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Movies like The Spirit Level

The best movies like The Spirit Level are Only God Forgives (2013), The Quest (1996) and Grandma (2015). If The Spirit Level hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Only God Forgives (2013)

    Julian, who runs a Thai boxing club as a front organization for his family's drug smuggling operation, is forced by his mother Crystal to find and kill the individual responsible for his brother's recent death.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  2. The Quest (1996)

    Ghang-gheng, the ancient winner-take-all competition in which the deadliest fighters from around the world employ the most spectacular feats of martial arts skills ever displayed in order to win the prized Golden Dragon. But fighting prowess alone will not be enough for Chris to triumph over such daunting foes.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  3. Grandma (2015)

    Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a day-long journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

    An alcoholic ex-football player drinks his days away, having failed to come to terms with his sexuality and his real feelings for his football buddy who died after an ambiguous accident. His wife is crucified by her desperation to make him desire her: but he resists the affections of his wife. His reunion with his father—who is dying of cancer—jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. Lady Bird (2017)

    Lady Bird McPherson, a strong willed, deeply opinionated, artistic 17 year old comes of age in Sacramento. Her relationship with her mother and her upbringing are questioned and tested as she plans to head off to college.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. Imaginary Heroes (2004)

    Matt Travis is good-looking, popular, and his school's best competitive swimmer, so everyone is shocked when he inexplicably commits suicide. As the following year unfolds, each member of his family struggles to recover from the tragedy with mixed results.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Thirteen Lives (2022)

    Based on the true nail-biting mission that captivated the world. Twelve boys and the coach of a Thai soccer team explore the Tham Luang cave when an unexpected rainstorm traps them in a chamber inside the mountain. Entombed behind a maze of flooded cave tunnels, they face impossible odds. A team of world-class divers navigate through miles of dangerous cave networks to discover that finding the boys is only the beginning.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Miss Stevens (2016)

    Stuck at a crossroads in her personal life, it falls on high school English teacher Miss Stevens to chaperone three of her students — Billy, Margot and Sam — on a weekend trip to a drama competition.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  9. Interstate 60 (2002)

    An aspiring painter meets various characters and learns valuable lessons while traveling across America.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. The Bachelors (2017)

    After the early death of his wife, a mourning father moves with his teenage son across the country for a private school teaching job. Their lives begin to transform due to two unique women, who help them embrace life and love again

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. The Tree of Life (2011)

    The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Rambo (2008)

    In Thailand, ex-Green Beret John James Rambo joins a group of mercenaries to venture into war-torn neighboring Myanmar to rescue a group of Christian aid workers who have been kidnapped by a ruthless local infantry unit.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. The Iron Claw (2023)

    The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. Through tragedy and triumph, under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, the brothers seek larger-than-life immortality on the biggest stage in sports.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016)

    19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks the film shows what really happened to his squad – contrasting the realities of war with America's perceptions.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. The Master (2012)

    Freddie, a volatile, heavy-drinking veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a new "religion" he forms after World War II.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Brokedown Palace (1999)

    Best friends Alice and Darlene take a trip to Thailand after graduating high school. In Thailand, they meet a captivating Australian man, who calls himself Nick Parks. Darlene is particularly smitten with Nick and convinces Alice to take Nick up on his offer to treat the two of them to what amounts to a day trip to Hong Kong. In the airport, the girls are seized by the police and shocked to discover that one of their bags contains heroin.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Belfast (2021)

    Buddy is a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a momentous choice: hope the conflict will pass or leave everything they know behind for a new life.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. Little Ashes (2008)

    About the young life and loves of artist Salvador Dalí, filmmaker Luis Buñuel and writer Federico García Lorca.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  19. Anna and the King (1999)

    The story of the romance between the King of Siam (now Thailand) and the widowed British school teacher Anna Leonowens during the 1860s. Anna teaches the children and becomes romanced by the King. She convinces him that a man can be loved by just one woman.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. The Impossible (2012)

    In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of the sea, followed by a wall of black water that devours everything in its path. Though Maria and her family face their darkest hour, unexpected displays of kindness and courage ameliorate their terror.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this

Like The Spirit Level and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Spirit Level?

The closest matches to The Spirit Level are Only God Forgives (2013), The Quest (1996) and Grandma (2015). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Spirit Level?

Start with Only God Forgives (2013), the closest match to The Spirit Level.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Spirit Level?

Thirteen Lives (2022), rated 7.8/10 by 1,625 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Spirit Level?

The Iron Claw (2023) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The Spirit Level?

Yes: Only God Forgives (2013), The Quest (1996) and Grandma (2015).

How are movies similar to The Spirit Level chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Spirit Level, 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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