Movies like No Big Deal 1985
If you like "No Big Deal" you are looking for emotional, heartfelt and independent film movies about / with troubled youth, rehabilitation, second chance, juvenile delinquency, family drama, parents and teacher student relationship 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.
No Big Deal (1985)
98
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
A school takes on a troublesome boy from juvenile hall, in order to try to help him settle back in to normal life. But everything seems to be mounted against him, including a drunken mother.
Style:
emotional, heartfelt, independent film
Audience:
adult
Plot:
troubled youth, rehabilitation, second chance, juvenile delinquency, family drama, parents, teacher student relationship, redemption, underdog, social realism, character study, mentor, moral dilemma, coming of age, social work, intimate, bullying, isolation, urban, teen angst, small town, friendship, juvenile delinquent, car thief, school teacher ...
Time:
year 1983, 80s
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to No Big Deal
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out emotional, realistic, independent film and melancholic films with plots about redemption, moral dilemma, social realism, urban, coming of age, second chance and intimate mostly in Drama genres. Some movies like No Big Deal: Enemies (2025), Fighting Back (1982), Pendulum Swings (2011), Hazard (2024), Indigo Kristal (2023). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Drama
Country: Spain, USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Chimo turns 18 years and comes from a humble and supportive family. Since childhood he was bullied and even today, while working multiple jobs and dreaming of starting his own business, he continues to face his bully: El Rubio. When Chimo has the ...
Style:
emotional, intense, tension
Audience:
teen drama
Plot:
coming of age, friendship, revenge, rivalry, bullying, adolescence, youth, working class, neighborhood, teen angst, transformation, redemption ...
Similarity:
95%
Genre: Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
Fighting Back is a 1982 Australian film about troubled teenagers.
Style:
intense, realistic, emotional, period piece, independent film
Plot:
troubled teen, juvenile delinquency, teen angst, character study, violence, rebellion, identity crisis, social realism, family drama, teacher student relationship, confrontation, moral ambiguity ...
Time:
80s
Place:
australia
Similarity:
71%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
PENDULUM SWINGS follows a man into a dark place in his life - a place at which he arrives through a combination of bad decisions and forces beyond his control. When he finally hits bottom, he is presented with an opportunity to climb out of his ...
Style:
emotional, reflective, serious, melancholic, realistic ...
Plot:
compassion, redemption, empathy, second chance, character study, recovery, moral dilemma, morality, healing, resilience, self destructing, humanity ...
Similarity:
61%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
A young man faces hard life choices and tragedies as he attempts to break the cycle of addiction tearing his family apart.
Style:
bleak
Audience:
adult
Plot:
substance abuse, family drama, addiction, social realism, desperation, isolation, moral dilemma, grief, poverty, rehabilitation, sacrifice, urban ...
Similarity:
59%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: Serbia
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Vuk, a 30-year-old ex-convict haunted by his best friend's suicide, is trying to save his younger brother, Zizi.
Style:
crime drama, emotional, bleak, serious, dramatic ...
Plot:
redemption, second chance, family drama, brotherhood, moral dilemma, isolation, social realism, urban, reform, confrontation, street life, rehabilitation ...
Time:
2020s
Place:
eastern europe
Similarity:
56%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
An ex-football star, paralyzed from the waist down during Vietnam, accepts the challenge of coaching football in a juvenile reform school.
Style:
inspirational, motivational, emotional, serious, period piece
Plot:
american football, vietnam war, coach, juvenile detention, football, vietnam veteran, rehabilitation, redemption, troubled youth, disability, underdog, mentor ...
Time:
70s
Similarity:
53%
394
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
Follows the lives of an unemployed drunk and his son as they struggle to adapt to each other.
Style:
emotional, melancholic, independent film, bleak
Plot:
unemployment, family drama, alcoholism, father son relationship, poverty, character study, intimate, social realism, parenting, working class, empathy, slice of life ...
Time:
21st century
Similarity:
52%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 78 min.
Story:
True story of Jane Duco, a young nun who also had a job as a probation officer.
Style:
crime drama, emotional, juvenile, period drama
Plot:
nun, probation officer, religion, character study, prostitution, empathy, juvenile delinquency, ethical dilemma, drug addiction, rehabilitation, social realism, social work ...
Time:
70s
Similarity:
50%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
A bullied adolescent who has spent his life bouncing from foster home to foster home finds new hope with the help of a Tae Kwon Do master and his paraplegic granddaughter.
Style:
emotional, realistic
Audience:
teen drama
Plot:
taekwondo, foster home, martial arts, recovery, inspiration, resilience, hopes, underdog, redemption, empowerment, bullying, disability ...
