Movies like Paper Lives
If you like "Paper Lives" you are looking for tense, sincere and captivating movies about / with help, street kid, life is a bitch, child custody, changing lives, protector and social problems themes of Drama genre shot in Turkey.
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.
Paper Lives (2021)
15K
Original name: Kağıttan Hayatlar
Genre: Drama
Country: Turkey
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
In the streets of Istanbul, ailing waste warehouse worker Mehmet takes a small boy under his wing and must soon confront his own traumatic childhood.
Style:
tense, sincere, captivating, suspense, disturbing, unpredictable, surprise ending
Plot:
help, street kid, life is a bitch, child custody, changing lives, protector, social problems, social misfits, care, guardian, assistant, protection, lifestyle change, urban setting, haunted by the past, tragic past, confronting the past, troubled past, homeless, youth, teenager, children, violence, water, hospital ...
Time:
2020s
Place:
middle east, istanbul turkey, turkey
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Paper Lives
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out captivating, disturbing, psychological and suspense films with plots about life is a bitch, social problems, family problems, family relations, changing lives, lifestyle change and teenager mostly in Drama genres. Some movies like Paper Lives: Home (2020), Nocturnal Agony (2011), Last Night in Rozzie (2021), Young Adult Matters (2020), Gringo (2016). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
900
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany, Netherlands, France, USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
An ex-felon returns home from prison and must confront the demons of his past.
Style:
disturbing, psychological, captivating, f word
Plot:
life is a bitch, lifestyle, secret past, criminal, changing lives, social problems, tragic past, confronting the past, bandit, lifestyle change, ex convict, haunted by the past ...
Similarity:
95%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
A highly successful upper middle class woman with a loving family has her seemingly “perfect” world turned upside down when the hidden secrets from her past suddenly resurface, forcing her and her beloved mother into a painful examination of ...
Style:
suspense, captivating, suspenseful, tense, disturbing ...
Plot:
faith, recovery, female protagonist, family relations, dysfunctional family, life is a bitch, confronting the past, mother daughter relationship, tragic past, dark past, woman in danger, family in danger ...
Similarity:
91%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
When a New York lawyer returns to his Boston hometown to reunite his dying friend with his young son, he is forced to finally confront a childhood trauma.
Style:
suspense, captivating, psychological, tense, disturbing
Plot:
father son relationship, relationships, reunited friends, last wish, life is a bitch, troubled past, psychological trauma, confronting the past, traumatic experience, tragic past, children, lawyer ...
Place:
boston
Similarity:
86%
Genre: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
Wandering around the streets, Sejin, a pregnant teen, gets to know Juyeong and reunites with Jaepil and Sinji. The four musketeers go through a series of misfortunes, bumping into masochistic/sadistic characters and experiencing the brutality and ...
Style:
disturbing, suspense, tense, psychological, captivating ...
Plot:
homeless teenager, pregnant teenager, troubled teen, poverty, teenager, social problems, life is a bitch, teenage pregnancy, coming of age, teenage life, social misfits, relationship problems ...
Similarity:
85%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
Omar and Esperanza return to Monterrey after a doctoral stay in Quebec, while making economic and emotional efforts to stay in Mexico, a job offer comes up in San Antonio, Texas. Standing before unsecure and terror conditions that rein upon the ...
Style:
suspense, disturbing, captivating, tension, road movie ...
Plot:
dysfunctional family, border crossing, secret past, family problems, confronting the past, tragic past, new job, society, social problems, family relations, life is a bitch, social misfits ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
mexico, san antonio texas
Similarity:
80%
Genre: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
Ten-year-old Nikki is a precocious child suffering from Rett Syndrome. Unwilling to help her the doctors, instead, want to write her off as a mentally handicapped person.
Style:
disturbing, psychological, captivating, suspense, medical drama ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
fighting illness, precocious child, doctor, disability, lifestyle, social problems, life is a bitch, social misfits, terminal illness, illness, life philosophy, child ...
Similarity:
77%
Genre: Drama
Country: Iran
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Hours before her scheduled marriage, young bride-to-be Shirin murders a man. The crime is completely unexpected and goes against everything we know of her. We learn that Shirin has had two unsuccessful marriage attempts, and is deeply ...
Style:
psychological, suspense, disturbing, interesting
Plot:
domestic violence, child sexual abuse, women of color, marriage crisis, family problems, dysfunctional family, marriage, social problems, tragic past, confronting the past, troubled past, marital crisis ...
Place:
iran, persia
Similarity:
76%
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
A former alcoholic returns home after ten years in prison for the murder of her husband. As her recollection of the murder returns, things take a different turn.
Style:
crime drama, psychological thriller, suspense, disturbing, psychological ...
Plot:
alcoholism, female protagonist, ex convict, tragic event, social problems, tragic past, problem, murder, dark past, recovering alcoholic, life is a bitch, confronting the past ...
Similarity:
75%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Yuri and Takumi are brother and sister who faced unusually harsh treatment by their father. An act of brutality keeps them extremely close together until an older couple occupy the house where their secret was buried.
