20 best movies like La Promesse (1996)

List of the best movies like La Promesse (1996): In Bloom, Remember Me, My Love, Ilo Ilo, The Mighty, The Child, The Orheim Company, A Better Life, Here on Earth, Rosetta, Joe the King.

Tags: movies similar to La Promesse (1996) - full list

Markimdb: 7.5
Genredrama
CountryGeorgia, Germany, France
Duration01:42

Eka and Natia leave their childhood behind and ignore societal customs to escape from their turbulent family lives.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama
CountryItaly, France, United Kingdom
Duration02:05

The story of a normal Italian family in which come out the dreams of those who have lost their possibilities and of those who want to realize them. Carlo and Giulia are a married couple who have each given up their aspirations in order to live an average life. Their 19-year-old son, Paolo, is having trouble finding an identity, while their 18-year-old daughter, Valentina, has already figured out how to use sex to her advantage. The family goes through a crisis when Carlo begins having an affair, Giulia attempt to seduce the director of a local stage production she is in, and Valentina does what she does best to land an audition for a TV show

Markimdb: 7.2
Genredrama
CountrySingapore, Japan, Taiwan, France
Duration01:39

Set in the mid 1990s in Singapore, ILOILO chronicles the relationship between a family and their maid from Ilo Ilo, a province in the Philippines.

Markimdb: 7.2
Genrecomedy, drama
CountryUSA
Duration01:40

This tells the story of a strong friendship between a young boy with Morquio's syndrome and an older boy who is always bullied because of his size. Adapted from the novel, Freak the Mighty, the film explores a building of trust and friendship. Kevin, an intelligent guy helps out Maxwell to improve his reading skills. In return, Kevin wants Maxwell to take him out places since he is not allowed out unauthorized. Being the social outcasts of the town, Kevin and Maxwell come to realize that they are similar to each other and accept that they are "freaks" and nothing will stop them.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genremelodrama, drama, crime
CountryBelgium, France
Duration01:35

Bruno and Sonia, a young couple living off her benefit and the thefts committed by his gang, have a new source of money: their newborn son.

Markimdb: 7
Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama, music
CountryNorway

A strong, human tale about a boy growing up with an alcoholic father, but also an energetic story about teenage lust, pain and passion – about liberation and redemption.

Markimdb: 7.2
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryUSA
Duration01:38

A gardener in East L.A. struggles to keep his son away from gangs and immigration agents while traveling across town to perform landscaping work for the city's wealthy landowners.

Markimdb: 5.1
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryUSA
Duration01:36

Three lives of three young people intersect over the course of one summer. A rich student and a young working-class man accidentally destroy a diner when their impromptu road race takes a disastrous turn. Ordered by a judge to spend the summer repairing the building, they find themselves becoming rivals for the affections of the owner's daughter.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genredrama
CountryFrance, Belgium
Duration01:35

Young and impulsive Rosetta lives with her alcoholic mother and, moved by despair, she will do anything to maintain a job.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genredrama, crime
CountryUSA
Duration01:33

A destitute 14-year-old struggles to keep his life together despite harsh abuse at his mother's hands, harsher abuse at his father's, and a growing separation from his slightly older brother.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genredrama
CountryBelgium, France, Italy, Germany
Duration01:45

In order to become the owner of a snack bar with her boyfriend, Lorna, a young Albanian woman living in Belgium, becomes an accomplice to a diabolical plan devised by mobster Fabio.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryFrance, Belgium
Duration01:38

Story of two gorgeous, young French boys who begin a passionate relationship that boils over and threatens to destroy both their lives. Shy Mathieu is 18-years-old and on summer vacation in the south of France. He spends his days lazily sunning himself at the beach, until he spies the handsome Cédric and falls in love. The film, like a dream, flows back and forth between the past and present, often asking us to fill the deliberate jumps in time.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genredrama, crime
CountryMorocco, Tunisia, France, Belgium, USA

