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Movies like By the Sea (2021)

The best movies like By the Sea (2021) are Alex of Venice (2015), Hounddog (2008) and Bastard Out of Carolina (1996). If By the Sea hooked you with its drama, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Alex 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

  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. 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
  4. The Nest (2020)

    Rory is an ambitious entrepreneur who brings his American wife and kids to his native country, England, to explore new business opportunities. After abandoning the sanctuary of their safe American suburban surroundings, the family is plunged into the despair of an archaic '80s Britain and their unaffordable new life in an English manor house threatens to destroy the family.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  5. 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

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  6. The 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

  7. Helen (2009)

    On the outside, Helen has it all – a loving family and a successful career – but when her suppressed mental illness resurfaces, the world crumbles around her. Crippled by depression, Helen finds solace through her friendship with Mathilda, a kindred spirit struggling with bipolar disorder.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  8. Sky (2016)

    A woman embarks on a journey alone across the United States after fleeing from her violent husband.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  9. Strange Weather (2016)

    Years after her son's suicide, a woman longs to confront both the past and a friend of his who took his business idea.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  10. Gracie (2007)

    A teenager faces an uphill battle when she fights to give women the opportunity to play competitive soccer.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Rosie (2019)

    A mother strives to shield her young family from their new reality when their landlord sells the property and renders them homeless.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  12. 1 Chance 2 Dance (2014)

    When a 17-year old aspiring dancer is uprooted in her high school senior year, she finds herself divided between two boys, and she will have one last shot at making her dream a reality.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. The Truth About Emanuel (2013)

    A troubled young woman becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl's dead mother.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. I 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 this
  15. Wasp (2003)

    Zoë is a single mother who lives with her four children in Dartford. She is poor and can't afford to buy food. One day her old flame drives by and asks her to go on a date with him. Scared that he doesn't want to go out with her, she lies and tells him that she is just babysitting the kids. This will be her first date in years.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. The Good Neighbor (2022)

    A nightmarish evening unfolds for neighbors David and Robert when they accidentally hit a woman on her bike and flee the scene. While David is increasingly plagued by feelings of guilt, Robert shows no remorse and becomes overbearing and possessive.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. A Dry White Season (1989)

    During the 1976 Soweto uprising, a white school teacher's life and values are threatened when he asks questions about the death of a young black boy who died in police custody.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. 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
  19. TalhotBlond (2012)

    Thomas Montgomery, a married father of two young daughters, gets seduced by the world of online gambling and chat rooms where a virtual romance and sexual obsession ultimately leads to the murder of an innocent man.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Skin (2009)

    Based on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like By the Sea and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like By the Sea?

The closest matches to By the Sea are Alex of Venice (2015), Hounddog (2008) and Bastard Out of Carolina (1996). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after By the Sea?

Start with Alex of Venice (2015), the closest match to By the Sea.

What is the highest-rated movie like By the Sea?

The Good Neighbor (2022), rated 6.7/10 by 215 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like By the Sea?

The Good Neighbor (2022) is the most recent release on this list.

How are movies similar to By the Sea chosen?

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

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