| Raging Bull (1980) | 8.1 | |
| The King of Comedy (1982) | 7.8 | |
| Crazy Heart (2009) | 7.2 | |
| Amadeus (1984) | 8.4 | |
| The Verdict (1982) | 7.7 |
Character study movies and TV shows – page 3
Best films
New films
| Follow My Voice (2025) | 5.4 | |
| DNA (2025) | 7.2 | |
| The Portuguese House (2025) | 6.9 | |
| Duse (2025) | 6.0 | |
| Hedda (2025) | 5.8 |
List of character study movies
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: France, Austria, Germany
Duration: 131 min.
Story:
Erika Kohut, a sexually repressed piano teacher living with her domineering mother, meets a young man who starts romantically pursuing her.
Style:
disturbing, sexual, controversial, psychological, erotic drama ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
bdsm, older woman younger man relationship, masochism, age difference, perversion, rape, desire, teacher, obsession, sex scene, sex, sexual relations ...
Time:
year 2001, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
vienna, france, germany, austria, europe ...
Is relevant?
330K
Genre: Drama, Sport
Country: USA, France
Duration: 109 min.
Story:
Aging wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson is long past his prime but still ready and rarin' to go on the pro-wrestling circuit. After a particularly brutal beating, however, Randy hangs up his tights, pursues a serious relationship with ...
Style:
depressing, emotional, sexy, sincere, serious ...
Audience:
manly, adult
Plot:
wrestling, loneliness, redemption, father daughter relationship, fame, aging, self destructing, professional wrestling, fighter, midlife crisis, life is a bitch, stripper ...
Time:
year 2008, 2000s, 2010s, 80s, 21st century
Place:
new jersey, bolivia, iran, usa, north america ...
Is relevant?
692K
Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 148 min.
Story:
The true story of top student and athlete, Christopher McCandless, who after graduating from Emory University in 1992, abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness.
Style:
road movie, philosophical, melancholic, inspirational, reflective ...
Audience:
teens, date night, teen drama, adult
Plot:
wilderness, self discovery, survival, road trip, freedom, isolation, solitude, journey, life philosophy, lifestyle change, beautiful scenery, nature ...
Time:
2000s, year 2007, 20th century, year 1990, year 1992 ...
Place:
alaska, los angeles, north america, northern california, america ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: Austria
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story:
Something is different for Tristan: his pregnant girlfriend has disappeared, and a mysterious taxi driver picks him up and explains that he can make wishes come true for him. All the people who meet him behave differently--if he wishes.
Style:
thought provoking, thinking, serious, psychological, suspenseful ...
Plot:
character study, dark secret, female nudity, loneliness, wish fulfillment, identity crisis, alone in the world, troubled past, wish come true, nudity, haunted by the past, pretense ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
584
Genre: Drama
Country: Russia
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
It is not easy to make an appointment with the in-demand 40-year-old Moscow psychotherapist Oleg. To his clients, he seems to be a successful and independent family man, while passions are raging inside him, he himself needs qualified help from a ...
Style:
depressing, sentimental, absurd, psychological, tense ...
Plot:
sex doll, character study, mental illness, psychologist, midlife crisis, psychotherapist, loneliness, social relations, lifestyle, doll, delusion, introvert ...
Time:
2020s
Place:
moscow russia
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
Hitman Jef Costello is a perfectionist who always carefully plans his murders and who never gets caught.
Style:
neo noir, detective, sexy, suspenseful, suspense ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
loner, hitman, assassination, chase, professional killer, lone wolves, gangster, surveillance, police investigation, murder, assassin, betrayal ...
Time:
20th century, year 1967, 60s
Place:
paris france, france, europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness.
Style:
sexy, neo noir, independent film, disturbing, bleak ...
Audience:
boys' night, adult
Plot:
gambling, redemption, corruption, rape, drug addiction, baseball, masturbation, violence, police lieutenant, nun, drug dealer, corrupt cop ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, year 1992
Place:
new york, bronx new york city, usa, new jersey
Is relevant?
44
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Russia
Duration: 50 min.