Ali, Kwita, Omar and Boubker are street kids. The daily dose of glue sniffing represents their only escape from reality. Since they left Dib and his gang, they have been living on the portside of Casablanca. They live in constant fear of Dib's revenge. Ali wants to become a sailor - when he was living with his mother, a prostitute, he used to listen to a fairy tale about the sailor who discovered the miracle island with two suns. Instead of finding his island in the dream, Ali and his friends are confronted with Dib's gang. Matters are getting serious.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryGreece, France, Belgium

Strangers in their own birthplace, a camp 16-year-old, lollipop-sucking Dany and his 18-year-old brother Odysseus cross the entire country (along with pet rabbit Dido ) in search of their Greek father, who they only know as “The Nameless”, after the death of their Albanian mother. They hope to get Greek passports and citizenship but on the journey they encounter racism and prejudice.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genrecomedy, drama, music
CountryFrance, Belgium
Duration01:46

The whole Bélier family is deaf, except for sixteen year old Paula who is the important translator in her parents' day to day life especially when it comes to matters concerning the family farm. When her music teacher discovers she has a fantastic singing voice and she gets an opportunity to enter a big Radio France contest the whole family's future is set up for big changes.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genredrama
CountryUnited Kingdom
Duration01:36

A young boy trying to deal with his mother's heroin addiction befriends a waitress who helps him cope with the tough situation.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genredrama, family, military
CountryNetherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg
Duration01:32

Tuur and Lambert are best friends. But the war is closing in and is about to change their lives forever. Tuurs dad joined the resistance and even his big brother seems so be part of it. Lamberts family on the other hand choose to obey the Germans. Then a new girls from the city shows up, befriending the boys but telling her secret to only one of them. A choice that separates the boys and ultimately gets her in trouble.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genredrama
CountrySweden

The story of a lone father's relationship with his daughter, of the destructive power of alcohol, of a child's vulnerability, but also of love, betrayal and socialist politics in 1970s Sweden. A unique and moving story freely based on Åsa Linderborg's best-selling novel.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama
CountryUSA
Duration01:39

    A hard-partying high school senior's philosophy on life changes when he meets the not-so-typical "nice girl."

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genredrama
    CountryBulgaria, Sweden

    Two estranged brothers are brought together when they have opposite roles in a racist beating: while Georgi who's recently joined a neo-nazi group participates in the violence, Hristo witnesses and rescues a Turkish family. Only by reuniting will the two brothers be able to assess what they really want from life.

    Markimdb: 7.8
    Genrecomedy, drama, history
    CountryUnited Kingdom, France, USA
    Duration02:00

    Based on a true story, the film is set in the summer of 1984 – when Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is on strike. At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners. But there is a problem - the union seems embarrassed to receive their support. However the activists are not deterred. They decide to ignore the union and go direct to the miners. They identify a mining village of Onllwyn, in the Dulais Valley in Wales, and later set off in a mini bus to make their donation in person. And so begins the extraordinary story of two seemingly alien communities who form a surprising and ultimately triumphant partnership.

    Markimdb: 6.9
    Genredrama
    CountryUnited Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy

    A morality tale of xenophobia, religious prejudice, mob violence, poverty, and their effect on two children in Liverpool during the Depression. When a shipyard closes, Liam and Teresa's dad loses his job. Liam, who's about 8, making his first Holy Communion, gets a regular dose of fire and brimstone at church. Teresa, about 13, has a job as a maid to the Jewish family that owns the closed shipyard. The lady of that house is having an affair, and Teresa becomes an accomplice. Liam stutters terribly, especially when troubled. Dad comes under the sway of the Fascists, who blame cheap Irish labor and Jewish owners. A Molotov cocktail brings things to a head.

    Markimdb: 6.9
    Genredrama, crime
    CountryItaly, France

    Inspired to a true story, on November 5th 1991, Rita Atria a young 17-year-old Sicilian girl, goes to see an anti-Mafia judge Paolo Borsellino to denounce the Mafia system that was responsible for the murder of her father and her brother. It is the first time that such a young woman from a Mafia family rebels and betrays the Mafia. From that moment on, Rita's days are numbered. She only has nine months to live...

