Movies like Paulista (2009)
The best movies like Paulista (2009) are Trust (2021), Motel Destino (2024) and The Lost Husband (2020). If Paulista hooked you with its drama and romance, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedPurple Hearts (2022)8.0/10 from 2,977 votes
- NewestNot Without Hope (2025)Released 2025
Trust (2021)
Set in the glamour of the New York and Paris art scenes, gallery owner Brooke Gatwick and her newscaster husband Owen Shore, face temptation, jealousy, twists and mystery when two seductive newcomers enter their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMotel Destino (2024)
Motel Destino, a sex hotel in Northern Brazil, is run by the hot-headed Elias and his restless wife, Dayana. When a young gang member on the run named Heraldo stays at the motel, Dayana becomes intrigued with him. As the two navigate a dance of power and desire, a dangerous plan for freedom emerges.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Lost Husband (2020)
Trying to put her life back together after the death of her husband, Libby and her children move to her estranged Aunt's goat farm in central Texas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
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 thisA Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025)
Sarah and David are single strangers who meet at a mutual friend’s wedding and soon, through a surprising twist of fate, find themselves on a funny, fantastical, sweeping adventure together where they get to re-live important moments from their respective pasts, illuminating how they got to where they are in the present... and possibly getting a chance to alter their futures.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Secret: Dare to Dream (2020)
A widow with three children hires a handyman to fix her house during a major storm. When not doing home repairs, he shares his philosophy of believing in the power of the universe to deliver what we want.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEduardo and Monica (2022)
On an unusual day, a series of coincidences lead Eduardo to meet Monica at a party. A curiosity is aroused between the two and, despite not being alike, they fall madly in love. In 1980s Brasília, their love needs to mature and learn to overcome differences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNine Lives (2005)
Captives of the very relationships that define and sustain them, nine women resiliently meet the travails and disappointments of life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPurple Hearts (2022)
An aspiring musician agrees to a marriage of convenience with a soon-to-deploy Marine, but a tragedy soon turns their fake relationship all too real.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAshes in the Snow (2018)
The coming-of-age tale of 16-year-old Lina Vilkas who is deported to Siberia amid Stalin's reign of terror in the Baltic region during WWII. An aspiring artist, she secretly documents her harrowing journey with her drawings.
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 thisRogue Agent (2022)
Conman Robert Freegard poses as an undercover MI5 agent and kidnaps countless victims amidst a high-stakes manhunt, until the woman who fell for him brings him to justice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisAngela (2023)
In this biopic about the life and death of Ângela Diniz, Angela meets Raul and believes she has found someone who loves her free spirit as much as she does. The overwhelming attraction makes the couple drop everything and live the dream of rebuilding their lives on the beach. But the relationship declines into abuse and violence, giving rise to one of the most remembered murders in Brazil.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Dreamseller (2016)
A disillusioned psychologist tries to commit suicide until he strikes up a friendship with an unlikely saviour who teaches him a new way of living.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFederal Bank Heist (2011)
"The Baron" wanted to commit the perfect heist involving 3 tons of money and no violence. For this he would need the right people willing to get 1 million dollars to take part in this job. Based on true events, in 2005, 168,000,000 Brazilian Real (almost 80,000,000 US dollars) were stolen from a Brazilian Central Bank (Federal Reserve), making it the biggest peace-time robbery in history. It was perhaps the most audacious bank heist ever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNot Without Hope (2025)
A group of friends' fishing boat capsizes off the coast of Mexico and they're left alone stranded at sea and struggling for survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeast (2018)
A troubled woman living in an isolated community finds herself pulled between the control of her oppressive family and the allure of a secretive outsider suspected of a series of brutal murders.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMo' Better Blues (1990)
Talented but self-centered trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed with his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend, Bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisElite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)
After a bloody invasion of the BOPE in the High-Security Penitentiary Bangu 1 in Rio de Janeiro to control a rebellion of interns, the Lieutenant-Colonel Roberto Nascimento and the second in command Captain André Matias are accused by the Human Right Aids member Diogo Fraga of execution of prisoners. Matias is transferred to the corrupted Military Police and Nascimento is exonerated from the BOPE by the Governor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGoodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
Throughout the late 19th-century and early 20th-century, Mr Arthur Chipping rises from a shy, nervous teacher to the beloved, revered headmaster of Brookfield School, with his life and career shaped by his love for his wife and his unwavering dedication to his students.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLayla (2025)
When Layla, a struggling Arab drag queen, falls in love for the first time, they lose and find themself in a transformative relationship that tests who they really are.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Yet Another Affair to Remember! (2024)
To reconcile her sins, Mrs. Garbo invites her friend, Bovete-Berta to a tea party and engages in gossip. But her husband, Jean-Jacques, unexpectedly gets a visit ...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
I am the Secret in Your Heart (2024)
In school, Wang Hsiao-hsia and her childhood friend Yuzu are seen as a couple, but Hsiao-hsia secretly longs for the transfer student Cheng Yih. Cheng Yih, admired for his exceptional grades, talent, and fighting skills, captivates her heart. Despite her poor academic performance, Hsiao-hsia tries various methods to win his affection, but nothing works. Unbeknownst to her, Cheng Yih harbors feelings for Hsiao-hsia as well. Meanwhile, Yuzu, fiercely protective of Hsiao-hsia, is wary of anyone trying to get close to her. As summer arrives, a fragrant first love begins to bloom among the three of them, reminiscent of lemongrass.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance & drama
Peace and Serenity (2025)
While preparing for her father's surprise party, a resilient young woman works to mend a fractured relationship among her divergent family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)
In the northern Chinese city of Manzhouli, they say there is an elephant that simply sits and ignores the world. Manzhouli becomes an obsession for the protagonists of this film, a longed-for escape from the downward spiral in which they find themselves.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGipsy Queen (2019)
Disowned by her Romani community for having a child out of wedlock, a former boxing prodigy returns to the ring to build a new life for her children.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Choice: Illegal Dumping (TBA)
The issue of illegal dumping is tackled by a group of Irish students, exposing the motives, behaviors and consequences of dumping around their local town.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Angelic Kitty Miracle-chan (2025)
Alex's obsession with their favorite anime character Angelic Kitty Miracle-chan offers them a chance to experiment with their sense of identity, but things don’t go exactly as planned.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Lula, the Son of Brazil (2010)
The true story of a working class boy who moves to the nation's financial capital at a young age and becomes one the most influential politicians in Brazilian history.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Paulista?
The closest matches to Paulista are Trust (2021), Motel Destino (2024) and The Lost Husband (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Paulista?
Start with Trust (2021), the closest match to Paulista.
What is the highest-rated movie like Paulista?
Purple Hearts (2022), rated 8.0/10 by 2,977 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Paulista?
Not Without Hope (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Paulista chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Paulista, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.