Movies like Transition (2016)
The best movies like Transition (2016) are The Man from Elysian Fields (2001), Time Is Up (2021) and Newness (2017). If Transition 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 ratedMy First Summer (2020)8.0/10 from 290 votes
- NewestMexicali (2026)Released 2026
The Man from Elysian Fields (2001)
A failed novelist's inability to pay the bills strains relations with his wife and leads him to work at an escort service, where he becomes entwined with a wealthy woman whose husband is a successful writer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
SnoozefestMovies 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 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 thisBelow Her Mouth (2017)
An unexpected affair quickly escalates into a heart-stopping reality for two women whose passionate connection changes their lives forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPetulia (1968)
Dr. Archie Bollen is having a midlife crisis. He's just divorced his wife and is establishing a new life for himself. One night, he catches the eye of Petulia Danner, a charming, free-spirited young woman. Petulia's vibrant personality hides her fear of her abusive husband, David, whose father is a powerful society figure. As Petulia and Archie's feelings for each other grow, they must decide what it is they truly want.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
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 thisFifty Shades Freed (2018)
Believing they have left behind shadowy figures from their past, newlyweds Christian and Ana fully embrace an inextricable connection and shared life of luxury. But just as she steps into her role as Mrs. Grey and he relaxes into an unfamiliar stability, new threats could jeopardize their happy ending before it even begins.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAsylum (2005)
A woman becomes very curious about one of her psychiatrist husband's inmates, a man who was found guilty in the murder and disfigurement of his former wife.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Time I Saw Paris (1954)
Reporter Charles Wills, in Paris to cover the end of World War II, falls for the beautiful Helen Ellswirth following a brief flirtation with her sister, Marion. After he and Helen marry, Charles pursues his novelistic ambition while supporting his new bride with a deadening job at a newspaper wire service. But when an old investment suddenly makes the family wealthy, their marriage begins to unravel — until a sudden tragedy changes everything.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLilith (1964)
Vincent Bruce, a war veteran, begins working as an occupational therapist at Poplar Lodge, a private psychiatric facility for wealthy people where he meets Lilith Arthur, a charming young woman suffering from schizophrenia, whose fragile beauty captivates all who meet her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonday (2021)
A spark on a Friday can lead to a sizzling weekend fling, but what happens when you get to the inevitable Monday?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIntimacy (2001)
Failed musician Jay abandoned his family and now earns a living as head bartender in a trendy London pub. Every Wednesday afternoon, a woman comes to his house for graphic, almost wordless, sex. One day, Jay follows her and learns about her. This eventually disrupts their relationship.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLondon (2005)
London is a drug laden adventure that centers on a party in a New York loft where a young man is trying to win back his ex-girlfriend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy First Summer (2020)
Isolated on a remote property, 16-year-old Claudia finds her world transformed when a spirited girl named Grace wanders into her garden.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisOriginal Sin (2001)
A young man is plunged into a life of subterfuge, deceit and mistaken identity in pursuit of a femme fatale whose heart is never quite within his grasp.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBoys Don't Cry (1999)
A young transgender man explores his gender identity and searches for love in rural Nebraska.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLockdown (2000)
Avery (Jones) returns to college as a competitive swimmer after getting his life back on track. But his life takes another unexpected turn when he and his two friends (Bonds, Casseus) are wrongly accused of murder and end up in prison.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPimp (2018)
An urban love story set on the hard streets of the Bronx. A struggling female pimp, named Wednesday, grows up learning the game from her dad. Once he's gone she's left to look out for her prostitute mother and girlfriend Nikki.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMexicali (2026)
A former special forces contractor is forced out of retirement as an avocado farmer in Mexico when local gangsters try to force him and his family off their farm.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKing Cobra (2016)
It’s 2006, YouTube is in its infancy, and internet porn is still behind a paywall. Taking the stage name Brent Corrigan, a fresh-faced, wannabe adult video performer is molded into a star by Stephen, a closeted gay porn mogul who runs the skin flick empire Cobra Video from his seemingly ordinary suburban home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisLírios (2025)
Gabriel and Rita, a trans girl, have been friends since childhood. But a weekend trip to Chapada dos Guimarães could reveal the romance they insist on denying.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Nome Provisório (2017)
Renata, while waiting for her friend's arrival at a restaurant, is faced with a family celebrating the pregnancy of Márcia and her husband. The discovery of the baby's gender brings to light an important reflection.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
I Seek Your Help to Bury a Man (2023)
Empire of Brazil, 1870. A queer indigenous body slowly dies on the cross while a transgender gypsy woman is banned by her people. A half-breed soldier stands in the middle of the way. A child and an old woman cross their stories like destined lines on the palm of a hand.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Men's Dream Play: Song of the Sorrows of Youth (1984)
Hyoto is a Japanese karate champion. His own career, the dojo he ran, and his students were doing well, and he was at the peak of his abilities. Hyodo's only complaint was his relationship with his wife, which had become completely cold. One day, Hyoto drunkenly bursts into a store, falls in love with the beauty of the woman there. He takes her to a hotel, discovering that she is trans. Hyōto fled the scene in a panic, but after that day, his sexual preference, which had only been interested in women, began to crumble. His student Haruhiko notices this change in Hyōto and confesses that he actually loves his teacher. He would have scoffed at the previous Hyoto, but the current Hyoto was different. He accepted Haruhiko's love, and he actively stepped into a new world of sexual pleasure...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Duchess of Grant Park (2021)
The Duchess declares Grant Park as her duchy. James, a journalist making a documentary, has chosen the Atlanta character of The Duchess although he knows nothing about her. Through the course of the story, James learns more about the Duchess, her history, and her connection to the neighborhood.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Buffalo 10 (TBA)
Claire, once an Ivy League-bound twink, now a glamorous woman aching for the simplicity of suburbia, returns to Buffalo after years in NYC. She stumbles into the path of Colin, a local burnout. Does he find her worldliness alluring, or is he just a chaser intent on projecting a fantasy onto the doll?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Something More (1989)
In a crisis with his wife, a man consoles himself with an attractive girl, but hesitates when he discovers she's trans. That "something more", however, does not prevent him from continuing the relationship, which becomes embarrassing when the two also join the wife, attracted by the novelty. The unusual triangle is not destined for a happy coexistence and fate will prove tragic for everyone.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Johanne Sacreblu (2025)
Mexico's response to the French film Emilia Pérez. The real life of French people in a musical made by people in Mexico. It tells the epic tale of baguettes, croissants, stinky cheese, and the difficulties of not taking daily showers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance
Nowhere to Be Found (2024)
Manu loses herself in the mirror amidst political turmoil. The film delves into her identity quest, intertwining with the broader struggle for transgender acceptance and authenticity.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Escaping Gravity (2013)
To finally gain her father's acceptance, transsexual Leonie decides to return masqueraded as a man to the world of her childhood: the funfair. Though even the old owner of the ghost train has something to hide.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like Transition and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Transition?
The closest matches to Transition are The Man from Elysian Fields (2001), Time Is Up (2021) and Newness (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Transition?
Start with The Man from Elysian Fields (2001), the closest match to Transition.
What is the highest-rated movie like Transition?
My First Summer (2020), rated 8.0/10 by 290 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Transition?
Mexicali (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Transition?
Yes: The Man from Elysian Fields (2001), Time Is Up (2021) and Newness (2017).
How are movies similar to Transition chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Transition, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.