Movies like The Waves (2020)
The best movies like The Waves (2020) are Not Easily Broken (2009), Fire with Fire (1986) and Newness (2017). If The Waves hooked you with its drama and romance, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedPortrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)8.1/10 from 3,102 votes
- NewestChaser Game W: A Match Made in Heaven (2026)Released 2026
Not Easily Broken (2009)
A car accident and shifting affections test the bond between a married couple.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFire with Fire (1986)
A tough, street-smart kid serving a sentence in a state youth reformatory meets a beautiful, innocent girl studying at a nearby convent. When forbidden love blossoms between them, they must fight the prison authorities, their parents and the law.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNewness (2017)
In contemporary Los Angeles, two millennials navigating a social media–driven hookup culture begin a relationship that pushes both emotional and physical boundaries.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Magic of Ordinary Days (2005)
Pregnant out of wedlock, an educated young woman is pressured by her father into an arranged marriage with a lonely farmer in this drama set during WWII.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisI 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 · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHollywood Dirt (2017)
Hollywood arrives in force to Quincy, the small town where the secret Crown Cola billionaire's live. They want to film about the billionaire's and how they made their fortunes. Summer Jenkins, who was the town pariah, joins forces with the scout, Ben, and finds filming locations, extras, lessons with the town officials and house owners, etc. When Cole Masten arrives, they hate each other, but sparks fly. Cole is running from a nasty divorce, yet is captivated by Summer. Summer is dying to leave town to get away from the gossip. This is a great story about Southern customs, a Southern girl, and a Hollywood star who finds his lady.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTime Is Up (2021)
Vivien, an accomplished student with a passion for physics, and Roy, a troubled young man, are involved in an accident that forces them to reclaim their lives one minute at the time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSalome (1953)
In the reign of emperor Tiberius, Gallilean prophet John the Baptist preaches against King Herod and Queen Herodias. The latter wants John dead, but Herod fears to harm him due to a prophecy. Enter beautiful Princess Salome, Herod's long-absent stepdaughter. Herodias sees the king's dawning lust for Salome as her means of bending him to her will. But Salome and her lover Claudius are–contrary to Scripture–nearing conversion to the new religion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisReturn to Peyton Place (1961)
Residents of the small town of Peyton Place aren't pleased when they realize they're the characters in local writer Allison MacKenzie's controversial first novel. A sequel to the hit 1957 film.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Journal for Jordan (2021)
Based on the true story of First Sergeant Charles Monroe King, a soldier deployed to Iraq begins to keep a journal of love and advice for his infant son. Back at home, senior New York Times editor Dana Canedy revisits the story of her unlikely, life-altering relationship with King and his enduring devotion to her and their child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMaria's Lovers (1984)
A World War II prisoner returns home to his childhood sweetheart. However, back home, he discovers that he has to compete to win her love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLovely, Still (2009)
A holiday fable that tells the story of an elderly man discovering love for the first time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Fugitive Kind (1960)
Val Xavier, a drifter of obscure origins, arrives at a small town and gets a job in a store run by Lady Torrence. Her husband, Jabe M. Torrance, is dying of cancer. Val is pursued by Carol Cutere, the enigmatic local tramp-of-good-family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Duke of Burgundy (2015)
Day in and day out, lovers Cynthia and Evelyn enact an elaborate sadomasochistic fantasy as mistress and maid. But as their ritual of domination and submission begins to turn stale, Cynthia yearns for something more conventional, while Evelyn tries to push their taboos even further.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThey Won't Believe Me (1947)
On trial for murdering his girlfriend, philandering stockbroker Larry Ballentine takes the stand to claim his innocence and describe the actual, but improbable sounding, sequence of events that led to her death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNine Lives (2005)
Captives of the very relationships that define and sustain them, nine women resiliently meet the travails and disappointments of life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Secret: Dare to Dream (2020)
A widow with three children hires a handyman to fix her house during a major storm. When not doing home repairs, he shares his philosophy of believing in the power of the universe to deliver what we want.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between (2022)
Clare and Aidan make a pact to break up before college — no regrets, no broken hearts. But will one epic goodbye date offer them a last chance at love?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUntamed Heart (1993)
