Movies Like The Love Effect

If you liked The Love Effect (2016), a drama movie directed by Drue Metz, 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
Brian's Song (1971)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
Based on the real-life relationship between teammates Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers and the bond established when Piccolo discovers that he is dying.
2
Soul Surfer (2011)
★ 7/10Also drama
The true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.
3
Cast Away (2000)
★ 7.7/10Also drama
Chuck Noland, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malaysia crashes at sea during a terrible storm. He's the only survivor…
4
The Old Man and the Sea (1958)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
Santiago is an aging, down-on-his-luck, Cuban fisherman who, after catching nothing for nearly 3 months, hooks a huge Marlin and struggles to land it far out in the Gulf Stream.
5
Chasing Mavericks (2012)
★ 7/10Also drama
Surfer Jay Moriarity sets out to ride the Northern California break known as Mavericks.
6
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
★ 7.2/10Also drama
When their ocean liner capsizes, a group of passengers struggle to survive and escape.
7
The Cure (1995)
★ 7.9/10Also drama
Erik, a loner, finds a friend in Dexter, an eleven-year-old boy with AIDS. They vow to find a cure for AIDS together and save Dexter's life in an eventful summer.
8
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
★ 7.6/10Also drama
An alcoholic ex-football player drinks his days away, having failed to come to terms with his sexuality and his real feelings for his football buddy who died after an ambiguous accident. His wife is crucified by her…
9
Eleanor the Great (2025)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein tries to rebuild her life after the death of her best friend. As a result, she moves back to New York City after living in Florida for decades.
10
Buddies (1985)
★ 8.2/10Also drama
David, a naive graduate student, has volunteered to work as a 'buddy' for people dying of AIDS. Assigned to the intensely political Robert, a lifelong activist whose friends and family have abandoned him following his…
11
Upstream Color (2013)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the lifecycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.
12
Here (2024)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
An odyssey through time and memory, centered on a place in New Jersey where—from wilderness, and then, later, from a home—love, loss, struggle, hope and legacy play out between couples and families over generations.
13
Lucy Shimmers and the Prince of Peace (2020)
★ 8.4/10Also drama
Second chances start when a hardened criminal crosses paths with a precocious little girl who is helped by an angel to change hearts during the holiday season.
14
Clouds (2020)
★ 8.2/10Also drama
Young musician Zach Sobiech discovers his cancer has spread, leaving him just a few months to live. With limited time, he follows his dream and makes an album, unaware that it will soon be a viral music phenomenon.
15
The Swan (2023)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
Two large, ignorant bullies ruthlessly pursue a small, brilliant boy in this young adult Roald Dahl short story.
16
True Spirit (2023)
★ 7/10Also drama
When the tenacious young sailor Jessica Watson sets out to be the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the world, many expect her to fail. With the support of her sailing coach and mentor Ben…
17
Fearless (1993)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
After surviving a plane crash that kills many others, Max Klein develops a sense of invulnerability, leading to radical, compulsive actions. Can a psychologist and a fellow guilt-ridden survivor bring him down to earth?
18
Blue Miracle (2021)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
To save their cash-strapped orphanage, a guardian and his kids partner with a washed-up boat captain for a chance to win a lucrative fishing competition.
19
Good One (2024)
★ 6.6/10Also drama
On a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills, 17-year-old Sam contends with the competing egos of her father and his oldest friend.
20
Black or White (2015)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
A grieving widower is drawn into a custody battle over his granddaughter, whom he helped raise her entire life.