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Movies like Not Our Darkness (2009)

The best movies like Not Our Darkness (2009) are Moonlighting (1982), For Sama (2019) and Born in Flames (1983). If Not Our Darkness hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Moonlighting (1982)

    A Polish contractor, Nowak, leads a group of workmen to London so they can provide cheap labor for a government official based there. Nowak has to manage the project and the men as they encounter the tempations of the West and loneliness and separation from their families. Nowak is the only one of the group who speaks English, and he uses this as a tool over his team. When the unrest in Poland leads to a military takeover, Nowak is faced with a much more difficult situation than he expected.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. For Sama (2019)

    A love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter and survival as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice– whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which she has already sacrificed so much.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  3. Born in Flames (1983)

    In near-future New York, ten years after the “social-democratic war of liberation,” diverse groups of women organize a feminist uprising as equality remains unfulfilled.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. The Miracle Season (2018)

    After the tragic death of star volleyball player Caroline "Line" Found, a team of dispirited high school girls must band together under the guidance of their tough-love coach in hopes of winning the state championship!

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. The Pianist (2002)

    The true story of pianist Władysław Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he stays behind, works for a while as a laborer, and eventually goes into hiding in the ruins of the war-torn city.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  6. Killer of Sheep (1978)

    An African-American man working at a slaughterhouse in the Watts area of Los Angeles leads a dissatisfied and listless existence.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. The Machinist (2004)

    Trevor, an insomniac lathe operator, experiences unusual occurrences at work and home. A strange man follows him everywhere, but no one else seems to notice him.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Riff-Raff (1991)

    Stevie, fresh from prison in Scotland, finds a job on a London construction site. Working conditions are poor and most of the men are working under aliases, due to immigration status and to not conflict with unemployment. Some help Stevie secure housing, squatting in a council estate. Then Stevie meets Susan, from Ireland, an aspiring singer.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. The Safety of Objects (2002)

    In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, and neglects her daughter and husband. Lawyer Jim Train is devoted to his career, not his family. Helen Christianson wants to find a new spark in life, while Annette Jennings tries to rebuild hers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Heart of a Dog (2015)

    Musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother and her beloved dog.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923)

    When Marie St. Clair believes she has been jilted by her artist fiance Jean, she decides to leave for Paris on her own. After spending a year in the city as a mistress of the wealthy Pierre Revel, she is reunited with Jean by chance. This leaves her with the choice between a glamorous life in Paris, and the true love she left behind.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Helen (2009)

    On the outside, Helen has it all – a loving family and a successful career – but when her suppressed mental illness resurfaces, the world crumbles around her. Crippled by depression, Helen finds solace through her friendship with Mathilda, a kindred spirit struggling with bipolar disorder.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Uprising (2001)

    In the Warsaw ghetto in 1943, Jews rise against the Nazis.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. One More Time with Feeling (2016)

    Andrew Dominik's One More Time With Feeling is a remarkable black and white documentary which chronicles the creation of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' album Skeleton Tree. Originally a performance based concept, the film evolved into something much more significant as Dominik delved into the tragic backdrop of the writing and recording of the album. The result is stark, fragile and raw, and a true testament to an artist trying to find his way through the darkness. It documents the writing, recording and performing of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ sixteenth studio album, Skeleton Tree.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)

    Jimmie Fails dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his quest by his best friend Mont, Jimmie searches for belonging in a rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. The Starling (2021)

    A woman adjusting to life after a loss contends with a feisty bird that's taken over her garden — and a husband who's struggling to find a way forward.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Adopt a Highway (2019)

    Russ Millings has just been released from prison after serving 21 years for a 3rd strike conviction for possessing an ounce of marijuana. As he tries to adapt to a world he doesn’t recognize – including trying to learn how to use the internet – he finds an abandoned baby in a dumpster behind the fast food restaurant where he works as a dishwasher. Unsure of what to do, and caught between impulses of kindness and panic, Russ soon realizes this could be his chance at redemption.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. The Last Rifleman (2023)

    A WWII veteran escapes his care home in Northern Ireland and embarks on an arduous but inspirational journey to France to attend the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, finding the courage to face the ghosts of his past.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Strange Weather (2016)

    Years after her son's suicide, a woman longs to confront both the past and a friend of his who took his business idea.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  20. The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)

    The Los Angeles punk music scene circa 1980 is the focus of this film. With Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and X.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this

Like Not Our Darkness and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Not Our Darkness?

The closest matches to Not Our Darkness are Moonlighting (1982), For Sama (2019) and Born in Flames (1983). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Not Our Darkness?

Start with Moonlighting (1982), the closest match to Not Our Darkness.

What is the highest-rated movie like Not Our Darkness?

The Pianist (2002), rated 8.4/10 by 10,621 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Not Our Darkness?

The Last Rifleman (2023) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Not Our Darkness?

Yes: Moonlighting (1982), For Sama (2019) and Born in Flames (1983).

How are movies similar to Not Our Darkness chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Not Our Darkness, 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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