TV show
Story:
Klim Roshchin is a policeman who started out as an ethologist before the police, studied the life of wolves, and lived in a pack. He uses his animal instinct to catch criminals. A unique policeman who does not use weapons. His arsenal includes ...
Style:
suspenseful, crime drama, detective, entertaining, suspense ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
investigation, character study, police procedural, lone hero, fighting crime, law enforcement, police, police officer, heroes, visceral, chase, interrogation ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.
Style:
psychological, disturbing, psychological thriller, bloody, twist ending ...
Audience:
date night, adult
Plot:
psychopath, serial killer, insanity, sociopath, satire, violence, dark humor, psycho killer, materialism, yuppie, nihilism, millionaire ...
Time:
year 2000, 80s, 2000s, year 1987, y2k ...
Place:
new york, yale university, manhattan new york city, america, seattle ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Russia
Duration: 135 min.
Story:
Kristina lives with Vitaly in a quiet family life, but her sarcastic world view does not coincide with Vitaly’s ideals. While she is engaged in household chores, he spends more and more time at work, and Kristina begins to suspect that this is ...
Style:
romantic, sincere, sentimental, semi serious, sweet ...
Plot:
age difference, older man younger woman relationship, jealousy, character study, couple relations, love and romance, happy ending, midlife crisis, family in crisis, family relations, introspection, love ...
Place:
russia
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
A murder in 1944 draws together the great poets of the beat generation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs.
Style:
intellectual, bleak, captivating, serious, sexual ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
poet, gay, obsession, friendship, youth, gay interest, lgbtq, writers, coming of age, sexual tension, lgbtqi, friends ...
Time:
1940s, year 1944, 20th century, 2000s, post world war two ...
Place:
usa, harlem, manhattan new york city, greenwich village manhattan new york city, chicago ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Germany, Austria, Monaco, Romania, France, Switzerland, Belgium
Duration: 162 min.
Story:
Without warning a father comes to visit his daughter abroad. He believes that she lost her humor and therefore surprises her with a rampage of jokes.
Style:
emotional, philosophical, cerebral, realistic, melancholic ...
Plot:
estranged daughter, father daughter relationship, father daughter conflict, ambitious woman, birthday party, practical joke, culture clash, parenthood, capitalism, life, awkward situation, team building ...
Time:
2010s, year 2016
Place:
romania, germany, bucharest, bulgaria
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
74K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: France, Germany, Belgium
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
When Michèle, the CEO of a gaming software company, is attacked in her home by an unknown assailant, she refuses to let it alter her precisely ordered life. She manages crises involving family, all the while becoming engaged in a game of cat and ...
Style:
disturbing, erotic drama, art house, psychological, controversial ...
Plot:
rape, rape and revenge, perversion, strong female character, older woman younger man relationship, masturbation, revenge, sexual abuse, female protagonist, car accident, video game, cat ...
Time:
year 2016, 2010s, 90s
Place:
france, paris france
Is relevant?
222K
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 132 min.
Story:
Suave, charming and volatile, Reggie Kray and his unstable twin brother Ronnie start to leave their mark on the London underworld in the 1960s. Using violence to get what they want, the siblings orchestrate robberies and murders while running ...
Style:
realistic, brutal, period piece, intense, suspenseful ...
Audience:
boys' night
Plot:
gang, mafia, gangster, violent, psychopath, gay interest, organized crime, abusive husband, rise and fall, brother brother relationship, homosexual, relationships ...
Time:
60s, year 2015, year 1957, 90s, 2010s ...
Place:
england, london, east end london, europe, west end london ...
Is relevant?
88K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Italy, France, UK, Switzerland
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
YOUTH explores the lifelong bond between two friends vacationing in a luxury Swiss Alps lodge as they ponder retirement. While Fred has no plans to resume his musical career despite the urging of his loving daughter Lena, Mick is intent on finishing ...
Style:
sexy, philosophical, cerebral, meditative, melancholic ...
Plot:
composer, screenwriter, hotel, life, husband wife relationship, love, aging, sex scene, spa, nude women, father daughter relationship, sauna ...
