Movies like Return to Paradise 1998
If you like "Return to Paradise" you are looking for realistic, suspense and weeping movies about / with prison, women in prison, death sentence, redemption, friendship, moral dilemma and guilt themes of Drama, Romance and Thriller genre shot in USA.
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1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
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Return to Paradise (1998)
16K
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
Lewis, Sheriff and Tony are three friends vacationing in Malaysia. Sheriff and Tony eventually leave to pursue careers in New York, but Lewis stays behind to work with orangutans. Two years later, Sheriff and Tony learn that, because of their past actions, Lewis has been arrested for drug possession. With Lewis facing a death sentence, the friends are left with a difficult decision: return to Malaysia and split Lewis' sentence, or let him die.
Style:
realistic, suspense, weeping, sad, sincere, rough, thought provoking, bleak, serious, captivating ...
Plot:
prison, women in prison, death sentence, redemption, friendship, moral dilemma, guilt, drug addiction, drug, lawyer, courage, death row, hanging, dishonesty, vacation, chauffeur, conscience, three friends, grief, cowardice, limousine, death of friend, anguish, friend, death of brother ...
Time:
year 1998, 90s, 20th century
Place:
malaysia, southeast asia, new york, usa, asia, thailand, hong kong ...
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Return to Paradise
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out serious, realistic, suspenseful and suspense films with plots about redemption, guilt, dialogue, catastrophe, mentor, greed and life is a bitch mostly in Drama, Thriller and Romance genres. Some movies like Return to Paradise: Brokedown Palace (1999), The Verdict (1982), Changing Lanes (2002), Absence of Malice (1981), The Life of David Gale (2003). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
Best friends Alice and Darlene take a trip to Thailand after graduating high school. In Thailand, they meet a captivating Australian man, who calls himself Nick Parks. Darlene is particularly smitten with Nick and convinces Alice to take Nick up on ...
Style:
captivating, suspense, suspenseful, intense, serious ...
Audience:
chick flick, teens, girls' night
Plot:
friendship, weekend, women in prison, prison, prison life, women's prison, justice, injustice, betrayal, drug dealing, coming of age, women ...
Time:
20th century, year 1999, 90s
Place:
thailand, southeast asia, bangkok thailand, the philippines, hong kong ...
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
Frank Galvin is a down-on-his luck lawyer, reduced to drinking and ambulance chasing. Former associate Mickey Morrissey reminds him of his obligations in a medical malpractice suit that he himself served to Galvin on a silver platter: all parties ...
Style:
suspense, atmospheric, intense, serious, sincere ...
Plot:
courtroom, courtroom drama, lawyer, redemption, character study, justice, alcoholic, legal action, court, legal, corruption, moral dilemma ...
Time:
20th century, year 1982, 80s
Place:
boston, massachusetts, usa, new york, new york state
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
A rush-hour fender-bender on New York City's crowded FDR Drive, under most circumstances, wouldn't set off a chain reaction that could decimate two people's lives. But on this day, at this time, a minor collision will turn two ...
Style:
psychological, clever, harsh, realistic, psychological thriller ...
Plot:
revenge, lawyer, vengeance, feud, court, drug addict, brutality, destiny, justice, courtroom, coincidence, vigilante ...
Time:
year 2002, 21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: Denmark, USA, UK
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
While fighting for a woman who sits on death row, a lawyer happens upon new information which brings into question the motives of a man associated with her client
Style:
suspenseful, psychological, sincere, suspense, serious ...
Plot:
uncover truth, dedicated lawyer, death sentence, prison life, redemption, confined, life is a bitch, legal, dishonesty, death row, letter, execution ...
Place:
oklahoma city, texas
Similarity:
100%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min.
Story:
A prosecutor leaks a false story that liquor warehouse owner Michael Gallagher is involved in the murder of a union head, and as newspaper reporter Megan Carter picks up the story and attempts to find the real truth, Gallagher's life begins to ...
Style:
thought provoking, suspense, talky, realistic, serious ...
Plot:
journalism, legal, writers, murder, politics, investigation, courtroom, court, lawyer, manipulation, media, newspaper reporter ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 1981, 70s
Place:
usa, miami, florida
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, Germany, USA
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.
