Movies Like Painful Desires

If you liked Painful Desires (1978), a movie directed by Richard Mailer, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Two Moon Junction (1988)
★ 6.1/10
A young Southern débutante temporarily abandons her posh lifestyle and upcoming, semi-arranged marriage to have a lustful and erotic fling with a rugged drifter who works at a local carnival.
2
Cat People (1982)
★ 6/10
After years of separation, Irena Gallier and her minister brother, Paul, reunite in New Orleans. When zoologists capture a wild panther, Irena is drawn to the cat – and zoo curator Oliver to her. Soon, Paul will have…
3
Porno (2019)
★ 6/10
When a group of naive teens working at a movie theater in a small Christian town discover a mysterious film hidden in its basement, they unleash an alluring succubus who gives them a sex education…written in blood.
4
Nightmare Alley (1947)
★ 7.2/10
A roustabout joins a traveling carny and schemes to figure out the mind-reading act of Mademoiselle Zeena and her alcoholic husband.
5
Thinner (1996)
★ 5.9/10
An obese lawyer finds himself growing "Thinner" when an old Romani man places a hex on him. Now the lawyer must call upon his friends in organized crime to help him persuade the old man to lift the curse. Time is…
6
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (2009)
★ 5.9/10
When Darren Shan is taken to a circus that's chock-full of sideshow oddities, he meets a vampire and receives a life-changing bite on the neck.
7
Speak (2004)
★ 7.1/10
Freshman high-school student Melinda has refused to speak ever since she called the cops on a popular summer party. With her old friends snubbing her for being a rat, and her parents too busy to notice her troubles…
8
The 5th Wave (2016)
★ 5.9/10
16-year-old Cassie Sullivan tries to survive in a world devastated by the waves of an alien invasion that has already decimated the population and knocked mankind back to the Stone Age.
9
Chaos Walking (2021)
★ 6.5/10
Two unlikely companions embark on a perilous adventure through the badlands of an unexplored planet as they try to escape a dangerous and disorienting reality, where all inner thoughts are seen and heard by everyone.
10
Strange Darling (2024)
★ 6.9/10
Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.
11
Saint Catherine (2024)
★ 6.2/10
An orphaned girl is rescued from a satanic ritual and taken to Saint Catherine Institute for homeless youth. There she will learn new skills while facing demons that stalk her.
12
The Vampire Lovers (1970)
★ 6.4/10
In the heart of Styria the Karnstein Family, even after their mortal deaths, rise from their tombs spreading evil in the countryside in their lust for fresh blood. Baron Hartog whose family are all victims of Karnstein…
13
The Woman (2011)
★ 6.1/10
A lawyer puts his family in jeopardy when he captures the last member of a violent clan and tries to forcibly tame her.
14
Pillion (2025)
★ 6.5/10
Colin, a timid man, meets Ray, a confident biker gang leader, who initiates him into a submissive relationship, challenging Colin’s mundane existence and prompting personal growth through their unconventional dynamic.
15
Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)
★ 6.1/10
Ellie Linton, a teen from an Australian coastal town, leads her friends on an excursion to a camp deep in the woods, dubbed "Hell." Upon their return, the youths find that their town has been overrun by an enemy army…
16
Yes, God, Yes (2020)
★ 6.3/10
Alice, a young innocent Catholic girl, is tempted into masturbating after an AOL chat suddenly turns sexual, however is conflicted as the act would be considered a sin.
17
Terrifier (2011)
★ 6/10
After witnessing a brutal murder on Halloween night, a young woman becomes the next target of a maniacal entity.
18
Never Let Go (2024)
★ 6.1/10
As an evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond.
19
Queen of the Damned (2002)
★ 6.1/10
Vampire Lestat awakens from his slumber and becomes a rock star. But chaos strikes when his music awakens Akasha, the vampire queen, who may not rest until she makes Lestat her new king.
20
Year 10 (2024)
★ 6.2/10
After the fall of civilization, the few survivors have been driven to cannibalism. A young man must confront a violent tribe that has murdered his father and stolen the medicine that keeps his girlfriend alive.