Movies like Welcome Maria (1986)
The best movies like Welcome Maria (1986) are Hounddog (2008), Hands of Stone (2016) and Cocaine Godmother (2017). If Welcome Maria hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedHands of Stone (2016)6.6/10 from 470 votes
- NewestColada (2026)Released 2026
Hounddog (2008)
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHands of Stone (2016)
The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other's lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCocaine Godmother (2017)
At the age of 17, Griselda Blanco, made her way to the U.S. with a fake passport with her first husband Carlos. Living in Queens with her three sons, Griselda became enticed by the money the drug world offered, and quickly became embroiled with local drug runners. Griselda masterminded the use of beautiful women, the elderly and children as the mules and created false-bottom suitcases to smuggle cocaine from Colombia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Pumpkin Eater (1964)
Jo, the mother of seven children, divorces her second husband in order to marry Jake, a successful but promiscuous screenwriter. Though they are physically and emotionally compatible, they are slowly torn apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSunshine State (2002)
A woman and her new husband returns to her hometown roots in coastal northern Florida, and must deal with family, business, and encroaching real estate development.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFast Girls (2012)
A street smart runner develops an intense rivalry with an equally ambitious wealthy young athlete.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wasp (2024)
Heather bumps into Carla, having not spoken to her in years, and presents her with a very unexpected proposition that could change both of their lives forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNight Always Comes (2025)
Facing eviction in a city her family can no longer afford, a woman plunges into a desperate and increasingly dangerous all-night search to raise $25,000.
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 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 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 thisO.G. (2018)
Louis Menkins is five weeks away from being released after 26 years in prison. He is faced with the decision to put his own release at risk in order to protect a young man named Beecher from growing gang controversies.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisAlex of Venice (2015)
After her stay-at-home husband leaves her, a workaholic lawyer finds that she is not completely up to the tasks of caring for her young son, ailing father and household all by herself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisEffie Gray (2014)
A look at the mysterious relationship between Victorian art critic John Ruskin and his teenage bride Effie Gray.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGoodbye June (2025)
Four siblings' lives change drastically when their ailing mother takes a turn for the worse over the holiday season.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Visit (1964)
Carla Zachanassian had a child by Serge Miller as a teenager. When Serge refused to marry her, she was driven out of town. By her own wit and cunning, she has returned as a multi-millionaire for a visit. The town lays out the red carpet expecting big things from Carla, only to learn that her sole purpose is to see Serge Miller killed...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisI Believe in Unicorns (2015)
Feeling awkward and isolated, an imaginative and strong-willed teenage girl runs away from home with an older punk rock drifter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisParked (2010)
Fred Daly returns to Ireland with nowhere to live but his car. Then dope-smoking 21-year-old Cathal parks beside him, and brightens up his lonely world. Encouraged by Cathal, Fred meets attractive music teacher Jules. Growing closer, these three outsiders are set on a course that will change their lives forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMammal (2016)
After Margaret, a divorcée living in Dublin, loses her teenage son, she develops an unorthodox relationship with Joe, a homeless youth. Their tentative trust is threatened by his involvement with a violent gang and the escalation of her ex-husband's grieving rage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Girl in the Book (2015)
The story of a young writer's transformation when her past invades her present.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisAs Apple Pie (2024)
Written and directed by South African born Pierre Marais, ‘As Apple Pie’ is an immigrant’s observation of an American conversation. There seem to be fewer cultivated spaces to have an honest conversation with differing opinions and the result is that no one is really talking to each other. Not communicating seems to be as American as apple pie.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Valley (2018)
Devastated by his daughter's suicide, an immigrant entrepreneur working in high-tech seeks answers to his lingering questions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
#Whitina (2021)
High school cheerleader and whitina (white acting Latina) Genesis is forced to flee with her two former best friends after a recorded confrontation with undercover I.C.E. agents goes #viral. While on the run, the trio uncover secrets about one another and their immigration status, and ultimately learn what it really means to be "down for La Raza."
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Of Another Place (TBA)
On a Summer afternoon, Pedro packs the last few boxes before having to leave his apartment in New York. 12 years ago, Pedro and Ana had arrived in America from Portugal, in search of a dream. Now, Ana's voice describes, from the other side of the ocean, that same country to which they are returning. As the rooms are emptied, Pedro bids farewell to one life, welcoming another. But the dream that brought him will remain forever in the city that never sleeps, awaiting his return.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
This Is Not Bangladesh (TBA)
A migrant worker suffocates in the quiet aftermath of a hate crime video circulating online. As every response fails, he discovers that the only remaining resistance may be how he chooses to be seen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Paris Belongs to Us (1961)
A young woman joins a theatrical troupe where she slowly believes that the director is involved with a secret group and that he is in grave danger.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYour Choice to Leave (TBA)
On their final night at boarding school, best friends Max and Daniel navigate the quiet, fragile hours before an inevitable separation — as Daniel is forced to leave the only home he’s ever known. Across one sleepless night, their bond is tested by the realities of displacement, privilege, and the unspoken weight of saying goodbye.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Post Term (2023)
Expecting their first child, a married couple struggles to find romance and connection while building a new life together in America.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
It Happened in August (2024)
Aim (Aimme), a Thai immigrant navigating grief and lost dreams, returns to New York after her mother’s passing and is surprised by the sudden reappearance of her ex, Sandra, on a quiet August evening.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like Welcome Maria and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Welcome Maria?
The closest matches to Welcome Maria are Hounddog (2008), Hands of Stone (2016) and Cocaine Godmother (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Welcome Maria?
Start with Hounddog (2008), the closest match to Welcome Maria.
What is the highest-rated movie like Welcome Maria?
Hands of Stone (2016), rated 6.6/10 by 470 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Welcome Maria?
Colada (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Welcome Maria?
Yes: Hounddog (2008), Hands of Stone (2016) and Cocaine Godmother (2017).
How are movies similar to Welcome Maria chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Welcome Maria, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.