Movies like Hard Knocks 1980
If you like "Hard Knocks" you are looking for emotional, bleak and period piece movies about / with young woman, poverty, female protagonist, urban, modeling, struggle and survival themes of Drama genre shot in Australia.
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Hard Knocks (1980)
60
Genre: Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
A young girl with a background of urban poverty and juvenile crime, attempts to become a fashion model. The hypocrisy and double standards of society are juxtaposed against the confusion and frustration she feels as she struggles to become part of a community that has no place for her.
Style:
emotional, bleak, period piece, independent film
Plot:
young woman, poverty, female protagonist, urban, modeling, struggle, survival, fashion, street life, ambition, aspiration, working class, coming of age, resilience, identity, class conflict, isolation, fashion industry, alienation, transformation, identity crisis, urban decay, intimate, photographer, woman ...
Time:
80s, year 1980
Place:
melbourne
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Most similar movies to Hard Knocks
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out emotional, independent film, melancholic and bleak films with plots about poverty, survival, coming of age, identity, working class, isolation and intimate mostly in Drama, Adventure and Sport genres. Some movies like Hard Knocks: Mouth to Mouth (1978), Midnight Dancer (1988), Boat Rower Girl (2019), Rose Stone Star (2020), The Lost Generation (1983). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
Broke and homeless Australian teenagers in love.
Style:
independent film, emotional, romantic drama, melancholic, bleak ...
Plot:
teenager, street life, homelessness, youth, coming of age, friendship, urban, poverty, realism, social realism, survival, working class ...
Time:
70s, year 1978
Place:
australia
Similarity:
95%
Genre: Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
16 year old Australian girl Belinda (Deanne Jeffs) wants to become a ballerina. To makes ends meet, she takes a job as an exotic dancer in a Sydney cabaret. Eventually, she is able to reach her goal, but not before experiencing humanity at best and ...
Style:
emotional, independent film, melancholic, period piece
Audience:
teen drama
Plot:
dance, ballet, coming of age, exotic dancer, cabaret, teenage protagonist, struggle, perseverance, resilience, transformation, self discovery, aspiration ...
Time:
80s, 60s
Place:
sydney australia, australia
Similarity:
87%
Genre: Drama
Country: Argentina
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
In a poor neighborhood crisscrossed by a polluted river, Tati, a 14-year-old girl, is forced to grow up alone in a troubled and confusing context. While learning to sail on the river, she dreams of being a boat rower. A job only ruled by men.
Style:
emotional
Plot:
female protagonist, gender roles, adolescence, coming of age, ambition, struggle, river, youth, poverty, working class, resilience, dream ...
Similarity:
78%
Genre: Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Carmela is thirty, beautiful and as untamed as an horsewoman. She is jobless and struggles to get by on her own, doing small day-to-day tasks. She makes ends meet by making use of the immigrants who populate the maze of alleyways of Naples' old ...
Style:
serious, dramatic, captivating, suspenseful, independent film ...
Plot:
female protagonist, character study, immigration, poverty, survival, thirtysomething life, life is a bitch, woman, illegal immigrant, 30 year old, life, immigrant ...
Place:
naples italy
Similarity:
74%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: Taiwan, Hong Kong
Story:
The plot follows a group of women who struggle in Hong Kong, most of them illegal immigrants from mainland China.
Style:
emotional, melancholic, period piece
Plot:
survival, poverty, struggle, illegal immigration, exploitation, social realism, city life, working class, resilience, hotel, female friendship, class conflict ...
Time:
80s
Place:
hong kong, china
Similarity:
67%
Genre: Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
A young man in a depressed satellite city, meets a woman who offers him love and hope.
Style:
melancholic, emotional
Plot:
urban decay, desperation, social commentary, working class, poverty, alienation, longing, character study, hopes, social realism, isolation, loneliness ...
Time:
80s
Place:
australia
Similarity:
65%
2K
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
This is a story of a young man named Kenny Stanford who had dreams of being an Successful artist in the music industry, but these dreams were cut short due to senseless street violence. His older brother Libaraiers Stanford lived by the laws of ...
Style:
emotional, realistic, independent film
Plot:
urban, hip hop, brotherhood, family tragedy, grief, music industry, mourning, loss, aspiration, identity, trauma, revenge ...
Similarity:
57%
33
Genre: Drama
Country: Ireland
Duration: 71 min.
Story:
EDEN deals with what could possible be a future for most people caught up in the current economic climate in Ireland and how we have taken a bite of the financial apple and borrowed beyond our means. We follow Adam who has been left unemployed and ...
