Movies Like The Bitter Stems

If you liked The Bitter Stems (1956), a drama and thriller movie directed by Fernando Ayala, 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 House on Carroll Street (1988)
★ 5.9/10Also drama and thriller
A reporter, fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. While working she overhears a noisy argument in the neighboring house…
2
Light It Up (1999)
★ 6.6/10Also drama and thriller
On a winter day in a southside Queens high school, events collide and six students are suddenly in an armed standoff with the NYPD. At the school, classrooms freeze, teachers come and go, resources are scant.
3
Staring at Strangers (2022)
★ 6.5/10Also drama and thriller
Carpenter Sergio runs away and hides in a closet after his boss fired him. When the closet arrives at its buyer's house, he decides to stay there, hiding in his new home living with an unknown family.
4
Chatroom (2010)
★ 5.8/10Also drama and thriller
When strangers Jim, Eva, Emily and Mo meet William online in his new 'Chelsea Teens!' chatroom, they're completely seduced by his fast-talking, charismatic character. But beneath the surface lies a much darker truth…
5
Guilty by Suspicion (1991)
★ 6.5/10Also drama and thriller
Owing to his alleged involvement with communist parties, film director David Merrill is forbidden from working in Hollywood. He decides to fight for his rights and faces numerous challenges.
6
Identifying Features (2020)
★ 7/10Also drama and thriller
Magdalena makes a journey to find her son, who has disappeared on his way to the Mexican border with the United States. Her odyssey takes her to meet Miguel, a man recently deported from the US. They start to travel…
7
The Good Neighbor (2022)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller and drama
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…
8
Lockdown (2000)
★ 6.1/10Also drama and thriller
Avery (Jones) returns to college as a competitive swimmer after getting his life back on track. But his life takes another unexpected turn when he and his two friends (Bonds, Casseus) are wrongly accused of murder and…
9
Run (1991)
★ 6/10Also thriller and drama
When a law student accidentally kills the son of a mob boss in a fight, he finds himself relentlessly pursued by the mob and the police.
10
Hello (2022)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and thriller
An emotionally unavailable flight attendant meets a potential love interest and later finds out that her "perfect guy" has ulterior motives. As the clock ticks down on New Year's Eve, she must fight to keep her…
11
Rogue Agent (2022)
★ 6.3/10Also thriller and drama
Conman Robert Freegard poses as an undercover MI5 agent and kidnaps countless victims amidst a high-stakes manhunt, until the woman who fell for him brings him to justice.
12
The Experiment (2010)
★ 6.4/10Also thriller and drama
20 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.
13
Tyler Perry's Duplicity (2025)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller and drama
High-powered attorney Marley faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the murder of her best friend Fela’s husband. With the help of her boyfriend – a former cop turned…
14
All the Names of God (2023)
★ 6.5/10Also drama and thriller
After being implicated in a terrorist attack, Santi, a taxi driver, is taken hostage by one of the perpetrators.
15
Not Without Hope (2025)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller and drama
A group of friends' fishing boat capsizes off the coast of Mexico and they're left alone stranded at sea and struggling for survival.
16
Agent Zeta (2026)
★ 6.7/10Also drama and thriller
Four Spanish ex-intelligence officers are assassinated simultaneously worldwide. The CNI discovers all participated in the covert "Operation Ciénaga" decades ago in Colombia. Zeta, the CNI's best operative, must hunt…
17
Facing El Chapo (2026)
★ 8.8/10Also thriller
Two Mexican officers must survive the final hours of their shift after crossing a ruthless cartel boss.
18
6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain (2017)
★ 5.8/10Also thriller and drama
An adrenaline seeking snowboarder gets lost in a massive winter storm in the back country of the High Sierras where he is pushed to the limits of human endurance and forced to battle his own personal demons as he…
19
The Hummingbird Project (2019)
★ 6.2/10Also thriller and drama
A pair of high-frequency traders go up against their old boss in an effort to make millions in a fiber-optic cable deal.
20
The Wrath of God (2022)
★ 6.3/10Also thriller and drama
Convinced the tragic deaths of her loved ones were orchestrated by a famous novelist she worked for, Luciana turns to a journalist to expose her truth.