Movies like Boyhood

If you like "Boyhood" you are looking for melancholic, independent film and depressing movies about / with childhood, coming of age, divorced parents, dysfunctional family, family drama, teenager and youth themes of Drama genre shot in USA.
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.
Boyhood (2014)
 7.9
 366K
Boyhood (2014)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 165 min.
Story: The film tells a story of a divorced couple trying to raise their young son. The story follows the boy for twelve years, from first grade at age 6 through 12th grade at age 17-18, and examines his relationship with his parents as he grows.
Style: melancholic, independent film, depressing, serious, realistic, philosophical, touching, sincere, inspirational, feel good ...
Audience: teens, kids, chick flick, girls' night, teen drama
Plot: childhood, coming of age, divorced parents, dysfunctional family, family drama, teenager, youth, domestic abuse, adolescence, divorce, brother sister relationship, stepsister stepsister relationship, boy, drinking, marriage, children, high school, relationships, bully, abusive husband, marital problem, parenting, loneliness, self discovery, single mother ...
Time: 2010s, year 2014, 90s, near future, 2000s, year 2007, year 2011 ...
Place: texas, usa, ethiopia, austin texas, houston texas
Keyword: dreams

Movie in categories

Most similar movies to Boyhood

The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out touching, realistic, emotional and independent film films with plots about coming of age, teenager, youth, family relations, dysfunctional family, father son relationship and friendship mostly in Drama, Comedy and Romance genres. Some movies like Boyhood: What Maisie Knew (2012), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Mommy (2014), Dead Poets Society (1989), The Return (2003). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story: A coming-of-age story based on the best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, which follows 15-year-old freshman Charlie, an endearing and naive outsider who is taken under the wings of two seniors. A moving tale of love, loss, fear and hope - and the ...
Style: touching, sincere, teen, melancholic, romantic ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, girls' night, teen drama
Plot: coming of age, high school, teenager, adolescence, first love, friendship, youth, high school life, depression, suicide, mental illness, teenage life ...
Time: 90s, year 2012, 2010s, year 2013, 20th century ...
Place: pittsburgh, pennsylvania, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
94%
What Maisie Knew (2012)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: Based on the Henry James novella, the story frames on 7-year-old Maisie, caught in a custody battle between her mother – a rock and roll icon – and her father. What Maisie Knew is an evocative portrayal of the chaos of adult life seen entirely ...
Style: touching, sad, talky, atmospheric, captivating ...
Audience: chick flick
Plot: divorce, childhood, dysfunctional family, unsupportive parent, child, marriage, family in crisis, family problems, starting over, crumbling marriage, crumbling relationship, lawyer ...
Time: 90s, 2010s, 21st century
Place: new york, usa, manhattan new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min.
Story: Gilbert has to care for his brother Arnie and his obese mother, which gets in the way when love walks into his life.
Style: melancholic, touching, emotional, depressing, sad ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, teen drama
Plot: dysfunctional family, disability, self discovery, mental illness, small town, mentally challenged, responsibility, life philosophy, brothers, coming of age, family drama, family problems ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, year 1993, 60s, 70s
Place: iowa, texas, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 8.0
 61K
Mommy (2014)
Genre: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 139 min.
Story: A peculiar neighbor offers hope to a recent widow who is struggling to raise a teenager who is unpredictable and, sometimes, violent.
Style: melancholic, touching, depressing, emotional, psychological ...
Audience: teens, family friendly, teen drama
Plot: dysfunctional family, oedipus complex, single mother, mentally unstable, juvenile delinquent, troubled teen, mother son relationship, mother love, teenage boy, violence, teenager, caught masturbating ...
Time: 2010s, year 2014, year 2015, near future, year 2010 ...
Place: canada, quebec, montreal
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
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2467
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min.
Story: At an elite, old-fashioned boarding school in New England, a passionate English teacher inspires his students to rebel against convention and seize the potential of every day, courting the disdain of the stern headmaster.
Style: philosophical, inspirational, sentimental, uplifting, emotional ...
Audience: teens, family friendly, kids, family outing, teen drama ...
Plot: teacher, suicide, coming of age, friendship, poetry, poet, mentor, philosophy, teachers and students, literature, youth, teenager ...
Time: 50s, 20th century, 1950s, year 1989, year 1959
Place: vermont, new england, usa, harvard university
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.9
 47K
The Return (2003)
Genre: Drama
Country: Russia
Duration: 110 min.
Story: A story of two Russian boys whose father suddenly returns home after a 12-year absence. He takes the boys on a holiday to a remote island on a lake that turns into a test of manhood of almost mythic proportions.