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genredrama
    CountryFrance, Taiwan, China
    Duration01:53

    A seventeen-year-old country boy working in Beijing as a courier has his bicycle stolen, and finds it with a schoolboy his age.

    Markimdb: 7.5
    Genredrama
    CountryFrance, Belgium, Georgia

    The one joy in the lives of a mother and daughter comes from the regular letters sent to them from Paris from the family's adored son, Otar. When the daughter finds out that Otar has died suddenly, she tries to conceal the truth from her mother, changing the course of their lives forever.

    Markimdb: 5.9
    Genrecomedy, drama
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:51

    Instead of adhering to the norms of their South Central neighborhood, a group of skater boys opt to bus into Hollywood and Beverly Hills, where they attract local rich girls - and plenty of trouble with the police, jealous boyfriends, and nervous parents.

    Markimdb: 5.6
    Genredrama
    CountryUSA

    In seeking her own redemption from the one man of whom she is most afraid, 10-year-old Cadi Forbes discovers a secret sin haunting her community of Welsh immigrants in 1850s Appalachia.

    Markimdb: 6.5
    Genrecomedy, drama
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:39

    A teenager pretends to be dying from cancer as a way to cope with the realities of his daily existence and his father's terminal illness.

    Markimdb: 5.5
    Genrefantasy, comedy, drama
    CountryUSA
    Duration02:19

    A woman named Kit moves back to her parent's house, where she receives a mysterious invitation that would fulfill her childhood dreams.

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genrecomedy, drama
    CountryBelgium, Netherlands
    Duration01:48

    13-year-old Gunther Strobbe grows up surrounded by alcohol, trash and his completely useless father and uncles. Slowly but surely, he's being prepared for the same hapless life. Can he defy his destiny?

    Markimdb: 6.9
    Genrecomedy, drama
    CountryFrance, Germany, USA
    Duration02:22

    Following the unexplained suicide of his wife Liza, website designer Wilson Joel turns to huffing gasoline fumes and remote control gaming while avoiding an inevitable conflict with his mother-in-law.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genredrama
    CountryIsrael, Germany, France

    A young Arab is caught between cultures as he is sent to a prestigious Jewish boarding school in Israel in the 1980s.

    Markimdb: 6.7
    Genrecomedy, drama
    CountryUnited Kingdom, USA
    Duration01:54

    New York, 1937. A teenager hired to star in Orson Welles' production of Julius Caesar becomes attracted to a career-driven production assistant.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama
    CountryUnited Kingdom
    Duration01:56

    A headstrong young teacher in a private school in 1930s Edinburgh ignores the curriculum and influences her impressionable 12 year old charges with her over-romanticized world view.

    Markimdb: 6.6
    Genrecomedy, drama, sport
    CountryUnited Kingdom, France
    Duration01:46

    Jimmy Grimble is a shy Manchester school boy. At school he is constantly being bullied by the other kids, and at home he has to face his mother's new boyfriend. However, through football, and some special boots, he manages to gain the confidence to succeed and leads his school football team towards the final of the local schools cup.

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genredrama
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:26

    After being assigned as study partners, two Chicana high schoolers find a bond that confuses them at times.

    Markimdb: 6.8
    Genrecomedy, drama
    CountryChina, Japan, South Korea, France

    Three disaffected youths live in Datong in 2001, part of the new "Birth Control" generation. Fed on a steady diet of popular culture, both Western and Chinese, the characters of Unknown Pleasures represent a new breed in the People's Republic of China, one detached from reality through the screen of media and the internet.

