Movies like East Los Angeles (2012)
The best movies like East Los Angeles (2012) are Lowriders (2017), Los Angeles Plays Itself (2004) and Strip Down, Rise Up (2021). If East Los Angeles hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
East Los Angeles
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBoyz n the Hood (1991)7.6/10 from 2,397 votes
- NewestStrip Down, Rise Up (2021)Released 2021
Lowriders (2017)
A young street artist in East Los Angeles is caught between his father's obsession with lowrider car culture, his ex-felon brother and his need for self-expression.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLos Angeles Plays Itself (2004)
From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStrip Down, Rise Up (2021)
The feature documentary follows women of all walks of life, all ages and ethnic backgrounds, as they shed trauma, body image shame, sexual abuse and other issues locked in their bodies, and embark on a journey to reclaim themselves. The film also gives a rare window into the world of Pole artistry and expression.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBorn in East L.A. (1987)
Rudy, an American of Hispanic descent, whose south-of-the-border looks show him no mercy during an immigration raid in a migrant worker factory. As his luck goes, he is caught with neither money nor his ID and is deported to Mexico - without speaking a word of Spanish!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisBusting (1974)
Defying orders to lay-off the case, two Los Angeles vice-squad cops go after a local mobster and use unorthodox methods to achieve results.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisColors (1988)
A confident young cop is shown the ropes by a veteran partner in the dangerous gang-controlled barrios of Los Angeles, where the gang culture is enforced by the colors the members wear.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGangster Squad (2013)
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and — if he has his way — every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTo Sleep with Anger (1990)
An enigmatic drifter from the South comes to visit an old acquaintance who now lives in South-Central LA.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWe Still Kill the Old Way (2014)
A group of aging London gangsters go on a vigilante killing spree when one of their number is murdered by a street gang.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBoyz n the Hood (1991)
Three friends growing up in South Central Los Angeles navigate a neighborhood plagued by violence, unemployment, and crime, each responding differently to the harsh realities of street life. As tragedy strikes close to home, their friendship, choices, and hopes for a better future are put to the ultimate test.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRomeo Must Die (2000)
Two warring gang families (one African-American, the other Chinese) maneuver for bragging rights to the Oakland, California docks. Han Sing and Trish O'Day uncover a trail of deceit that leaves most of the warring factions dead... or worse!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrips and Bloods: Made in America (2009)
With a first-person look at the notorious Crips and Bloods, this film examines the conditions that have lead to decades of devastating gang violence among young African Americans growing up in South Los Angeles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStreet Kings (2008)
Tom Ludlow is a disillusioned L.A. Police Officer, rarely playing by the rules and haunted by the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEl Cantante (2006)
The rise and fall of salsa singer, Héctor Lavoe (1946-1993), as told from the perspective of his wife Puchi, who looks back from 2002.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this2048: Nowhere to Run (2017)
“2048: Nowhere to Run” takes place one year before the events of Blade Runner 2049. The short film focuses on Sapper, a man who is trying to make it through life day-by-day without turning back to his old ways. We’re introduced to both the gentle nature of Sapper and the violence he’s capable of when set off.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGleaming the Cube (1989)
An Orange County teenager's carefree life of ditching class and skateboarding abandoned pools comes to a screeching halt when someone close to him dies. The cops rule the death a suicide, but the bereaved skater believes he was murdered. It's up to him to solve the case, with a skateboard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this2036: Nexus Dawn (2017)
Niander Wallace introduces a new line of "perfected" replicants called the Nexus 9, seeking to get the prohibition on replicants repealed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998)
A musical study of Los Angeles in the late 90s, where homeless teens roam the streets and profess to live a punk lifestyle of music, drugs, and flouting authority.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAll Eyez on Me (2017)
All Eyez on Me chronicles the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur, including his rise to superstardom as a hip-hop artist, actor, poet and activist, as well as his imprisonment and prolific, controversial time at Death Row Records. Against insurmountable odds, Tupac rose to become a cultural icon whose career and persona both continue to grow long after his passing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShaft (1971)
Cool Black private eye John Shaft is hired by a crime lord to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like East Los Angeles?
The closest matches to East Los Angeles are Lowriders (2017), Los Angeles Plays Itself (2004) and Strip Down, Rise Up (2021). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after East Los Angeles?
Start with Lowriders (2017), the closest match to East Los Angeles.
What is the highest-rated movie like East Los Angeles?
Boyz n the Hood (1991), rated 7.6/10 by 2,397 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like East Los Angeles?
Strip Down, Rise Up (2021) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like East Los Angeles?
Yes: Lowriders (2017), Los Angeles Plays Itself (2004) and Strip Down, Rise Up (2021).
How are movies similar to East Los Angeles chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside East Los Angeles, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.