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Movies like American Fable (2017)

The best movies like American Fable (2017) are The Caveman's Valentine (2001), The Parts You Lose (2019) and The House on Carroll Street (1988). If American Fable hooked you with its drama and thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

    Romulus, a misunderstood musician turned recluse hiding from personal demons in a New York City cave, finds the frozen body of a young drifter in a tree. The authorities, including his police officer daughter, claim the death is accidental. Romulus is convinced the man was murdered by a prominent art photographer but how can he prove he's right when everyone thinks he's insane?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

  2. The Parts You Lose (2019)

    An unlikely friendship unfolds between a young deaf boy, Wesley, and a fugitive criminal who takes refuge in an abandoned barn on the family’s rural North Dakota farm.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

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  3. The House on Carroll Street (1988)

    A reporter, fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. While working she overhears a noisy argument in the neighboring house, being conducted largely in German and involving her HUAC prosecutor. She begins to investigate, enlisting the help of the FBI Agent initially detailed to surveil her.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

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  4. 6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain (2017)

    An adrenaline seeking snowboarder gets lost in a massive winter storm in the back country of the High Sierras where he is pushed to the limits of human endurance and forced to battle his own personal demons as he fights for survival....

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama

  5. The Red House (1947)

    An old man and his sister are concealing a terrible secret from their adopted teen daughter, concerning a hidden abandoned farmhouse, located deep in the woods.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama

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  6. Killer's Kiss (1955)

    Davey Gordon, a New York City boxer at the end of his career, falls for dancer Gloria Price. However, their budding relationship is interrupted by Gloria's violent boss, Vincent Rapallo, who has eyes for Gloria. The two decide to skip town, but before they can, Vincent and his thugs abduct Gloria, and Davey is forced to search for her among the most squalid corners of the city, with his enemy hiding in the shadows.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama

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  7. On Fire (2023)

    Inspired by true and harrowing events, an ordinary man finds his world suddenly torn apart as devastating wildfires rip through the surrounding countryside. With precious moments ticking by, he must flee with his son and pregnant wife if they have any hope of surviving the rapid forces of mother nature.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

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  8. Man in the Shadow (1957)

    In a modern cow town, the powerful ranch owner’s henchmen kill a ranch hand, prompting the sheriff to investigate despite facing strong opposition. He finds an unlikely ally in the rancher's overprotected daughter, but their quest for justice puts them both in danger.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama

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  9. 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

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  10. God's Creatures (2022)

    In a windswept fishing village, a mother is torn between protecting her beloved son and her own sense of right and wrong. A lie she tells for him rips apart their family and close-knit community.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  11. Omaha (2025)

    A young girl and her brother are awoken by their father and loaded into the car on an early morning in 2008. As they road trip across the American West, she discovers the truth about their seemingly spontaneous journey.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  12. Sky (2016)

    A woman embarks on a journey alone across the United States after fleeing from her violent husband.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  13. Three Wishes (1995)

    While Jane Holman is driving with her two sons, she accidentally runs into a drifter, Jack McCloud, who breaks his leg. Being responsible, Jane invites Jack, and his dog, to stay at her home until his leg has healed. Jack struggles to adapt their lifestyle, and finds himself loved by the family.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  14. Call Me Crazy: A Five Film (2013)

    A psychotherapist helps a law student cope with schizophrenia in one of five interconnected tales dealing with mental illness.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. Paradise Hills (2019)

    A young woman is sent to Paradise Hills to be reformed, only to learn that the high-class facility's beautiful facade hides a sinister secret.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller

  16. Northfork (2003)

    The year is 1955, and a great flood is coming to Northfork, Montana. A new hydroelectric dam is about to be installed in the mountains above the town, ready to submerge the valley in the name of progress. It is the responsibility of a six-man Evacuation Committee to relocate the townsfolk to higher ground. Most have duly departed, but a few stubborn stragglers remain – among them a priest caring for a sickly orphan, a boy whose fevered visions are leading him to believe he is a member of a roaming band of lost angels desperately searching for a way home.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  17. I Am David (2003)

