Movies like I Love You Baby (1989)
The best movies like I Love You Baby (1989) are Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010), Her Story (2024) and Summer Palace (2007). If I Love You Baby 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 ratedGabriel's Inferno: Part III (2020)8.3/10 from 1,097 votes
- NewestCHERRY AND VIRGIN (2026)Released 2026
- In ChineseUnder the Hawthorn Tree (2010)Also in Chinese
Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010)
The daughter of a right-winger, schoolgirl Jing Qiu is sent to the countryside for reeducation, and tasked to help write a textbook. There she meets Lao San, a young soldier with a bright future ahead. Despite the class divide and parental disapproval, romance blooms against turbulent times.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHer Story (2024)
Wang Tiemei, a single mother, loses her job and moves, befriending neighbor Xiaoye who appears cheerful but is depressed. Their bond grows as Tiemei navigates relationships with her ex-husband causing trouble.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSummer Palace (2007)
Yu Hong leaves her home village and starts university in Beijing, where she develops a consuming and compulsive relationship with another student. The student riots from 1989 then ensue and take a toll on their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisMountains May Depart (2015)
The life of Tao, and those close to her, is explored in three different time periods: 1999, 2014, and 2025.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGabriel's Inferno: Part III (2020)
The final part of the film adaption of the erotic romance novel Gabriel's Inferno written by an anonymous Canadian author under the pen name Sylvain Reynard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisReturn to Dust (2022)
Humble, unassuming Ma and timid Cao have been cast off by their families and forced into an arranged marriage. They have to combine their strength and build a home to survive. In the face of much adversity, an unexpected bond begins to blossom, as both Ma and Cao, uniting with Earth's cycles, create a haven for themselves in which they can thrive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNot Easily Broken (2009)
A car accident and shifting affections test the bond between a married couple.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFire with Fire (1986)
A tough, street-smart kid serving a sentence in a state youth reformatory meets a beautiful, innocent girl studying at a nearby convent. When forbidden love blossoms between them, they must fight the prison authorities, their parents and the law.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Sleeping Dictionary (2003)
In the 1930s, British officer John Truscott journeys to a remote village in colonial Malaysia to educate and Westernize the local Iban population. There, he's introduced to the lovely Selima. In keeping with tradition, Selima is assigned to sleep with Truscott and teach him the native language and customs. But when they fall in love, both colonists and natives object to their plans to marry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMan in Love (2021)
A debt collector strikes a deal with a debt-ridden woman struggling to care for her ailing father: he will take care of her bills if she agrees to date him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSee You Soon (2019)
A U.S. soccer star suffers a career-threatening injury in the run-up to the World Cup, and during his recovery, embarks on an epic romance with a Russian single mom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisSpring Fever (2010)
Hired to spy on a philandering husband, Luo Haitao soon becomes entangled in a clandestine affair with the other man. Along with Luo's girlfriend, they succumb to the delirium of drunken nights, but how long can their tryst last?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLove Finds You in Valentine (2016)
Kennedy Blaine, a Californian girl, inherits a ranch in the small town of Valentine in Nebraska. Before she sells the property, she decides to spend the summer in her house and learn more about her family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Hand (2021)
Hong Kong, 1960s. Zhang, a shy tailor's assistant, is riveted by his imperious client Miss Hua. Upon meeting her, she seduces him to make sure he will truly remember her when designing her garments. After this intimate first encounter, a rapport develops between the two. Entry is for the theatrically released extended version, not the segment from the Eros anthology.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies 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 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 thisViva La Vida (2024)
A young woman who needs a kidney transplant wants to marry someone who will be able to donate a kidney, and meets a young man who has a brain disease.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNobody Has to Know (2022)
After a stroke and no memories from his past, Phil encounters Millie who inhabits a desert part of Isle of Lewis. She will shortly entrust him with his deepest secret : they were in love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHollywood Dirt (2017)
Hollywood arrives in force to Quincy, the small town where the secret Crown Cola billionaire's live. They want to film about the billionaire's and how they made their fortunes. Summer Jenkins, who was the town pariah, joins forces with the scout, Ben, and finds filming locations, extras, lessons with the town officials and house owners, etc. When Cole Masten arrives, they hate each other, but sparks fly. Cole is running from a nasty divorce, yet is captivated by Summer. Summer is dying to leave town to get away from the gossip. This is a great story about Southern customs, a Southern girl, and a Hollywood star who finds his lady.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPretty Sisters-in-law 2018 (2018)
Newlyweds in their second year of marriage face the ordeal of their husband's erectile dysfunction. But the moment she sees her wife's college junior, her husband's body heats up! The couple realizes that the secret help of a college junior is the only way to solve their problems
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
CHERRY AND VIRGIN (2026)
Erotic manga artist Ryo knows a lot about drawing sex, but when it comes to real life, he hasn't had much luck. Ami, a talented commercial illustrator who draws "boys' love" manga on the side, is in much the same predicament. The two cynical, 30-ish virgins have all but given up on romance, until they connect through a dating app and share a tentatively promising first date.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
The Temptation of Kimono (2009)
Mikage will get married to Youiti next year, she agrees to live with Youiti's parents. One day, Youiti's father disrobed Mikage's Kimono and raped her. To her astonishment, her fiancé Youiti whom Mikage considers true love has an affair with his young stepmother. Shocked and devastated, what will Mikage do?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Kangourou (2014)
Kangourou is short pornographic film which I categorize as fleshfilm or fleshflick. Kangourou jumps from fantasy to reality as it follows the two protagonist Ryan Patrix and myself on an erotic train ride. I catch a glimpse of Ryan on the platform while he waits for his train. Once I board the train it’s a little unclear if the stranger, Patrix, is also onboard in the physical or if I invent our interaction. Patrix was not only a joy to work with but he is super sexy and smart, which gave me instant scene boners.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance
The Sex of the Angels (1977)
A fantasia on the inner lives of gay teenagers in '70s France.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Samaj Ko Badal Dalo (1947)
1947 film by Vijay Bhatt
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Memória: História é filme, não é foto. (TBA)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Kartavya (2026)
With his family's safety at stake and menacing threats closing in, a police officer must decide how far he'll go to uphold his duty.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like I Love You Baby and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like I Love You Baby?
The closest matches to I Love You Baby are Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010), Her Story (2024) and Summer Palace (2007). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after I Love You Baby?
Start with Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010), the closest match to I Love You Baby.
What is the highest-rated movie like I Love You Baby?
Gabriel's Inferno: Part III (2020), rated 8.3/10 by 1,097 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like I Love You Baby?
CHERRY AND VIRGIN (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like I Love You Baby?
Yes: Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010), Her Story (2024) and Summer Palace (2007).
How are movies similar to I Love You Baby chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside I Love You Baby, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.