Best movies like The Masseur
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Following the death of his father and a chance meeting with an abusive romance novelist, a masseur working in a gay massage parlor struggles to make sense of his unfulfilling relationships while simultaneously assisting his mother in preparing his father for burial. Twenty-year-old Iliac may not be the best masseur in the parlor, but when he catches the eye of a cold and calculating romance novelist looking for a cheap thrill, the icy indifference displayed by his paying lover does little more to warm the spirits than his sexually charged but emotionally distant girlfriend. Despite the resentment Iliac feels towards his late father for abandoning the family and embarking on a suicidal alcohol binge, the lovelorn youth nevertheless makes the journey home to be there for his grieving mother in her time of need.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 552
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 76 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, emotional, realistic, sexual, sexy, queer cinema
Best tv shows and movies like The Masseur (2005):
Similar in 78%
The Blue Hour (1992)
Plot Summary:
A male prostitute and his sensitive neighbor develop an unexpected relationship in this moving German drama. Noticing Marie's devastation after her boyfriend, Paul, dumps her, call boy Theo tries to help, and their friendship soon grows deeper, touching a part of Theo he's frozen in order to service his male clients. When Paul returns, however, his presence threatens this fragile new union.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 344
Genere: Drama
Country: Germany, Switzerland
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, emotional, realistic
Similar in 80%
Unspoken Passion (2008)
Plot Summary:
Sikil tells the story of two men and a woman who are involved in a bizarre love triangle. These three friends grew up in a small town south of Manila. Enzo is a young closet gay prostitute who's obsessed with his childhood friend who happens to be a call-boy and has a girlfriend. Other interesting characters are the bi-sexual pimp, a regular bathhouse customer, and a sampaguita vendor-pickpocket-shoplifter and caretaker of Adong's daughter.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 103
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, erotic, offbeat, sexual, sexy
Similar in 81%
The Night (2014)
Plot Summary:
A young man stands in front of a mirror. The night belongs to him. Every evening, he appraises his appearance, attired in a new shirt, leaves his apartment and waits in a poorly lit alleyway for his johns. One night he meets a female prostitute of his age who’s new in this part of town.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 77
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, serious, suspense, queer cinema
Similar in 82%
Macho Dancer (1988)
Plot Summary:
A former American soldier becomes an exotic dancer and male prostitute in Manila.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 445
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: erotic, rough, sexy, serious, realistic, disturbing, sexual, independent film, queer cinema
Similar in 84%
The Stranger in Us (2010)
Plot Summary:
In this verité-style drama, Anthony, a newcomer to San Francisco, attempts to come to terms with his abusive ex-lover when he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a street hustler.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 530
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: realistic, atmospheric, emotional, captivating, independent film, touching, serious, crying, queer cinema
Similar in 80%
Pantasya (2007)
Plot Summary:
A digital feature has five episodes that all deal with wild gay fantasies involving men in uniform. It starts with "Biyahe," about a jilted taxi driver and his jealous passenger who find comfort in each other's lovesick arms. The second episode is "Linya," about a lonely homeowner whose phone conks out. Two handsome repairmen arrive and they end up engaging in a dizzying threesome. Next is "Laro," about four basketball players who are taking a shower in the locker room after an intense game, and a shy guy who takes a peek at them and later joins in the fun. "Bilis" is about a hunky delivery boy in a hurry who delivers pizza to a bored yuppie who is working overtime in his office. They get instantly attracted upon seeing each other. The last episode is "Bantay," about a horny security guard in the graveyard shift. He sees two lovers fighting. Rhyme dumps Jon and Jon finds solace in the arms of the easy going guard.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 104
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: captivating, disturbing
Similar in 79%
Phantom Images (2011)
Plot Summary:
A filmmaker continues shooting his film after his funding is pulled.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 48
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 73 min
Plot tags: serious, emotional, realistic, disturbing, sexual, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 83%
Love in the Time of Civil War (2014)
Plot Summary:
Lauded Quebec filmmaker Rodrigue Jean (Lost Song) takes a fearless, unflinching look at the reality of addiction in this tough-minded docudrama set in the bleak milieu of hustlers and junkies in Montreal.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 498
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: touching, bleak, realistic, disturbing, serious
Similar in 77%
The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros (2005)
Plot Summary:
A 12-year-old gay who comes from a criminal family falls in love with a handsome policeman.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, emotional, erotic, serious, realistic, crying, queer cinema
Similar in 81%
A Perfect Son (2000)
Plot Summary:
A man's terminal illness reunites him with his estranged brother.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 361
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, emotional, independent film, sincere, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 86%
Burn the Bridges (2007)
Plot Summary:
Eugenia is a former pop singer who is bedridden and dying of cancer. She is cared for by her daughter, Helena, who dreams of traveling the world and wishes she could be a glamorous pop star like her mother was. Helena’s younger brother Sebastian's dreams are simple and he merely wants to move to the beach. Helena is smart and pretty but she has no friends, male or female and is totally devoted to her mother's care and is also on the verge of initiating an incestuous relationship with Sebastian. Sebastian however, is falling in love with a boy at school named Juan who is the school roughneck and the son of a single father who owns a little bar. Juan is the nemesis of the school preppy named Ismael who comes from such a wealthy home that he has his own chauffeur and bodyguards. Ismael's ping-pong obsessed girlfriend Aurora rents a room at Helena and Sebastian's house where Ismael discovers he is also attracted to Sebastian.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 784
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: serious, touching, emotional, realistic, sexual, sexy, queer cinema, weird
Similar in 90%
Dry Cleaning (1997)
Plot Summary:
A bored couple takes in a young man who turns their lives inside out.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Spain
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: psychological, sexy, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative, talky, sexual
Similar in 84%
Beauty (2011)
Plot Summary:
Tells the story of François van Heerden, a mid-40s, white, Afrikaans-speaking family man living in Bloemfontein, who has become devoid of any care or concern for his own measure of happiness, and so convinced of his ill-fated existence, that he is wholly unprepared when a chance encounter unravels his clean, controlled life.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: South Africa, France, Germany
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, emotional, realistic, erotic, disturbing, serious, independent film, queer cinema, gay cinema
Similar in 84%
Beyond the Walls (2012)
Plot Summary:
Paulo, a young pianist, meets Ilir, a double-bass player originally from Albania. It's love at first sight. Confronted by Anka, Paulo finds himself out on the street. Despite Ilir's misgivings, Paulo moves in with him. One day, when Paulo promises that he will love Ilir for the rest of his life, Ilir leaves the city and doesn't return. A few days later, Paulo finds out that Ilir is in jail, and the two lovers embark on an heart-breaking relationship.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Belgium, Canada, France
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, realistic, sexual, serious, silent, sexy, queer cinema, gay cinema, silent film
Similar in 81%
Sebastian (1995)
Plot Summary:
In this thoughtful Scandinavian drama, a teenage boy wrestles with his sexuality and learns that most of his deepest fears were unfounded. Sebastian is almost 17 when he figures out that he is a homosexual. Though he lives with wonderful, stable parents and has a good-hearted sister, he finds himself wracked with turmoil and suddenly withdraws from them all. The more they try to understand why, the more distant Sebastian becomes. Things get worse when he falls in love with the handsome Ulf, who comes from an unstable, tempestuous home. Sebastian realizes he is lucky, but still can't help but become irritated when he brings Ulf home for dinner. His parents are too nice and this quietly infuriates their son. Eventually they leave the two boys alone in the house. Sebastian have great fun doing teenage guy stuff, but then they take a bath together and it is then that Sebastian tries to kiss Ulf.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 595
Genere: Drama
Country: Norway, Sweden
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, sexual, sexy, gay cinema, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
Gun Hill Road (2011)
Plot Summary:
An ex-con returns home to the Bronx after three year in prison to discover his wife estranged and his teenage son exploring a sexual transformation that will put the fragile bonds of their family to the test.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, emotional, realistic, independent film, queer cinema, bilingual
Similar in 90%
In the Gloaming (1997)
Plot Summary:
Danny, dying of Aids, returns home for his last months. Always close to his mother, they share moments of openness that tend to shut out Danny's father and his sister.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 67 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, queer cinema
Similar in 87%
Doubt (2003)
Plot Summary:
A gaggle of friends and observers ponder the fate of a relationship as they watch it collapse in this independent drama from the Philippines. Cris (Andoy Ranay) is a documentary filmmaker with a well-regarded body of work and a large community of friends and admirers. Cris is also gay, and possesses a voracious sexual appetite, claiming to have had sex with over 4,000 men during his years of frequent cruising. But Cris has fallen for Eric (Paolo Gabriel), and has sworn off meaningless sex for the pleasures of monogamy. However, while Cris wants Eric and Eric alone, Eric himself isn't so sure he feels exactly the same way, and is both puzzled and annoyed with Cris' rather ironic jealousy. The tensions between the two take a heavy toll on Cris, leading to a suicide attempt, and as his friends watch from a distance, any number of them speculate on what's going on between Cris and Eric. Duda was screened at part of the 2004 New York Asian-American Film Festival.
