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Movies like Three Mothers (2008)

The best movies like Three Mothers (2008) are What Maisie Knew (2013), The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972) and Hungry Hearts (2015). If Three Mothers hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. What Maisie Knew (2013)

    In New York City, six-year-old Maisie is caught in the middle of a bitter custody battle between her self-absorbed parents—an aging rock singer mother and a distracted art dealer father. As both quickly marry new partners to strengthen their legal standing, Maisie is shuttled back and forth in an endless game of emotional point-scoring. Yet amid the chaos and upheaval, Maisie begins to find true comfort and affection in her new step-parents.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  2. The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972)

    Middle-aged widow Beatrice Hunsdorfer and her daughters Ruth and Matilda are struggling to survive in a society they barely understand. Beatrice dreams of opening an elegant tea room but does not have the wherewithal to achieve her lofty goal. Epileptic Ruth is a rebellious adolescent, while shy but highly intelligent and idealistic Matilda seeks solace in her pets and school projects, including one designed to show how small amounts of radium affect marigolds.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  3. Hungry Hearts (2015)

    The relationship of a couple who meet by chance in New York City is put to the test when they encounter a life or death circumstance.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)

    A poor, struggling South Carolinian mother and daughter face painful choices with their resolve and pride. Bone, the eldest daughter, and Anney her tired mother, grow both closer and farther apart: Anney sees Glen as her last chance.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. The Kindness of Strangers (2019)

    Clara and her two sons escape from her abusive husband with little more than their car and plan to start over in New York. After the car towed away, the family meets Alice, who gets them into an emergency shelter. While stealing food at a Russian restaurant called ‘Winter Palace’, Clara meets Marc, who has been given the chance to help the old eatery regain its former glory. The ‘Winter Palace’ soon becomes a place of unexpected encounters between people who are all undergoing some sort of crisis and whom fate has now brought together.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  6. The Truth About Emanuel (2013)

    A troubled young woman becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl's dead mother.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Sweetness in the Belly (2019)

    Orphaned in Africa as a child, Lilly escapes to England as a refugee, fleeing civil war in Ethiopia. Lost in this cold new world, Lilly embraces the immigrant community in London, attempting to reunite people with their scattered families. But as her friend Amina discovers, Lilly's mission isn't purely selfless: a passionate lost love affair is revealed.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. Alex of Venice (2015)

    After her stay-at-home husband leaves her, a workaholic lawyer finds that she is not completely up to the tasks of caring for her young son, ailing father and household all by herself.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  9. 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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  10. The Wasp (2024)

    Heather bumps into Carla, having not spoken to her in years, and presents her with a very unexpected proposition that could change both of their lives forever.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. 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
  12. Hardball (2001)

    An aimless young man who is scalping tickets, gambling and drinking, agrees to coach a Little League team from the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago as a condition of getting a loan from a friend.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  13. Come Sunday (2018)

    Evangelist Carlton Pearson is ostracized by his church for preaching that there is no Hell.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  14. All Together Now (2020)

    An optimistic, talented teen clings to a huge secret: she's homeless and living on a school bus. When tragedy strikes, can she learn to accept a helping hand?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. The Young One (1960)

    A jazz musician seeks refuge from a lynch mob on a remote island, where he meets a hostile game warden and the young object of his attentions.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Holy Lands (2019)

    When lapsed Jew and former cardiologist Harry suddenly decides to spend his retirement as a pig farmer in Nazareth, Israel, the move deeply shocks his family and his new neighbours. Back in New York, Harry’s ex-wife Monica is trying to manage the lives of their adult children, Annabelle and David, as well as her own.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. A Mouthful of Air (2021)

    Julie is a new mom and children's book author, who escapes into the bright Crayola-colored world of her creation in order to leave behind the darkness caused by her post-partum depression.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  18. 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

  19. Strange Weather (2016)

    Years after her son's suicide, a woman longs to confront both the past and a friend of his who took his business idea.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  20. The Nest (2020)

    Rory is an ambitious entrepreneur who brings his American wife and kids to his native country, England, to explore new business opportunities. After abandoning the sanctuary of their safe American suburban surroundings, the family is plunged into the despair of an archaic '80s Britain and their unaffordable new life in an English manor house threatens to destroy the family.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. The Girl with the Yellow Stockings (2008)

    A young couple is spending the day in bed. He asks her to marry him. She says no...

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  22. Kisses in the Dark (1998)

    Four independent short films comprise this quirky anthology. "Coriolis Effect" (1994) is an offbeat love story involving storm chasers. In the Oscar-nominated "Solly's Diner" (1979), a homeless man (Larry Hankin, who also directs) witnesses a holdup. "Looping" (1991) satirizes independent moviemaking. And the dialogue-free "Joe" (1997) features David Aaron Baker as a psychiatric patient searching for enlightenment.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  23. Silup (2011)

    Silup is “Pulis” (police) spelled backwards. We peek into the life of a Manila cop whose day is made up of dealing with denizens and the crimes they commit. At work, he may be all tough and stern, but at home, we see his more sensitive side. He has this mysterious routine of taking out a can of sterilized milk from a cupboard and depositing his revolver in its place. Later on, it is revealed why he makes the switch and how it is like to live by his duty as a policeman to serve and protect.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  24. Bullet in the Head (2014)

    Some moments can't be taken back.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  25. Maquetas (2009)

    The testimonies of three forgotten victims whose lives have changed due to a common tragedy. A tragedy of unimaginable dimensions.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  26. Don Pepe Popi (2012)

    The Venga Monjas face a terrible creative challenge: to make a video in honor of a woman's deceased daughter. They only have a character the girl had drawn and the name Don Pepe Popi to begin with.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  27. Passenger (2012)

    You may look at it like “It is about a woman in a jeepney who keeps on babbling – sharing her ideals and personal issues – as if you are listening to a live commentary and an audio diary at the same time” or “The passenger(s), the driver, the 10 Commandments, the window, the high tech lifestyle and the high tech love life, the rumors, the government, the reality TV shows, Death, the family…”

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  28. Waiting (2011)

    A story of a determined woman and her journey through life under the backdrop of the various landscapes of Pampanga. She brings with her a wooden casket for her husband, a victim of political killings. The film is a journey in search for truth and personal triumph through the challenges of life.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  29. Immanuel (2011)

    The film is set in a speculative Philippines where air pollution has reached irreparable proportions. Air pollution has rendered breathable oxygen scare. This makes it the main resource around which society revolves. The film follows two protagonists: Leo Sagaysay, a young father and husband who works at the Oxygen Factory, and his wife Rubi Sagaysay. Together they have a son, whom they struggle to support. The appearance of ex-factory worker Tess at their door sets off a chain of events that leads to the downfall of the Sagaysay family.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  30. Debut (2011)

    a short film by Pamela L. Reyes.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

Like Three Mothers and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Three Mothers?

The closest matches to Three Mothers are What Maisie Knew (2013), The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972) and Hungry Hearts (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Three Mothers?

Start with What Maisie Knew (2013), the closest match to Three Mothers.

What is the highest-rated movie like Three Mothers?

What Maisie Knew (2013), rated 7.1/10 by 466 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Three Mothers?

The Wasp (2024) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Three Mothers?

Yes: What Maisie Knew (2013), The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972) and Hungry Hearts (2015).

How are movies similar to Three Mothers chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Three Mothers, 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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