Style:
surprise ending, suspense, thought provoking, twist ending, disturbing ...
Plot:
death penalty, suicide, death, death row, death sentence, fighting the system, murder, professor, reporter, activist, investigation, journalism ...
Time:
year 2003, 2000s, 20th century, 90s, year 1994 ...
Place:
texas, austin texas, houston texas, usa, new york ...
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Upon taking a new job, young lawyer Rick Hayes is assigned to the clemency case of Cindy Liggett, a woman convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. As Hayes investigates the background for her case, the two begin to form a deep ...
Style:
emotional, talky, intense, tense, serious ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
death penalty, prison, death row, lethal injection, lawyer, dedicated lawyer, death sentence, justice, love story, courtroom drama, prison life, life is a bitch ...
Time:
90s
Place:
india, taj mahal, california, australia, texas ...
Similarity:
31%
24K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
In the rail yards of Queens, contractors repair and rebuild the city's subway cars. These contracts are lucrative, so graft and corruption are rife. When Leo Handler gets out of prison, he finds his aunt married to Frank Olchin, one of the big ...
Style:
emotional, neo noir, intense, talky, rough ...
Plot:
corruption, political corruption, murder, whistleblower, character study, police corruption, false accusation, mafia, injustice, moral dilemma, life is a bitch, criminal ...
Time:
year 2000, 2000s, 90s
Place:
new york, brooklyn new york city, usa, manhattan new york city
Similarity:
30%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: France, USA
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
Inspired by a true story. A petty criminal sent to Alcatraz in the 1930s is caught attempting to make an escape. As punishment he is put in solitary confinement. The maximum stay is supposed to be 19 days, but Henri spends years alone, cold and in ...
Style:
suspense, period piece, emotional, depressing, dark ...
Plot:
prison, courtroom, alcatraz, lawyer, court, courtroom drama, legal, justice, murder, escape attempt, corporal punishment, torture ...
Time:
1940s, 1930s, year 1941, 20th century, year 1938
Place:
san francisco, bay area, usa, california
Similarity:
27%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
Having survived the hatred and bigotry that was his Klansman grandfather's only legacy, young attorney Adam Hall seeks at the last minute to appeal the old man's death sentence for the murder of two small Jewish boys 30 years before. Only ...
Style:
emotional, thought provoking, suspense, realistic, serious ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
courtroom drama, racism, legal, death sentence, courtroom, ku klux klan, murder, prison, anti semitism, haunted by the past, politics, lawyer ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, 60s, year 1967, year 1996
Place:
mississippi, usa
Similarity:
26%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
An American attorney on business in China, ends up wrongfully on trial for murder and his only key to innocence is a female defense lawyer from the country.
Style:
suspense, suspenseful, political, thought provoking, intense ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
courtroom drama, courtroom, death penalty, frame up, justice, political corruption, murder mystery, lawyer, male victim, court, conspiracy theory, false accusation ...
Time:
year 1997, 90s
Place:
china, asia, california
Similarity:
50%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
After his young son dies from the negligience of medical professionals at a hospital, Harry Fertig (Kinglsey) takes matters into his own hands and kills the negligent doctors responsible. Slick lawyer Roy Bleakie (Baldwin), looking only to win a ...
Style:
serious, realistic, psychological, suspense, captivating ...
Plot:
legal, lawyer, murder, faith, courtroom, hotshot lawyer, redemption, death in the family, moral dilemma, dishonesty, legal investigation, law enforcement ...
Time:
90s
Place:
usa, new york, manhattan new york city
Similarity:
23%
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Carl Panzram is sent to Leavenworth Prison for burglary. While there, he is brutally beaten by a guard. Neophyte guard Henry Lesser feels sympathy for Panzram, befriends him, and gets him to write his life story. Lesser learns that Panzram's ...
Style:
disturbing, serious, realistic, rough, bleak ...
Plot:
serial killer, death row, prison rape, killer, murder, true crime, prison, drinking, prisoner, chase, rape, violence ...
Time:
1930s, 1920s, 20th century
Place:
rhode island, minnesota, new jersey, israel, africa ...
