Best movies like Restless City
Last updated March 2024
Looking for movies similar to Restless City? Provide your expertise to lead others to tv shows and films you've previously watched that might also engage them. Assist in expanding the group of people raising videos between each other. We value your participation!
Plot Summary:
Tells the story of an African immigrant surviving on the fringes of New York City where music is his passion, life is a hustle and falling in love is his greatest risk.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 274
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, realistic, contemplative, captivating, psychological, intelligent, independent film, sincere, serious
Best tv shows and movies like Restless City (2011):
Similar in 81%
Police Beat (2005)
Plot Summary:
Z (Pape Sidy Niang), a Seattle bicycle cop, tries to make sense of the world while patrolling the city streets but can't focus on his job because he's so preoccupied with suspicions that his girlfriend is cheating on him. Director Robinson Devor paints a compelling picture of immigrant life, as the West African Z attempts to interpret American culture through his experience as a newcomer to the country.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 386
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, serious, bleak, offbeat, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 86%
Ripple Effect (2007)
Plot Summary:
Believing that bad karma is keeping him from realizing his dream, hip clothing designer Amer Atrash (Philippe Caland) attempts to orchestrate salvation -- with unexpected results -- in this indie drama. Pushed to the edge of financial disaster and facing marital woes, Atrash resolves to right a wrong he committed years earlier when his car accidentally struck Philip Blackman (Forest Whitaker), leaving him paralyzed.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 763
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, serious, emotional, spiritual, realistic, crying
Similar in 78%
I Used to Be Darker (2013)
Plot Summary:
When Taryn, a Northern Irish runaway, finds herself in trouble in Ocean City, MD, she seeks refuge with her aunt and uncle in Baltimore. But Kim and Bill have problems of their own: they’re trying to handle the end of their marriage gracefully for the sake of their daughter Abby, just home from her first year of college. A story of family revelations, people finding each other and letting each other go, looking for love where they’ve found it before and, when that doesn’t work, figuring out where they might find it next.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: realistic, sincere, touching, serious, contemplative, mumblecore, independent film
Similar in 79%
Louis (2010)
Plot Summary:
A silent film about Louis Armstrong as a young boy and how he acquired his first cornet.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 224
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, realistic, psychological, captivating, sentimental, offbeat, humorous, stylized, semi serious, independent film
Similar in 80%
The Color of Pomegranates (1969)
Plot Summary:
The life of revered the 18th-century Armenian poet and musician Sayat-Nova (Vilen Galstyan). Portraying events in the life of the artist from childhood up to his death, the movie addresses in particular his relationships with women, including his muse (Sofiko Chiaureli). The production tells Sayat-Nova's dramatic story by using both his poems and largely still camerawork, creating an impressionistic work.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Music
Country: Soviet Union
Duration: 79 min
Plot tags: surreal, poetic, atmospheric, avant garde, psychedelic, mind bending, experimental, contemplative, scenic, disturbing
Similar in 89%
The World (2004)
Plot Summary:
“The World” is a theme park on the outskirts of Beijing, sixteen kilometers from the Chinese capital, designed around scaled representations of the world’s famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower or the Leaning Tower of Pisa.The site is seen here not from the visitors’ point of view but through the eyes of a few of its staff, lonely people, communicating poorly, a bit disillusioned with life, glittering for the tourists but dull and restricted as far as they are concerned.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: China, Japan, France
Duration: 143 min
Plot tags: touching, psychological, sentimental, sincere, inspirational, contemplative, intercultural, slow cinema, aesthetic, serious
Similar in 89%
The Citizen (2012)
Plot Summary:
Yearning to leave behind his life of misfortune in the Middle East, Ibrahim Jarrah wins the U.S. Green Card Lottery for a chance to become an American citizen. Ibrahim lands in New York City the day before 9/11…and the events of the September terrorist attacks forever shape the struggles he faces on his journey to capture the American dream.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, captivating, psychological, uplifting, independent film
Similar in 81%
Mother of George (2013)
Plot Summary:
A story about a woman willing to do anything and risk everything for her marriage.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Nigeria, USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, serious, psychological, captivating, visually stunning, sincere, independent film
Similar in 79%
Brooklyn Babylon (2001)
Plot Summary:
A charismatic rapper falls in love with a young Jewish girl despite the confines of her religious background.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 335
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA, France
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, touching, serious, crime drama, independent film, emotional, realistic
Similar in 82%
X/Y (2014)
Plot Summary:
As Mark, Jen, Sylvia, and Jake navigate through their emotionally-arrested states, X/Y reveals the honest and wanton desire we all have to connect with someone and what is at stake when that connection fades.
