Best movies like The 12 Lives of Sissy Carlyle
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Seven years ago, Sissy Carlyle's parents were killed in an icy car crash. While her charming irresponsible brother continued his questionable pursuits, Sissy stepped in to take care of their parents' antique shop, their home and the family cat Horatio. With her own life at a screeching halt, Sissy begins to fill 11 secret journals with the exciting adventures of daring, bold women she imagines she could be. Now her 27th birthday is just days away and Sissy decides to fill her 12th journal with the adventures of her real life - but much to her dismay, she has absolutely nothing to write about. Then one afternoon, an intriguing young performance artist walks into Sissy's shop and their chance encounter leads Sissy to face a tough choice - to remain safely cocooned in her fantasy lives or to take a chance and discover what her real life might become.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 49
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: independent film
Best tv shows and movies like The 12 Lives of Sissy Carlyle (2017):
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Being Black Enough (2017)
Plot Summary:
A young Black man, raised in a White neighborhood, ridiculed for not being "Black enough" decides to go to the hood to hang out with his gangster cousin and discover what it really means to be "Black." He eventually faces the harsh reality of gang violence, drugs and police confrontation.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 36
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: independent film, postmodern
Similar in 88%
Me, Natalie (1969)
Plot Summary:
Since she was a child, Natalie Miller has always thought she was an ugly ducking. Despite her mother's encouragement that she will grow up to be pretty, Natalie has never believed it will happen. She rents a Greenwich Village apartment from an eccentric landlady and gets a job at the Topless Bottom Club. She rides a motorcycle to work, decorates her loft with a moose head, and rides up and down a dumbwaiter to get to her apartment. There Natalie meets David an artist, and the two have a love affair before she discovers he is married.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: cult classic, independent film
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I Dream Too Much (2015)
Plot Summary:
Dora Welles is an imaginative college grad ready to experience all the excitement of life. Instead she finds herself in snowy upstate New York caring for her reclusive great aunt (who has lived a much more exciting life than anyone realizes).
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 330
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags:
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L.A. Superheroes (2013)
Plot Summary:
Helena, a beautiful immigrant actress/model, way too old for modeling and too old for acting without credits finally lands a big job but overseas. Out of desperation and advice of her LA friends she commits a federal fraud to get her traveling documents. To escape jail time she gives out names. In this comedic/dramatic piece as she is still wondering where her career is going she needs to watch over her back wondering if she is going to end up getting whacked by the people she ratted out.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 45
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min
Plot tags: funny, light, captivating, entertaining
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Losing Ground (1982)
Plot Summary:
A comedy-drama about a Black American female philosophy professor and her insensitive, philandering, and flamboyant artist husband who are having a marital crisis. When the wife goes off on an almost unbelievable journey to find "ecstasy", her husband is forced to see her in a different light.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 828
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: independent film, black cinema
Similar in 86%
The Naked Ape (1973)
Plot Summary:
Somewhat based on Desmond Morris's fascinating book of pop anthropology, this partially animated satirical docudrama produced by Playboy Magazine publisher Hugh Hefner, traces the evolution of human kind and offers insight into the reasons why we behave the way we do. Though often dealing with sexuality, nothing in the film is terribly offensive or graphic. A prime example of mainstream experimental film-making from the early 70's featuring a young and breathtakingly lovely Victoria Principal.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 165
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: psychotronic
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Moon Dogs (2016)
Plot Summary:
A wonderfully sustained feature debut from Philip John (who directed episodes of Downton Abbey and Outlander), this anarchic coming-of-age story makes the very best of some stunning Scottish locations. It follows the misadventures of two teenage step brothers (Jack Parry-Jones and Christy O’Donnell) as they head off on a road trip across Scotland, with their relationship challenged by Caitlin (a charismatic Tara Lee), the free spirited and enigmatic girl who comes between them. Cameos from Denis Lawson and Shauna Macdonald and Anton Newcombe’s soundtrack add much to the film.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 303
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: UK, Ireland
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags:
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The Girls' Room (2000)
Plot Summary:
Two college roommates -- prim and proper Grace (Cat Taber) and wild and woolly Casey (Soleil Moon Frye) -- find themselves in a tense rivalry when Casey's conduct almost destroys Grace's engagement to preppie heartthrob Charlie (Wil Wheaton). Not too high-minded to seek revenge, Grace cozies up to Casey's pal Joey (Gary Wolf), setting off a cycle of envy and mistrust that may destroy both women's lives in director Irene Turner's well-paced indie.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 220