Similarity:
22%
417
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK, Spain, Germany, Ireland, Japan
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
Dowd, an IRA prisoner in the H-blocks, is gloomily facing his sentence, until he joins a comrade in a risky escape. Dowd begins a new life in New York, but he might as well be in prison again - until he strikes up a friendship with co-worker Tulio ...
Style:
realistic, serious, suspenseful, rough, gloomy ...
Plot:
ira, jail, prison, conflict, struggle, anglo irish relations, friendship, haunted by the past, fall in love, hopes, vengeance, danger ...
Time:
year 1997, 20th century, 90s
Place:
ireland, new york, usa
Similarity:
22%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
A witness to a mob killing has second thoughts about testifying when he realizes his family might become a target.
Style:
tense, psychological, serious, realistic, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
courtroom, witness, law, kidnapping, organized crime, murder, prison, power relations, injustice, restaurant, confined, danger ...
Time:
80s
Place:
new york, usa
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
Liberal activist lawyer Jedediah alienated daughter Maggie years ago when she discovered his many affairs. Now a conservative corporate lawyer, Maggie agrees to go up against her father in court. To gain promotion, she must defend an auto ...
Style:
suspense, serious, thought provoking, touching, realistic ...
Audience:
girls' night, chick flick
Plot:
courtroom drama, lawyer, courtroom, legal, court, father daughter relationship, father daughter conflict, parents and children, uncover truth, hopes, family relations, righting the wronged ...
Time:
20th century, year 1991, 90s
Place:
san francisco
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
Force Majeure (Uncontrollable Circumstances) begins with a drug deal involving tourists Phillipe (Patrick Bruel) and Daniel (Francois Cluzet), and a Dutch stranger. Two years pass: the Dutchman has been arrested in an unspecified Asian country, ...
Style:
thought provoking, serious, tense, suspenseful, bleak ...
Plot:
moral dilemma, death sentence, responsibility, moral ambiguity, guilt, friendship, human rights, justice, loyalty, realism, character study, sacrifice ...
Time:
80s
Place:
southeast asia, paris france, amsterdam
Similarity:
21%
26K
Genre: Biography, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
A David and Goliath law drama about a drug-addicted lawyer who takes on a health supply corporation while battling his own personal demons.
Style:
thought provoking, independent film, inspirational, suspense, suspenseful ...
Audience:
teens, adult
Plot:
addiction, drug abuse, life & death, lawyer, courtroom, lawsuit, aids, courtroom drama, drug use, law firm, money, righting the wronged ...
Time:
20th century, 90s, year 1998, year 1995, year 1999
Place:
washington d.c., usa, houston texas
Similarity:
20%
Movie in collections
10K
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Modern day adaptation of Shakespeare's immortal story about Hamlet's plight to avenge his father's murder in New York City.
Style:
meditative, intense, cynical, psychological, serious ...
Plot:
shakespeare, murder, revenge, tragedy, ghost, betrayal, vengeance, intrigue, tragic hero, haunted by the past, corporation, poisoning ...
Time:
20th century, 90s, year 2000
Place:
new york, usa, europe, denmark, england
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
The story of Carl Upchurch who experiences jail as a young adult. While in prison, a compassionate teacher helps turn his life around through education and religion. He in turn is inspired to help other troubled youths.
Style:
realistic, sincere, captivating, emotional, serious ...
Plot:
prison, redemption, criminal heroes, prison life, hopes, gang, life is a bitch, biopic, ghetto, foul language, true crime, spiritual awakening ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
philadelphia, usa
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
Boozer, skirt chaser, careless father. You could create your own list of reporter Steve Everett's faults but there's no time. A San Quentin Death Row prisoner is slated to die at midnight – a man Everett has suddenly realized is innocent.
Style:
psychological, suspense, serious, mysterious, tense ...
Plot:
death row, death penalty, journalism, death sentence, death, lawyer, false accusation, uncover truth, journal, reporter, conspiracy, cupid ...
Time:
year 1999, 90s, 20th century
Place:
california, usa, oakland california, san francisco
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Coleman Silk is a worldly and admired professor who loses his job after unwittingly making a racial slur. To clear his name, Silk writes a book about the events with his friend and colleague Nathan Zuckerman, who in the process discovers a dark ...
