Movies Like The Doldrums or How to Cure Sadness

If you liked The Doldrums or How to Cure Sadness (2012), a drama movie directed by Ángeles Cruz, 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
Love You to Death (2019)
★ 7.6/10Also drama
Inspired by a true story, this film tells the shocking tale of a mother and daughter who are nothing like they seem, their tumultuous relationship ending in a brutal murder.
2
The Fallout (2021)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
In the wake of a school tragedy, Vada, Mia and Quinton form a unique and dynamic bond as they navigate the never linear, often confusing journey to heal in a world that feels forever changed.
3
Tuesday (2024)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
A mother and her teenage daughter must confront Death when it arrives in the form of an astonishing talking bird.
4
If Anything Happens I Love You (2020)
★ 7.7/10Also drama
Grieving parents journey through an emotional void as they mourn the loss of a child after a tragic school shooting.
5
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.
6
'night, Mother (1986)
★ 7.4/10Also drama
A mother and daughter spend a night together after the daughter reveals that she will kill herself by the end of it.
7
Mommie Dearest (1981)
★ 6.4/10Also drama
Renowned film star Joan Crawford's abuse towards Christina, her adopted daughter, intensifies as her professional and romantic relationships turn sour.
8
Die My Love (2025)
★ 6.1/10Also drama
After inheriting a remote Montana house, Jackson moves there from New York with his partner Grace, and the couple soon welcome a child. As Jackson becomes increasingly absent and rural isolation sets in, Grace…
9
The Beloved (2026)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
Acclaimed film director Esteban Martínez is a legend both for his films and for his past marked by violence and excess. For his latest project, he offers his daughter Emilia a role under the pretext of helping her with…
10
Cria! (1976)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
Ana, an eight-year-old girl living in Madrid with her grandmother and two sisters, mourns the death of her mother.
11
Flowers in the Attic (2014)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
After the sudden death of their father, four children face cruel treatment from their ruthless grandmother.
12
The Chronology of Water (2025)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
Plagued by an abusive childhood, a woman finds escape in competitive swimming, sexual experimentation, toxic relationships, and addiction before ultimately finding her voice through writing.
13
My Zoe (2019)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
Isabelle, a geneticist recovering from a toxic marriage, is raising her only daughter, Zoe, with her contentious ex-husband. Zoe means everything to her mother and so when tragedy strikes the fractured family, Isabelle…
14
Deaf (2025)
★ 7.2/10Also drama
Angela's deafness raises concerns during her pregnancy regarding connecting with her daughter. Post-delivery, partner Héctor supports her as she learns to mother in a society lacking adequate accommodations for the…
15
The Thing with Feathers (2025)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
Following the death of his wife, a young father's hold on reality crumbles, and a strange presence begins to stalk him from the shadowy recesses of the apartment he shares with his two young sons.
16
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.
17
Goodbye June (2025)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
Four siblings' lives change drastically when their ailing mother takes a turn for the worse over the holiday season.
18
Fish Tank (2009)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
Fifteen-year-old Mia is in a constant state of war with her family and the world around her. When she meets her party-girl mother’s charming new boyfriend Connor, she is amazed to find he returns her attention, and…
19
Mothers' Instinct (2024)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
Housewives Alice and Celine are best friends and neighbours who seem to have it all. However, when a tragic accident shatters the harmony of their lives, guilt, suspicion and paranoia begin to unravel their sisterly…
20
Four Good Days (2021)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
A mother helps her daughter work through four crucial days of recovery from substance abuse.