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Movies like The River Remains the Same (2026)

The best movies like The River Remains the Same (2026) are Tigertail (2020), Black God, White Devil (1964) and Casa Grande (2014). If The River Remains the Same hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Tigertail (2020)

    A man reflects on the lost love of his youth and his long-ago journey from Taiwan to America as he begins to reconnect with his estranged daughter.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  2. Black God, White Devil (1964)

    Wanted for killing his boss, Manuel flees with his wife Rosa to the sertão, the barren landscape of Northern Brazil. Thrust into a primordial violent region, Manuel and Rosa come under the influence and control of a series of frightening figures.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  3. Casa Grande (2014)

    As a privileged teenager living in an affluent suburb of Rio de Janeiro, Jean has little to worry about beyond games, grades and girls. But as his overbearing father drags the family into debt, Jean is forced into a change of lifestyle which opens his eyes to the world beyond his 'casa grande' - not least that of the feisty, mixed-race firecracker Luiza. Cultures, classes and generations collide in this engrossing coming-of-age drama from Brazil.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  4. Nothing Personal (2009)

    Alone in her empty flat, from her window Anne observes the people passing by who nervously snatch up the personal belongings and pieces of furniture she has put out on the pavement. Her final gesture of taking a ring off her finger signals she is leaving her previous life in Holland behind. She goes to Ireland, where she chooses to lead a solitary, wandering existence, striding through the austere landscapes of Connemara. During her travels, she discovers a house that is home to a hermit, Martin.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  5. The Movie of My Life (2017)

    The sierras of southern Brazil, 1963. The son of an French man and a Brazilian woman, Tony is a young man with a profound love of cinema and poetry. After graduating from college he returns to his small town in rural Brazil, to find out that his father had left for good, back to France. Tony then looks for the company of his fathers friends in search of information and references of a lost male role-model. He becomes a school teacher and a male figure to kids, in an attempt to provide them with something he lacks himself. A series of developments lead him to a surprising final lead on his fathers' whereabouts and reasons for leaving.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. The Middle of the World (2003)

    Romão, illiterate and unemployed, feels destiny drawing him on an odyssey to Rio de Janeiro in pursuit of a job and a decent life. A family of seven journeys 2,000 miles across the hinterlands of Brazil on bicycles. Along the way, the story explores the inner dynamics of a family facing a great challenge with the courage to pursue dreams.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  7. Imperial Dreams (2014)

    A 21-year-old reformed gangster's devotion to his family and his future is put to the test when he is released from prison and returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. The Safety of Objects (2002)

    In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, and neglects her daughter and husband. Lawyer Jim Train is devoted to his career, not his family. Helen Christianson wants to find a new spark in life, while Annette Jennings tries to rebuild hers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  9. Lorelei (2020)

    A man is released from prison after 15 years. He reunites with his high school girlfriend, now a single mother of three. What follows is a lyrical take on love, regret and second chances.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  10. Lady Driver (2020)

    When a rebellious teen embarks on a solo summer journey to connect with her roots, she finds herself in a new world, geared up for the ride of her life, and discovers she had the drive in her all along.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  11. Love Strange Love (1982)

    A man remembers forty-eight crucial hours in his life when, as a child, he visited his mother, the favorite woman of an important politician, in a bordello owned by him, right before some important political changes in 1937 Brazil. In those hours, he discovers his own sexuality.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  12. Hounddog (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 · both drama

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  13. Eleanor the Great (2025)

    94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein tries to rebuild her life after the death of her best friend. As a result, she moves back to New York City after living in Florida for decades.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. Brand Upon the Brain! (2007)

    After returning home to his long-estranged mother upon a request from her deathbed, a man raised by his parents in an orphanage has to confront the childhood memories that have long haunted him.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. The 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 · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. I Believe in Unicorns (2015)

    Feeling awkward and isolated, an imaginative and strong-willed teenage girl runs away from home with an older punk rock drifter.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Flashbacks of a Fool (2008)

    An aging Hollywood star, Joe Scott, lives a life of narcissistic hedonism, observed by his laconic personal assistant, Ophelia. The death of his childhood best friend, Boots, takes our protagonist, and the movie, into an extended flashback to a sea-side town in 1970s Britain.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. The Dreamseller (2016)

    A disillusioned psychologist tries to commit suicide until he strikes up a friendship with an unlikely saviour who teaches him a new way of living.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  19. The Girl in the Book (2015)

    The story of a young writer's transformation when her past invades her present.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  20. Sergio (2020)

    A sweeping drama set in the chaotic aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq, where the life of top UN diplomat Brazilian Sérgio Vieira de Mello hangs in the balance during the most treacherous mission of his career.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. what disappeared (2019)

    A man has his routine reduced to his monotonous work and the suspicious relationship with his wife, until objects, places and people mysteriously disappear, making his life more interesting and, at the same time, dangerous.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  22. Voices Carry (2024)

    Henry checks into his BNB for his first wedding photography gig but gets much more than he bargained for.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  23. Bronce (2019)

    Years after the death of their parents, two stepbrothers reunite to steal bronze epitaphs from cemeteries, but not even the loot can redeem or remedy the impossible.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  24. Hamlet (1970)

    Hamlet suspects his uncle has murdered his father to claim the throne of Denmark and the hand of Hamlet's mother, but the Prince cannot decide whether or not he should take vengeance.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  25. Scope (2018)

    When a young man drops out of school to care for his agoraphobic mother he too finds himself increasingly insulated from the outside world.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  26. U Turn (2019)

    ‘U-Turn’ follows the story of a reporter; Raveena who gets unvoluntary involved in a murder case conducted by the police as she investigates accidents on a flyover.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  27. Blur - Em Busca de Sentidos (2022)

    BLUR tells the story of Iago, who's had health problems and speech impediments, until he meets Isabela, who will help him find meaning after surgery.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  28. Tyler Perry's A Madea Homecoming (2022)

    Madea's back - hallelujer! And she's not putting up with any nonsense as family drama erupts at her great-grandson's college graduation celebration.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  29. Cheers (TBA)

    Romain, a tormented young man, deals with his alcohol addiction as he tries his best to hide it from the people closest to him.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  30. Down the Arm of God (2026)

    A young pastor goes through a harsh winter in a small Texas town, where his mission to help the homeless is faced with resistance by his congregation, exposing deep-seated prejudice and systemic failures.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

Like The River Remains the Same and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The River Remains the Same?

The closest matches to The River Remains the Same are Tigertail (2020), Black God, White Devil (1964) and Casa Grande (2014). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The River Remains the Same?

Start with Tigertail (2020), the closest match to The River Remains the Same.

What is the highest-rated movie like The River Remains the Same?

The Good Neighbor (2022), rated 6.7/10 by 215 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The River Remains the Same?

Down the Arm of God (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

How are movies similar to The River Remains the Same chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The River Remains the Same, 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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