar in 86%
Pride (2014)
Plot Summary:
Based on a true story, the film is set in the summer of 1984 – when Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners. But there is a problem - the union seems embarrassed to receive their support. However the activists are not deterred. They decide to ignore the union and go direct to the miners. They identify a mining village of Onllwyn, in the Dulais Valley in Wales, and later set off in a mini bus to make their donation in person. And so begins the extraordinary story of two seemingly alien communities who form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 61000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: touching, political, feel good, witty, sincere, humorous, inspirational, emotional, sad, realistic
Similar in 90%
Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Plot Summary:
Female born, Teena Brandon adopts his male identity of Brandon Teena and attempts to find himself and love in Nebraska.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 102000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: bleak, disturbing, touching, independent film, sad, emotional, depressing, thought provoking, controversial, sexual
Similar in 82%
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Plot Summary:
A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, South Africa
Duration: 141 min
Plot tags: emotional, serious, realistic, political, inspirational, educational, social, novela, cult classic, informative
Similar in 80%
Selma (2014)
Plot Summary:
"Selma," as in Alabama, the place where segregation in the South was at its worst, leading to a march that ended in violence, forcing a famous statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson that ultimately led to the signing of the Civil Rights Act.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 95000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: emotional, political, thought provoking, inspirational, sincere, uplifting, factual, serious, period piece, realistic
Similar in 77%
The Big Short (2015)
Plot Summary:
The men who made millions from a global economic meltdown.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 471000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: intellectual, realistic, tense, intelligent, inspirational, social, political, motivational, thought provoking, cult classic
Similar in 89%
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Plot Summary:
In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 731000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: motivational, heartbreaking, disturbing, harsh, bleak, atmospheric, emotional, factual, brutal, rough
Similar in 86%
Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Plot Summary:
Loosely based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, a drug-taking, women-loving, homophobic man who in 1986 was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and given thirty days to live.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 511000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: psychological, heartbreaking, compassionate, depressing, motivational, inspirational, clever, emotional, dramatic, cerebral
Similar in 88%
Malcolm X (1992)
Plot Summary:
A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 100000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 202 min
Plot tags: inspirational, political, factual, intense, stylized, realistic, thought provoking, serious, captivating, emotional
Similar in 75%
Gandhi (1982)
Plot Summary:
In the early years of the 20th century, Mohandas K. Gandhi, a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of Indian independence. Faced with armed resistance from the British government, Gandhi adopts a policy of 'passive resistance', endeavouring to win freedom for his people without resorting to bloodshed.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 238000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, India, USA, South Africa
Duration: 191 min
Plot tags: epic, spiritual, inspirational, political, uplifting, factual, motivational, touching, compassionate, emotional
Similar in 76%
Bobby (2006)
Plot Summary:
In 1968 the lives of a retired doorman, hotel manager, lounge singer, busboy, beautician and others intersect in the wake of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: political, realistic, light, intense, melancholic, captivating, historical drama, twist ending, sincere, neo noir
Similar in 90%
Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
Plot Summary:
The story of journalist, Edward R Murrow's stand against Senator McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 101000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, Japan, USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: black and white, political, tense, melancholic, factual, period piece, disturbing, dramatic, sincere, clever
Similar in 82%
Lincoln (2012)
Plot Summary:
A revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 270000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA, India
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: political, period piece, emotional, epic, factual, thought provoking, suspense, sentimental, historical drama, captivating
Similar in 79%
Game Change (2012)
Plot Summary:
Based on the book by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, Game Change focuses on the Republican run of the 2008 Presidential election, when candidate John McCain picks a relative unknown, Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, to be his running mate. As the campaign kicks into high gear, her lack of experience, in both political and media savvy, becomes a drain upon McCain and his strategists. Directed by Jay Roach, who previously directed the HBO film Recount and the Austin Powers movies, Game Change premiered on HBO on March 10th, 2012.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: political, talky, intense, thought provoking, serious, realistic, captivating, clever, visually appealing, non fiction
Similar in 80%
Schindler's List (1993)
Plot Summary:
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
IMDB Rating: 9.0
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 195 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, heartbreaking, realistic, thought provoking, poignant, black and white, dramatic, serious, sad
Similar in 84%
Nixon (1995)
Plot Summary:
An all-star cast powers this epic look at American President Richard M. Nixon, a man carrying the fate of the world on his shoulders while battling the self-destructive demands within. Spanning his troubled boyhood in California to the shocking Watergate scandal that would end his presidency.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 192 min
Plot tags: political, factual, talky, compassionate, intense, thought provoking, realistic, sincere, touching, serious
Similar in 78%
Frost/Nixon (2008)
Plot Summary:
For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting Frost as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans. Likewise, Frost's team harboured doubts about their boss's ability to hold his own. But as the cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 112000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: clever, political, tense, tricky, psychological, factual, period piece, realistic, talky, political thriller