Movies like Swim Alone (2003)
The best movies like Swim Alone (2003) are The King of Havana (2015), Martin (Hache) (1997) and Good Day, Ramon (2013). If Swim Alone hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Secret in Their Eyes (2009)8.0/10 from 3,022 votes
- NewestOmaha (2025)Released 2025
- In SpanishThe King of Havana (2015)Also in Spanish
The King of Havana (2015)
Recently escaped from reformatory, Reinaldo struggles to get by in the streets of Havana in the late 90s, one of the worst decades for Cuban society. Hopes, disillusionment, rum, good humor and above all hunger, accompany him in his wanderings, until he meets Magda and Yunisleidy, survivors like himself. In one or the other's arms, he will try to escape the material and moral misery surrounding him, living love, passion, tenderness and uninhibited sex to the limit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMartin (Hache) (1997)
After having a nearly fatal drug overdose, 19-year-old Argentine Martin is sent to Madrid, where his film director father lives with his new, younger lover, Alicia, and his bisexual actor friend, Dante.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGood Day, Ramon (2013)
After five failed attempts to go to the United States, 18-year-old Ramón decides to look for a friend’s aunt in Germany, but never finds her. With no papers or money, and without knowing the language, he barely survives living on the street until he meets Ruth, an old retired nurse who doesn’t speak Spanish. Beyond language barriers and prejudices, they discover that solidarity and humanity make life bearable.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisEleanor 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 thisThe Miracle of Marcelino (1955)
Left on the doorstep of a monastery as an infant, Marcelino was raised by the monks. He was well-cared for but lonely and missed having a mother. One day he found a special friend in the forbidden attic, hanging on a cross. A friend that would repay Marcelino's kindness by granting him one heart-felt wish.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Quiller Memorandum (1966)
After two British Secret Intelligence Service agents are murdered at the hands of a cryptic neo-Nazi group known as Phoenix, the suave agent Quiller is sent to Berlin to investigate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisHurry Sundown (1967)
A ruthless Southern opportunist tries to buy his cousin's land, and when thwarted, brings several tragedies to the lives of his loved ones.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUpon Entry (2023)
Diego, a Venezuelan urbanist, and Elena, a contemporary dancer from Barcelona, move to the United States with their approved visas to start a new life. Their intention is to boost their professional careers and start a family in 'the land of opportunities'. But upon entering New York airport's immigration area, they are taken to the secondary inspection room, where border officers will subject them to an unpleasant inspection process and a psychologically grueling interrogation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHere (2024)
An odyssey through time and memory, centered on a place in New Jersey where—from wilderness, and then, later, from a home—love, loss, struggle, hope and legacy play out between couples and families over generations.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlue Chips (1994)
Pete Bell, a college basketball coach is under a lot of pressure. His team isn't winning and he cannot attract new players. The stars of the future are secretly being paid by boosters. This practice is forbidden in the college game, but Pete is desperate and has pressures from all around.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmong Wolves (2010)
Entre lobos (Among Wolves) tells the remarkable story of a poor country boy named Marcos, who at the age of 7 is handed over to his father's employer, a rich landowner, who in turn delivers him to a life of labor with a hermetic goatherd in an isolated valley. The old man, who lives in a cave, is unused to human company and at first seems not very interested in having a live-in apprentice. The boy, who was abused by his parents, is frightened and equally aloof initially. Despite this, the shepherd begins teaching Marcos how to herd the goats, as well as how to care for himself and how to survive in the wilderness by trapping and fishing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTótem (2023)
In a bustling Mexican household, seven-year-old Sol is swept up in a whirlwind of preparations for the birthday party for her father, Tona, led by her mother, aunts, and other relatives. As the day goes on, building to an event both anticipated and dreaded, Sol begins to understand the gravity of the celebration this year and watches as her family does the same.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOmaha (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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAll 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 thisWon't Back Down (2012)
Jamie Fitzpatrick and Nona Alberts are two women from opposites sides of the social and economic track, but they have one thing in common: a mission to fix their community's broken school and ensure a bright future for their children. The two women refuse to let any obstacles stand in their way as they battle a bureaucracy that's hopelessly mired in traditional thinking, and they seek to re-energize a faculty that has lost its passion for teaching.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKid Galahad (1962)
