Movies like Melissa
If you like "Melissa" you are looking for erotic drama, emotional and dark movies about / with strip club, love triangle, female protagonist, seduction, sexuality, manipulation and danger 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.
Melissa (1995)
172
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min.
Story:
Melissa follows her dream of becoming a dancer all the way to New York City but finds when she gets there that reaching her goal might cost more than she is willing to sacrifice. In dire need of money, she becomes an exotic dancer in a strip club where a sinister love triangle puts both her heart and her life in danger.
Style:
erotic drama, emotional, dark, sinister, suspense, erotic, psychological, tragic
Plot:
strip club, love triangle, female protagonist, seduction, sexuality, manipulation, danger, survival, jealousy, ambition, urban, exploitation, moral ambiguity, dance, addiction, regret, character study, female nudity, dancer, coming of age, striptease, arrest, love, dream, best friend ...
Place:
new york
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Melissa
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out psychological, suspense, dark and independent film films with plots about urban, manipulation, female protagonist, moral ambiguity, character study, coming of age and female nudity mostly in Drama genres. Some movies like Melissa: Lap Dancer (1995), Immaculate (2021), Until the Night (2004), La mia preda (1990), Belle da morire (2002). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 82 min.
Story:
A sexy but cash-poor young working woman finally stands up for herself, not wanting to depend on "her man" all the time and not accepting the rules men around her want her to observe, by deciding to simultaneously take a walk on the wild ...
Style:
sensual, erotic drama, independent film, ambiguous ending
Audience:
adult
Plot:
lesbian sex, stripper, nightlife, sex work, ambition, sexploitation, seduction, aspiration, female empowerment, gender roles, sexual awakening, moral ambiguity ...
Place:
los angeles
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Drama
Country: Romania
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
When young Daria enters rehab to kick the drug habit her first love left her with, her perceived innocence saves her from the sexual advances of the mostly male junkies inside and gains her their protection. Suddenly thrown into the spotlight and ...
Style:
intense, emotional, dark, disturbing, realistic ...
Plot:
drug rehab, addiction, trauma, female protagonist, recovery, manipulation, survival, abuse of power, sexual content, sexual manipulation, character study, moral ambiguity ...
Similarity:
30%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
Filmmaker Gregory Hatanaka fashions a stunning film about love and excess. Robert (Norman Reedus) is a writer who hasn't done much writing lately; instead, he's busy pushing the envelope with his toxic mix of boredom, drugs and a dalliance ...
Style:
psychological, existential, erotic, independent film, moody
Plot:
writers, obsession, making love, infidelity, affair, toxic relationship, character study, cheating, boredom, self destructing, marriage, sexual tension ...
Time:
2000s
Similarity:
25%
Genre: Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
An eighteen year old beautiful and restless girl runs away from home to find freedom which she much dreamed of. She come across, instead, is the unsavory characters that start on the road to prostitution.
Style:
dark, emotional, bleak, intense, grim ...
Audience:
teen drama
Plot:
prostitution, runaway, loss of innocence, coming of age, youth, female protagonist, sexploitation, manipulation, street life, abuse, danger, urban ...
Similarity:
25%
Genre: Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
Bruno is a cynical but attractive business man, owner of a strip-club. He has to replace his best dancer, Katy, after her suicide. Applicants would do anything to get this job, but only Damy, gorgeous and mysterious girl, catches his attention. What ...
Style:
dark, suspense, intense, sensual, erotic ...
Plot:
suicide, revenge, femme fatale, nightlife, mystery woman, seduction, deception, sexuality, cat and mouse, manipulation, female protagonist, obsession ...
Time:
2000s
Similarity:
24%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 70 min.
Story:
The story of three women and the circumstances that led each to get involved in prostitution as call girls.
Style:
realistic, period piece, psychological, intense, retro ...
Plot:
sex work, prostitution, sexuality, character study, women's issues, prostitute, exploitation, survival, taboo, branding iron, urban, social realism ...
Time:
60s
Similarity:
24%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
When a young woman finds herself living life on the streets she learns the art of picking up men to put a roof over her head. But when she meets the guy of her dreams her secret threatens to ruin their perfect relationship.
Style:
thrilling, captivating, psychological, emotional, heartfelt ...
Plot:
con artists, secret, homelessness, love affair, relationship problems, female protagonist, couple relations, love and romance, intrigue, love interest, male female relationship, relationships ...
Similarity:
23%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
Caught in a seedy underworld of lies, lust and murder, Antonelli, the local mob boss, and his sultry young wife, Michelle, share a game of deception and jealousy that soon turns deadly.
Style:
crime drama, dark, suspense, neo noir, suspenseful ...
Plot:
murder, deception, mob boss, seduction, lust, betrayal, jealousy, organized crime, manipulation, sexual tension, moral ambiguity, violence ...