Style: bleak, art house, road movie, atmospheric, cerebral ...
Audience: teens, teen drama
Plot: coming of age, brother, journey, survival, children, parents and children, father son relationship, existentialism, wilderness, childhood, on the road, character study ...
Time: year 2003, 90s, 2000s, 21st century
Place: russia, soviet union
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.1
 91K
Half Nelson (2006)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story: Despite his dedication to the junior-high students who fill his classroom, idealistic teacher Dan Dunne leads a secret life of addiction that the majority of his students will never know. But things change when a troubled student Drey makes a ...
Style: depressing, independent film, talky, emotional, serious ...
Audience: teens, teen drama
Plot: teacher, teachers and students, drug addiction, drug, student, addiction, drug abuse, friendship, ghetto, loneliness, school, existentialism ...
Time: year 2006, 2000s, future, 21st century
Place: new york, usa, brooklyn new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 8.0
 31K
Nobody Knows (2004)
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 141 min.
Story: In a small Tokyo apartment, twelve-year-old Akira must care for his younger siblings after their mother leaves them and shows no sign of returning.
Style: depressing, touching, serious, atmospheric, bleak ...
Audience: kids, teens
Plot: childhood, poverty, dysfunctional family, boy, young kid, innocence lost, children, child abandonment, brother brother relationship, tragedy, coming of age, family relations ...
Time: year 2004, 2000s, 21st century
Place: japan, tokyo, east asia, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
A River Runs Through It (1992)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story: A River Runs Through is a cinematographically stunning true story of Norman Maclean. The story follows Norman and his brother Paul through the experiences of life and growing up, and how their love of fly fishing keeps them together despite varying ...
Style: touching, sentimental, intense, melancholic, atmospheric ...
Plot: fishing, coming of age, self discovery, father son relationship, beautiful scenery, brother brother relationship, childhood, river, wilderness, brothers, tragedy, secrets ...
Time: 1900s, year 1992, 1920s, 1910s, 1930s ...
Place: montana, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 8.1
 337K
Before Sunrise (1995)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA, Austria
Duration: 101 min.
Story: On his way to Vienna, American Jesse meets Céline, a student returning to Paris. After long conversations forge a surprising connection between them, Jesse convinces Celine to get off the train with him in Vienna. Since his flight to the U.S. ...
Style: philosophical, emotional, melancholic, sentimental, feel good ...
Audience: date night, teens, girls' night, chick flick
Plot: love, chance meeting, destiny, relationships, fall in love, tourist, young lovers, conversation, coincidence, love story, travel, teenage girl ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, year 1995
Place: austria, europe, france, vienna, los angeles ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
75%
 7.2
 124K
Pay It Forward (2000)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min.
Story: Like some other kids, 12-year-old Trevor McKinney believed in the goodness of human nature. Like many other kids, he was determined to change the world for the better. Unlike most other kids, he succeeded.
Style: touching, inspirational, emotional, motivational, sentimental ...
Audience: chick flick, kids, teens, teen drama
Plot: teacher, childhood, single parent, teachers and students, alcoholic, life philosophy, good deed, disfigurement, death, boy, alcoholism, addiction ...
Time: year 2000, 90s, 20th century
Place: tibet, nevada, usa, las vegas
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 137 min.
Story: After his older brother passes away, Lee Chandler is forced to return home to care for his 16-year-old nephew. There he is compelled to deal with a tragic past that separated him from his family and the community where he was born and raised.
Style: sad, depressing, heartbreaking, psychological, emotional ...
Audience: teens, family friendly, adult
Plot: family drama, sadness, loneliness, depression, loss, suicide attempt, death, nephew, grief, uncle nephew relationship, dysfunctional family, adoption ...
Time: 2010s, year 2016
Place: massachusetts, boston, nebraska, new england
⇓ similarity ⇓
75%
12 and Holding (2005)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story: Three pre-adolescents with virginal and eager-of-signals naivety, hit headlong against monstrous and inhospitable loneliness, in the incandescent fire among the ashes of their own inocence.
Style: touching, realistic, emotional, heartbreaking, sad ...
Plot: teenager, coming of age, friendship, childhood, children, vengeance, dysfunctional family, family relations, loss of son, family problems, family in crisis, parents and children ...
Time: year 2005
Place: new jersey
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
The Tree of Life (2011)
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA
Duration: 139 min.
Story: The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his ...
Style: philosophical, surreal, artsy, atmospheric, visually stunning ...
Audience: teens, family outing
Plot: philosophy, childhood, grief, coming of age, spirituality, father son relationship, parenthood, existentialism, family relations, domineering father, hopes, religion ...