IMDB Rating: 4.2
IMDB Votes: 693
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, atmospheric, captivating, sexy, sincere, touching, serious, independent film, erotic
Similar in 88%
The Taqwacores (2010)
Plot Summary:
Three years in the making, this feature documentary follows the progression of the Muslim Punk scene: from its imaginary inception in a novel written by a white-convert named Michael Muhammad Knight to a full-blown, real-life scene of Muslim punk bands and their fans.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 584
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, thought provoking, uplifting, contemplative, independent film
Similar in 76%
One Love (2003)
Plot Summary:
Kassa a free-wheelin rasta man, falls for a straight laced gospel singer Serena, when they both meet as they enter a music contest. Serena's father the pastor forbids her to see him and wants her to marry one of his church members. Meanwhile the record boss organizing the contest, tries to get Kassa's band to sign to his label on his terms not theirs. By using heavy tactics, he pushes the band to fight back.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 436
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Jamaica, Norway, UK
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sentimental, captivating, emotional, realistic, touching, serious, stylized
Similar in 84%
Choking Man (2006)
Plot Summary:
The social anxiety of a morbidly shy Ecuadorian dishwasher working in a Queens diner provides the psychological engine that powers this blend of drama and magical realism.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 597
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: realistic, atmospheric, touching, captivating, psychological, sentimental, serious, gloomy
Similar in 82%
Not Waving But Drowning (2012)
Plot Summary:
Not Waving But Drowning is a chronological look at growing up, formed from two different stories. The two sets of friends represent the American dilemma between what you have known and what you hope to know; the tear between longing for the past and the desire to explore.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 431
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, atmospheric, touching, captivating, sincere, serious, gloomy, independent film
Similar in 79%
Crossroads (2006)
Plot Summary:
The life of a young Jesuit seminarian is turned upside down when he falls in love with a young woman while working as a volunteer at a soup kitchen.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 300
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, realistic, psychological, captivating, sincere, touching, serious, sexual
Similar in 83%
She's Lost Control (2014)
Plot Summary:
Ronah's life unravels when she starts working with a new client, Johnny.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, tense, realistic, sexy, captivating, independent film, sexual
Similar in 86%
Paraiso Travel (2008)
Plot Summary:
PARAISO TRAVEL is the story of Marlon Cruz, a young Colombian man who, motivated by his girlfriend Reina leaves his comfortable life in Medellin and flees with her through Guatemala and Mexico, across the borders, illegally into the United States. Marlon's journey, which takes him through seedy strip clubs, dance halls, homeless hostels, ultimately takes him to a place he could have not predicted.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Colombia, USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, captivating, realistic, atmospheric, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 85%
Filly Brown (2012)
Plot Summary:
“Majo” Tonorio, a.k.a. Filly Brown, is a raw, young Los Angeles hip-hop artist who spits from the heart. When a sleazy record producer offers her a crack at rap stardom, Majo faces some daunting choices. With an incarcerated mother, a record contract could be the ticket out for her struggling family. But taking the deal means selling out her talent and the true friends who helped her to the cusp of success.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: realistic, sincere, captivating, psychological, hood, serious, independent film
Similar in 89%
The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll (2009)
Plot Summary:
In this film, childhood friends come face to face with the demons of rock and roll (lust, drugs, and passion) on a cross-country road trip that compels them to face their past, present, and future. Rocker Spyder, whose debut album was a huge hit saw his follow-on album bomb, causing him to retreat to his small hometown and give up. Seven years later, 27-year-old Spyder reconnects with his long-lost best friend and writer of his debut album Eric, son of a late great punk rock guitar legend, who has long settled into the sedate life of a suburban middle school music teacher. The reunion forces the two to recall their youthful ambitions and re-examine the choices they've made.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 552
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, atmospheric, captivating, sentimental, sincere, serious, independent film
Similar in 78%
Don't Let Me Drown (2009)
Plot Summary:
In a post-September 11th world overflowing with fear and hate, two Latino teens discover that sometimes the only thing that can keep them from drowning is love.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 428
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, sentimental, captivating, touching, serious, gloomy, independent film
Similar in 88%
Quiet City (2007)
Plot Summary:
Jamie is 21. She's from Atlanta. She's come to Brooklyn to visit her friend Samantha, but she can't find her. Jamie meets a stranger named Charlie on the subway and spends 24 hours hanging out with him.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 78 min
Plot tags: mumblecore, realistic, captivating, light, atmospheric, sincere, serious, avant garde
Similar in 90%
Emoticon ;) (2014)
Plot Summary:
Elena Gallenti is an anthropology graduate student struggling to complete her thesis on 'modern means of communication.' All that changes when she meets her new boyfriend's teenage kids, who are going through their own journeys of self-discovery. All of them learn to navigate love and intimacy in the digital age.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 125
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 79 min
Plot tags: realistic, sentimental, psychological, contemplative, independent film, serious
Similar in 79%
3 Backyards (2010)
Plot Summary:
An executive, a housewife and a youngster spend a day in their Long Island suburban town during the course of one curious autumn day afternoon.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 753
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, atmospheric, serious, tense, sincere, gloomy, independent film, psychological thriller, psycho film
Similar in 89%
The Stick Up Kids (2008)
Plot Summary:
People always told Santos he was something special. His Uncle told him to get a skill, so he became a hustler and with his three,they became "The Stick Up Kids" Harlem would never be the same. They thought they had it all... Money, cars, the lifestyle and the lingo. The only two words They didn't know were JURISDICTION AND GENTRIFICATION but in their world it was all for one and one for all until an unexpected, mysterious death, forced "The Stick Up Kids"to change their focus from doing crime to stopping the "North Manhattan Project". Now it was up to Santos to pull off one last sting before it destroyed them all. Watch out America. 'The Stick Up Kids" are coming to your town!.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 104
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, psychological, captivating, crime drama, independent film, rough, suspenseful
Similar in 80%
Virgin (2003)
Plot Summary:
When a teenager finds herself pregnant, with no memory of having had sex, she determines that she is carrying the child of God.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 601
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, psychological, captivating, erotic, sincere, serious, contemplative, independent film
Similar in 87%
In Between Days (2006)
Plot Summary:
A Korean immigrant falls in love with her best friend while navigating her way through the challenges of living in a new country.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 609
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada, South Korea, USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: emotional, realistic, sentimental, contemplative, captivating, depressing, mumblecore, sincere, touching, serious
Similar in 77%
Jess + Moss (2011)
Plot Summary:
Jess, age 18, and Moss, age 12 are second cousins in the dark-fire tobacco fields of rural Western Kentucky. Without immediate families that they can relate to, and lacking friends their own age, they only have each other. Over the course of a summer they venture on a journey exploring deep secrets and hopes of a future while being confronted with fears of isolation, abandonment and an unknown tomorrow.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 980
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, realistic, contemplative, stylized, psychological, captivating, teen, aesthetic, sincere, touching
Similar in 79%
Home Again (2012)
Plot Summary:
Returning to a "home" they hardly know after being deported from their adopted countries for minor criminal offenses, three people from very different backgrounds try to make a new life for themselves, in Jamaica in this gutsy drama from writer-director Sudz Sutherland. (TIFF).
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 428
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, realistic, serious, captivating, psychological, gloomy, independent film
Similar in 76%
2nd Take (2011)
Plot Summary:
Reclusive writer takes aspiring actress under his wing.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 183
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, atmospheric, captivating, touching, serious, gloomy
Similar in 87%
The Mambo Kings (1992)
Plot Summary:
The Mambo Kings tells the story of César and Nestor Castillo, brothers and aspiring musicians who flee from Cuba to America in search of the American Dream.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: France, USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: sentimental, emotional, melancholic, serious, realistic, touching, captivating, fairy tale, romantic, sexy