Style:
melancholic, independent film, bleak, existential, grim
Plot:
homelessness, street life, realism, social commentary, unemployment, poverty, empathy, character study, working class, survival, desperation, urban decay ...
Similarity:
55%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
A young runaway ends up homeless with no choice but to try to survive life on the streets.
Style:
psychological, thrilling, captivating, emotional, independent film ...
Plot:
street life, social issues, homeless, homelessness, social problems, lifestyle, city life, urban setting, realism, resilience, poverty, survival ...
Similarity:
53%
Genre: Drama
Country: Israel, France
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Muhammad, a rejected boy from the fringe of society, floats through the streets of a filthy city, exposed and desolated, until he meets Gurevich; a lone rover who rides his motorcycle into the bowels of the city, through the shadows of the back ...
Style:
dark, existential, bleak, art house, psychological ...
Plot:
urban decay, street life, urban, desolation, isolation, identity, alienation, loner, survival, anti hero, power struggle, coming of age ...
Place:
palestine, israel
Similarity:
50%
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:
48%
65
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
After her car is towed and she is left with a shocking $21,634 tow bill, an unhoused woman wages a relentless fight to reclaim her car—and her life—exposing a broken system and redefining what it means to persevere against all odds.
Style:
inspirational, realistic, emotional, tension, independent film
Plot:
homelessness, legal battle, female protagonist, resilience, perseverance, economic inequality, social justice, empowerment, survival, class conflict, poverty, human rights ...
Time:
2020s, 2010s
Place:
seattle
Similarity:
47%
182
Genre: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
The story revolves around an orphan girl who became a prostitute to survive and finds love with one of her clients. A young woman is tricked into prostitution, thinking she's going to sell beverages at a village store. She soon learns about the ...
Style:
bleak, intense, period piece
Plot:
prostitution, red light district, sex trafficking, exploitation, sexploitation, abuse, human trafficking, forced prostitution, pimp, female protagonist, survival, character study ...
Time:
90s, 70s, 80s
Place:
korea, south korea
Similarity:
46%
Genre: Drama
Country: Hungary
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
Karesz has been raised in an institution, his mother has a new family, and her husband does not tolerate that she meets her first-born son. Karesz tramps, joining up with his casual pals he washes the windscreens of cars, sells newspapers; sometimes ...
Style:
realistic, grim, bleak, melancholic, road movie ...
Plot:
drifter, wanderer, street life, social realism, alienation, poverty, homelessness, survival, isolation, coming of age, unemployment, abandonment ...
Place:
eastern europe, hungary, budapest
Similarity:
46%
Genre: Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
The story of a drug dealer from Romania and his son in Rome's suburbs.Roman is an immigrant from Romania arrived in Italy 30 years ago. He sells drugs and lives in criminal contexts. His dream is to see his child, Nicu, whom he raised without a ...
Style:
crime drama, emotional, intense, tense, bleak ...
Plot:
fatherhood, drug dealing, immigration, father son relationship, social realism, street life, illegal drugs, moral ambiguity, poverty, urban decay, violence, survival ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
italy
Similarity:
45%
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
A young boy homeless by tragic misfortune, is taken in by a poor yet loving man. Dylan, now a street-smart maverick yearns for a better future. With the odds stacked against him, Dylan fights to bring hope to his community, and find his place in the ...
Style:
heartfelt, inspirational, emotional
Plot:
struggle, resilience, homelessness, poverty, coming of age, hopes, aspiration, street life, community, survival, urban, friendship ...
Similarity:
45%
86
Genre: Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
An Australian film about a teenage girl who takes responsibility for keeping her "family" together.
Style:
emotional, realistic, melancholic, heartfelt, intense ...
Audience:
teen drama
Plot:
coming of age, teenage protagonist, family crisis, family drama, sacrifice, adolescence, personal growth, realism, drug use, religious fanaticism, identity, intimate ...
Place:
australia
Similarity:
44%
Genre: Drama
Country: Canada
Story:
Brazilian native Priscilla Paredes is intent on staying in Montreal, despite the expiration of her student visa. Out of desperation, she takes a job as an exotic dancer at the Elixir, a downtown strip club, where she meets Milagro, a headstrong ...
Style:
emotional, independent film, art house, multicultural
Plot:
strip club, lesbian, survival, female protagonist, sex work, poverty, working class, immigration, friendship, desperation, realism, female empowerment ...
Place:
montreal, quebec
Similarity:
42%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
In the immediate post-war period, amidst the rubble of a poverty-ridden Naples, two kids, Carmine and Celestina, try to survive as best they can by helping each other out. One night, they secretly board a ship bound for New York to reach ...