Time: 1950s, 2010s, year 2011, prehistory, 20th century ...
Place: texas, america, usa, china
⇓ similarity ⇓
75%
 8.1
 286K
Before Sunset (2004)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: France, USA
Duration: 80 min.
Story: Nine years ago two strangers met by chance and spent a night in Vienna that ended before sunrise. They are about to meet for the first time since. Now they have one afternoon to find out if they belong together.
Style: philosophical, sentimental, romantic, independent film, emotional ...
Audience: date night, girls' night, chick flick
Plot: love story, relationships, lovers reunited, love and romance, couples, dialogue, lovers, bookstore, great ending, passion, bittersweet, conversation ...
Time: year 2004, 20th century, 2000s, 21st century
Place: paris france, france, europe, new york, warsaw poland ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min.
Story: Based on the true childhood experiences of Noah Baumbach and his brother, The Squid and the Whale tells the touching story of two young boys dealing with their parents divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980's.
Style: depressing, talky, sincere, dark comedy, absurd ...
Audience: teens, teen drama, adult
Plot: divorce, coming of age, dysfunctional family, father son relationship, infidelity, teenager, adultery, marriage, boy, crumbling marriage, childhood, adolescence ...
Time: 20th century, 80s, year 2005, near future, 2000s
Place: new york, brooklyn new york city, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.7
 98K
Detachment (2011)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story: A chronicle of three weeks in the lives of several high school teachers, administrators and students through the eyes of substitute teacher, Henry Barthes. Henry roams from school to school, imparting modes of knowledge, but never staying long ...
Style: depressing, psychological, bleak, thought provoking, touching ...
Audience: teens
Plot: teacher, depression, suicide, teachers and students, dedicated educator, school, unhappy, social problems, life is a bitch, human relationship, teen angst, society ...
Time: 2010s, 21st century
Place: usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.2
 41K
Honey Boy (2019)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story: The story of a child star attempting to mend his relationship with his law-breaking, alcohol-abusing father over the course of a decade, loosely based on Shia LaBeouf’s life.
Style: inspirational, independent film, psychological, touching, sincere ...
Audience: kids
Plot: father son relationship, rehabilitation, absent mother, child protagonist, abusive father, motel, child, alcoholic father, forgiveness, group therapy, childhood trauma, boyhood ...
Time: year 2019, year 2015, 90s, year 2005, year 1995 ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
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depressing movies
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marriage movies
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 6.6
 4K
Blue Car (2002)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story: Gifted 18-year-old Meg has been abandoned by her father and neglected by her hardworking mother. Left to care for her emotionally disturbed younger sister, her world begins to unravel. She finds an outlet in writing poetry and support from her ...
Style: emotional, disturbing, depressing, poignant, heartbreaking ...
Audience: teens
Plot: teachers and students, power relations, teacher student relationship, teenage girl, dysfunctional family, brutality, depression, innocence lost, complex characters, character study, bittersweet, stereotypes ...
Time: year 2002
Place: ohio, florida
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 6.8
 97K
Thirteen (2003)
Genre: Drama
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story: Tracy is a normal 13-year-old trying to make it in school. After befriending the most popular girl at school, Evie, Tracy's world is turned upside down when Evie introduces her to a world of sex, drugs and cash. But it isn't long before ...
Style: tense, teen, realistic, sincere, disturbing ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, girls' night, teen drama, adult
Plot: coming of age, drug addiction, teenager, peer pressure, friendship, addiction, dysfunctional family, teenage protagonist, underage drinking, teenage girl, mother daughter relationship, self harm ...
Time: year 2003, y2k, near future, 20th century, 2000s ...
Place: california, usa, los angeles, venice beach california
⇓ similarity ⇓
50%
 7.7
 142K
Billy Elliot (2000)
Genre: Drama, Music
Country: UK, France
Duration: 110 min.
Story: Set against the background of the 1984 Miner's Strike, Billy Elliot is an 11 year old boy who stumbles out of the boxing ring and onto the ballet floor. He faces many trials and triumphs as he strives to conquer his family's set ways, ...
Style: inspirational, touching, feel good, uplifting, emotional ...
Audience: date night, family outing, kids, teens, girls' night ...
Plot: coming of age, ballet, working class, father son relationship, dancing, friendship, childhood, gay, audition, poverty, follow your dream, boxing ...
Time: year 1984, 20th century, y2k, year 2000, 90s ...