    A 12-year-old boy manages to flee a Communist concentration camp on his own, through sheer will and determination. All he has in his possession is a loaf of bread, a letter to deliver to someone in Denmark, and a compass to help get him there.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. How Sarah Got Her Wings (2015)

    Good Samaritan Sarah Fitzpatrick has a fatal accident just before Christmas, and finds herself in the lobby before the gates of Heaven. Certain that she will be let in, she is shocked to find that her name is not on the reservation list. However, she is granted the chance to return to Earth as an "angel in training" with the requirement to help a soul in need. Sarah has the 12 days before Christmas to secure her place on the list leaving her in the race for her after-life.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  19. TalhotBlond (2012)

    Thomas Montgomery, a married father of two young daughters, gets seduced by the world of online gambling and chat rooms where a virtual romance and sexual obsession ultimately leads to the murder of an innocent man.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. 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

  21. 2071 - Horoscopes and Psychotropics (2021)

    It is a feature film in development and research. It tells the story of a pharmacopornographic treatment imposed on a woman after an attempted suicide. But it is the year 2071 that an alternative comes to her.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & drama

  22. American Splendor (2003)

    An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  23. Isolde (1989)

    After librarian Isolde attempts suicide, she leaves her politician husband for a younger student with a dark past. Isolde's former husband, however, has something else in mind for the young man.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  24. That Lovely Girl (2014)

    Moshe and Tami are a couple, Moshe is in his fifties and Tami is in her early twenties. They live together in a cruel and violent relationship, from which Tami seems unable to set herself free. Tami and Moshe are father and daughter...

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  25. Across My Land (2017)

    Father and son 'minutemen' patrol the American/Mexican border near their home in Nogales, Arizona.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  26. Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

    In 1561, Mary Stuart, widow of the King of France, returns to Scotland, reclaims her rightful throne and menaces the future of Queen Elizabeth I as ruler of England, because she has a legitimate claim to the English throne. Betrayals, rebellions, conspiracies and their own life choices imperil both Queens. They experience the bitter cost of power, until their tragic fate is finally fulfilled.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  27. Berthe Morisot (2012)

    At 25, Berthe dreams of making a living from her painting, never to marry, and to always stay with her sister Edma. Her parents do not see things from the same angle. Then Berthe meets Edouard Manet, who takes an interest in this young artist apprentice whose face inspires him.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  28. Letter to America (1999)

    Two friends from Odesa try to compose a video message to their pals, emigrants to the United States. One of them rents his apartment to a tricky girl who invents various excuses not to pay the rent. An exceptional story about people on the verge of despair who nonetheless manage to enjoy life, even if these joys are beyond good and evil.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  29. A Poet in New York (2014)

    In 1953 Dylan Thomas went to New York for the last time, his marriage a wreck, his drinking out of control. He was on his way to meet Stravinsky and to wallow in New York acclaim - but what was he escaping? How did such a triumph become a requiem? The last days of a great poet.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  30. Me Thao: The Legendary Age (2002)

    In early 20th century Vietnam, a nobleman scorns everything Western after his beautiful fiance dies in an auto wreck and forces the poor villagers to destroy all their "modern" possessions. Loosely based on the novel "Chùa Đàn" by Nguyễn Tuân

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

Like American Fable and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like American Fable?

The closest matches to American Fable are The Caveman's Valentine (2001), The Parts You Lose (2019) and The House on Carroll Street (1988). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after American Fable?

Start with The Caveman's Valentine (2001), the closest match to American Fable.

What is the highest-rated movie like American Fable?

American Splendor (2003), rated 7.1/10 by 572 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like American Fable?

Omaha (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like American Fable?

Yes: The Caveman's Valentine (2001), The Parts You Lose (2019) and The House on Carroll Street (1988).

How are movies similar to American Fable chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside American Fable, 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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