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Movies like The Surface Tension Trilogy

The best movies like The Surface Tension Trilogy are Frida (2002), Christopher and His Kind (2011) and Freud's Last Session (2023). If The Surface Tension Trilogy hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Frida (2002)

    A biography of artist Frida Kahlo, who channeled the pain of a crippling injury and her tempestuous marriage into her work.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. Christopher and His Kind (2011)

    In 1931, budding author Christopher Isherwood goes to Berlin at the invitation of his friend W. H. Auden for the gay sex that abounds in the city. He falls for street sweeper Heinz, paying medical bills for the boy's sickly mother, to the disapproval of her other son, Nazi Gerhardt.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Freud's Last Session (2023)

    On the eve of the Second World War, two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud converge for their own personal battle over the existence of God. The film interweaves the lives of Freud and Lewis, past, present, and through fantasy, bursting from the confines of Freud’s study on a dynamic journey.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  4. The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006)

    A hilarious introduction, using as examples some of the best films ever made, to some of Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek's most exciting ideas on personal subjectivity, fantasy and reality, desire and sexuality.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. A Perfect Ending (2012)

    This intimate drama follows Rebecca, a woman who has kept her sexuality a secret from her friends but chooses to reveal it to a stranger. While Rebecca's revelations may not yield the results she expects, a perfect ending is still in reach.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)

    The stories of three lesbian couples -- who live in the same house at different periods of time -- who are at a crossroads in their lives. In 1961, Edith loses her lover, Abby, to a stroke. Linda and Amy struggle with feminist issues in 1972. And, in 2000, Kal and Fran try to have a baby with the help of sperm donor.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  7. Julia (1977)

    At the behest of an old and dear friend, playwright Lillian Hellman undertakes a dangerous mission to smuggle funds into Nazi Germany.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. I Can't Think Straight (2008)

    Tala, a London-based Palestinian, is preparing for her elaborate Middle Eastern wedding when she meets Leyla, a young British Indian woman who is dating her best friend. Spirited Christian Tala and shy Muslim Leyla could not be more different from each other, but the attraction is immediate and goes deeper than friendship. But Tala is not ready to accept the implications of the choice her heart has made for her and escapes back to Jordan, while Leyla tries to move on with her new-found life, to the shock of her tradition-loving parents. As Tala's wedding day approaches, simmering tensions come to boiling point and the pressure mounts for Tala to be true to herself.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. Cabaret (1972)

    Inside the Kit Kat Club of 1931 Berlin, starry-eyed singer Sally Bowles and an impish emcee sound the clarion call to decadent fun, while outside a certain political party grows into a brutal force.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. I Shot Andy Warhol (1996)

    The story of Valerie Solanas, a '60s radical who preached misandry in her "SCUM" manifesto. She wrote a screenplay for a film that she wanted Andy Warhol to produce, but he repeatedly ignored her. So she shot him.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Vita & Virginia (2019)

    Socialite Vita Sackville-West and literary icon Virginia Woolf run in different circles in 1920s London. Despite the odds, the two forge an unconventional affair, set against the backdrop of their own strikingly contemporary marriages.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. The Watermelon Woman (1997)

    A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. Conspiracy (2001)

    At the Wannsee Conference on January 20, 1942, senior Nazi officials meet to determine the manner in which the so-called "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" can be best implemented.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Maurice (1987)

    After his lover rejects him, Maurice attempts to come to terms with his sexuality within the restrictiveness of Edwardian society.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. Totally F***ed Up (1994)

    Gay, alienated Los Angeles teens have a hard time as their parents kick them out of their homes, they don’t have money, their lovers cheat, and they are harassed by gay-bashers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Poor Things (2023)

    Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. Frida (2024)

    An intimately raw and magical journey through the life, mind, and heart of iconic artist Frida Kahlo. Told through her own words for the very first time — drawn from her diary, revealing letters, essays, and print interviews — and brought vividly to life by lyrical animation inspired by her unforgettable artwork.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Below Her Mouth (2017)

    An unexpected affair quickly escalates into a heart-stopping reality for two women whose passionate connection changes their lives forever.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  19. Salinger (2013)

    An in-depth investigation into the private world of the American writer J. D. Salinger (1919-2010), who lived most of his life behind the impenetrable wall of a self-imposed seclusion: how his dramatic experiences during World War II influenced his life and work, his relationships with very young women, his obsessive writing methods, his many literary secrets.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Gods and Monsters (1998)

    It's 1957, and James Whale's heyday as the director of "Frankenstein," "Bride of Frankenstein" and "The Invisible Man" is long behind him. Retired and a semi-recluse, he lives his days accompanied only by images from his past. When his dour housekeeper, Hannah, hires a handsome young gardener, the flamboyant director and simple yard man develop an unlikely friendship, which will change them forever.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like The Surface Tension Trilogy and something else?

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Surface Tension Trilogy?

The closest matches to The Surface Tension Trilogy are Frida (2002), Christopher and His Kind (2011) and Freud's Last Session (2023). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Surface Tension Trilogy?

Start with Frida (2002), the closest match to The Surface Tension Trilogy.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Surface Tension Trilogy?

Maurice (1987), rated 7.6/10 by 642 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Surface Tension Trilogy?

Frida (2024) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The Surface Tension Trilogy?

Yes: Frida (2002), Christopher and His Kind (2011) and Freud's Last Session (2023).

How are movies similar to The Surface Tension Trilogy chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Surface Tension Trilogy, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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