    Markimdb: 4.6
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryFrance, USA

    Maurice, a reticent young homeless man, somehow manages to get by in Brooklyn; he spends his nights in parked cars until he finds himself at Bizarre, an underground club renowned for its burlesque shows. Maurice is fascinated by the club’s playful revues celebrating self-determined sexuality and creative otherness, and the two female club owners both adore him. He soon becomes a part of their self-selected family, and begins to bond with introverted Luka. But Maurice turns his back on Luka’s growing affection. Running away from his true emotions he drifts aimlessly through the city. He tries to find his feet at a boxing club, where he meets Charlie. Unable to withstand the pressure of his repressed feelings, Maurice unleashes a mounting foment of emotions, pervaded by tenderness and menace.

    Markimdb: 7.9
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama, music
    CountryRepublic of Ireland, United Kingdom
    Duration02:36

    A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genredrama, biography
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:55

    In 1957, a son and mother flee the East and an abusive boyfriend to find a new life, and end up in Seattle, where the mother meets a polite garage mechanic. The boy continually gets into trouble by hanging out with the wrong crowd. The mom marries the mechanic, but they soon find out that he's an abusive and unreasoning alcoholic, and they struggle to maintain hope in an impossible situation as the boy grows up with plans to escape the small town by any means possible. Based on a true story by Tobias Wolff.

    Markimdb: 5.4
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:33

    Matt falls for Casey, the new girl in school. She's fun-loving and eccentric, but there's a darkness to her whimsy that Matt can't begin to comprehend. When Casey attempts to commit suicide, her parents place her in a mental institution. Matt springs her out, and together the young lovers head on a road trip. They believe their love can "cure" Casey's problems. Matt starts to wonder, though, if are they inspired or misguided.

    Markimdb: 6.4
    Genredrama
    CountryFrance
    Duration02:02

    During the 1970s a student named Gilles gets entangled in contemporary political turmoils although he would rather just be a creative artist. While torn between his solidarity to his friends and his personal ambitions he falls in love with Christine.

    Markimdb: 8.1
    Genreaction, comedy, drama
    CountryIndia
    Duration01:30

    A young mute girl from Pakistan loses herself in India with no way to head back. A devoted man with a magnanimous spirit undertakes the task to get her back to her motherland and unite her with her family.

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genredrama, biography
    CountryUSA, Republic of Ireland
    Duration02:14

    Based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes follows the experiences of young Frankie and his family as they try against all odds to escape the poverty endemic in the slums of pre-war Limerick. The film opens with the family in Brooklyn, but following the death of one of Frankie's siblings, they return home, only to find the situation there even worse. Prejudice against Frankie's Northern Irish father makes his search for employment in the Republic difficult despite his having fought for the IRA, and when he does find money, he spends the money on drink.

    Markimdb: 5.4
    Genrecomedy, drama
    CountryUSA
    Duration02:00

    After the bizarre death of her brother, Johana Burwood must return home after four years, to face her strange siblings, her out of touch father and her very touchy past.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genremelodrama, drama, music, biography
    CountryBelgium, Italy

    The true story of Rocco Granata, an Italian coal miner's son who followed his passion for music against his father's wishes and social barriers.

    Markimdb: 7.4
    Genrecomedy, drama
    CountryFrance, Belgium

    For twenty years, Bruno and Malik have lived in a different world—the world of autistic children and teens. In charge of two separate nonprofit organizations (The Hatch & The Shelter), they train young people from underprivileged areas to be caregivers for extreme cases that have been refused by all other institutions. It’s an exceptional partnership, outside of traditional settings, for some quite extraordinary characters.

    Markimdb: 6.6
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:41

    In the boring desert of New Mexico, a single mother raises her two teenage daughters, Shade and Trudi, whose deepest desire is to leave the dead calm town. Shade is the type to escape in her extravagant fantasies while Trudi is so rebelious it could drive her away.

    Markimdb: 5.8
    Genremelodrama, drama, biography
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:36

    Tod Lubitch is born with a deficient immune system. As such, he must spend the rest of his life in a completely sterile environment. His room is completely hermetically sealed against bacteria and virus, his food is specially prepared, and his only human contact comes in the form of gloved hands. The movie follows his life into a teenager.

    Markimdb: 6.6
    Genrecomedy, drama
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:59

    Follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives.




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