Movies like The Elephant Man
If you like "The Elephant Man" you are looking for emotional, touching and psychological movies about / with disability, hospital, dignity, freak, melancholy, disfigurement and social misfits themes of Biography and Drama genre shot in USA or UK.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps:
1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
2. Look for them in the presented list.
The Elephant Man (1980)
280K
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.
Style:
emotional, touching, psychological, sad, poignant, surreal, black and white, gothic, heartbreaking, expressionism ...
Audience:
teens, family outing
Plot:
disability, hospital, dignity, freak, melancholy, disfigurement, social misfits, cruelty, isolation, hopes, biopic, humanism, human exploitation, brutality, doctor patient relationship, exploitation, sideshow, suffering, curiosity, human nature, tragic event, psychological torture, happiness, actress, disfigured face ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, ancient times, near future, year 1980, 1880s, 20th century ...
Place:
england, london, britain, europe
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to The Elephant Man
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out touching, sincere, realistic and serious films with plots about mentor, storytelling, biopic, hopes, destiny, redemption and runaway mostly in Drama, Biography and History genres. Some movies like The Elephant Man: My Left Foot (1989), The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974), Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Sea Inside (2004), Finding Neverland (2004). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
A taped version of the stage play about a hideously deformed 19th-century London man and how he managed to triumph over his disease.
Style:
talky, uplifting, touching, sincere, realistic ...
Plot:
wrestling, misfit, circus, power relations, disability, social misfits, human nature, hopes, doctors and patients, society, life is a bitch, human spirit ...
Time:
victorian era, 19th century, 1880s, 1800s
Place:
london, england
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Ireland, UK
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
In this true story told through flashbacks, Christy Brown is born with crippling cerebral palsy into a poor, working-class Irish family. Able only to control movement in his left foot and to speak in guttural sounds, he is mistakenly believed to be ...
Style:
inspirational, unusual plot structure, touching, sentimental, sad ...
Plot:
disability, cerebral palsy, biopic, artist, working class, writers, paralysis, handicapped, medical, painter, poet, art ...
Time:
20th century, 80s, year 1989, 1930s
Place:
ireland, dublin ireland, england, europe, canada
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: West Germany
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
The film follows Kaspar Hauser (Bruno S.), who lived the first seventeen years of his life chained in a tiny cellar with only a toy horse to occupy his time, devoid of all human contact except for a man who wears a black overcoat and top hat who ...
Style:
surreal, atmospheric, philosophical, cerebral, harsh ...
Plot:
existentialism, tragedy, biopic, crime gone awry, mentor, human nature, youth, misfit, isolation, logic, village, philosophy ...
Time:
19th century, 1820s, 1830s, year 1974, 1800s ...
Place:
germany, europe, bavaria, berlin germany
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
The hopes and dreams of four ambitious people are shattered when their drug addictions begin spiraling out of control. A look into addiction and how it overcomes the mind and body.
Style:
psychological, disturbing, bleak, depressing, atmospheric ...
Audience:
kids, adult
Plot:
addiction, drug abuse, heroin, drug addiction, insanity, drug, junkie, loneliness, mental illness, depression, dream, subculture ...
Time:
year 2000, future, y2k, 20th century, 90s ...
Place:
britain, america, new york, usa, coney island brooklyn new york city ...
Similarity:
100%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Spain, France, Italy
Duration: 126 min.
Story:
The Sea Inside is about Spaniard Ramón Sampedro, who fought a 30-year campaign to win the right to end his life with dignity. It is the story of Ramón’s relationships with two women: Julia a lawyer who supports his cause, and Rosa, a local woman ...
Style:
sad, thought provoking, philosophical, emotional, breathtaking ...
Plot:
disability, euthanasia, biopic, death, human spirit, dying, handicapped, existentialism, suicide, depression, lawyer, dignity ...
Time:
year 2004, y2k, 90s, 60s, 20th century
Place:
spain, barcelona, south america, europe, galicia ...
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Biography, Drama, Family
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Finding Neverland is an amusing drama about how the story of Peter Pan and Neverland came to be. During a writing slump play writer J.M. Barrie meets the widowed Sylvia and her three children who soon become an important part of Barrie’s life and ...
Style:
touching, sentimental, period piece, heartbreaking, sweet ...