Style:
suspense, psychological, captivating, tense, sincere
Plot:
dysfunctional family, family problems, brother sister relationship, family relations, male female relationship, life is a bitch, tragic past, tragic love, family secret, relationship problems, confronting the past, brother sister incest ...
Similarity:
75%
Genre: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 77 min.
Story:
An illegal Chinese immigrant and her teenage daughter are held captive in their home after a stranger breaks in.
Style:
psychological, disturbing, captivating, suspense
Plot:
prostitution, mother daughter relationship, changing lives, illegal prostitution, family relations, lifestyle change, prostitute, family problems, mysterious stranger, mother and daughter, life is a bitch, relationship problems ...
Place:
paris france
Similarity:
75%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
The possibly devastating impact of the Trump administration crackdown on immigration, for one Bay Area family.
Style:
suspense, captivating, disturbing, realistic, emotional ...
Plot:
immigration, family drama, immigrant family, mysterious disappearance, changing lives, social problems, life is a bitch, teenager, teenage life, lifestyle change, disappearance, teenage girl ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
san francisco, bay area
Similarity:
74%
Genre: Drama
Country: Turkey
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
Ahmet, who had recently lost his wife and little daughter in a traffic accident while he was away with his lover, is a prominent person dealing with "head work". As someone who does not care for anybody and does not knuckle under ...
Style:
psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing, art house
Plot:
loss, loneliness, family problems, adultery, adulterous husband, loss of wife, loss of child, lifestyle change, changing lives, lifestyle, lonely, lovers ...
Place:
middle east
Similarity:
74%
Genre: Drama
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
Christine’s life has not been easy lately. Her lonely routine is divided between free food banks distributions and wandering the streets. On a cold winter night she founds Suli, an 8-year-old Eritrean boy, sobbing in front of her shelter. ...
Style:
suspense, disturbing, captivating
Plot:
homeless woman, refugee, illegal immigrant, homelessness, homeless, search for mother, boy, life is a bitch, social problems, social issues, urban setting, immigrant ...
Place:
paris france
Similarity:
73%
Genre: Drama
Country: Estonia, Finland
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
A snapshot of one segment of Estonian present-day life, shown through the eyes of a child: 8 years old Lucia is leading a jolly and naughty Pippi-Longstocking-style life in a small town in Estonia. Her father Kaido, a graveyard keeper, can hardly ...
Style:
disturbing, psychological, captivating
Plot:
father daughter relationship, daughter, children, family problems, changing lives, kids and family, social problems, teenage life, family relations, life is a bitch, dysfunctional family, teenager ...
Place:
estonia
Similarity:
73%
150
Genre: Drama
Country: Spain
Duration: 78 min.
Story:
After being sexually assaulted by an acquainted and incapable of dealing with the situation, a woman leaves her whole life behind and hides herself away in an isolated cabin in the mountains.
Style:
psychological, disturbing, tense, captivating, suspense ...
Plot:
female protagonist, sexualized violence, rape victim, violence against women, shame, guilt, traumatic past, tragic past, violence, psychological trauma, rape, troubled past ...
Similarity:
73%
Genre: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
A life-changing story of a man who has lived as a loner his entire life. Jae Shik begins to live together with a child with a hearing-visual disability, as they change each other's lives and try to find a way to communicate.
Style:
emotional, disturbing, sincere, psychological, captivating ...
Plot:
foster child, child, deafness, blindness, loner, disability, bonding, empathy, changing lives, lifestyle change, child custody, family life ...
Time:
2020s
Place:
korea
Similarity:
72%
Genre: Drama
Country: Belgium, Netherlands
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
Many years after a sweltering summer that spun out of control, Eva returns to the village she grew up in with an ice block in the back of her car. In the dead of winter, she confronts her past and faces up to her tormentors.
Style:
captivating, psychological, thrilling, non-linear, teen
Plot:
rape, suicide, alcoholism, teenage rape, suicide by hanging, female protagonist, social problems, tragic past, confronting the past, life is a bitch, troubled past, problem ...
Place:
belgium, flanders
Similarity:
72%
37
Genre: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Set in a run-down bar named "Pink," movie follows the lives of people surrounding the bar including its owner Ok-Ryun.
Style:
psychological, disturbing, suspense, captivating
Plot:
protest, loss of job, social problems, small town, social issues, small town life, life is a bitch, family relations, social misfits, workplace, family problems, society ...
Similarity:
72%
Movie in collections
3K
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Olivia and Matthew Grey, 18-year-old twins born into a world of privilege and high expectations. There are almost no boundaries between them - even their dreams are connected.
Style:
psychological, touching, suspense, disturbing, captivating ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
anorexia, eating disorder, youth, love, hospital, hospitalization, life is a bitch, adaptation, illness, mental illness, redemption, society ...
Similarity:
72%
Genre: Drama
Country: Ireland
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
An 18-year-old man, living on a Dublin housing estate with his grandfather, is caught holding drugs for his friend's older brother and sentenced to 3 months in prison.
