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Movies Like How I Learned to Fly

If you liked How I Learned to Fly (2023), a drama movie directed by Simon Steuri, 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. 1The Son

    The Son (2022)

    ★ 6.8/10Also drama

    A successful lawyer, with a new wife and infant, agrees to care for his teenage son from a previous marriage after his ex-wife becomes concerned about the boy's wayward behavior.

  2. 2Boyhood

    Boyhood (2014)

    ★ 7.5/10Also drama

    The film tells a story of a divorced couple trying to raise their young son. The story follows the boy for twelve years, from first grade at age 6 through 12th grade at age 17-18, and examines his relationship with his…

  3. 3Last Ride

    Last Ride (2009)

    ★ 6.4/10Also drama

    A young boy travels across Australia with his father, who's wanted by the law.

  4. 4Mammal

    Mammal (2016)

    ★ 6.3/10Also drama

    After Margaret, a divorcée living in Dublin, loses her teenage son, she develops an unorthodox relationship with Joe, a homeless youth. Their tentative trust is threatened by his involvement with a violent gang and the…

  5. 5Palmer

    Palmer (2021)

    ★ 8.1/10Also drama

    After 12 years in prison, former high school football star Eddie Palmer returns home to put his life back together—and forms an unlikely bond with Sam, an outcast boy from a troubled home. But Eddie's past threatens to…

  6. 6Ken Park

    Ken Park (2003)

    ★ 6/10Also drama

    Teen skater Ken Park (nicknamed Krap Nek; his name spelled and pronounced backward) kills himself at a Visalia skate park; his death bookends the lives of four other young people who knew him: Shawn, the most…

  7. 7Manic

    Manic (2002)

    ★ 6.8/10Also drama

    In lieu of prison, Lyle, a violent adolescent, is placed in a juvenile mental institution where he encounters a group of equally troubled teens. This motley crew—abused, sexually confused, violent, and yet hanging on…

  8. 8Gimme Shelter

    Gimme Shelter (2013)

    ★ 6.6/10Also drama

    After running away from her abusive mother, a streetwise teen seeks refuge with her father, but he rejects her when he learns that she's pregnant.

  9. 9Hellion

    Hellion (2014)

    ★ 5.9/10Also drama

    When motocross and heavy metal obsessed, 13-year-old Jacob's delinquent behavior forces CPS to place his little brother Wes with his aunt, Jacob and his emotionally absent father must finally take responsibility for…

  10. 10Firstborn

    Firstborn (1984)

    ★ 6.1/10Also drama

    Because he's the oldest, Jake has been the man of the house, since his parents divorce. When Mom starts seeing Sam, who always seems to be trying some new way to get rich quick, and declares he's the man of the house…

  11. 11The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete

    The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete (2013)

    ★ 7.2/10Also drama

    Coming of age story about two inner city youths, who are left to fend for themselves over the summer after their mothers are taken away by the authorities.

  12. 12The Book of Henry

    The Book of Henry (2017)

    ★ 7.5/10Also drama

    Susan, a single mother of two, works as a waitress in a small town. Her son, Henry, is an 11-year-old genius who not only manages the family finances but acts as emotional support for his mother and younger brother…

  13. 13Short Term 12

    Short Term 12 (2013)

    ★ 7.7/10Also drama

    Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, helps at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace's tough exterior begins eroding.

  14. 14The Beautiful Country

    The Beautiful Country (2004)

    ★ 6.2/10Also drama

    After reuniting with his mother in Ho Chi Minh City, a family tragedy causes Binh to flee from Viet Nam to America. Landing in New York, Binh begins a road trip to Texas, where his American father is said to live.

  15. 15My Father's Shadow

    My Father's Shadow (2025)

    ★ 7.2/10Also drama

    Two young brothers explore Lagos with their estranged father during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis, witnessing both the city's magnitude and their father's daily struggles as political unrest threatens their journey…

  16. 16Rocks

    Rocks (2020)

    ★ 6.6/10Also drama

    15-year-old Rocks fears that she and her little brother Emmanuel will be taken into care and forced apart if anyone finds out that their mother has left them. Against all odds, and with the help of her loyal friends…

  17. 17The Glass Castle

    The Glass Castle (2017)

    ★ 7.1/10Also drama

    A young girl is raised in a dysfunctional family constantly on the run from the FBI. Living in poverty, she comes of age guided by her drunkard, ingenious father who distracts her with magical stories to keep her mind…

  18. 18The Fabelmans

    The Fabelmans (2022)

    ★ 7.5/10Also drama

    Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him…

  19. 19Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story

    Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story (2003)

    ★ 7.3/10Also drama

    Based on a true story. Liz Murray is a young girl who is taken care of by her loving, but drug-addicted parents. Liz becomes homeless at 15 and after a tragedy comes upon her, she begins her work to finish high school.

  20. 20Boy A

    Boy A (2008)

    ★ 7.1/10Also drama

    Freed after a lengthy term in a juvenile detention center, convicted child killer Jack Burridge finds work as a deliveryman and begins dating co-worker Michelle. While out on the road one day, Jack notices a distressed…

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