Time:
year 2015, 2010s, year 2016, 21st century
Place:
switzerland, swiss alps, italy, venice, alps
Is relevant?
49K
Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Switzerland
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
There's a deadly zombie epidemic threatening humanity, but Wade, a small-town farmer and family man, refuses to accept defeat even when his daughter Maggie becomes infected. As Maggie's condition worsens and the authorities seek to ...
Style:
touching, emotional, scary, bleak, atmospheric ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
zombie, father daughter relationship, apocalypse, pandemic, death, virus, zombie apocalypse, small town, transformation, post apocalypse, post apocalyptic, terminal illness ...
Time:
year 2015, 21st century
Place:
usa, midwest, california
Is relevant?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
A fateful day pushes an aimless college dropout (Tom Schilling) to stop wasting his time and finally engage with life.
Style:
melancholic, black and white, realistic, humorous, black comedy ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
coming of age, loner, society, slacker, character study, depression, loneliness, unlikely friendships, hopes, lifestyle, unfulfillment, introspection ...
Time:
2010s, 90s, 21st century
Place:
germany, berlin germany, california
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: South Korea, Germany
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
This South Korean film takes place on an isolated lake, where an old monk lives in a small floating temple. The monk has a young boy living with him, learning to become a monk. We watch as seasons and years pass by.
Style:
philosophical, atmospheric, melancholic, meditative, spiritual ...
Plot:
buddhism, life & death, coming of age, isolation, meditation, buddhist monk, monk, guilt, existentialism, buddhist, nature, beautiful scenery ...
Time:
year 2003, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
south korea, tibet, korea, east asia, asia ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
After breaking up with his lover and boss, a smooth-talking man takes his teenaged nephew out on the town in search of sex.
Style:
cynical, clever, erotic, sex comedy, realistic ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
virginity, womanizer, nightlife, sexuality, relationships, seduction, coming of age, mentor, character study, battle of the sexes, dating, passion ...
Time:
year 2002, 20th century, 21st century
Place:
new york, ohio, usa, manhattan new york city
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
Claude and Ellen are best friends who live in a not-so-nice area of New York. They're involved in the subculture of 90s youth, complete with drugs, live music, and homophobia. All is changed one night when a violent and meaningless death rocks ...
Style:
sad, melancholic, sincere, touching, teen ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick
Plot:
lesbian, lgbtq, punk, lesbian teen, lesbian interest, coming of age, friendship, lesbian relationship, glbt, youth, sexuality, character study ...
Time:
year 1997, 90s, 20th century, 70s
Place:
new york, seattle, usa, manhattan new york city, california ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
A group of women of Indian descent take a trip together from their home in Birmingham, England to the beach resort of Blackpool.
Style:
melancholic, talky, satirical, independent film, light ...
Audience:
girls' night, teens
Plot:
culture clash, character study, stereotypes, life philosophy, prejudice, teenager, self discovery, social differences, family in crisis, seaside, pregnancy, coming of age ...
Time:
90s
Place:
england, birmingham alabama, europe, new jersey, london ...
Is relevant?
350K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 135 min.
Story:
Howard Ratner, a charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score, makes a series of high-stakes bets that could lead to the windfall of a lifetime.
Style:
neo noir, tense, suspense, black comedy, dark comedy ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
jeweler, money, scam, bet, gambling, adultery, auction, threat, danger, debt, infidelity, gem ...
Time:
year 2019, future, year 2012, year 2010, 2010s ...
Place:
new york, ethiopia, manhattan new york city
Is relevant?
47K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
Overeducated and underemployed, 28 year old Megan is in the throes of a quarterlife crisis. Squarely into adulthood with no career prospects, no particular motivation to think about her future and no one to relate to, Megan is comfortable lagging a ...
Style:
romantic, teen, sexy, sweet, independent film ...
Audience:
girls' night, chick flick, teens, teen drama
Plot:
friendship, love story, relationships, adolescence vs adulthood, youth, intergenerational friendship, character study, runaway, adolescence, father daughter relationship, marriage proposal, loneliness ...
