Movies like Illicit Desire (1973)
The best movies like Illicit Desire (1973) are The Hand (2021), Love Everlasting (2016) and In Secret (2014). If Illicit Desire hooked you with its romance and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedGabriel's Inferno (2020)8.4/10 from 2,486 votes
- NewestLaurent Kraft Contre Les Canidés Maudits (2026)Released 2026
- In ChineseThe Hand (2021)Also in Chinese
The Hand (2021)
Hong Kong, 1960s. Zhang, a shy tailor's assistant, is riveted by his imperious client Miss Hua. Upon meeting her, she seduces him to make sure he will truly remember her when designing her garments. After this intimate first encounter, a rapport develops between the two. Entry is for the theatrically released extended version, not the segment from the Eros anthology.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLove Everlasting (2016)
Bridger is a young outsider who's always wanted more. He and his mother flee an abusive home, eventually finding a small town in the middle of nowhere. Once there, Bridger finds true acceptance with another misfit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIn Secret (2014)
In 1860s Paris, a young woman, Therese, is trapped in a loveless marriage to the sickly Camille by her domineering aunt, Madame Raquin. She spends her days behind the counter of a small shop and her evenings watching Madame play dominos with an eclectic group. After she meets her husband’s alluring friend, Laurent, she embarks on an illicit affair that leads to tragic consequences. Based on Emile Zola’s novel, Thérèse Raquin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMan in Love (2021)
A debt collector strikes a deal with a debt-ridden woman struggling to care for her ailing father: he will take care of her bills if she agrees to date him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe 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 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 thisGabriel's Inferno: Part III (2020)
The final part of the film adaption of the erotic romance novel Gabriel's Inferno written by an anonymous Canadian author under the pen name Sylvain Reynard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Golden Lotus: Love and Desire (1991)
A corrupt local official, Xi Men Qing, who lusts after women and money, pursues his brother's young wife, Lee Ping Er. Ping finds Men attractive, and under her drunken husband's nose, she and Men work their way through the illustrations of a pillow book, the "Golden Lotus." Men pursues the same feat with his fourth concubine, Pan Jing Lien, who lives in the compound next to Ping. Jing's jealousy compounds a tale of humiliation, childbirth, death, and depravity. Does karma or enlightenment await anyone?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGabriel's Inferno (2020)
An intriguing and sinful exploration of seduction, forbidden love, and redemption, Gabriel's Inferno is a captivating and wildly passionate tale of one man's escape from his own personal hell as he tries to earn the impossible--forgiveness and love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHer Story (2024)
Wang Tiemei, a single mother, loses her job and moves, befriending neighbor Xiaoye who appears cheerful but is depressed. Their bond grows as Tiemei navigates relationships with her ex-husband causing trouble.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisHear Me (2009)
A delivery boy falls for a young girl who is hearing impaired. Comparing themselves with water birds and trees, together they are going to break the barrier and pursuit their dreams and take their relationship to the next level.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
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 thisGabriel's Inferno: Part II (2020)
Professor Gabriel Emerson finally learns the truth about Julia Mitchell's identity, but his realization comes a moment too late. Julia is done waiting for the well-respected Dante specialist to remember her and wants nothing more to do with him. Can Gabriel win back her heart before she finds love in another's arms?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisReally Love (2020)
A rising black painter tries to break into a competitive art world while balancing an unexpected romance with an ambitious law student.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
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 thisDirt Music (2020)
Georgie is slowly suffocating in a loveless marriage to fishing tycoon Jim Buckridge. Handsome poacher Lu is an irresistible symbol of the excitement she craves. A passionate affair follows that reveals the dark secrets in Lu’s past and forces him to take flight into the blistering heat of the outback. Georgie follows, determined to find him and bring him back.
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 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 thisX (2011)
A veteran call girl and a runaway prostitute witness a murder which sends them on an out-of-control roller coaster ride through the twilight zone of sex-for-sale.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnder the blazing sun (2026)
Her marriage might be over, and her acting career might be fading away, but her desire is as scorching as ever.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Good Morning... and Goodbye! (1967)
Burt can't satisfy Angel, so she seeks the arms of another man, who is caught by Angel in the arms of another woman. Angel ends up with Justin, who ends up with a co-worker's wife. As Angel and Burt argue, a sorceress watches, and eventually seduces Burt while Angel gets to know Ray, who had previously chased a blonde girl down on the coast. You get the idea.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Angelica's Passion (1993)
Anzhelika is a young waitress with one special quality - her libido goes sky high during the thunderstorm...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance
Mi prima la sexóloga (2016)
Two cousins began to discover their sexuality together in adolescence and they reunite after ten years: he only recently returned to bachelorhood, and she returned from Buenos Aires, where she opted to specialize in Sexology.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMi prima la sexóloga 2 (de la fantasía a la realidad) (2024)
After six months of dating, Malena and Manuel decide it's time to move to the next level and create a Cousins Club where members will learn about sex.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisExploits of a Young Don Juan (1986)
In 1914, sixteen year old Roger returned home from boarding school during vacation to find his puberty hit hard in a house filled with beautiful women. These women have previous engagements with other men who are away, and during this time, Roger impregnates them all, including his aunt and sister, then devises plans to cuckold the men.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDoes he have a window? (2026)
Three people wandering the streets of Łódź on hot summer nights, discussing everything and nothing.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Laurent Kraft Contre Les Canidés Maudits (2026)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance
Art of Loving (1989)
Prior to her wedding a nineteen years old Anna can't stop wondering whether she made the right choice? So she decides to seek the advice of a well-known sexologist...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance
Viva Erotica (1996)
Struggling director Sing is forced to make a Category III film for a triad boss who wants his girlfriend to star, leading to conflicts over artistic integrity, nudity, and his relationship with his own girlfriend.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
Like Illicit Desire and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Illicit Desire?
The closest matches to Illicit Desire are The Hand (2021), Love Everlasting (2016) and In Secret (2014). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Illicit Desire?
Start with The Hand (2021), the closest match to Illicit Desire.
What is the highest-rated movie like Illicit Desire?
Gabriel's Inferno (2020), rated 8.4/10 by 2,486 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Illicit Desire?
Laurent Kraft Contre Les Canidés Maudits (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Illicit Desire?
Yes: The Hand (2021), Man in Love (2021) and The Golden Lotus: Love and Desire (1991).
How are movies similar to Illicit Desire chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Illicit Desire, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.