Movies like Obeying Instinct (2019)
The best movies like Obeying Instinct (2019) are Failure to Launch (2006), Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Moll Flanders (1996). If Obeying Instinct hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Obeying Instinct
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSummerland (2020)7.5/10 from 237 votes
- NewestImaginary (2024)Released 2024
Failure to Launch (2006)
At 35, Tripp has an interesting job, a hip car, a passion for sailing, an active dating life, and a great house - trouble is, he still lives with his parents, Al and Sue, who are not happy about it. Al and Sue are fascinated when friends whose adult son has recently moved away from home reveal they hired an expert to help. In desperation to push Tripp out of the nest once and for all, Al and Sue hatch a plan to hire Paula, an "interventionist," who has a formula in these cases.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisFifty Shades Darker (2017)
When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMoll Flanders (1996)
The daughter of a thief, young Moll is placed in the care of a nunnery after the execution of her mother. However, the actions of an abusive priest lead Moll to rebel as a teenager, escaping to the dangerous streets of London. Further misfortunes drive her to accept a job as a prostitute from the conniving Mrs. Allworthy. It is there that Moll first meets Hibble, who is working as Allworthy's servant but takes a special interest in the young woman's well-being. With his help, she retains hope for the future, ultimately falling in love with an unconventional artist who promises the possibility of romantic happiness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCharlie St. Cloud (2010)
Accomplished sailor Charlie St. Cloud has the adoration of his mother Claire and his little brother Sam, as well as a college scholarship that will lead him far from his sleepy Pacific Northwest hometown. But his bright future is cut short when tragedy strikes and takes his dreams with it. After high school classmate Tess returns home unexpectedly, Charlie grows torn between honoring a promise he made four years earlier and moving forward with newfound love. As he finds the courage to let go of the past for good, Charlie discovers the soul most worth saving is his own.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLadies in Lavender (2004)
Andrea, a gifted young Polish violinist from Krakow, is bound for America when he is swept overboard by a storm. When the Widdington sisters discover the handsome stranger on the beach below their house, they nurse him back to health. However, the presence of the musically talented young man disrupts the peaceful lives of Ursula and Janet and the community in which they live.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisImaginary (2024)
When Jessica moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that begin playful and become increasingly sinister. As Alice’s behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisDecember Boys (2007)
For many years, four teenage orphans at an Australian outback convent have watched their younger comrades find new parents, and realize that they may never be adopted. The Reverend Mother sends the four boys away on a seaside vacation, where they meet Teresa and Fearless, a couple who would make perfect parents. The youths compete with one another to be the one Teresa and Fearless decide to adopt.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThis Boy's Life (1993)
When a son and mother move to Seattle in hopes for a better life, the mother meets a seemingly polite man. Things go south when the man turns out to be abusive, endangering their lives. As the mother struggles to maintain hope in an impossible situation, the son has plans to escape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDavid Copperfield (1935)
A young man journeys from a difficult childhood to maturity, exploring social injustice, personal development, and the complexities of human relationships.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Stepfather (2009)
Michael Harding returns home from military school to find his mother happily in love and living with her new boyfriend, David. As the two men get to know each other, Michael becomes more and more suspicious of the man who is always there with a helpful hand. Is he really the man of her dreams or could David be hiding a dark side?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisOn Chesil Beach (2018)
In 1962 England, a young couple finds their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOrphan (2009)
After losing their baby, a married couple adopt 9-year old Esther, who may not be as innocent as she seems.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBig Bad Wolf (2006)
In Cameron, a group of hunters is attacked by a wild animal, and Charlie Cowley survives, but sees his brother Scott dying. Seven years later, his teenage nephew Derek Cowley steals the key of his stepfather's cabin in the isolated Fire Road 13, and travels with four classmates and his friend Sam to spend the weekend having a party with booze and sex. However, they are attacked by a Beast that kills his friends in a sadistic way. Sam and Derek survive, and they suspect that his stepfather, Mitchell Toblat, is a werewolf. When Charlie meets Derek and Sam, they decide to collect evidence to prove that Mitchell is the Beast and kill him, but Mitchell discovers their plot and chases the trio.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMoby Dick (1956)
In 1841, young Ishmael signs up for service aboard the Pequod, a whaler sailing out of New Bedford. The ship is under the command of Captain Ahab, a strict disciplinarian who exhorts his men to find Moby Dick, the great white whale. Ahab lost his leg to that creature and is desperate for revenge. As the crew soon learns, he will stop at nothing to gain satisfaction.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIn the Bedroom (2001)
Summertime on the coast of Maine, "In the Bedroom" centers on the inner dynamics of a family in transition. Matt Fowler is a doctor practicing in his native Maine and is married to New York born Ruth Fowler, a music teacher. His son is involved in a love affair with a local single mother. As the beauty of Maine's brief and fleeting summer comes to an end, these characters find themselves in the midst of unimaginable tragedy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEden Lake (2008)
When a young couple goes to a remote wooded lake for a romantic getaway, their quiet weekend is shattered by an aggressive group of local kids. Rowdiness quickly turns to rage as the teens terrorize the couple in unimaginable ways, and a weekend outing becomes a bloody battle for survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSnow White (2001)
Snow White's mother dies during childbirth, leaving baby Snow and father John for dead on an icy field, who then receives a visit from one of Satan's representatives, granting him three wishes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Way Way Back (2013)
Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSummerland (2020)
A woman during the Second World War opens her heart to an evacuee after initially resolving to be rid of him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Shipping News (2001)
An emotionally-beaten man with his young daughter moves to his ancestral home in Newfoundland to reclaim his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Obeying Instinct?
The closest matches to Obeying Instinct are Failure to Launch (2006), Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Moll Flanders (1996). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Obeying Instinct?
Start with Failure to Launch (2006), the closest match to Obeying Instinct.
What is the highest-rated movie like Obeying Instinct?
Summerland (2020), rated 7.5/10 by 237 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Obeying Instinct?
Imaginary (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Obeying Instinct?
Yes: Failure to Launch (2006), Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Moll Flanders (1996).
How are movies similar to Obeying Instinct chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Obeying Instinct, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.