Time:
90s
Similarity:
23%
Movie in collections
121
Genre: Drama
Country: West Germany
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
A small carnival is in dire financial straits. Their show is attracting fewer and fewer paying customers, as their "attractions" are ageing, out of shape and beset by internal feuds and bickering. One day a beautiful young woman shows up ...
Style:
sensual, tension, period piece
Plot:
femme fatale, carnival, striptease, manipulation, sexuality, seduction, scheming, showbiz, attraction, circus, sexploitation, deception ...
Similarity:
23%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Story:
With the odds already not in her favor, Araya tells her side of the story while being interrogated for possibly killing the man who was responsible for her father's death.
Style:
tense, intense, suspense, psychological, dramatic ...
Plot:
interrogation, investigation, moral ambiguity, female protagonist, suspect, character study, murder, revenge, accusation, claustrophobia, guilt, police procedural ...
Similarity:
22%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
Wishman's plot rotates around the maneuverings of a whore who longs for a touch of mink and a seat at the finer tables in life. Blackmail, betrayal, murder and malice are all part of her tender trade. Lord help anyone who lays in her way.
Style:
captivating, rough, sexy, suspense, erotic ...
Plot:
stripper, prostitution, murder, betrayal, blackmail, exploitation, female killer, erotica, nightclub, femme fatale, sexploitation, greed ...
Time:
70s
Similarity:
22%
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 65 min.
Story:
Shot in sex dens of Berlin, pleasure and pain become one in this stylish tribute to the sleazy cinema of Jess Franco. Nadine Pape (A WARRIOR'S CREED) stars as Marie - a teenage vagabond whose lust for life will lead her to the bed of the ...
Style:
disturbing, psychological thriller, dark, intense, art house ...
Plot:
sexual awakening, lesbian romance, sadism, abuse, toxic relationship, manipulation, domination, obsession, coming of age, mysterious stranger, coercion, control ...
Place:
berlin germany
Similarity:
22%
506
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
While her father is away serving in the military, Sadie battles to preserve his place on the home front when her mother takes an interest in the newest resident at the Shady Plains Trailer Park.
Style:
independent film, tense, emotional, realistic, dark ...
Plot:
mother daughter relationship, coming of age, trailer park, female protagonist, child protagonist, character study, family drama, moral ambiguity, jealousy, manipulation, sabotage, absent father ...
Similarity:
21%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Christian is a young man growing up in Hollywood who dreams of following in his father's footsteps into show business. When he meets Tony, an industry insider with "connections," he is convinced that he has found his big break -- ...
Style:
dark, intense, realistic, independent film, suspense ...
Plot:
hollywood, redemption, drug addiction, self destructing, celebrity culture, character study, showbiz, nightlife, secrets, desperation, betrayal, isolation ...
Place:
los angeles
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Celess and Tina play the game too well to be considered your average gold diggers. And they're winning too. But when the jaw-dropping secret they both share is exposed, the same shovel that got them out of the dirt could very well bury them.
Style:
tense, captivating, disturbing, suspense, crime drama ...
Plot:
golddigger, secret, female friendship, secrets, black, women, money, female protagonist, betrayal, moral ambiguity, intrigue, deception ...
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
Graced with the instinctive ability to dance, Jenny Thomas wants nothing more than to become a professional dancer. All of her hard work pays off when she is accepted to a prominent dance program in New York. Against her mother's will, but with ...
Style:
romantic drama, independent film
Plot:
mormon, female protagonist, coming of age, faith, self discovery, ambition, religion, passion, love triangle, young adult, relationships, identity crisis ...
Place:
new york, utah
Similarity:
20%
131
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
Fighting to keep her family together, Trina steps into the underground world of drug trafficking. She enlists her two friends to become transporters.
Style:
crime drama, tense, crime thriller, suspense, tension ...
Plot:
motherhood, drug traffic, female protagonist, danger, survival, mother daughter relationship, family drama, protective parent, betrayal, violence, sacrifice, poverty ...
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 62 min.
Story:
Forced out of home by his religious mother for being gay, Ethan leaves Michigan for Hollywood to pursue his acting dreams. But he soon finds himself spiraling into drugs, prostitution, and homelessness.
Style:
captivating, psychological, thrilling, realistic, emotional ...
Plot:
hollywood, homelessness, drug abuse, gay lead character, gay, lgbt, gay slur, sexuality, addiction, lgbtq, social problems, social outcast ...
Place:
los angeles
Similarity:
20%
Movie in collections
18
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 76 min.
Story:
On a Sunday afternoon in July, eight people's lives become connected and forever changed by the choices one man makes. As these characters' lives intertwine within the film we discover one of them is HIV positive and how their individual ...