Place: england, northern england, london, europe
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
We the Animals (2018)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story: Manny, Joel and Jonah tear their way through childhood and push against the volatile love of their parents. As Manny and Joel grow into versions of their father and Ma dreams of escape, Jonah, the youngest, embraces an imagined world all his own.
Style: captivating, psychological, sentimental, touching, indie film ...
Audience: adult
Plot: boy, lgbt, gay, coming of age, family relations, gay porn, father son relationship, teenage boy, husband wife relationship, theft, birthday, marriage ...
Place: new york state, philadelphia, spain, brooklyn new york city, new york
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 7.4
 188K
Mud (2012)
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min.
Story: Two teenage boys encounter a fugitive and make a pact to help him escape from an island in the Mississippi.
Style: suspense, suspenseful, touching, realistic, southern gothic ...
Audience: teens, teen drama
Plot: coming of age, friendship, childhood, ex convict, first love, bittersweet, fugitives, obsession, river, love story, survival, small town ...
Time: year 2012, year 2013, 2010s, 21st century
Place: mississippi, usa, arkansas
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
2010s movies
3706
realistic movies
29790
The Spectacular Now (2013)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story: A hard-partying high school senior's philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical "nice girl."
Style: touching, teen, sincere, melancholic, independent film ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, date night, teen drama
Plot: coming of age, teenager, teenage life, youth, first love, couples, teenage love, high school, family relations, love, classmate, drinking problem ...
Time: 2010s, future, 21st century
Place: usa, philadelphia, key west florida
⇓ similarity ⇓
28%
 7.9
 92K
Short Term 12 (2013)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story: Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, works with her boyfriend and colleague, Mason, to help at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace's tough exterior begins eroding.
Style: sad, compassionate, realistic, touching, independent film ...
Audience: teens, teen drama, adult
Plot: child abuse, depression, social worker, adolescence, teenager, suicide attempt, self mutilation, troubled teen, foster child, coming of age, mental illness, self harm ...
Time: year 2013, y2k, 2010s, 21st century
Place: los angeles, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
50%
 7.3
 60K
The Ice Storm (1997)
Genre: Drama
Country: France, USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story: In the weekend after thanksgiving 1973 the Hoods are skidding out of control. Benjamin Hood reels from drink to drink, trying not to think about his trouble at the office. His wife, Elena, is reading self help books and losing patience with her ...
Style: depressing, realistic, existential, visually appealing, cerebral ...
Audience: teens, adult
Plot: dysfunctional family, snow, thanksgiving, extramarital affair, coming of age, mate swapping, swinger, adultery, sexual exploration, infidelity, sexual awakening, family relations ...
Time: 70s, 20th century, year 1997, 90s, year 1973
Place: new york, connecticut, usa, grand central station manhattan new york city, manhattan new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
Mysterious Skin (2004)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA, Netherlands
Duration: 105 min.
Story: A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.
Style: disturbing, depressing, psychological, independent film, realistic ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, teen drama
Plot: child abuse, coming of age, gay, sexual abuse, homosexuality, homosexual, pedophilia, male rape, child molestation, youth, homosexual rape, haunted by the past ...
Time: 90s, year 2004, 2000s, near future, y2k ...
Place: kansas, new york, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
Life as a House (2001)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 125 min.
Story: When a man is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he takes custody of his misanthropic teenage son, for whom quality time means getting high, engaging in small-time prostitution, and avoiding his father.
Style: emotional, sentimental, touching, sincere, sad ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, teen drama
Plot: terminal illness, father son relationship, dying, cancer, dysfunctional family, relationships, reconciliation, illness, divorce, fighting illness, redemption, family relations ...
Time: year 2001
Place: california, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
25%
 7.4
 547K
Juno (2007)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story: A young girl named Juno gets herself pregnant and tries to stand on her own, but soon learns a few lessons about being grown up.
Style: funny, touching, sweet, sentimental, feel good ...
Audience: teens, chick flick, date night, girls' night, teen drama
Plot: coming of age, pregnancy, adoption, teenager, teenage pregnancy, teenage life, high school, love and romance, female protagonist, teenage girl, strong female character, friendship ...
Time: year 2007, 2000s, 21st century
Place: minnesota, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
24%
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story: Five high school students, all different stereotypes, meet in detention, where they pour their hearts out to each other, and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought.
Style: teen, talky, feel good, realistic, semi serious ...
Audience: teens, kids, chick flick, girls' night, date night ...
Plot: coming of age, high school, teenager, friendship, teenage angst, youth, adolescence, high school life, teen angst, teenage girl, adolescence vs adulthood, brat pack ...
Time: 80s, 20th century, year 1985
Place: chicago
⇓ similarity ⇓
24%
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