Time:
year 2014, 21st century
Place:
seattle, washington d.c., usa, new jersey, california
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Documentary
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
From the team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who in the 1970s became the focus of a landmark experiment which aimed to show that an ape could learn to communicate with language if raised and nurtured like a human child. ...
Style:
touching, psychological, sad, heartbreaking, suspenseful ...
Plot:
chimpanzee, human animal relationship, survival, character study, fish out of water, science, experiment gone awry, teaching the ways of the world, society, human nature, confined, power relations ...
Time:
70s, 2010s, year 2011, 20th century, 90s ...
Place:
usa, new york
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
The story of a New York pro baseball team and two of its players. Henry Wiggen is the star pitcher and Bruce Pearson is the normal, everyday catcher who is far from the star player on the team and friend to all of his teammates. During the ...
Style:
sentimental, emotional, touching, inspirational, melancholic ...
Plot:
baseball, friendship, terminal illness, baseball player, teammate, male bonding, father son relationship, secret, death of friend, compassion, voice over narration, best friend ...
Time:
20th century, year 1973, 70s
Place:
new york, minnesota, georgia, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
A successful TV star during the 1960s, former "Hogan's Heroes" actor Bob Crane projects a wholesome family-man image, but this front masks his persona as a sex addict who records and photographs his many encounters with women, often ...
Style:
sexy, factual, intense, talky, serious ...
Audience:
adult
Plot:
sex addict, group sex, friendship, filmmaking, showbiz, adultery, actor's life, addiction, couple relations, homoerotic friendship, promiscuity, character study ...
Time:
70s, year 2002, y2k, 20th century, year 1965 ...
Place:
usa, california, los angeles, arizona
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
Hotshot real estate salesman Daryl has a bad cocaine habit. After embezzling his company's money, he wakes up next to a girl who overdosed. To hide from the police, he checks into a rehabilitation program guaranteeing anonymity. Under the ...
Style:
realistic, touching, emotional, compassionate, melancholic ...
Plot:
drug addiction, redemption, addiction, introspection, alcoholics anonymous, drug abuse, recovery, yuppie, rehabilitation, drug, drinking, recovering drug addict ...
Time:
80s
Place:
usa, philadelphia, new jersey, california
Is relevant?
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
A loathsome man ends up dead, but it's not clear who's to blame. If ever a person got what he deserved, it's James Urbanksi, an abusive drunk who steals from his wife, Joyce, and promises her close friend Cynthia Kellogg that ...
Style:
suspense, psychological, talky, suspenseful, stylized ...
Plot:
murder, crime gone awry, twists and turns, police investigation, character study, obsession, redemption, domestic violence, crumbling marriage, unlikely criminals, law enforcement, murder mystery ...
Time:
90s
Place:
new jersey
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Taiwan
Duration: 118 min.
Story:
Three lonely young denizens of Taipei unknowingly share an apartment: Mei, a real estate agent who uses it for her sexual affairs; Ah-jung, her current lover; and Hsiao-ang, who's stolen the key and uses the apartment as a retreat.
Style:
erotic, sexy, atmospheric, meditative, disturbing ...
Plot:
sex, love triangle, multiple storylines, character study, friendship, dysfunctional family, storytelling, drug, art, loneliness, love and romance, couples ...
Time:
year 1994, 90s
Place:
taiwan, asia, east asia, taipei, tokyo
Is relevant?
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: New Zealand, Germany
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
Based on the true story of Juliet Hulme and Pauline Parker, two close friends who share a love of fantasy and literature, who conspire to kill Pauline's mother when she tries to end the girls' intense and obsessive relationship.
Style:
psychological, disturbing, surreal, atmospheric, enigmatic ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, teen drama
Plot:
lesbian, friendship, obsession, lgbtq, teenager, mother daughter relationship, teenage girl, coming of age, lesbian romance, sapphic, murder, sexuality ...
Time:
1950s, year 1994, 90s, 50s, 20th century ...
Place:
new zealand, oceania, australia, canada
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