Audience:
kids, family outing, teens, family friendly, date night ...
Plot:
single parent, writers, friendship, writer's life, parents and children, death, biopic, peter pan, stage play, country house, passion, artists and showbiz ...
Time:
edwardian era, 1900s, year 2004, turn of the century, future ...
Place:
london, england, britain, europe, canada
Similarity:
100%
692K
Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 148 min.
Story:
The true story of top student and athlete, Christopher McCandless, who after graduating from Emory University in 1992, abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness.
Style:
road movie, philosophical, melancholic, inspirational, reflective ...
Audience:
teens, date night, teen drama, adult
Plot:
wilderness, self discovery, survival, road trip, freedom, isolation, solitude, journey, life philosophy, lifestyle change, beautiful scenery, nature ...
Time:
2000s, year 2007, 20th century, year 1990, year 1992 ...
Place:
alaska, los angeles, north america, northern california, america ...
Similarity:
100%
175K
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a shy research physician, uses an experimental drug to "awaken" the catatonic victims of a rare disease. Leonard is the first patient to receive the controversial treatment. His awakening, filled with awe and enthusiasm, ...
Style:
inspirational, sentimental, cerebral, psychological, touching ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, teen drama
Plot:
hospital, mental illness, mental institution, illness, doctors and patients, medical, fighting illness, doctor, medicine, catatonia, disability, patient ...
Time:
20th century, 90s, 1930s, 60s, year 1969
Place:
bronx new york city, new york, america, usa
Similarity:
67%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: France, USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
The true story of Elle France editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who, in 1995 at the age of 43, suffered a stroke that paralyzed his entire body, except his left eye. Using that eye to blink out his memoir, Bauby eloquently described the aspects of his ...
Style:
inspirational, psychological, breathtaking, sincere, depressing ...
Plot:
disability, hospital, paralysis, death, coma, stroke, memory, writers, courage, patient, mute or deaf, communication problem ...
Time:
20th century, 90s, 2000s, year 2007, y2k
Place:
france, paris france, europe, hong kong, nepal ...
Similarity:
100%
247K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, India
Duration: 191 min.
Story:
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 ...
Style:
spiritual, epic, political, inspirational, breathtaking ...
Audience:
kids, teens
Plot:
protest, idealism, biopic, freedom, politics, life philosophy, independence, british empire, leadership, religious intolerance, assassination, indian history ...
Time:
1930s, 1920s, year 1948, 19th century, victorian era ...
Place:
india, south africa, britain, los angeles, new delhi ...
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Biography, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 135 min.
Story:
At Princeton University, John Nash struggles to make a worthwhile contribution to serve as his legacy to the world of mathematics. He finally makes a revolutionary breakthrough that will eventually earn him the Nobel Prize. After graduate school he ...
Style:
psychological, touching, cerebral, dramatic, intellectual ...
Audience:
teens, date night, chick flick, family friendly
Plot:
mathematics, mental illness, schizophrenia, genius, paranoia, insanity, imagination, scientist, prodigy, nobel prize, imaginary friend, mathematician ...
Time:
year 2001, 60s, 1940s, 20th century, 2000s ...
Place:
harvard university, boston, new jersey, detroit, persia ...
Similarity:
75%
Genre: Biography, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley ...
Style:
inspirational, clever, intellectual, serious, captivating ...
Audience:
chick flick, teens, family friendly, adult
Plot:
world war two, mathematics, genius, inventor, inventions and discoveries, code, prodigy, code breaking, invention, mathematician, gay interest, computer ...
Time:
1940s, year 2014, 20th century, 1950s, year 1939 ...
Place:
england, london, britain, idaho, los angeles ...
Similarity:
100%
407K
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
When Jake LaMotta steps into a boxing ring and obliterates his opponent, he's a prizefighter. But when he treats his family and friends the same way, he's a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. Though LaMotta wants his ...
Style:
bloody, breathtaking, depressing, harsh, cerebral ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
boxing, character study, redemption, rise and fall, boxer, violent, bad temper, brutality, mafia, jealousy, dysfunctional family, rage ...
Time:
1950s, 20th century, 1940s, year 1980, 60s ...
Place:
new york, bronx new york city, chicago, italy, florida ...
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 195 min.
Story:
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.
