Skip to content

Movies like What's Next (2020)

The best movies like What's Next (2020) are Hardball (2001), Hounddog (2008) and The Last Dance (2024). If What's Next hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Hardball (2001)

    An aimless young man who is scalping tickets, gambling and drinking, agrees to coach a Little League team from the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago as a condition of getting a loan from a friend.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  2. 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 this
  3. The Last Dance (2024)

    Despite the pandemic sending most industries into recession, debt-ridden wedding planner Dominic (Dayo WONG) gets a miraculous chance to turn things around when a funeral planner retires and passes the baton to him. His creative gimmicks for funerals help his business find unexpected success, but Dominic’s biggest obstacle is winning the approval of respected and sternly traditional Taoist priest, Master Man (Michael HUI). After some unordinary funerals, Dominic gradually understands Master Man’s code of ethics and the meaning behind each farewell.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. Holy Lands (2019)

    When lapsed Jew and former cardiologist Harry suddenly decides to spend his retirement as a pig farmer in Nazareth, Israel, the move deeply shocks his family and his new neighbours. Back in New York, Harry’s ex-wife Monica is trying to manage the lives of their adult children, Annabelle and David, as well as her own.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Still Human (2018)

    A Hong Kong man with a disability hires a Filipino migrant worker to care for him. As they spend more time together through different seasons, they start learning about themselves.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. The Goldfinger (2023)

    In 1970s Hong Kong, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was formed to bring down the corruption syndicate led by British government officials. One of its top investigators is Senior Investigator Lau Kai-Yuen, who brought down countless corrupted officials. Just as he thought stability and prosperity are within reach, a new era of greed and riches takes him into a new battlefield of corruption.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Serpico (1973)

    New York cop Frank Serpico blows the whistle on the rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)

    A poor, struggling South Carolinian mother and daughter face painful choices with their resolve and pride. Bone, the eldest daughter, and Anney her tired mother, grow both closer and farther apart: Anney sees Glen as her last chance.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. El Chicano (2019)

    A pair of twin brothers from East L.A. choose to live their lives differently and end up on opposite sides of the law.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Ten Years (2015)

    Five shorts reveal a fictional Hong Kong in 2025, depicting a dystopian city where residents and activists face crackdowns under iron-fisted rule.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Birth of the Dragon (2017)

    Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown, this cross-cultural biopic chronicles Bruce Lee’s emergence as a martial-arts superstar after his legendary secret showdown with fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  12. Gigi & Nate (2022)

    A young man with a bright future suffers a near-fatal accident and recreates his new life with the help of an unlikely animal friend.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. The Trials of Cate McCall (2013)

    In order to be reinstated to the bar and recover custody of her daughter, a hotshot lawyer, now in recovery and on probation, must take on the appeal of a woman wrongfully convicted of murder.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. As the Light Goes Out (2014)

    Firefighters in Hong Kong's Pillar Point uncover dangerous truths as they battle an out-of-control inferno on Christmas Eve.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. All About Ah-Long (1989)

    Ah-Long, a father living a low-class lifestyle, while trying to raise his son, Porky. The strong bond between father and son is tested when a chance encounter from Ah-Long's ex-girlfriend changes the course of their lives.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. The Safety of Objects (2002)

    In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, and neglects her daughter and husband. Lawyer Jim Train is devoted to his career, not his family. Helen Christianson wants to find a new spark in life, while Annette Jennings tries to rebuild hers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. The Color of Friendship (2000)

    Mahree Bok lives on a farm in South Africa. Her father is a policeman who cannot hide his joy when activist Steve Biko is caught by the South African authorities. Piper Dellums is the daughter of a US congressman from California and who lives in a nice home in Washington DC. When Mahree is chosen to spend a semester at the Dellums' house, she doesn't expect that her host family would be black. Nor do her hosts suspect that she is not a black South African.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Come Sunday (2018)

    Evangelist Carlton Pearson is ostracized by his church for preaching that there is no Hell.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  19. The House on Carroll Street (1988)

    A reporter, fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. While working she overhears a noisy argument in the neighboring house, being conducted largely in German and involving her HUAC prosecutor. She begins to investigate, enlisting the help of the FBI Agent initially detailed to surveil her.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Guilty by Suspicion (1991)

    Owing to his alleged involvement with communist parties, film director David Merrill is forbidden from working in Hollywood. He decides to fight for his rights and faces numerous challenges.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. The Devil's Deal (2023)

    Hae-woong an assembly member candidate, is taken out of the running because he became a thorn in the side of a local bigwig, Soon-tae. Hounded by loan sharks, due to defaulting a campaign loan, he decides to get his hands dirty.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  22. The Secret Call (1931)

    The Secret Call is adapted from The Woman, a play by William C. DeMille (brother of Cecil B.) Peggy Shannon plays Wanda Kelly, the daughter of a disgraced politician. Reduced to working as a switchboard operator, Wanda is privy to the many secrets and indiscretions of the clients of a big-city hotel. She also finds romance in the form of handsome Tom Blake (Richard Arlen). The huge cast of characters comes in handy for the film's multitude of subplots, none of which ever get their wires crossed. Peggy Shannon acquits herself nicely in her first major role, but by the end of the decade her career was in decline.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  23. Reform Girl (1933)

    A young girl just out of prison and desperate for money finds herself involved in a plot to smear a politician by pretending to be his long-lost daughter.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  24. 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

  25. Ten Years Thailand (2018)

    A collection of short films by five Thai directors imagining their country ten years into the future.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  26. Nayak: The Real Hero (2001)

    Shivajirao, a TV reporter, gets a chance to be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a day after being challenged by incumbent Chief Minister Balraj Chauhan. After his one-day stint turns out to be a huge success, his life spirals out of control and he is embroiled in political intrigue.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  27. Alias Nick Beal (1949)

    After straight-arrow district attorney Joseph Foster says in frustration that he would sell his soul to bring down a local mob boss, a smooth-talking stranger named Nick Beal shows up with enough evidence to seal a conviction. When that success leads Foster to run for governor, Beal's unearthly hold on him turns the previously honest man corrupt, much to the displeasure of his wife and his steadfast minister.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  28. The Drowned (2024)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  29. Yes, Madam! (1985)

    Two unlucky thieves break into a just murdered man's hotel room and steal his passport, with a hidden microfilm, wanted by a triad boss. Two ass-kicking women cops—one Chinese, one British—are on the case.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  30. Portland Street Blues (1998)

    In a triad underworld dominated by men, the film tells the story of how Sister 13 (Sandra Ng) faces the trials and tribulations of rising to become the Hung Hing branch leader of Portland Street, in this first official spin-off movie from the Young & Dangerous Series.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

Like What's Next and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like What's Next?

The closest matches to What's Next are Hardball (2001), Hounddog (2008) and The Last Dance (2024). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after What's Next?

Start with Hardball (2001), the closest match to What's Next.

What is the highest-rated movie like What's Next?

Serpico (1973), rated 7.5/10 by 2,330 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like What's Next?

The Last Dance (2024) is the most recent release on this list.

How are movies similar to What's Next chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside What's Next, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

↑ ↓ to move · Enter to open · Full search page