Caroline, a young waitress who seems to have bad taste in men, is on her way home one night when thugs attempt to rape her. Adam, the mysterious busboy who works at the same diner, helps fight off the assailants, and she begins a relationship with him -- but not all their fellow Minnesotans are happy for them. Meanwhile, the couple face their own difficulties when Caroline finds about Adam's past, including his unique health condition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLove Me Love Me (2026)
After her brother's death, June moves to Milan for a fresh start, finding comfort in Will, the perfect honor student at her new international school. But when his troubled best friend James—hiding a dangerous life in clandestine MMA fights—sparks a rivalry that quickly turns into irresistible attraction, June must choose between safety and a love that upends everything she thought she wanted.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChaser Game W: A Match Made in Heaven (2026)
Seven years after the events of “Chaser Game W2: The Beautiful Celestial Maidens”—Itsuki and Fuyu now live in Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, with their daughter Tsuki, who is in middle school. Amid their busy daily lives filled with housework, parenting, and work, the time they spend together has gradually become something they take for granted. Over the course of those seven years, their relationship has shifted from “lovers” to “family,” and subtle emotional distance has begun to emerge between them. Though their hearts are shaken by each other’s casual words and actions, they continue to maintain the appearance of a peaceful household. However, their daughter Tsuki senses the growing unease between her parents. One day, after getting caught up in trouble, Tsuki is helped by a taxi driver named Kozue. This encounter becomes a turning point, prompting Itsuki and Fuyu to finally confront their true feelings and reexamine the form their love has taken as it drifted apart.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance & drama
Contact (2025)
In a heartfelt night of vulnerability and laughter, two mismatched young women navigate through 'The 36 Questions That Lead to Love' experiment, where they must engage in an intimate four-minute gaze of uninterrupted eye contact, challenging their perceptions of connection and the possibility of falling in love.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance & drama
Today Tmr, I Love You (2022)
Two women who never met before, Chenny and Leakna, slowly develop a deep connection and begin to fall in love with each other. Chenny is a strong and independent woman who finds in Leakna a fierce and independent partner. As they get to know each other better, Chenny realizes that Leakna is someone she used to love when they were children. They fall in love again, but their relationship is eventually broken by Jenny's father, who doesn't approve of their love. Leakna decides to sacrifice everything to protect Chenny, going as far as offering her own eyes to save her.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Wish That You Were Here (2026)
Ilyse and Ella's love for each other endures despite the distance between them -- but are text messages and shared memories enough to sustain them through an uncertain future? Set in the backdrop of a rural and urban Philippines, Wish That You Were Here is a love letter to those in the closet.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance & drama
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)
On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisColour Poetry (2021)
Colour Poetry explores the journey of two lovers—Red, chaotic and anxious, and Blue, calm and structured—their characters being constructed through the lens of their emotional and mental states. As they navigate the complexities of a long-distance relationship, their interactions subtly transform their identities. While Red finds solace and stability in love, Blue begins to feel suffocated and reluctant to change. Their inevitable reunion forces them to confront an uncomfortable truth: growth isn’t always shared, and love doesn’t always mean staying together. As they move toward a seemingly unbreakable bond of their union, they must confront the reality that not all transformations are mutual.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance & drama
Into the Warren (2018)
An esoteric sapphic short movie
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Rabbits Love Roadkill (2017)
As kit tries listening to her girlfriend, she is plagued by visions of rabbit.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance & drama
Silab ng Pira-pirasong Alaala (2024)
In a household ruled by a domineering patriarch, a young reserved woman clings on to a cassette tape gifted by someone from her past – reliving their shared moments of love and defiance to find her own path.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
I Am Lesbian (2023)
Coming out isn't easy. A lesbian coming out to her sister. Will she understand LGBTQIA needs.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like The Waves and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Waves?
The closest matches to The Waves are Not Easily Broken (2009), Fire with Fire (1986) and Newness (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Waves?
Start with Not Easily Broken (2009), the closest match to The Waves.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Waves?
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), rated 8.1/10 by 3,102 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Waves?
Chaser Game W: A Match Made in Heaven (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Waves?
Yes: Not Easily Broken (2009), Fire with Fire (1986) and Newness (2017).
How are movies similar to The Waves chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Waves, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.