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: independent film
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Showing Up (2022)
Plot Summary:
In the days leading up to a possibly career-changing exhibition, a sculptor navigates her relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: interesting
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Babyfever (1994)
Plot Summary:
Gena is an average woman who is torn between her current boyfriend's desire to marry her and start a family, and the unexpected arrival of an old boyfriend wanting to pick up where they left off. To further complicate matters, she might be pregnant herself. In the mist of this unsettled personal life, Gena leaves her two men to attend a baby shower party for a girl friend and talks with the various female attendees all of whom are facing their own ticking biological clocks.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 164
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: independent film, erotic, psychological, light, sexy, thought provoking, clever, touching, unusual plot structure, melancholic
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Girlfriends (1978)
Plot Summary:
A photographer and her girlfriend are roommates. She is stuck with small-change shooting jobs and dreams of success. When her roommate decides to get married and leave, she feels hurt and has to learn how to deal with living alone.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: mumblecore, independent film, art house, cult classic
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When the Party's Over (1992)
Plot Summary:
The story takes place in LA, in the house of four housemates, three women, MJ, Frankie and Amanda, and an homosexual, Banks. MJ is the kind of girl to whom money means everything and to whom others mean almost nothing. Frankie is a social worker and Amanda, a painter. Banks is an unfortunate actor. The problem is that Frankie is deeply in love with Taylor, and he loves her back, but he's sleeping with MJ, for sex. MJ will become more and more jealous of Frankie as days flow.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: independent film, humorous, realistic, gloomy, semi serious, sexual, sexy
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Hungry Hearts (2002)
Plot Summary:
The story focuses on a young, up-and-coming chef who caters a party for four mysterious women only to discover they have a shocking surprise in store for him.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 70
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: captivating, entertaining, black comedy, dark comedy
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Say Uncle (2005)
Plot Summary:
A young artist (Peter Paige), desperate to replace the relationship he had with his recently relocated godson, is targeted by a neighborhood mom (Kathy Najimy) as a potential threat to the community.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 684
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, witty, cynical, semi serious, offbeat, biting, clever, suspense
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Late Night (2019)
Plot Summary:
A legendary late-night talk show host's world is turned upside down when she hires her only female staff writer. Originally intended to smooth over diversity concerns, her decision has unexpectedly hilarious consequences as the two women separated by culture and generation are united by their love of a biting punchline.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 40000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: humorous, sincere, entertaining, light, unpredictable, feel good, captivating
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Yes, God, Yes (2019)
Plot Summary:
Alice, a young innocent Catholic girl, is tempted into masturbating after an AOL chat suddenly turns sexual, however is conflicted as the act would be considered a sin.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 78 min
Plot tags: sex comedy, teen sex comedy, thought provoking, light, feel good, unusual plot structure, humorous, funny, intellectual, social
Similar in 78%
Unpregnant (2020)
Plot Summary:
A 17-year old Missouri teen named Veronica discovers she has gotten pregnant, a development that threatens to end her dreams of matriculating at an Ivy League college, and the career that could follow.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: road movie, sweet, psychological, touching, humorous, captivating, feel good, sad, cult classic, teen
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Mistress America (2015)
Plot Summary:
Tracy, a lonely college freshman in New York, is rescued from her solitude by her soon-to-be stepsister Brooke, an adventurous gal about town who entangles her in alluringly mad schemes. MISTRESS AMERICA is a comedy about dream-chasing, score-settling, makeshift families, and cat-stealing.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: independent film, humorous, depressing, heartbreaking, melancholic, witty, stylized, semi serious, realistic, mumblecore
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Two Bits (1995)
Plot Summary:
It's a hot summer day in 1933 in South Philly, where 12-year old Gennaro lives with his widowed mom and his ailing grandpa, who sits outside holding tight to his last quarter, which he's promised to Gennaro and which Gennaro would like to have to buy a ticket to the plush new movie theater. But grandpa's not ready to pass on the quarter or pass on to his final reward: he has some unfinished business with a woman from his past, and he enlists Gennaro to act as his emissary.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, emotional, independent film, anamorphic, cult classic, serious, realistic, thought provoking, feel good
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Lily & Kat (2015)
Plot Summary:
Set in New York City, the film follows a naive fashion school graduate named Lily who finds her world turned upside down when her reckless best friend Kat announces she’s moving away to London in a matter of days. At a Lower East Side art opening the next night, they meet the enigmatic rising artist Henri, who Lily quickly takes a liking for. With less than seven days left and a new attractor between them, Lily and Kat will find their “unbreakable” friendship put to the test.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 656
