Best movies like The Barbarian Invasions
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
In this belated sequel to 'The Decline of the American Empire', 50-something Montreal college professor, Remy, learns that he is dying of liver cancer. He decides to make amends meet to his friends and family before he dies. He first tries to made peace with his ex-wife Louise, who asks their estranged son Sebastian, a successful businessman living in London, to come home. Sebastian makes the impossible happen, using his contacts and disrupting the entire Canadian system in every way possible to help his father fight his terminal illness to the bitter end, while he also tries to reunite his former friends, Pierre, Alain, Dominique, Diane, and Claude to see their old friend before he passes on.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: Canada, France
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: philosophical, sentimental, touching, emotional, clever, sad, sincere, realistic, witty, talky
Best tv shows and movies like The Barbarian Invasions (2003):
Similar in 86%
Together (2000)
Plot Summary:
Elisabeth leaves her abusive and drunken husband Rolf, and goes to live with her brother, Göran. The year is 1975 and Göran lives in a commune called Together. Living in this leftist commune Elisabeth learns that the world can be viewed from different perspectives.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Sweden, Denmark, Italy
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, humorous, witty, sincere, realistic, talky, romantic, feel good, clever
Similar in 82%
Last Night (1998)
Plot Summary:
Various citizens of Toronto anxiously await the end of the world, which is occurring at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day. While widower Patrick Wheeler braces for his fate, he meets Sandra, the wife of a businessman who is intent on committing suicide. Meanwhile, Patrick's friend Craig decides to have as much sex as he can while there is still time.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Canada, France
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: dark comedy, surreal, sincere, semi serious, apocalyptic, humorous, philosophical, bad ending, emotional, heartbreaking
Similar in 87%
The Savages (2007)
Plot Summary:
A sister and brother face the realities of familial responsibility as they begin to care for their ailing father.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: sentimental, realistic, independent film, emotional, compassionate, touching, depressing, melancholic, sincere, humorous
Similar in 88%
Mambo Italiano (2003)
Plot Summary:
When an Italian man comes out of the closet, it affects both his life and his crazy family.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: touching, humorous, funny, melancholic, sentimental, not serious, feel good, entertaining, stylized, realistic
Similar in 82%
Husbands and Wives (1992)
Plot Summary:
When Jack and Sally announce that they're splitting up, this comes as a shock to their best friends Gabe and Judy. Maybe mostly because they also are drifting apart and are now being made aware of it. So while Jack and Sally try to go on and meet new people, the marriage of Gabe and Judy gets more and more strained, and they begin to find themselves being attracted to other people.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: realistic, talky, melancholic, sincere, semi serious, romantic, philosophical, clever, bleak, witty
Similar in 88%
Too Beautiful for You (1989)
Plot Summary:
A car dealer, well-to-do and with a beautiful wife, finds himself attracted to his rather plain new temporary secretary. Despite her own commitments she feels the same and the two soon embark on an affair. Though it would seem it has happened before his wife finds this particular entanglement of her husband's very difficult to accept.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: talky, cynical, clever, humorous, realistic, semi serious, crying, erotic, psychological, atmospheric
Similar in 78%
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Plot Summary:
Two women, Nic and Jules, brought a son and daughter into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids go behind their mothers' backs to meet with the donor. Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 134000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA, France
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: touching, independent film, sexy, witty, sexual, semi serious, comedy drama, sincere, realistic, feel good
Similar in 90%
It Runs in the Family (2003)
Plot Summary:
This is the story of a dysfunctional New York family, and their attempts to reconcile.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: light, humorous, semi serious, sentimental, touching, talky, epic, realistic, crying, romantic
Similar in 87%
Betty Fisher and Other Stories (2001)
Plot Summary:
Grieving after the death of her young son Joseph, novelist Betty Fisher enters a dark depression. Hoping to bring her out of it, her mother Margot arranges to kidnap another child, Jose, to replace the son Betty lost. Although she knows it's wrong, Betty accepts Jose as her new son. Meanwhile, Jose's mother Carole is looking for her son with the help of her boyfriend Francois and some of his criminal cohorts.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: France, Canada
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: psychological, stylized, tense, harsh, emotional, realistic, suspenseful, sincere, serious, depressing
Similar in 80%
Intermission (2003)
Plot Summary:
A raucous story of the interweaving lives and loves of small-town delinquents, shady cops, pretty good girls and very bad boys. With Irish guts and grit, lives collide, preconceptions shatter and romance is tested to the extreme. An ill-timed and poorly executed couple's break-up sets off a chain of events affecting everyone in town.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Ireland, UK
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: dark comedy, humorous, touching, melancholic, witty, black comedy, semi serious, cult classic, realistic, intense
Similar in 79%
The Fall of the American Empire (2018)
Plot Summary:
A man's life is turned upside down in the aftermath of a robbery.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: exciting, humorous, captivating, tense, funny, crime drama, sex comedy
Similar in 87%
The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)
Plot Summary:
Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen. As they delve into Austen's literature, the club members find themselves dealing with life experiences that parallel the themes of the books they are reading.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: feel good, humorous, romantic, sweet, light, entertaining, witty, touching, sentimental, semi serious
Similar in 79%
Kings and Queen (2004)
Plot Summary:
Nora Cotterelle, a woman in her 30s is caring for her ill father, Louis Jenssens. While Nora tries to present a facade that all is well with her life, she is twice divorced and has a son, Elias, whose father is dead. Nora's present relationship is not going well, and she is soon to marry a businessman, while Elias is becoming increasingly withdrawn. A parallel storyline follows her former lover and second husband, Ismaël Vuillard, a musician, with whom she had lived for seven years. He is given to strange behaviour, and as a result he has been committed to a mental hospital, from which he is planning to escape. Nora learns that her father's digestive problems are actually cancer, and facing her father's death, Nora desperately seeks out Ismaël to ask that he reconnect with Elias, but he has mixed feelings about adopting her son. Moreover, he has met Arielle, another patient.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, serious, emotional, clever, realistic, contemplative, talky, gloomy, crying
Similar in 87%
Peter's Friends (1992)
Plot Summary:
It is New Year's weekend and the friends of Peter (Fry) gather at his newly inherited country house. Ten years ago, they all acted together in a Cambridge University student comedy troupe, but it's less clear how much they have in common now.Peter's friends are Andrew (Branagh), now a writer in Hollywood; married jingle writers Roger (Laurie) and Mary (Staunton); glamorous costume designer Sarah (Emmanuel); and eccentric Maggie (Thompson), who works in publishing. Cast in sharp relief to the university chums are Carol (Rudner), the American TV star wife of Andrew; and loutish Brian (Slattery), Sarah's very recently acquired lover. Law plays Peter's disapproving housekeeper, Vera; and Lowe, her son Paul. Briers appears in a cameo role as Peter's father.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, witty, intense, realistic, sincere, talky, clever, independent film, funny
Similar in 79%
Paris, I Love You (2006)
Plot Summary:
Olivier Assayas, Gus Van Sant, Wes Craven and Alfonso Cuaron are among the 20 distinguished directors who contribute to this collection of 18 stories, each exploring a different aspect of Parisian life. The colourful characters in this drama include a pair of mimes, a husband trying to chose between his wife and his lover, and a married man who turns to a prostitute for advice.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 74000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: France, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Germany, USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: anthology, stylized, romantic, intellectual, talky, emotional, sentimental, atmospheric, art film, clever
Similar in 90%
The Last Kiss (2006)
Plot Summary:
Revolves around a young couple and their friends struggling with adulthood and issues of relationships and commitment. Based on the 2001 Italian film L'ultimo bacio, directed by Gabriele Muccino.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: emotional, romantic, intense, sentimental, touching, humorous, feel good, realistic, philosophical, thought provoking
Similar in 84%
Smart People (2008)
Plot Summary:
Professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) might be imperiously brilliant, monumentally self-possessed and an intellectual giant -- but when it comes to solving the conundrums of love and family, he's as downright flummoxed as the next guy.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: humorous, emotional, melancholic, talky, realistic, sentimental, touching, contemplative, semi serious, independent film
Similar in 89%
The Taste of Others (2000)
Plot Summary:
Agnès Jaoui co-writes and directs this romantic comedy of manners set in France's rustic Provence. Unpolished and ultra-pragmatic industrialist Jean-Jacques Castella (co-scripter Jean-Pierre Bacri) reluctantly attends Racine's tragedy "Berenice" in order to see his niece play a bit part. He is taken with the play's strangely familiar-looking leading lady Clara Devaux (Anne Alvaro). During the course of the show, Castella soon remembers that he once hired and then promptly fired the actress as an English language tutor. He immediately goes out and signs up for language lessons. Thinking that he is nothing but an ill-tempered philistine with bad taste, Clara rejects him until Castella charms her off her feet.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: biting, meditative, sincere, touching, art house, clever, witty, talky, powerful, humorous
