Movies like The Black Book (2018)
The best movies like The Black Book (2018) are Mayerling (1968), Désirée (1954) and An Impossible Love (2018). If The Black Book hooked you with its romance and drama, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMunich - The Edge of War (2021)6.9/10 from 698 votes
- NewestThe Rays and Shadows (2026)Released 2026
- In FrenchAn Impossible Love (2018)Also in French
Mayerling (1968)
Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria clashes with his father, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, over implementing progressive policies for their country. Rudolf soon feels he is a man born at the wrong time in a country that doesn't realize the need for social reform. The Prince of Wales, later to become Britain's King Edward VII, provides comic relief. Rudolf finds refuge from a loveless marriage with Princess Stéphanie by taking a mistress, Baroness Maria Vetsera. Their untimely demise at Mayerling, the imperial family's hunting lodge, is cloaked in mystery.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDésirée (1954)
In Marseilles, France in 1794, Desiree Clary, a young millinery clerk, becomes infatuated with Napoleon Bonaparte, but winds up wedding General Jean-Baptiste Berandotte, an aid to Napoleon who later joins the forces that bring about the Emperor's downfall. Josephine Beauharnais, a worldly courtesan marries Napoleon and becomes Empress of France, but is then cast aside by her spouse when she proves unable to produce an heir to the throne.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAn Impossible Love (2018)
A chronicle of the unconditional love between a mother and her daughter, from 1958 to the present day, which is endangered by an unsteady and manipulative father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLoving Memories (2023)
1916. Julien Delaunay is reported missing in action during the Great War. His wife, Julie, refuses to believe he is dead. 1919. When a photo of an amnesic drifter appears in the press, Julie immediately recognizes him as her beloved husband. They are reunited and, little by little, she helps him to fall in love with her again. Until another woman claims to be the man’s real wife…
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisRaintree County (1957)
In 1859, idealist John Wickliff Shawnessey, a resident of Raintree County, Indiana, is distracted from his high school sweetheart Nell Gaither by Susanna Drake, a rich New Orleans girl. This love triangle is further complicated by the American Civil War, and dark family history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnna Karenina (2012)
In Imperial Russia, Anna, wife of the officer Karenin, goes to Moscow to visit her brother. On the way, she meets charming cavalry officer Vronsky, to whom she's immediately attracted. But in St. Petersburg’s high society, a relationship like this could destroy a woman’s reputation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Scandalous Lady W (2015)
A gripping 18th century drama details the scandalous life of Lady Seymour Worsley, who dared to leave her husband and elope with his best friend, Captain George Bisset. Lady Seymour Worsley escapes her troubled marriage only to find herself at the centre of a very public trial brought by her powerful husband Sir Richard Worsley.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCome See the Paradise (1990)
In this drama from director Alan Parker, on-the-lam Jack McGurn flees to Los Angeles and takes a job as a projectionist at a movie theater owned by a Japanese-American man. Jack falls for the owner's daughter, Lily, but they are forced to elope to Seattle when her father forbids the relationship. The couple marry and have a daughter, but when World War II breaks out, Jack is powerless to stop his new family's forced internment.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLady Jane (1986)
The death of King Henry VIII throws his kingdom into chaos because of succession disputes. His weak son, Edward, is on his deathbed. Anxious to keep England true to the Reformation, a scheming minister John Dudley marries off his son, Guildford to Lady Jane Grey, whom he places on the throne after Edward dies. At first hostile to each other, Guildford and Jane fall in love, but they cannot withstand the course of power which will lead to their ultimate downfall.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCuriosa (2019)
A passionate love story set against a backdrop of sexual freedom, loosely based on the relationship between 19th century authors Pierre Louÿs and Marie de Régnier.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
SnoozefestMovies like thisMunich - The Edge of War (2021)
At the tense 1938 Munich Conference, former friends who now work for opposing governments become reluctant spies racing to expose a Nazi secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Rays and Shadows (2026)
Jean and Otto, a French newspaperman and a young German Francophile, are fighting for peace in Europe. Jean’s daughter, Corinne, is launching a brilliant acting career in the film world, but war breaks out and France is occupied. The two friends have a major role to play in this new France. Jean becomes a big press baron and an ardent advocate of collaboration with the occupying forces, while Otto becomes the Reich’s ambassador in Paris. Corinne, meanwhile, finds herself thrown into the lion’s pit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMonsieur Vincent (1947)
The life of Vincent de Paul, the 17th-century author and priest who founded two religious orders.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLady J (2018)
When a romance between a widow and a notorious libertine takes an unexpected turn, Mademoiselle de Joncquières becomes instrumental to one lover’s plans for revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRebellion (2011)
April 1988, Ouvéa Island, New Caledonia. 30 gendarmes are taken hostage by a group of Kanak freedom fighters. 300 soldiers are sent from France to re-establish order. 2 men confront each other: Philippe Legorjus, chief of the terrorist squad, and Alphonse Dianou, head of the kidnappers. Through their shared values, they will attempt to make discussion triumph. But, in the middle of a presidential election, when the stakes are political, order isn't always dictated by morality. A violent and troubling epic that marks the return of Mathieu Kassovitz in front and behind the camera.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like this“Wuthering Heights” (2026)
Tragedy strikes when Heathcliff falls in love with Catherine Earnshaw, a woman from a wealthy family in 18th-century England.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAdventures of a Mathematician (2021)
The warmhearted story of Polish immigrant and mathematician Stan Ulam, who moved to the U.S. in the 1930s. Stan deals with the difficult losses of family and friends all while helping to create the hydrogen bomb and the first computer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeyond the Clouds (1995)
Four tales, each centered on a woman, journey inward to explore the enigmatic reality of their lives, connecting through a single narrative thread.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
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 thisAngelique (1964)
In 17th-century France, beautiful country maiden Angélique marries wealthy neighbor Jeoffray de Peyrac out of convenience, but eventually, she falls in love with him. So when Jeoffray is arrested and then vanishes, she bravely sets out to find him. This is the first of many dramas based on Anne and Serge Golon's novels about strong-willed Angélique and her adventures during the reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & history
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Black Book?
The closest matches to The Black Book are Mayerling (1968), Désirée (1954) and An Impossible Love (2018). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Black Book?
Start with Mayerling (1968), the closest match to The Black Book.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Black Book?
Munich - The Edge of War (2021), rated 6.9/10 by 698 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Black Book?
The Rays and Shadows (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like The Black Book?
Yes: An Impossible Love (2018), Loving Memories (2023) and Curiosa (2019).
How are movies similar to The Black Book chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Black Book, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.