Style:
emotional, realistic, tension, suspense, tragic
Plot:
hiv, branding iron, responsibility, moral ambiguity, secrets, character study, guilt, regret, loss, intimate, mature, empathy ...
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 65 min.
Story:
A young woman gets sexually used and abused by every man she meets while on her way to rising to the top of Hollywood's entertainment industry.
Style:
grindhouse, disturbing, dark, controversial, erotic drama ...
Plot:
rape, sexploitation, showbiz, sexual abuse, hollywood, mature, aspiring actress, casting couch, voyeurism, predator, manipulation, desperation ...
Time:
60s
Place:
los angeles, las vegas
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min.
Story:
Rose Earl is proud as a peacock when Bobby, her eldest, whom she raised, like his kid brother Michael, to become moral men an model citizens, is the first member of the modest family ever to get accepted at college. It will take a while till she ...
Style:
dark, suspense, tense, emotional, psychological ...
Plot:
missing person, mother son relationship, family tragedy, family drama, peer pressure, betrayal, guilt, investigation, moral corruption, moral dilemma, loss, manipulation ...
Time:
90s
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
Johnny, Elisabeth, and Ryan grew up best friends. Things change when Ryan asks Elisabeth to marry him, sending Johnny down a dangerous path.
Style:
captivating, realistic, sentimental, psychological, independent film ...
Plot:
love triangle, coming of age, best friend, obsession, adolescence vs adulthood, youth, filmmaking, friendship, love, rivalry, unrequited love, slice of life ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
An aerialist rehearsing for a rock tour battles age, injury, and a young director scheming to end her career, while a mysterious reporter digs into the ghosts of her past.
Style:
emotional, independent film, suspense, psychological, intense ...
Plot:
character study, resilience, ageism, female protagonist, showbiz, circus, mature, performance art, female empowerment, trauma, redemption, manipulation ...
Similarity:
19%
Movie in collections
185
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
23 year old Jame Dean Ray is a small time drug dealer bent on self destruction. The product of a broken home, Jimmy refuses help from those around him and spends his final hours hanging out and selling drugs with of course and occasional robbery.
Style:
dark, crime drama, grim, bleak, psychological ...
Plot:
lesbian sex, drug dealer, self destructing, tragic hero, moral ambiguity, anti hero, character study, violent death, tragedy, downbeat ending, addiction, regret ...
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Drama
Country: Brazil
Duration: 83 min.
Story:
To satisfy her costumers, an owner of a luxurious bordello does whatever it takes. but the place’s efficiency is threatened when the most desirable of its ladies decides to quit. The owner set a diabolical plot to keep the girl working.
Style:
erotic drama, dark, crime thriller, period piece, art house ...
Plot:
brothel, prostitution, female protagonist, female exploitation, exploitation, sex work, manipulation, lesbian sex, erotica, survival, mother daughter relationship, corruption ...
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Thirty year old virgin Sybille meets the man of her dreams. Or is he?
Style:
romantic drama, emotional, psychological, dark, tension ...
Plot:
suburban life, insecurity, shyness, virginity, loneliness, female protagonist, character study, love story, manipulation, seduction, cohabitation, intimate ...
Time:
20th century
Similarity:
19%
34
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
L stopped enjoying life as a little girl. She flees abuse at the hands of her adoptive parents and heads for the big city. There, L's life is wrecked by a string of bad relationships, and she takes the fall for a friend who commits murder and ...
Style:
emotional, thrilling, captivating, psychological, melancholic ...
Plot:
female protagonist, love, loneliness, character study, psychological trauma, relationships, love story, love affair, love interest, mature, city life, alienation ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
japan
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Drama
Country: Switzerland
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
Currently in post-production. Plot unknown. Unknown plot.
Style:
existential, emotional, independent film, melancholic, atmospheric ...
Plot:
family drama, father son relationship, single father, intimacy, wildlife, isolation, slow burn, chaos, animal attack, identity, survival, haunting ...
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
Taryn finds herself gaining much-desired popularity when the charismatic new girl at school claims her as a “breath sister," teaching Taryn about the Choking Game. Hiding it from her ever-present mother, best friend, and teachers, Taryn sees ...
Style:
psychological, teen, captivating, disturbing, suspense ...
Audience:
teen drama
Plot:
high school, peer pressure, social issues, female protagonist, teenager, girl, most dangerous game, suffocation, socially awkward, teenage girl, schoolgirl, desire ...
Similarity:
18%
340
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
Forced to go legal, an outlaw pot farmer fights to preserve her way of life.
Style:
psychological, captivating, thrilling, emotional, independent film ...
Plot:
female protagonist, rural area, farming, farmer, lifestyle, countryside, farm, character study, small town, aging, resilience, moral ambiguity ...
Similarity:
18%
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