Movies like The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson (2018)
The best movies like The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson (2018) are Clean and Sober (1988), Out of the Blue (1981) and To Write Love on Her Arms (2015). If The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedRequiem for a Dream (2000)8.0/10 from 11,486 votes
- NewestWhen Silence Barks (2026)Released 2026
Clean and Sober (1988)
Hotshot real estate salesman Daryl has a bad cocaine habit. After embezzling his company's money, he wakes up next to a girl who overdosed. To hide from the police, he checks into a rehabilitation program guaranteeing anonymity. Under the mentorship of counselor Craig, Daryl accepts that he has a substance abuse problem. As he falls in love with fellow patient Charlie, Daryl begins committing to a newly sober life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOut of the Blue (1981)
A young girl whose father is an ex-convict and whose mother is a junkie finds it difficult to conform and tries to find comfort in a quirky combination of Elvis and the punk scene.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTo Write Love on Her Arms (2015)
The story follows 19-year-old Renee who has always loved fairy tales: the idea of a princess, a hero and a happily ever after. But Renee’s life is that of a darker tale: she’s a young woman battling addiction, depression and self-injury. In a creative blend of artistic fantasy balanced with harsh reality, the movie follows Renee on her courageous journey towards recovery.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBetter Man (2024)
Follow Robbie Williams' journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrazy People (1990)
A bitter ad executive, who has reached his breaking point, finds himself in a mental institution, where his career actually begins to thrive with the help of the hospital's patients.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThirteen (2003)
When 13-year-old Tracy befriends Evie, the most popular girl in school, her life is turned upside down as Evie introduces her to a world of sex, drugs, and money. But it isn’t long before Tracy’s new lifestyle begins to take a heavy toll on her and her family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhitney: Can I Be Me (2017)
The life and tragic death of Whitney Houston.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRequiem for a Dream (2000)
The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island residents are shattered when their addictions run deep.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisFriday (1995)
Craig and Smokey are two guys in Los Angeles hanging out on their porch on a Friday afternoon, smoking and drinking, looking for something to do.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShrink (2009)
Unable to cope with a recent personal tragedy, LA's top celebrity shrink turns into a pothead with no concern for his appearance and a creeping sense of his inability to help his patients.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGia (1998)
Gia Carangi meteorically rises to modeling fame in the late 1970s but becomes overconsumed by persistent loneliness and drug addiction.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPostcards from the Edge (1990)
A substance-addicted actress tries to look on the bright side even as she's forced to move back in with her mother to avoid unemployment.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAround the Fire (1998)
Simon is an intelligent and privileged young man whose family expects him to become a Princeton graduate. Crying out for attention from his reserved and cool hearted family, Simon commits numerous petty crimes and is soon sent away to boarding school where he befriends a "Deadhead," adopts the "hippie" lifestyle and dabbles in many drugs in his search for acceptance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBack to Black (2024)
The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black that catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and embraces the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)
The joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time. Tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Dirt (2019)
The story of Mötley Crüe and their rise from the Sunset Strip club scene of the early 1980s to superstardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBig Trouble (2002)
The story of how a mysterious suitcase brings together, and changes, the lives of a divorced dad, an unhappy housewife, two hitmen, a pair of street thugs, two love struck teens, two FBI men and a psychedelic toad. Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry's best-selling first novel, "Big Trouble."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJudy (2019)
Thirty years after starring in 'The Wizard of Oz', beloved actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub. While there, she reminisces with friends and fans and begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisValley Girl (1983)
Julie, a girl from the valley, meets Randy, a punk from the city. They are from different worlds and find love. Somehow they need to stay together in spite of her trendy, shallow friends.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBitter Taste (2024)
In the wake of Glasgow’s rapid deindustrialization and economic decline in the 90s, a young Fraser falls victim to knife crime and is indelibly marked with a “Glasgow smile”, irrevocably impacting his sense of self and relationship to food.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
School Patch (2024)
A grieving young man races to hold her fractured family together—an absent father, a dependent brother, and a resentful sister—all while refusing to let her own future fall apart.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Vaaranam Aayiram (2008)
A son deals with the death of his father and examines how their relationship influences him through growing up, romance, tragedy and adventure.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Sounds She Knows (TBA)
Trapped within the labyrinth of her own mind, Sabrina descends into a harrowing odyssey as her home transforms into a malevolent maze of illusions and fractured memories with only one way out…Through.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Spaced Out - Panthung Di Kadaaida (2021)
SPACED OUT written, edited and directed by Priyakanta Laishram is a movie dedicated to all the people who are on the road to recovery from drug addiction. The film is a realistic depiction of addiction and how there is no magic cure. The vicious cycle of progress and defeat tumbles the family of Panthoi (played by Priyakanta Laishram) through many years in this film chronicle. It also depicts the relationship of a drug addict with his loved ones that's pushed to the limits by a seemingly no-win situation. A meditation on memory and the difficulty of reconciling the happiness of the past with a present that's become too sad to bear. The film won 5 awards and 15 nominations including Best Actor In A Leading Role for Priyakanta, Best Narration, Best Screenplay etc. at various international and national film festivals.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
When Silence Barks (2026)
At 17, Jérémy dreams of becoming a filmmaker and shares an incredibly close bond with his older brother Théo, a rising rap artist. But the onset of psychotic symptoms throws the family’s fragile balance into turmoil. Amid denial, crises and attempts to create together, the two brothers fight to preserve their bond. Jérémy must learn to accept his illness, live with it, and ultimately let go of the life he had imagined for himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
PTSD911 (TBA)
First Responders sign up to serve; they risk their lives and their mental health to respond to someone’s worst day. Who will rescue them? PTSD911 is a documentary film about real people: normal, average human beings who have chosen to work in professions that require above average heroism, fortitude, and resolve. These men and women have jobs that require a willingness to face things that most of us can’t even imagine, yet maintain a high level of dignity and professionalism. First responders in fact repeatedly see and experience things that most of us will never see, causing compound issues related to post-traumatic stress injuries and disorders.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Alice, Darling (2022)
Pushed to the breaking point by Simon, her psychologically abusive boyfriend, Alice becomes an unwitting participant in an intervention staged by her two closest friends while on vacation. As she rediscovers the essence of herself and gains some much-needed perspective, she slowly starts to fray the cords of codependency that bind her. However, Simon's vengeance is as inevitable as it is shattering, and once unleashed, it tests her strength, her courage, and the bonds of deep-rooted friendships.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
SnoozefestMovies like thisKeane (2004)
William Keane is barely able to cope. It has been six months since his six-year-old daughter was abducted from New York City’s Port Authority Bus Terminal while traveling with him. Repeatedly drawn to the site of the abduction, Keane wanders the bus station, compulsively replaying the events of that fateful day, as if hoping to change the outcome.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson?
The closest matches to The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson are Clean and Sober (1988), Out of the Blue (1981) and To Write Love on Her Arms (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson?
Start with Clean and Sober (1988), the closest match to The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson?
Requiem for a Dream (2000), rated 8.0/10 by 11,486 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson?
When Silence Barks (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson?
Yes: Clean and Sober (1988), Out of the Blue (1981) and To Write Love on Her Arms (2015).
How are movies similar to The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Existential Crisis of Maxwell Anderson, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.