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: realistic, semi serious, light, feel good, independent film
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Funeral Kings (2012)
Plot Summary:
It's always a good day for a funeral at St. Mark's Middle School. Andy and Charlie, two altar servers, don't just get to miss class anytime a parishioner kicks the bucket, they cut out early and play hooky as soon as the service is over. Eventually their irreverent personalities will put them in a situation that is too big for them to handle.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, captivating, psychological, semi serious, independent film
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Girls Town (1996)
Plot Summary:
Four women, Patti, Emma, Angela, and Nicki are completing their last year of high school. Unfortunately for the group, one of their own, Nicki, unexpectedly commits suicide. The three remaining women, upon finding out that Nicki had been raped before she died, begin to talk to each other about the ways in which they are oppressed by the men in their lives. They begin to fight together, taking revenge on Emma's rapist, Patti's abusive ex-boyfriend, and finally, Nicki's rapist.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 812
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: harsh, disturbing, sincere, touching, independent film, realistic, serious, sexy, thought provoking, unusual plot structure
Similar in 77%
Dirty Girl (2010)
Plot Summary:
It's 1987 and Danielle, the high school 'Dirty Girl', is running away. With her is chubby, gay Clarke, a bag of flour called Joan and a Walkman full of glorious '80s tunes.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: road movie, touching, teen, independent film, melancholic, sweet, humorous, realistic, semi serious, feel good
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20th Century Women (2016)
Plot Summary:
In 1979 Santa Barbara, California, Dorothea Fields is a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie, at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women – Abbie, a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarder in the Fields' home and Julie, a savvy and provocative teenage neighbour – to help with Jamie's upbringing.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 49000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: sentimental, stylized, independent film, cult classic, philosophical, sad, aesthetic, light, humorous, captivating
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Anywhere But Here (1999)
Plot Summary:
In this adaptation of the Mona Simpson novel, single mother Adele August is bad with money, and even worse when it comes to making decisions. Her straight-laced daughter, Ann, is a successful high school student with Ivy League aspirations. When Adele decides to pack up and move the two of them from the Midwest to Beverly Hills, Calif., to pursue her dreams of Hollywood success, Ann grows frustrated with her mother's irresponsible and impulsive ways.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, clever, feel good, humorous, realistic, contemplative, semi serious, light, road movie
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Girl in Progress (2012)
Plot Summary:
As single mom Grace juggles work, bills, and her affair with a married doctor, her daughter, Ansiedad, plots a shortcut to adulthood after finding inspiration in the coming-of-age stories she's reading for school.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, humorous, semi serious, independent film, teen, realistic
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The Debut (2000)
Plot Summary:
Filipino-American high school student Ben (Dante Mercado) works in a comic book shop to earn money to pay his way into Cal Arts. His father, a postman, is determined that his son--who has won a pre-med scholarship to UCLA--will become a doctor. The eighteenth birthday party of Ben's sister, Rose, sets off a comedic and touching series of events and family struggles that will in turn determine young Ben's future. This fresh independent production from Gene Cajayon presents a lighthearted and warm coming-of-age tale filtered through the eyes of an American subculture rarely seen on film.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 686
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, touching, realistic, witty, independent film
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Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
Plot Summary:
The feature film debut by artist Miranda July about a various comic situations and plots that intertwine. One story line is about a father who is ending his marriage and the other story is of a video artist (possibly autobiographical of Miranda July, also played by her) who is desperately trying to get her work in a modern art museum. The film won Caméra d'Or at Cannes.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: touching, disturbing, humorous, realistic, surreal, philosophical, emotional, talky, sentimental, sincere
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Real Women Have Curves (2002)
Plot Summary:
Freshly graduated from high school, Ana receives a full scholarship to Columbia University. Her very traditional, old-world parents feel that now is the time for Ana to help provide for the family, not the time for college.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: touching, captivating, sentimental, clever, feel good, uplifting, intense, social, cult classic, humorous
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Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)
Plot Summary:
In 1976, a lower-middle-class teenager struggles to cope living with her neurotic family of nomads on the outskirts of Beverly Hills.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: dark comedy, humorous, disturbing, sincere, semi serious, teen, independent film, clever, black comedy, period piece