Similar in 77%
The Myth of Fingerprints (1997)
Plot Summary:
When a New England dysfunctional family gathers for Thanksgiving, past demons reveal themselves as one son returns for the first time in three years.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, sentimental, melancholic, talky, intense, sincere, independent film, compassionate, comedy drama
Similar in 86%
The Skeleton Twins (2014)
Plot Summary:
Estranged twins Maggie and Milo coincidentally cheat death on the same day, prompting them to reunite and confront the reasons their lives went so wrong. As the twins' reunion reinvigorates them, they realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 44000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: depressing, melancholic, psychological, dark comedy, emotional, sincere, touching, realistic, indie film, stylized
Similar in 88%
All About My Mother (1999)
Plot Summary:
A single mother in Madrid sees her only son die on his birthday as he runs to seek an actress' autograph. Beside herself with grief, she returns to Barcelona to tell the boy's father about the death of the son he never knew he had.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 102000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Spain, France
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: sad, hispanic, art house, sincere, touching, emotional, realistic, controversial, stylized, sensual
Similar in 79%
Beginners (2010)
Plot Summary:
A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 94000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: touching, sad, emotional, sentimental, sincere, heartbreaking, romantic, visually appealing, indie film, feel good
Similar in 89%
Broken Flowers (2005)
Plot Summary:
As the devoutly single Don Johnston is dumped by his latest girlfriend, he receives an anonymous pink letter informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 106000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: France, USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: road movie, melancholic, atmospheric, emotional, sincere, touching, dark comedy, ambiguous ending, dark, independent film
Similar in 87%
My Life Without Me (2003)
Plot Summary:
A Pedro Almodovar production in which a fatally ill mother with only two months to live creates a list of things she wants to do before she dies with out telling her family of her illness.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Spain, Canada
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: sad, touching, contemplative, romantic, philosophical, sincere, emotional, heartbreaking, depressing, poignant
Similar in 87%
The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
Plot Summary:
Four very different Montreal university teachers gather at a rambling country house to prepare a dinner. Remy (married), Claude (a homosexual), Pierre (involved with a girlfriend) and Alain (a bachelor) discuss sex, the female body and their affairs with them. Meanwhile, their four female guests, Louise (Remy's wife of 15 years), Dominique (a spinster), Diane (a divorcée) and Danielle (Pierre's girlfriend) are spending the time at a downtown health gym. They also discuss sex, the female body and, naturally, men. Later in the evening, they finally meet at the country house and have dinner. A ninth guest, named Mario, who used to know Diane, drops in on the group for some talk and has a surprise of his own.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: talky, intellectual, humorous, sincere, realistic, semi serious, art house, sex comedy, independent film, cult classic
Similar in 77%
Saving Face (2004)
Plot Summary:
A Chinese-American lesbian and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: romantic, touching, sexy, humorous, romantic comedy, intercultural, realistic, witty, lgbt cinema, sex comedy
Similar in 90%
His Secret Life (2001)
Plot Summary:
When Antonia's husband Massimo is killed in a car accident, she accidentally discovers that he has been having a same-sex affair with a produce wholesaler named Michele.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, emotional, sincere, serious, psychological, romantic, captivating, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 83%
Garden State (2004)
Plot Summary:
Andrew returns to his hometown for the funeral of his mother, a journey that reconnects him with past friends. The trip coincides with his decision to stop taking his powerful antidepressants. A chance meeting with Sam - a girl also suffering from various maladies - opens up the possibility of rekindling emotional attachments, confronting his psychologist father, and perhaps beginning a new life.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 222000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, sweet, independent film, funny, melancholic, feel good, realistic, offbeat, emotional
Similar in 90%
50/50 (2011)
Plot Summary:
Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 341000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, tragicomedy, depressing, emotional, sad, humorous, independent film, feel good, heartbreaking
Similar in 79%
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
Plot Summary:
Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 137000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: touching, independent film, emotional, teen, depressing, black comedy, sad, aesthetic, semi serious, funny