Movies Like East of Eden

If you liked East of Eden (1955), a drama movie directed by Elia Kazan, 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
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
After moving to a new town, troublemaking teen Jim Stark is supposed to have a clean slate, although being the new kid in town brings its own problems. While searching for some stability, Stark forms a bond with a…
2
Dad (1989)
★ 6.4/10Also drama
A busy executive learns during a meeting that his mother may be dying and rushes home to her side. He ends up being his father's caretaker and becomes closer to him than ever before. Estranged from his own son, the…
3
Of Mice and Men (1939)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
An intellectually disabled giant and his level headed guardian find work at a sadistic cowboy's ranch in depression era America.
4
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
★ 8/10Also drama
Scout Finch, 6, and her older brother Jem live in sleepy Maycomb, Alabama, spending much of their time with their friend Dill and spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. When Atticus, their…
5
Cassandra's Dream (2007)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
The tale of two brothers with serious financial woes. When a third party proposes they turn to crime, things go bad and the two become enemies.
6
Train Dreams (2025)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
A logger leads a life of quiet grace as he experiences love and loss during an era of monumental change in early 20th-century America.
7
Tetro (2009)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
In Buenos Aires, 17-year-old Bennie seeks out his estranged brother Tetro, a once-promising writer haunted by their family’s past. As Bennie uncovers Tetro’s hidden manuscript, old secrets and rivalries resurface…
8
Joseph (1995)
★ 8.3/10Also drama
Joseph, favored son of Jacob and great-grandson of Abraham, is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Rising to become prime minister of Egypt. Joseph governed the country during a seven year famine, during which…
9
The Unbreakable Boy (2025)
★ 7.9/10Also drama
When Scott and Teresa LeRette learn that their son Austin is both autistic and has brittle bone disease, they initially worry for their son’s future. But with Scott’s growing faith and Austin’s incredible spirit, they…
10
The Color Purple (2023)
★ 7/10Also drama
A decades-spanning tale of love and resilience and of one woman's journey to independence. Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of…
11
The Great Santini (1979)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
As he approaches manhood, Ben Meechum struggles to win the approval of his demanding alpha male father, an aggressively competitive, but frustrated marine pilot.
12
Rachel Getting Married (2008)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
A young woman who has been in and out from rehab for the past 10 years returns home for the weekend for her sister's wedding.
13
Shane (1953)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smouldering settler and rancher conflict forces him to act.
14
House of Strangers (1949)
★ 7/10Also drama
Ruthless Italian-American banker Gino Monetti is engaged in a number of criminal activities. Three of his four grown sons refuse to help their father stay out of prison after he's arrested for his questionable business…
15
Take Me to the River (2015)
★ 6.4/10Also drama
A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.
16
Sarah's Oil (2025)
★ 7.9/10Also drama
Sarah Rector, a Black girl born in early 20th-century Oklahoma Indian Territory, believes there is oil beneath the barren land she’s allotted, and her faith proves right. As greedy oil sharks close in, Sarah turns to…
17
Five Minutes of Heaven (2009)
★ 6.1/10Also drama
The story of former Ulster Volunteer Force member Alistair Little. Twenty-five years after Little killed Joe Griffin's brother, the media arrange an auspicious meeting between the two.
18
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
★ 7.6/10Also drama
A disturbed, aging Southern belle moves in with her sister for solace — but being face-to-face with her brutish brother-in-law accelerates her downward spiral.
19
The Long, Hot Summer (1958)
★ 7/10Also drama
Accused barn burner and conman Ben Quick arrives in a small Mississippi town and quickly ingratiates himself with its richest family, the Varners.
20
The Best of Enemies (2019)
★ 7.4/10Also drama
Centers on the unlikely relationship between Ann Atwater, an outspoken civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis, a local Ku Klux Klan leader who reluctantly co-chaired a community summit, battling over the desegregation…