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 46 min.
Story:
A troubled young man battles his inner demons as he seeks redemption and a second chance in his life.
Style:
reflective, emotional, realistic, serious, melancholic ...
Plot:
redemption, second chance, self discovery, personal growth, soul searching, regret, coming of age, trauma, moral dilemma, loss, isolation, identity ...
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
An ex-convict, after spending six years in prison, tries to re-establish a relationship with the son he hasn't seen in all that time.
Style:
realistic, heartfelt, emotional, melancholic, independent film ...
Plot:
father son relationship, ex convict, family drama, second chance, redemption, reconciliation, estranged son, forgiveness, regret, male protagonist, parenting, bittersweet ...
Time:
80s, 20th century
Place:
los angeles
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
When prison boxer George "The Hammer" Martin is offered freedom for fighting in the 1984 Olympics, he says no in order to protect the woman he loves, forcing his best friend to learn the true meaning of loyalty.
Style:
psychological, captivating, thrilling, heartfelt, emotional ...
Plot:
boxing, friendship, faith, prison, boxer, best friend, sacrifice, loyalty, love, boxing champion, life sentence, jail ...
Time:
80s
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 79 min.
Story:
A new teacher at a highly problematic comprehensive school feels that corporal punishment may just be inflaming the problems, and so begins to campaign against it.
Style:
realistic, thought provoking, emotional, tense, political
Plot:
corporal punishment, teacher, teacher student relationship, social realism, moral dilemma, confrontation, working class, activism, campaigning, urban, school, coming of age ...
Time:
80s
Similarity:
47%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Recently released from prison, Beth is working with her public defender to get her son back from her sister, who was awarded legal custody while Beth was incarcerated for ten years. Soon after, Beth forms an unlikely alliance with Jess, an ...
Style:
emotional, independent film, melancholic, romantic drama, tense
Plot:
custody battle, mother daughter estrangement, rehabilitation, sister sister relationship, public defender, ex convict, motherhood, family drama, female protagonist, character study, women's issues, family conflict ...
Time:
2010s
Similarity:
45%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
As he strives to make it on his own, Nick Ramsey has alienated his father by rejecting his upbringing and lifestyle. Now 25, Nick has been rejected by his girlfriend and vows to turn his life around.
Style:
crime drama, realistic, emotional, intense, tension ...
Plot:
family drama, family conflict, father son relationship, moral dilemma, self discovery, identity crisis, redemption, male protagonist, second chance, blue collar, regret, working class ...
Similarity:
45%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
Johnny leaves a Washington State juvenile facility and travels to Olympia where he meets other gay men and starts to put to rights some of the wrongs done to gay youths
Style:
independent film, emotional, reflective
Plot:
lgbtq, gay, identity, self discovery, intimate, introspection, character study, healing, redemption, angst, friendship, coming of age ...
Similarity:
43%
Genre: Drama
Country: Czechoslovakia
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Wandering around wine bars and pubs drinking, thirty-year old worker Oldrich (Petr Kostka), who is celebrating the birth of his son, meets a seventeen-year old lad called Yellow T-shirt Boy (VladimÃr Pucholt). Yellow T-shirt Boy is a problematic ...
Style:
realistic, emotional, melancholic, poignant
Plot:
fatherhood, compassion, character study, working class, social realism, male protagonist, male bonding, friendship, alienation, bittersweet, coming of age, redemption ...
Time:
60s
Place:
czechoslovakia
Similarity:
43%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
When Brett Cornell learns that the mother of a child he is alleged to have Fathered 5 years prior, has died in an accident, he heads south to try and take custody of the daughter that he never knew. Brett takes to desperate measures to make it in ...
Style:
emotional, tense, independent film, romantic drama, psychological ...
Plot:
family drama, fatherhood, child custody, custody battle, foster home, single father, character study, second chance, moral dilemma, male protagonist, redemption, parenthood ...
Place:
new york, north carolina, south carolina
Similarity:
42%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
A homeless ex-boxer and an inner-city kid's unlikely bond, helps them face their future, while fighting the tragedy from their past!
Style:
thrilling, captivating, suspenseful, psychological, emotional ...
Plot:
ex boxer, tragedy, boxer, boxing, redemption, homeless man, confronting the past, life is a bitch, troubled past, homeless, social problems, tragic past ...
Similarity:
41%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
The Woman with the Issue of Blood, or as we call her in our film, Maria. She was arguably the most well-known, nameless figure in the bible. A woman who suffered for 12 years with an incurable disease. 12 years of doctors telling her that they can ...
