Movies like Desire (1997)
The best movies like Desire (1997) are Disclosure (2020), Boy Meets Girl (2014) and Port Authority (2019). If Desire hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedFuneral Parade of Roses (1969)7.6/10 from 260 votes
- NewestThe Dysphoria (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseFuneral Parade of Roses (1969)Also in Japanese
Disclosure (2020)
An investigation of how Hollywood's fabled stories have deeply influenced how Americans feel about transgender people, and how transgender people have been taught to feel about themselves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBoy Meets Girl (2014)
In Kentucky, a transgender woman and her best male friend lament the lack of eligible partners and step across old boundaries of love and romance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPort Authority (2019)
Paul, a 20 year old midwesterner, arrives at the central bus station and quickly catches eyes with Wye, a 22 year old girl voguing on the sidewalk. After Paul seeks her out in secret, an intense love between them blossoms. But when Paul discovers Wye is trans, he is forced to confront his own identity and what it means to belong.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRocko's Modern Life: Static Cling (2019)
After 20 years in space, Rocko returns to a technologically advanced O-Town and makes it his mission to get his favorite show back on the air.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJust Charlie (2017)
Football star Charlie has the world at her feet. With a top club desperate to sign her, her future is seemingly mapped out. But the teenager sees only a nightmare. Raised as a boy, Charlie is torn between wanting to live up to her father's expectations and shedding this ill fitting skin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDifferent for Girls (1997)
Paul and Kim meet when their vehicles collide. Paul is fascinated with the attractive Kim. It turns out that the two were childhood friends in Catholic boys' school, but back then, before the operation, Kim was named Karl.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Perfect Ending (2012)
This intimate drama follows Rebecca, a woman who has kept her sexuality a secret from her friends but chooses to reveal it to a stranger. While Rebecca's revelations may not yield the results she expects, a perfect ending is still in reach.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHounddog (2008)
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVesper (2022)
After the collapse of Earth's ecosystem, Vesper, a 13-year-old girl struggling to survive with her paralyzed Father, meets a mysterious Woman with a secret that forces Vesper to use her wits, strength and bio-hacking abilities to fight for the possibility of a future.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCowboys (2020)
Troy and his young transgender son Joe are on the run from his conservative mother in the Montana wilderness, with a detective in hot pursuit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFuneral Parade of Roses (1969)
In 1960s Tokyo, Gonda owns a bar in which the gay, cross-dresser, and trans scenes meet. Gonda is in a relationship with the madam of the bar, Leda. As the younger Eddie starts a passionate affair with Gonda, she ignites the jealousy of Leda, unaware of another kind of history between them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy Brilliant Career (1979)
A young woman who is determined to maintain her independence finds herself at odds with her family who wants her to tame her wild side and get married.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this3 Generations (2016)
A teenager transitions from female to male, and his family must come to terms with that fact.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Awkward Sexual Adventure (2012)
A hyper-repressed and schlubby accountant (Jonas Chernick) strikes a deal with a worldly but disorganized stripper (Emily Hampshire): he'll help her with her crushing debt if she helps him become a better lover.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Congress (2013)
An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStar of David: Beauty Hunting (1979)
The life of Tatsuya, a young man of proper yet mysterious descent, whose outward respectability hides his urges for rape and torture.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPariah (2011)
A Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak, and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Truth About Jane (2000)
High schooler Jane struggles with the self-discovery that she is a lesbian after developing an intense friendship with another girl. However, this is only the start of Jane's troubles when her unaccepting mother Janice also contends with the surprising revelation brought forth by her only daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Good Neighbor (2022)
A nightmarish evening unfolds for neighbors David and Robert when they accidentally hit a woman on her bike and flee the scene. While David is increasingly plagued by feelings of guilt, Robert shows no remorse and becomes overbearing and possessive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Transgender Kid (2015)
Two British families discuss the challenges they face raising children who identify as a gender different from the one they were assigned at birth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Angelic Kitty Miracle-chan (2025)
Alex's obsession with their favorite anime character Angelic Kitty Miracle-chan offers them a chance to experiment with their sense of identity, but things don’t go exactly as planned.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Dungarees (2020)
Transgender Blake and cisgender Cane hang out, play video games and grapple with their insecurities. This is their love story.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Masculinidades Plásticas (2025)
Akin, a young Black transmasculine journalist from the countryside of Bahia, dives into a research project to understand the city's perception of trans people. His journey is not only professional but also deeply personal: he seeks to discover which masculinities have shaped him. Along the way, Akin is transported to a parallel universe, where he meets four oracles who read the fate of the world. They reveal that the patriarchal system of masculinity is broken and on the verge of collapse, dismantling everything once believed about what it means to be a man.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Soldier's Girl (2003)
This true story, which takes place in Fort Campbell, KY, tells the heart-wrenching story of the life and tragic death of soldier Barry Winchell. His love for Calpernia Addams, a transgender nightclub performer, was misunderstood by his fellow soldiers and eventually led to his murder.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMR★Lady Assassin Group (1991)
A mysterious transgender murder group wearing black dresses appears. It is a brutal method in which the targeted man are raped and then killed. Ohara is asked to investigate and discovers the existence of a gay man named Shimizu. However, Ohara, who has always been interested in relationships between men, ends up having an affair with Shimizu...
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Dysphoria (2026)
A trans woman performs a Satanic ritual to get a vagina, but unwittingly invites a demonic presence into her home which demands a terrible sacrifice.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
In the Closet (TBA)
As young adult Quinn cleans out their childhood closet, they reflect on the keepsakes they associate with their gender identity struggle, and ultimately come to a decision that could change their life for the better.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Pytaś a Namakaś - Vom Suchen und Finden (2023)
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Monique Will Not Save the World (2024)
Observations on the life of a boring Belgian transwoman.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Like Desire and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Desire?
The closest matches to Desire are Disclosure (2020), Boy Meets Girl (2014) and Port Authority (2019). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Desire?
Start with Disclosure (2020), the closest match to Desire.
What is the highest-rated movie like Desire?
Funeral Parade of Roses (1969), rated 7.6/10 by 260 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Desire?
The Dysphoria (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Desire?
Yes: Funeral Parade of Roses (1969), Star of David: Beauty Hunting (1979) and MR★Lady Assassin Group (1991).
How are movies similar to Desire chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Desire, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.