After completing military service, Walter Gulick takes a job as a sparring partner at a gym, the owner of which sees potential in Walter as a professional fighter—and takes him under his wing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBombón El Perro (2004)
Patagonia, Argentina. A mechanic who dreams of a different life begins to think big after his adopted puppy Bombón wins first prize at a local dog show.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Fugitive (1947)
Anti-Catholic and anti-cleric policies in the Mexican state of Tabasco lead the revolutionary government to persecute the state's last remaining priest.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisLady 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Artist and the Model (2012)
In occupied France in summer 1943, a world-weary famous sculptor finds the desire to work again with the arrival of a beautiful young Spanish refugee.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
Based on the journals of Che Guevara, leader of the Cuban Revolution. In his memoirs, Guevara recounts adventures he and best friend Alberto Granado had while crossing South America by motorcycle in the early 1950s.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSin piedad (2025)
Under the relentless sun, a killer stalks through the mountains, where the innocence of a young couple becomes prey. With no shadows to hide their fate, the hunt is a macabre game in broad daylight, where fear is not hidden in the darkness, but burns with the rawness of the unperturbed noon.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
No Memories (2023)
A man has just lost his memory and apparently he can only be helped by a childhood friend. The man begins to remember some moments in his life, in which this supposed friend is actually his girlfriend.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Fiction's Hands (2027)
In an Argentine house that stretches until it becomes a labyrinth of bookshelves, Luz comes back to look for Mira, her childhood friend who hides in the darkness because she can't stand being seen. The fiction Mira built to protect herself has hands of its own, and grants exactly what it is asked.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Coming SoonMovies like thisEternal Light (TBA)
The life and work of Guido Buffo, an artist and scientist whose passion for knowledge and art is intertwined with his love story with Leonor. Through a journey through key moments in his life, the short film explores his vision of the interconnection between art and science, as well as his profound love for his wife and daughter, who inspire him to build an enduring legacy: his chapel in the Córdoba mountains.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Conversations with Mother (2004)
Jaime has lost his job and has to provide for his wife, son and daughter. Pressured by this circumstances, he visits his mom, who lives in an apartment he owns, to ask her to move with him so he can sell the apartment. But she is not going to cooperate. And, to Jaime's surprise, she also has a boyfriend!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Other Trade (1967)
In their search for work, a group of workers face familiar frustrations. Cedrón raises his own conflicts and tries to understand their cause. As in all his other films, the director sets his sight on aspects of reality that are not well observed.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
Hoping to put to rest years of unease concerning a past case, retired criminal investigator Benjamín begins writing a novel based on the unsolved mystery of a newlywed’s rape and murder. With the help of a former colleague, judge Irene, he attempts to make sense of the past.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisWild Horses (1995)
Jose is an elderly rebel who, after being refused a withdrawal at a bank, returns with a gun and threatens to shoot himself if he doesn't get his cash. Pedro, a young teller, is disillusioned with his life and sees Jose's stunt as a way out when he pretends to be taken hostage, leaving the bank with the old man and a hefty amount of money. The unlikely duo become friends, picking up tough-girl Ana along the way, while avoiding the police.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like Swim Alone and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Swim Alone?
The closest matches to Swim Alone are The King of Havana (2015), Martin (Hache) (1997) and Good Day, Ramon (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Swim Alone?
Start with The King of Havana (2015), the closest match to Swim Alone.
What is the highest-rated movie like Swim Alone?
The Secret in Their Eyes (2009), rated 8.0/10 by 3,022 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Swim Alone?
Omaha (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like Swim Alone?
Yes: The King of Havana (2015), Martin (Hache) (1997) and The Miracle of Marcelino (1955).
How are movies similar to Swim Alone chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Swim Alone, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.