Style:
touching, emotional, heartbreaking, realistic, thought provoking ...
Audience:
date night, chick flick, adult
Plot:
holocaust, world war two, genocide, nazi, wartime, war, concentration camp, storytelling, holocaust survivor, anti semitism, nazism, against humanity ...
Time:
1940s, 20th century, 90s, ancient times, year 1943 ...
Place:
poland, germany, iran, persia, europe ...
Similarity:
67%
35K
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
A boy with a massive facial skull deformity and biker gang mother attempts to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances.
Style:
emotional, sentimental, touching, uplifting, depressing ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night, girls' night
Plot:
coming of age, disability, fall in love, relationships, human spirit, depression, adolescence, teenager, motorcycle, teenage love, protective parent, family relations ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 1985
Place:
california, usa
Similarity:
50%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.
Style:
inspirational, emotional, sentimental, uplifting, motivational ...
Audience:
family outing, chick flick, teens, family friendly
Plot:
homeless, life, human spirit, rags to riches, life philosophy, success, single father, poverty, rise to the top, family drama, life is a bitch, biopic ...
Time:
80s, year 2006, 2010s, 20th century
Place:
usa, california, bay area, san francisco, america
Similarity:
35%
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
When a humorous script-reader in her New York apartment sees an ad in the Saturday Review of Literature for a bookstore in London that does mail order, she begins a very special correspondence and friendship with Frank Doel, the bookseller who works ...
Style:
sweet, romantic, touching, sincere, feel good ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
book, bookstore, correspondence, friendship, writers, love, post war, pen pal, bittersweet, death, longing, kindness ...
Time:
1940s, 1950s, year 1987, 20th century, 50s ...
Place:
london, new york, england, europe, usa
Similarity:
34%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
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.
Style:
cerebral, inspirational, psychological, heartbreaking, clever ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, adult
Plot:
aids, transsexual, fighting the system, hiv, transgender, human spirit, casual sex, treatment, hiv positive, life is a bitch, gay slur, drug ...
Time:
80s, year 2013, 2000s, 20th century, 90s ...
Place:
texas, usa, idaho, midwest, nebraska ...
Similarity:
34%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 131 min.
Story:
C.S. Lewis, a world-renowned writer and professor, leads a passionless life until he meets spirited poet Joy Gresham
Style:
sentimental, heartbreaking, sweet, touching, melancholic ...
Audience:
kids, teens, girls' night
Plot:
poet, writers, marriage, husband wife relationship, death, terminal illness, professor, biopic, cancer, bachelor, college, honesty ...
Time:
1950s, 60s, 20th century, 50s, year 1993
Place:
england, europe
Similarity:
33%
87K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 155 min.
Story:
In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. Freed ...
Style:
emotional, period piece, touching, epic, inspirational ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
slavery, slave trade, rebellion, african american, legal, courtroom, politics, freedom, court, lawyer, president, male nudity ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, ancient times, 1800s, 1840s ...
Place:
africa, cuba, washington d.c., america, massachusetts ...
Similarity:
33%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 118 min.
Story:
The King's Speech tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George ('Bertie') reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit ...
Style:
inspirational, period piece, sincere, sentimental, uplifting ...
Audience:
chick flick, teens, adult
Plot:
british history, stuttering, world war two, british royal family, royal family, politics, queen, friendship, british monarchy, monarchy, historical character, king ...
Time:
1930s, year 2010, pre world war two, 50s, 2000s ...
Place:
england, britain, london, united kingdom, scotland ...
Similarity:
33%
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: Australia, UK, France
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
In 1818, high-spirited young Fanny Brawne finds herself increasingly intrigued by the handsome but aloof poet John Keats, who lives next door to her family friends the Dilkes. After reading a book of his poetry, she finds herself even more drawn to ...
Style:
costume drama, heartbreaking, period piece, romantic, sad ...
Audience:
chick flick, girls' night
Plot:
poet, writers, poetry, love story, love, biopic, tuberculosis, passion, art, friendship, literary, longing ...
Time:
victorian era, 19th century, regency period, ancient times, 1810s ...
Place:
england, europe, britain, rome italy, london ...
Similarity:
33%
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, Japan, USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story:
The Theory of Everything is the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde.
