Movies like Joy in San Francisco (1992)
The best movies like Joy in San Francisco (1992) are An Affair of Love (1999), The Fugitive Kind (1960) and Newness (2017). If Joy in San Francisco 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: Part II (2020)8.3/10 from 1,569 votes
- NewestYour Fault: London (2026)Released 2026
- In FrenchAn Affair of Love (1999)Also in French
An Affair of Love (1999)
A man and a woman meet to fulfill her sexual fantasy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 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 thisMy Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days (1989)
Lucas has invented a new computer language but at the same time he has been informed about his strange terminal illness during which he has been gradually losing his memory. Shortly after that he meets Blanche who acts as a medium in a bizarre traveling show. Dying Lucas follows her to the sea resort where they spend together several days and nights.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisCesar and Rosalie (1972)
A young woman becomes entangled with a successful businessman, but her ex tries to win her back, provoking intense jealousy that leads her to reconsider her choice. Ultimately, one man's actions force a resolution to her dilemma.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSee You Soon (2019)
A U.S. soccer star suffers a career-threatening injury in the run-up to the World Cup, and during his recovery, embarks on an epic romance with a Russian single mom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisFifty Shades Freed (2018)
Believing they have left behind shadowy figures from their past, newlyweds Christian and Ana fully embrace an inextricable connection and shared life of luxury. But just as she steps into her role as Mrs. Grey and he relaxes into an unfamiliar stability, new threats could jeopardize their happy ending before it even begins.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
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 thisSylvie's Love (2020)
When a young woman meets an aspiring saxophonist in her father’s record shop in 1950s Harlem, their love ignites a sweeping romance that transcends changing times, geography, and professional success.
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 thisYour Fault: London (2026)
Nick and Noah are both embarking on life-changing adventures that are threatening to pull them apart—Nick in business with his father and Noah starting a fresh chapter at Oxford University. Now living separate lives, and meeting new people, they find themselves entangled in temptations, rivalries, and betrayals and their bond is tested like never before. As secrets unravel and temptation rises, they must fight to hold onto each other—or risk losing everything.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDangerous Liaisons (2022)
The innocent Célène might be falling in love with popular surfer Tristan at her new school. But she has no idea that, in actuality, she’s the object of a cruel bet between Tristan and Instagram influencer Vanessa.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisNo Limit (2022)
Roxana Aubrey decides to drop her studies and escape her life in Paris for a free diving course in the south of France. She is quickly pulled into a life that reaches new depths brought by the weight of an ocean's descent.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMaria's Lovers (1984)
A World War II prisoner returns home to his childhood sweetheart. However, back home, he discovers that he has to compete to win her love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGame of Love (2022)
Follows Vivien and Roy as their love story continues and leads them to Roy’s childhood home in Sicily to prepare for the sale of the family estate. During the visit, a mysterious woman arrives and befriends Vivien, much to Roy’s displeasure. Tensions build and lines are crossed as secrets from Roy’s past force the couple to face aspects of their relationship they did not know existed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Young Lovers (2022)
Elegant, retired architect Shauna (70) crosses paths with Pierre, a happily married doctor in his 40s, who first made an impression on her in a brief meeting 15 years previously. Both are quite troubled to meet again and begin an affair. While Pierre’s family life is soon turned upside down, Shauna struggles with feelings she thought belonged to the past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 thisClimax (1972)
Monika feels unused and misunderstood. The young wife of the busy and successful civil engineer Kai is often alone because he is hunted and plagued by appointments. Increasingly sexually frustrated, Monika tries masturbating. On the advice of a friend, Monika looks for male acquaintances and becomes a nymphomaniac. What she did not find with Kai - tenderness, refuge and understanding - Monika finally finds with one of her lovers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance & drama
Treibgut der Großstadt (1967)
A young woman works in a Berlin hotel while her husband, a commercial art student, drives a cab. They are 3600 DM in debt. In order to pay the rates, the woman agrees to work as an entertainer in a bar against her husband's wishes...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Passion and Romance: Ocean of Dreams (1997)
Hungry for more sizzle and spice in their bland love lives, a married couple embarks upon a cruise. Once aboard the ship, they find themselves faced with a veritable buffet of erotic delights and a strong temptation to overindulge.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Wild Orchid (1989)
A woman lawyer becomes mesmerized by a self-made millionaire during an encounter in Rio setting off a series of erotic encounters.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisWish You Were Here (2005)
A man desperately searches for his girlfriend on the Costa del Sol.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Joy and the Pharaohs (1993)
A supermodel, notorious for combining work and pleasure, agrees to star in an epic film about the life of Cleopatra.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Thriller: A Cruel Picture (1973)
Madeleine, rendered mute after being sexually assaulted as a youth, accepts a lift from a wealthy and sadistic pimp who soon enslaves her into his prostitution racket. Despite her limited means, Madeleine embarks on a bloody road to revenge against her captors.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSamaritan Girl (2004)
Jae-Young is an amateur prostitute who sleeps with men while her best friend Yeo-Jin "manages" her, fixing dates, taking care of the money, and making sure the coast is clear. When Jae-Young falls in love with one of those men, she suppresses her feelings towards him in respect of her friend who's jealous.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisErotic Train (2003)
Kyoko, discovering that her husband was having an affair, turns to her best friend for help.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like Joy in San Francisco and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Joy in San Francisco?
The closest matches to Joy in San Francisco are An Affair of Love (1999), The Fugitive Kind (1960) and Newness (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Joy in San Francisco?
Start with An Affair of Love (1999), the closest match to Joy in San Francisco.
What is the highest-rated movie like Joy in San Francisco?
Gabriel's Inferno: Part II (2020), rated 8.3/10 by 1,569 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Joy in San Francisco?
Your Fault: London (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like Joy in San Francisco?
Yes: An Affair of Love (1999), My Nights Are More Beautiful Than Your Days (1989) and Cesar and Rosalie (1972).
How are movies similar to Joy in San Francisco chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Joy in San Francisco, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.