IMDB Rating: 4.4
IMDB Votes: 113
Genere: Drama
Country: Philippines
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: emotional, touching, realistic, sentimental, captivating, serious, sexual, independent film, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 81%
Twelve Thirty (2010)
Plot Summary:
TWELVE THIRTY is drama about a family with adult children that is broken, and a self-centered young man who, in the span of a week, becomes entangled in each of their lives, wreaking havoc in the process.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 267
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, atmospheric, captivating, erotic, realistic, independent film, sexual, sexy
Similar in 83%
The God of Wood (2010)
Plot Summary:
Yao (Madi Diocou) and Moroccan Rachid (Soufiane Ouaarab) arrive illegally in Valencia, Spain, and separate. Yao sells pirated DVDs in the street and wanders disconsolately around the barrio until he glimpses divorcee Maria Luisa (Marisa Paredes) working in her boutique. High-strung and irritable, Maria lives with her gay son, Rober (Nao Albet), who, like many other things in life, is a disappointment to her. Rachid, meanwhile, is doing just fine working as a hairstylist in a beauty salon; Rober is hopelessly in love with him. When Yao starts sleeping in Rober's flat, a confrontation between him and Maria suddenly becomes inevitable, and when it comes, what could have been an embarrassment is actually handled with grace.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 152
Genere: Drama
Country: Spain
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: realistic, emotional, sentimental, psychological, captivating, touching, serious, sexual, sexy
Similar in 90%
Sex & the Single Mom (2003)
Plot Summary:
Jess Gradwell and her teenage daughter boast a superclose relationship. When it comes to sex, however, Mom won't stand for anything less than premarital celibacy. So she gets a pretty healthy dose of her own medicine when she winds up getting pregnant from a brief encounter with a newly single doctor! This new situation poses a major challenge to the mother-daughter dynamic. Tune in to see if Jess and her daughter can rise to the occasion.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 571
Genere: Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, emotional, realistic, sexual, sexy
Similar in 82%
Boys Love (2006)
Plot Summary:
Magazine editor Taishin Mamiya interviews high school model Noeru Kisaragi. Despite Noeru's bad attitude, his painting of an ocean intrigues Mamiya and leads to a dinner, during which Noeru solicits Mamiya sexually. Soon Mamiya sees Noeru with another man, and he is shocked to discover at that moment that his interest in Noeru goes beyond article research—he truly wants to know more about him.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 581
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sincere, emotional, touching, serious, realistic, queer cinema
Similar in 87%
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 89%
The Other Family (2011)
Plot Summary:
Jean Paul and Chema have been together ten years. They have successful careers, a comfortable home and many friends. But that's all turned turned upside down when close friend Ivana rescues Hendrix from his broken home and asks them to care for the boy. Hendrix's mother Nina is a drug addict who suffers at the hands of her abusive partner Patrick. The men begin to consider making Hendrix part of their family. ~ Baseline StudioSystems.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 891
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: serious, sincere, touching, realistic, queer cinema
Similar in 79%
Salvation Army (2013)
Plot Summary:
Abdellah is a young gay man navigating the sexual, racial and political climate of Morocco. Growing up in a large family in a working-class neighborhood, Abdellah is caught between a distant father, an authoritarian mother, an older brother whom he adores and a handful of predatory older men, in a society that denies his homosexuality.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 667
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Morocco, Switzerland
Duration: 81 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, emotional, realistic, social, bleak, queer cinema
Similar in 85%
Surrender, Dorothy (2005)
Plot Summary:
When her daughter Sara unexpectedly passes away, Natalie retreats to the summer home where she and Sara used to visit. Time with her best friends and some of Sara's friends help her deal with her loss.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 897
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 87%
Absence (2014)
Plot Summary:
A daily, familiar, sexual and emotional drama. Based on the character Serginho, the plot is based around various aspects of this "no longer a boy, not yet a man". We follow his day to day: the recently acquired role of man of the house, taking care of his mother and younger brother; is work at the market; his friendship with Mudinho and Silvinha; and his confusing relationship, between sex and affection, with professor Ney. The film is a tapestry of the life moments of a boy in transition.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 177
Genere: Drama
Country: Brazil, Chile, France
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, emotional, realistic, bleak
Similar in 86%
Normal (2003)
Plot Summary:
A Midwestern husband and father announces his plan to have a sex change operation.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, emotional, serious, sexy, sincere, sentimental, thought provoking, touching, contemplative
Similar in 78%
Service (2008)
Plot Summary:
A struggling family (Gina Pareño, Jaclyn Jose, Coco Martin) owns a Filipino porn theater where prostitutes conduct their business.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Philippines, France, South Korea, Hong Kong
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: sexy, sincere, atmospheric, serious, emotional, erotic, tense, realistic, saga, gloomy
Similar in 82%
The Best Day of My Life (2002)
Plot Summary:
The Best Day of My Life is the story of a dysfunctional family as seen through the eyes of young Chiara (Maria Luisa De Crescenzo) who is about to receive her first communion. The family includes matriarch Irene (Virna Lisi) and her three grown up children.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Italy, UK
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: touching, humorous, realistic, sentimental, captivating, serious, emotional, gloomy, sexual, sexy