Style:
touching, uplifting, inspirational, compassionate, sentimental ...
Audience:
kids, teens, chick flick
Plot:
genius, disability, love, cambridge university, physicist, mathematics, husband wife relationship, prodigy, supportive spouse, handicapped, against the odds, relationships ...
Time:
year 2014, 2010s, 20th century, 60s, 70s ...
Place:
oxford university, england, united kingdom
Similarity:
32%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, Australia
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
Lorenzo Odone was a normal child until the age of 7. After then, strange things began to happen to him: he would have blackouts, memory lapses, and other strange mental phemonenons. He is eventually diagnosed as suffering from ALD: an extremely rare ...
Style:
touching, sincere, inspirational, sad, melancholic ...
Audience:
family outing, kids
Plot:
terminal illness, against the odds, family relations, human spirit, hopes, child illness, death, medical, life is a bitch, cure, disability, family drama ...
Time:
20th century, 90s, year 1984, year 1983, year 1986 ...
Place:
washington d.c., pittsburgh, edinburgh scotland, london, england ...
Similarity:
32%
131K
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
Against formidable odds -- and an old-school diving instructor embittered by the U.S. Navy's new, less prejudicial policies -- Carl Brashear sets his sights on becoming the Navy's first African-American master diver in this uplifting true ...
Style:
inspirational, touching, motivational, sincere, sexy ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
racism, african american, courage, u.s. navy, racial discrimination, military, navy, racial segregation, human spirit, dream come true, diving, underdog ...
Time:
1950s, 20th century, year 2000, y2k, 60s ...
Place:
america, africa, usa, pacific ocean, cuba ...
Similarity:
32%
1.0M
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music, War
Country: France, Poland, Germany, UK, USA
Duration: 150 min.
Story:
The true story of pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he ...
Style:
emotional, sad, harsh, reflective, bleak ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
holocaust, world war two, survival, genocide, nazi, classical music, wartime, war, nazism, anti semitism, hunger, nazi occupation ...
Time:
1940s, 20th century, year 1939, 1930s, year 2002 ...
Place:
poland, germany, europe, eastern europe, central europe ...
Similarity:
32%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
"Front of the Class" is based on the true story of Brad Cohen -- played in the movie by Jimmy Wolk -- who, "after being challenged by Tourette's syndrome from a very young age, defies all odds to become a gifted teacher
Style:
touching, inspirational, sentimental, emotional, sweet ...
Audience:
family outing, teens, girls' night
Plot:
teacher, tourette's syndrome, dedicated educator, social misfits, teachers and students, school, disability, life philosophy, honest, friendship, father son relationship, understanding ...
Time:
80s, 21st century
Place:
louisiana, usa, atlanta georgia, england
Similarity:
32%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.
Style:
sincere, inspirational, serious, realistic, uplifting ...
Audience:
family outing
Plot:
surgery, medical, prejudice, racism, african american, biopic, interracial relations, blacks and whites, surgeon, following a dream, medical research, friendship between men ...
Time:
1930s, 1940s, 20th century, 60s, 70s ...
Place:
maryland, america, baltimore, usa, nashville tennessee ...
Similarity:
32%
195K
Genre: Drama, Family
Country: USA, Hong Kong, Canada
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
The story of August Pullman – a boy with facial differences – who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
Style:
inspirational, touching, uplifting, sincere, thought provoking ...
Audience:
kids, family outing, teens, family friendly
Plot:
bullying, friendship, school, child, happy ending, middle school, truancy, deformity, family relations, father son relationship, science teacher, disability ...
Time:
year 2017, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
coney island brooklyn new york city, new york, manhattan new york city, pennsylvania
Similarity:
32%
129K
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
Meet Patch Adams, a doctor who doesn't look, act or think like any doctor you've met before. For Patch, humor is the best medicine, and he's willing to do just anything to make his patients laugh - even if it means risking his own ...
Style:
inspirational, touching, uplifting, feel good, emotional ...
Audience:
kids, family friendly, girls' night, teen drama
Plot:
medical school, hospital, human spirit, doctors and patients, life philosophy, compassion, medical profession, friendship, dealing with death, doctor, happy ending, stereotypes ...
Time:
20th century, 70s, 90s, year 1998, 60s ...
Place:
usa, virginia
Similarity:
32%
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