Style:
sexy, erotic, talky, melancholic, sincere ...
Plot:
couples, writers, brutality, haunted by the past, redemption, voyeur, lost love, character study, justice, self destructing, tennis, hidden identity ...
Time:
1940s, year 1944, year 1998, 90s, 20th century ...
Place:
oxford university, new england, massachusetts, new jersey, usa
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Taking place during the 1976 Soweto uprising, the story follows a white school teacher whose life and values are threatened when he asks questions about the death of a young black boy who died in police custody.
Style:
talky, disturbing, emotional, thought provoking, realistic ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
racism, lawyer, society, legal, injustice, rebellion, discrimination, children, courtroom, freedom, chess, social commentary ...
Time:
20th century, 70s, year 1976
Place:
south africa, africa, poland, canada, new jersey ...
Similarity:
19%
Movie in collections
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer disgusted with rampant legal corruption is asked to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial. But if he doesn't do it, the judge will have him disbarred.
Style:
suspense, realistic, disturbing, cynical, clever ...
Plot:
courtroom, courtroom drama, lawyer, fighting the system, legal, rape, corruption, court, law, justice, trial, hotshot lawyer ...
Time:
20th century, 70s
Place:
usa, maryland, baltimore
Similarity:
19%
22K
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
A man switches plane tickets with another man who dies in that plane in a crash. The man falls in love with the deceased one's wife.
Style:
sentimental, emotional, melancholic, romantic, touching ...
Audience:
girls' night, date night, chick flick
Plot:
widow, redemption, betrayal, starting over, love and romance, haunted by the past, hopes, love, guilt, advertising, aviation, grief ...
Time:
20th century, 90s
Place:
los angeles, chicago, palm springs california, usa, new york ...
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
Two childhood friends from South Boston turn to crime as a way to get by, ultimately causing a strain in their personal lives and their friendship.
Style:
serious, suspenseful, realistic, captivating, rough ...
Plot:
friendship, infidelity, heist, family problems, downfall, buddies, haunted by the past, legal, criminal heroes, danger, snow, drug addiction ...
Time:
20th century, year 2008, 21st century
Place:
usa, boston, massachusetts
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Iran
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Akbar has just turned eighteen. He has been held in a rehabilitation centre for committing murder at the age of sixteen when he was condemned to death. Legally speaking, he had to reach the age of eighteen so that the conviction could be carried ...
Style:
emotional, realistic, serious, psychological, sad ...
Plot:
crime and punishment, death sentence, prison, love and romance, confined, legal action, redemption, hopes, youth, life is a bitch, iranian, islam ...
Time:
year 2004, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
iran, middle east, persia
Similarity:
18%
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
A New York nightclub manager tries to save his brother and father from Russian mafia hitmen.
Style:
suspense, harsh, stylized, captivating, serious ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
mafia, organized crime, police, gangster, nightclub, gang, cop, brothers, hitman, lone hero, multiple storylines, law enforcement ...
Time:
year 2007, 20th century, year 1988, 80s, 70s
Place:
new york, brooklyn new york city, usa, manhattan new york city
Similarity:
18%
21K
Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: Germany, Saudi Arabia, USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
A thriller in which a battle of philosophies between a fundamentalist Christian and an atheist escalates into a lethal battle of wills.
Style:
tense, sexy, sincere, psychological, indie film ...
Plot:
unfaithful wife, atheism, adultery, atheist, religion, moral dilemma, redemption, hopes, infidelity, life turned upside down, introspection, lgbt ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
louisiana, usa
Similarity:
18%
Genre: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Denmark, France, USA, Japan, Sweden, UK, Germany, Netherlands
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
The story of two lovers and their attempts to save their relationship in a near-future world on the brink of cosmic collapse. John, and world-famous ice skating star, Elena, are about to sign divorce papers when they realise that, in spite of ...
Style:
philosophical, psychological, enigmatic, suspenseful, stylized ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
cloning, lovers on the run, dystopian future, couple relations, life is a bitch, danger, chaos, estrangement, passion, apocalypse, divorce, climate change ...
Time:
future, 2000s
Place:
manhattan new york city, new york, usa
Similarity:
18%
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