Style:
tense, suspense, captivating, disturbing, bleak ...
Plot:
prison, young man, illegal drugs, drug, teenage life, life is a bitch, changing lives, teenager, drug dealer, teenage boy, lifestyle change, coming of age ...
Place:
ireland, dublin ireland
Similarity:
72%
Genre: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
The awkward, distant, and wounded three sisters gather at their hometown for their father’s birthday. However, on the day of the party, there is a big mess because of their little brother Jinseob’s abnormal behavior, and the past of the three ...
Style:
disturbing, captivating, psychological
Plot:
family problems, sister sister relationship, family relations, sisters, relationships, life is a bitch, confronting the past, brother sister relationship, dysfunctional family, women, troubled past, tragic past ...
Place:
korea
Similarity:
71%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
An act of civil disobedience turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnati take over the public library to seek shelter from the bitter cold.
Style:
suspenseful, psychological, captivating, disturbing, suspense ...
Plot:
violence, psychopath, life is a bitch, hospital, society, danger, brutality, life & death, homelessness, homeless, poverty, angry ...
Place:
columbus ohio, ohio, cincinnati ohio, los angeles
Similarity:
70%
Genre: Drama
Country: Argentina
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
When her grandmother becomes seriously ill, Camila is forced to move to Buenos Aires, leaving behind a liberal public high school for a scholastic, traditional private institution. Suddenly a senior without any friends, and with her single mother ...
Style:
psychological, captivating, suspense, disturbing
Plot:
female protagonist, mother daughter relationship, dysfunctional family, family relations, family problems, relationships, life is a bitch, grownups, lifestyle change, changing lives, latinx lgbt, tattoo ...
Similarity:
70%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
Doug and Robbie are about to set sail on a long trip when they unexpectedly find themselves foster parenting a group of troubled teenage boys. The experience changes their lives for the better, and they decide to stay in town and run the foster home ...
Style:
captivating, disturbing, psychological, sincere
Plot:
troubled teen, juvenile delinquent, teenager, social worker, re-education, changing lives, lifestyle change, troubled youth, male female relationship, relationships, assistant, foster child ...
Similarity:
69%
Genre: Drama
Country: Indonesia
Story:
A friendship of two young girls, Tina and Nadya, who have fallen into dark professions. Friendships often come at a heavy price and end in tragic death, just when they want to change the course of their lives.
Style:
suspense, disturbing, captivating, tense, suspenseful ...
Audience:
teen drama
Plot:
violence, female friendship, life is a bitch, teenage life, teenager, teenage girl, family problems, money problems, juvenile delinquency, social problems, society, teenage protagonist ...
Place:
indonesia
Similarity:
69%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
A college student must take care of her 7-year-old half sister after the death of their parents.
Style:
sentimental, realistic, touching, captivating, sincere ...
Audience:
family outing, teens
Plot:
youth, life turned upside down, family relations, family problems, disorder, family in crisis, sister, sister sister relationship, sisters, half sister, teenage life, teenager ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
69%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
A peaceful community is forever changed when a mysterious young woman moves in. As the quirky locals embrace her, their lives soon improve. But, they can't help notice that their strange new neighbor has a secret.
Style:
sincere, psychological, disturbing, captivating, surprise ending
Plot:
new neighbor, faith, neighbor neighbor relationship, friendship, lifestyle change, lifestyle, female protagonist, social problems, social issues, neighbor, changing lives, old man ...
Place:
new york state
Similarity:
69%
Genre: Drama
Country: Switzerland
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Spring 1995 - after the closure of the Needle Park and the public drug scene in Zurich, eleven-year-old Mia and her heroin addicted mother Sandrine are relocated to the countryside. While caring for her mother, Mia spends time with her imaginary ...
Style:
psychological, suspense, disturbing, captivating
Plot:
mother daughter relationship, drug addiction, mother, life is a bitch, mother and daughter, drug addict, social problems, violence, abusive mother, drug, sick mother, family problems ...
Time:
90s
Place:
germany
Similarity:
69%
Genre: Drama
Country: Brazil
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Young girl, born and raised in an isolated farm, is brought to a small town to live with her cousins, her only relatives. Once in town, she encounters great difficulty adapting to city life.
Style:
serious, touching, emotional, sentimental, sincere ...
Plot:
country girl, social differences, master and servant, youth, society, teaching the ways of the world, strong female presence, estate, power relations, urban setting, social problems, social relations ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
brazil
Similarity:
67%
466
Genre: Drama
Country: Brazil
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
Querô is an orphan teenager, living alone near the docks in Santos, Brazil. Her mother, a prostitute, died when he was a baby, and he was raised in the bordello where she worked. He also doesn't know who his father is. Believing he rules his ...
Style:
disturbing, tense, captivating, psychological, absurd ...
Plot:
juvenile delinquent, life is a bitch, fighting the system, teenager, social outcast, social issues, independence, teenage life, money problems, orphan, social problems, organized crime ...
Similarity:
67%
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