Movies Like It's Gonna Be a Bright

If you liked It's Gonna Be a Bright (2019), a movie directed by Sam Reyes, 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
The Ron Clark Story (2006)
★ 7.6/10
Passionate and innovative teacher Ron Clark leaves his small hometown to teach in one of Harlem's toughest schools. But to break through to the students, he must use unconventional methods, including his…
2
Radical (2023)
★ 8.3/10
In a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence, a frustrated teacher tries an unorthodox new method to break through his students’ apathy and unlock their curiosity, their potential... and…
3
Snoopy Presents: Lucy's School (2022)
★ 7.3/10
The Peanuts gang is anxious about starting at a new school in the fall, inspiring Lucy to start her own school instead. She soon learns that teaching isn't as easy as it sounds and that change can be a good thing.
4
The Rewrite (2014)
★ 6/10
An Oscar-winning writer in a slump leaves Hollywood to teach screenwriting at a college on the East Coast, where he falls for a single mom taking classes there.
5
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)
★ 6.2/10
Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.
6
Rememory (2017)
★ 6.1/10
The widow of a wise professor stumbles upon one of his inventions that's able to record and play a person's memory.
7
35 Up (1991)
★ 7.6/10
Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
8
3 Generations (2016)
★ 6.4/10
A teenager transitions from female to male, and his family must come to terms with that fact.
9
The Strongest Man in the World (1975)
★ 6.2/10
Medfield College science major Dexter Riley and his classmates have been working on a new vitamin compound when a lab accident creates a supercharged mix that ends up in Dexter's cereal box, giving him superhuman…
10
Mr. Jealousy (1998)
★ 5.9/10
After his first date at age 15 ended with the girl making out with another man at a party, aspiring writer Lester Grimm has treated all his girlfriends with jealousy and suspicion. While dating Ramona Ray, paranoia…
11
Miller's Girl (2024)
★ 6.3/10
A talented young writer embarks on a creative odyssey when her teacher assigns a project that entangles them both.
12
Words on Bathroom Walls (2020)
★ 7.8/10
Diagnosed with a mental illness halfway through his senior year of high school, a witty, introspective teen struggles to keep it a secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to open his…
13
American Teen (2008)
★ 6.4/10
A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques.
14
Billy Madison (1995)
★ 6.2/10
Billy Madison is the 27 year-old son of Bryan Madison, a very rich man who has made his living in the hotel industry. Billy stands to inherit his father's empire, but only if he can make it through all 12 grades, 2…
15
Goodbye June (2025)
★ 6.5/10
Four siblings' lives change drastically when their ailing mother takes a turn for the worse over the holiday season.
16
American Underdog (2021)
★ 7.1/10
The true story of Kurt Warner, who went from a stockboy at a grocery store to a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl champion, and Hall of Fame quarterback.
17
Nothing Like a Dame (2018)
★ 6.8/10
BBC Arena's documentary on the Dames of British Theatre and film featuring Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench and Joan Plowright on screen together for the first time as they reminisce over a long summer weekend…
18
Heart of a Dog (2015)
★ 6.5/10
Musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother and her beloved dog.
19
Seriously Single (2020)
★ 6.8/10
While her free-living bestie urges her to embrace singlehood, a commitment-craving social media expert can't stop following the life of a former love.
20
Shirley (2020)
★ 6.1/10
A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.