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Movies like This Is a Film About (1972)

The best movies like This Is a Film About (1972) are Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Art School Confidential (2006) and Misbehaviour (2020). If This Is a Film About hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

    Katherine Watson is a recent UCLA graduate hired to teach art history at the prestigious all-female Wellesley College, in 1953. Determined to confront the outdated mores of society and the institution that embraces them, Katherine inspires her traditional students, including Betty and Joan, to challenge the lives they are expected to lead.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  2. Art School Confidential (2006)

    Starting from childhood attempts at illustration, the protagonist pursues his true obsession to art school. But as he learns how the art world really works, he finds that he must adapt his vision to the reality that confronts him.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  3. Misbehaviour (2020)

    A group of women involved in the Women's Liberation Movement hatched a plan to invade the stage and disrupt the live broadcast at the 1970 Miss World competition in London, resulting in overnight fame for the newly-formed organization. When the show resumed, the results caused an uproar and turned the Western ideal of beauty on its head.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. The Art of Getting By (2011)

    George, a lonely and fatalistic teen who's made it all the way to his senior year without ever having done a real day of work, is befriended by Sally, a popular but complicated girl who recognizes in him a kindred spirit.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  5. Chariots of Fire (1981)

    In the class-obsessed and religiously divided UK of the early 1920s, two determined young runners train for the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell, a devout Christian born to Scottish missionaries in China, sees running as part of his worship of God's glory and refuses to train or compete on the Sabbath. Harold Abrahams overcomes anti-Semitism and class bias, but neglects his beloved sweetheart in his single-minded quest.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer (1984)

    In Prague, a professorial puppet, with metal pincers for hands and an open book for a hat, takes a boy as a pupil. First, the professor empties fluff and toys from the child's head, leaving him without the top of his head for most of the film. The professor then teaches the lad about illusions and perspectives, the pursuit of an object through exploring a bank of drawers, divining an object, and the migration of forms. The child then brings out a box with a tarantula in it: the professor puts his "hands" into the box and describes what he feels. The boy receives a final lesson about animation and film making; then the professor gives him a brain and his own open-book hat.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. On the Basis of Sex (2018)

    Young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg teams with her husband Marty to bring a groundbreaking case before the U.S. Court of Appeals and overturn a century of sex discrimination.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Shirley (2024)

    Shirley Chisholm makes a trailblazing run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination after becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021)

    Bob Ross brought joy to millions as the world's most famous art instructor. But a battle for his business empire cast a shadow over his happy trees.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Saturday Night (2024)

    At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. This is the story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  11. Free Fire (2017)

    Set in Boston in 1978, a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two gangs turns into a shoot-out and a game of survival.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  12. Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)

    In 1974, Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on the quixotic project of adapting Frank Herbert's influential novel Dune (1969) for the big screen. After investing two years, and millions of dollars, the gigantic project ended in failure; but the artists Jodorowsky brought together to carry it out continued to work together, and ended up laying the foundations for modern science fiction cinema.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. Flesh and the Devil (1926)

    When lifelong best friends Leo and Ulrich return home after completing their military training, Leo meets the stunning Felicitas at a railway station and is mesmerized by her beauty. A scandal follows, for which Leo is sent away. Returning home three years later, he discovers that much has changed.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. The Karate Kid Part III (1989)

    Despondent over the closing of his karate school, Cobra Kai teacher John Kreese joins a ruthless businessman and martial artist to get revenge on Daniel and Mr. Miyagi.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  15. They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018)

    As his life comes to its end, famous Hollywood director Orson Welles puts it all on the line at the chance for renewed success with the film The Other Side of the Wind.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Snoopy Presents: Lucy's School (2022)

    The Peanuts gang is anxious about starting at a new school in the fall, inspiring Lucy to start her own school instead. She soon learns that teaching isn't as easy as it sounds and that change can be a good thing.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. Game of Thrones: The Last Watch (2019)

    For a year, acclaimed British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay was embedded on the set of the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones,” chronicling the creation of the show’s most ambitious and complicated season. Debuting one week after the series 8 finale, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH delves deep into the mud and blood to reveal the tears and triumphs involved in the challenge of bringing the fantasy world of Westeros to life in the very real studios, fields and car-parks of Northern Ireland. Made with unprecedented access, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH is an up-close and personal portrait from the trenches of production, following the crew and the cast as they contend with extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers. Much more than a “making of” documentary, this is a funny, heartbreaking story, told with wit and intimacy, about the bittersweet pleasures of what it means to create a world – and then have to say goodbye to it.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. Warrior (2011)

    The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament – a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. Let It Be (1970)

    A documentary chronicling the Beatles' rehearsal sessions in January 1969 for their proposed "back to basics" album, "Get Back," later re-envisioned and released as "Let It Be."

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. Battle of the Sexes (2017)

    The true story of the 1973 tennis match between world number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like This Is a Film About and something else?

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like This Is a Film About?

The closest matches to This Is a Film About are Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Art School Confidential (2006) and Misbehaviour (2020). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after This Is a Film About?

Start with Mona Lisa Smile (2003), the closest match to This Is a Film About.

What is the highest-rated movie like This Is a Film About?

Jodorowsky's Dune (2013), rated 7.8/10 by 789 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like This Is a Film About?

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

Are there English movies like This Is a Film About?

Yes: Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Art School Confidential (2006) and Misbehaviour (2020).

How are movies similar to This Is a Film About chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside This Is a Film About, 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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