Style:
realistic, emotional, neorealism, historical drama, period piece ...
Plot:
post war, journey, immigration, struggle, social realism, hopes, resilience, working class, poverty, coming of age, friendship, survival ...
Time:
1950s, 1940s
Place:
new york, naples italy, italy
Similarity:
42%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
Los Jornaleros presents the interwoven stories of three young Hispanic men who come to this country to pursue te American dream and instead end up struggling as day-laborers.
Style:
hispanic, realistic, independent film, bilingual
Plot:
gay, immigrant, american dream, working class, poverty, survival, frustration, social commentary, struggle, social realism, identity, exploitation ...
Time:
2000s
Similarity:
40%
181
Genre: Drama
Country: Peru
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
Gregorio, a boy from the impoverished countryside of Peru emigrates to Lima, the capital city. Experiencing a cultural shock due to the chaotic nature of the city, he must challenge himself to learn Spanish, since his native tongue is Quechua, and ...
Style:
melancholic, neorealism
Plot:
social realism, language barrier, class conflict, immigration, social commentary, survival, resilience, city life, realism, child protagonist, street life, adaptation ...
Place:
peru, latin america
Similarity:
40%
Genre: Drama
Country: Mexico
Story:
The daily struggles and hopes of an entire group of Mexican actors: Freddy, Sandra, Jonathan, Karina and Jorge, show us what "being an actor" really means on a daily basis.
Style:
independent film, emotional
Plot:
actor, real life, everyday life, behind the scenes, struggle, character study, aspiration, slice of life, intimate, perseverance, film industry, hopes ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
latin america, mexico city, cannes
Similarity:
40%
Genre: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
The film follows children growing up in the projects, where they juggle the pressures of school and street life.
Style:
captivating, realistic, emotional, tense, bleak ...
Plot:
teenager, drug dealing, teenage life, life is a bitch, grownups, youth, poverty, coming of age, criminal, drug dealer, saving a life, fighting the system ...
Time:
2010s
Similarity:
39%
Movie in collections
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:
39%
Genre: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
While he loses his clandestine work, and because he believes that Maroussia and him will no longer be able to love each other as well, Frank leaves to earn as much as she: twelve thousand, just what it takes to have a year before them. No more no ...
Style:
melancholic
Plot:
employment, working life, poverty, working class, realism, urban, slice of life, intimate, resilience, character study, social realism, sacrifice ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
france
Similarity:
38%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 65 min.
Story:
The dramatic story of a group of young people’s response to a desperate teen’s cry for help.
Style:
independent film, emotional, psychological, bleak, art house ...
Audience:
teen drama
Plot:
depression, teen suicide, mental health, teenage angst, isolation, coming of age, alienation, intimate, introspection, self harm, friendship, social realism ...
Time:
80s
Similarity:
38%
110
Genre: Drama, Sport
Country: South Korea
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
After a few months of social adjustment training, the North Korean refugee Jina moves to a small studio in Seoul and starts her new life. To bring her father to South Korea, she needs money but no matter how hard she works, the discrimination ...
Style:
psychological, captivating, thrilling, realistic, emotional ...
Plot:
refugee, female protagonist, boxing, father daughter relationship, struggle, resilience, perseverance, female boxer, boxing training, boxer, lifestyle change, coping ...
Time:
2020s
Place:
korea, seoul
Similarity:
37%
Genre: Drama
Country: Turkey
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
A man lives alone in Istanbul. He makes a living doing odd jobs for several people, but dreams of being a singer.
Style:
melancholic, emotional, independent film
Plot:
dream, loneliness, male protagonist, character study, ambition, singing, working class, housekeeper, struggle, introspection, urban, aspiration ...
Place:
istanbul turkey
Similarity:
37%
729
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
After getting laid off, young single-mom Beth finds herself living in her car and struggles to hide her homelessness from her estranged brother Ben.
Style:
psychological, thrilling, captivating, emotional, independent film ...
Plot:
homelessness, single mother, female protagonist, poverty, social problems, dysfunctional family, life is a bitch, family relations, relationship problems, poor family, family problems, social issues ...
Similarity:
36%
Genre: Drama
Country: Russia, USA, Austria
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
A young pregnant woman arrives in New York City from Russia, and her mind drifts to the past when she was coming of age in a coal mining town in Russia.
Style:
melancholic, emotional, intercultural, realistic, grim ...
Plot:
immigrant, pregnancy, coming of age, flashback, outsider, trauma, loneliness, search for father, character study, dark past, isolation, identity ...
Place:
new york, russia
Similarity:
35%
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