Style:
religious drama, serious, inspirational, emotional, reflective ...
Plot:
faith, miraculous event, hopes, faith healing, faith based, redemption, spiritual journey, compassion, sacrifice, forgiveness, urban, perseverance ...
Similarity:
41%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
When Mr. Deen discovers one of his students has been living out of his car and thrown into jail, he decides to bail him out. Determined to curb Nate’s self-destructive behavior, Deen quickly discovers a host of dark secrets slowly tearing Nate ...
Style:
psychological, emotional, captivating, thrilling, intense ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
teenager, trauma, life is a bitch, teenage life, troubled past, tragic past, confronting the past, moral dilemma, self destructing, redemption, desperation, abuse ...
Similarity:
40%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
Henry Soames owns a rural diner, and has befriended Willard Freud and Callie Wells. One day Willard and Callie get the news that Callie is pregnant, and Willard splits. Henry takes in Callie, and helps her through the pregnancy. They fall in love ...
Style:
heartfelt, emotional, tension, period piece, independent film
Plot:
moral dilemma, pregnancy, family drama, love triangle, diner, marriage, intimate, bittersweet, conflict, second chance, sacrifice, female protagonist ...
Time:
80s
Similarity:
39%
Genre: Drama
Country: South Africa
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
The gangster Manysia is given a second chance after his release from prison. Reverend Jacob Musi takes him under his wings, both as a promise to Manysia’s father and as an act of benevolence. Reverend Jacob thinks that everyone deserves a fresh ...
Style:
emotional, intense, tense, suspense
Plot:
forgiveness, second chance, redemption, hopes, moral dilemma, character study, pastor, guilt, gangster, social realism, urban, mentor ...
Place:
south africa
Similarity:
38%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min.
Story:
When four friends reunite for a night of fun in their hometown, a crisis forces them to confront the consequences of their lifestyles.
Style:
realistic, emotional, tension, independent film, reflective ...
Plot:
coming of age, moral dilemma, friendship, confrontation, crisis, mature, hometown, loyalty, social issues, small town, loss, social realism ...
Similarity:
38%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
Trying to get his dying father out of prison with a compassionate release, Max Dagan needs the help of the daughter of the man his father killed.
Style:
emotional, heartfelt, bleak, melancholic, tension
Plot:
redemption, forgiveness, father son relationship, family drama, prison, guilt, moral dilemma, second chance, dying man, reconciliation, grief, family secret ...
Similarity:
38%
142
Genre: Drama
Country: Canada, UK
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Lily and her three youngest children join her husband David Sutton, a doctor in an isolated northern Alberta town. Their eleven-year-old son arrives later from boarding school. David conceals a dark secret which caused the family to leave England ...
Style:
realistic, emotional, dramatic, tense, suspense ...
Plot:
family drama, family secret, secrets, small town, friendship, outsider, isolation, motherhood, betrayal, racism, intimate, identity ...
Time:
80s
Place:
england, canada
Similarity:
37%
Genre: Drama
Country: South Africa
Story:
When a retired police inspector, who suffers from agoraphobia, receives an eviction notice, he befriends a homeless boy and together they come up with a plan to get rid of his phobia.
Style:
heartfelt, psychological, emotional, contemplative, realistic
Plot:
mental health, isolation, agoraphobia, friendship, healing, recovery, bonding, redemption, loneliness, homelessness, personal growth, character study ...
Similarity:
35%
Genre: Drama
Country: India
Duration: 147 min.
Story:
A beautiful father-son duo navigates love, betrayal, and redemption amidst a betting mafia and police chase, unveiling a heartfelt journey of debts and dreams.
Style:
emotional, dramatic, sentimental, crime thriller, tense ...
Plot:
family drama, father son relationship, family honor, redemption, male protagonist, grief, forgiveness, moral dilemma, responsibility, mourning, loyalty, police chase ...
Time:
2020s
Similarity:
34%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 73 min.
Story:
Three women struggle in their social and cultural environments and face unforeseeable crises. Based on true events.
Style:
serious, realistic, tension, art house, melancholic
Plot:
virginity, women, honor, crisis, social realism, cultural conflict, social commentary, patriarchy, gender roles, shame, adolescence, branding iron ...
Place:
middle east
Similarity:
33%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
Two strangers - Ruth, a burn unit nurse and Conrad, a shipyard worker - cross paths over a strange weekend in Seattle.
Style:
captivating, psychological, thrilling, emotional, independent film ...
Plot:
dreaming, nurse, problem, bonding, character study, redemption, empathy, heroism, intimate, blue collar, slice of life, second chance ...
Similarity:
33%
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