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Movies like Heft

The best movies like Heft are I Am Sam (2001), Front of the Class (2008) and Four Good Days (2021). If Heft hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. I Am Sam (2001)

    Sam, a neurodivergent man, has a daughter with a homeless woman who abandons them when they leave the hospital, leaving Sam to raise Lucy on his own. But as Lucy grows up, Sam's limitations as a parent start to become a problem and the authorities take her away. Sam convinces high-priced lawyer Rita to take his case pro bono and in turn teaches her the value of love and family.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. Front of the Class (2008)

    A boy with Tourette's syndrome overcomes criticism and discrimination to achieve his dream of becoming a teacher.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  3. Four Good Days (2021)

    A mother helps her daughter work through four crucial days of recovery from substance abuse.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Legend of the Lost (1957)

    American ne'er-do-well Joe January is hired to take Paul Bonnard on an expedition into the desert in search of treasure.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. The Kindergarten Teacher (2018)

    Lisa Spinelli is a Staten Island teacher who is unusually devoted to her students. When she discovers one of her five-year-olds is a prodigy, she becomes fascinated with the boy, ultimately risking her family and freedom to nurture his talent.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. The Miracle Worker (1962)

    The true story of the frightening, lonely world of silence and darkness of 7-year-old Helen Keller who, since infancy, has never seen the sky, heard her mother's voice or expressed her innermost feelings. Then Annie Sullivan, a 20-year-old teacher from Boston, arrives. Having just recently regained her own sight, the no-nonsense Annie reaches out to Helen through the power of touch, the only tool they have in common, and leads her bold pupil on a miraculous journey from fear and isolation to happiness and light.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  7. Pay It Forward (2000)

    Like some other kids, 12-year-old Trevor McKinney believed in the goodness of human nature. Like many other kids, he was determined to change the world for the better. Unlike most other kids, he succeeded.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. 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

  9. The Whole Wide World (1996)

    In 1930s Texas, pulp fiction master Robert E. Howard is introduced to Novalyne Price, a teacher with aspirations of becoming an author herself, and they begin a unique relationship filled with conversation and imagination. Although the possibility exists for romance, Howard's obsession with his work and dedication to his sick mother leads Price to look elsewhere for love, leaving Howard feeling betrayed and alone.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Phoebe in Wonderland (2008)

    The fantastical tale of a little girl who won't - or can't - follow the rules. Confounded by her clashes with the rule-obsessed world around her, Phoebe seeks enlightenment from her unconventional drama teacher, even as her brilliant but anguished mother looks to Phoebe herself for inspiration.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. The Babysitters (2008)

    Seventeen-year-old Shirley is a good student who works as a babysitter in order to make money for college. One night Michael, a father Shirley works for, confesses he's unhappy with married life. Shirley has a crush on Michael, and seizes this moment to kiss him. Michael is so happy he presents Shirley with a big tip, which gives her an idea. Shirley plans to make extra money by setting up her teenage friends with other unhappy fathers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. The Ron Clark Story (2006)

    Passionate and innovative teacher Ron Clark leaves his small hometown to teach in one of Harlem's toughest schools. But to break through to the students, he must use unconventional methods, including his ground-breaking classroom rules, to help them reach their potential. Based on a true story.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. To Sir, with Love II (1996)

    After thirty years teaching in London, Mark Thackeray retires and returns to Chicago. There, however, the challenge of teaching kids in an inner city school proves to be too much to resist.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. Jackie & Ryan (2014)

    A modern day train hopper fighting to be a successful musician and a single mom battling to maintain custody of her daughter defy their circumstances by coming together in a relationship that may change each other's lives forever.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  15. The Boss (2016)

    A titan of industry is sent to prison after she's caught for insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America's latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  16. Solomon and Sheba (1959)

    Near death, King David has a vision that his poet son, Solomon, should succeed him, rather than hot-headed Adonijah. Furious, Adonijah departs the court, swearing he will become king. Other rulers are concerned that Solomon's benevolent rule and interest in monotheism will threaten their tyrannical, polytheistic kingdoms. The Queen of Sheba makes an agreement with the Egyptian pharaoh to corrupt Solomon for their mutual benefit.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Footloose (1984)

    When teenager Ren and his family move from big-city Chicago to a small town in the West, he's in for a real case of culture shock after discovering he's living in a place where music and dancing are illegal.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Blackboard Jungle (1955)

    Richard Dadier is a teacher at North Manual High School, an inner-city school where many of the pupils frequently engage in anti-social behavior. Dadier makes various attempts to engage the students' interest in education, challenging both the school staff and the pupils. He is subjected to violence as well as duplicitous schemes.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)

    Orphaned heiress, English aristocrat and intrepid archaeologist, Lara Croft, embarks on a dangerous quest to retrieve the two halves of an ancient artifact which controls time before it falls into the wrong hands. As an extremely rare planetary alignment is about to occur for the first time in 5,000 years, the fearless tomb raider will have to team up with rival adventurers and sworn enemies to collect the pieces, while time is running out. But, in the end, who can harness the archaic talisman's unlimited power?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  20. Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)

    Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like Heft and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Heft?

The closest matches to Heft are I Am Sam (2001), Front of the Class (2008) and Four Good Days (2021). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Heft?

Start with I Am Sam (2001), the closest match to Heft.

What is the highest-rated movie like Heft?

Front of the Class (2008), rated 8.1/10 by 341 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Heft?

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Heft?

Yes: I Am Sam (2001), Front of the Class (2008) and Four Good Days (2021).

How are movies similar to Heft chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Heft, 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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