Movies Like The Substitute

If you liked The Substitute (2017), a romance and drama movie directed by Zero Chou, 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
Below Her Mouth (2017)
★ 6.8/10Also drama and romance
An unexpected affair quickly escalates into a heart-stopping reality for two women whose passionate connection changes their lives forever.
2
Camp Belvidere (2014)
★ 6.5/10Also romance and drama
Camp Belvidere is a lesbian romance set in the 1950s about the coming of age of Camp Leader Rose and her forbidden encounter with Nurse Gin. It depicts the journey and evolution of a friendship into a romance between…
3
Girls Like Girls (2026)
★ 7.4/10Also romance and drama
After her mother's passing, 17-year-old Coley navigates new feelings of intimacy with Sonya in rural Oregon, where both girls must overcome their mutual uncertainties and self-doubt to embrace their connection.
4
My Policeman (2022)
★ 7.5/10Also drama and romance
In the late 1990s, the arrival of elderly invalid Patrick into Marion and Tom’s home triggers the exploration of seismic events from 40 years previous: the passionate relationship between Tom and Patrick at a time when…
5
Departure (2016)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and romance
An English mother and her teenage son spend a week preparing the sale of their remote holiday house in the South of France. Fifteen-year-old Elliot struggles with his dawning sexuality and an increasing alienation from…
6
Marked Men: Rule + Shaw (2025)
★ 6.7/10Also romance and drama
Shaw Landon has loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule, a fiery-tempered rebel tattoo artist, doesn’t have time for a good girl pre-med student like Shaw — even if she’s the only one who can see…
7
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between (2022)
★ 6.1/10Also romance and drama
Clare and Aidan make a pact to break up before college — no regrets, no broken hearts. But will one epic goodbye date offer them a last chance at love?
8
I Can't Think Straight (2008)
★ 7.5/10Also drama and romance
Tala, a London-based Palestinian, is preparing for her elaborate Middle Eastern wedding when she meets Leyla, a young British Indian woman who is dating her best friend. Spirited Christian Tala and shy Muslim Leyla…
9
Winter Spring Summer or Fall (2024)
★ 7.3/10Also romance and drama
Remi and Barnes, two very different teenagers, meet by chance in the winter of their senior year, then spend four days together over the course of a year that will change their lives forever.
10
Gabriel's Inferno: Part III (2020)
★ 8.3/10Also romance and drama
The final part of the film adaption of the erotic romance novel Gabriel's Inferno written by an anonymous Canadian author under the pen name Sylvain Reynard.
11
See You Soon (2019)
★ 5.9/10Also romance and drama
A U.S. soccer star suffers a career-threatening injury in the run-up to the World Cup, and during his recovery, embarks on an epic romance with a Russian single mom.
12
Love Me Love Me (2026)
★ 6.1/10Also romance and drama
After her brother's death, June moves to Milan for a fresh start, finding comfort in Will, the perfect honor student at her new international school. But when his troubled best friend James—hiding a dangerous life in…
13
A Perfect Ending (2012)
★ 6.2/10Also drama and romance
This intimate drama follows Rebecca, a woman who has kept her sexuality a secret from her friends but chooses to reveal it to a stranger. While Rebecca's revelations may not yield the results she expects, a perfect…
14
The World to Come (2021)
★ 7/10Also romance and drama
In 1856, two women forge a close connection despite their isolation on the American frontier.
15
All of You (2025)
★ 6.3/10Also romance and drama
Laura and Simon have been best friends since college. Over the years, they've realized their bond is more than platonic. Can they—and should they—risk everything to explore a love that has existed all along?
16
Heartstopper Forever (2026)
★ 7.2/10Also romance and drama
It's a new school year for the Truham-Higgs gang. As Nick and Charlie's relationship deepens, their thoughts turn to life after the last bell rings.
17
Blue Gate Crossing (2002)
★ 7.2/10Also drama and romance
Yueh-chen has an obsession with her classmate Shihao, but is too shy to confess to him directly. She sends in her best friend, Kerou, to act as a go-between, and Shihao ends up falling for Kerou, who is not sure what…
18
Newness (2017)
★ 6.1/10Also romance and drama
In contemporary Los Angeles, two millennials navigating a social media–driven hookup culture begin a relationship that pushes both emotional and physical boundaries.
19
Time Is Up (2021)
★ 6.5/10Also romance and drama
Vivien, an accomplished student with a passion for physics, and Roy, a troubled young man, are involved in an accident that forces them to reclaim their lives one minute at the time.
20
Love Everlasting (2016)
★ 7.4/10Also romance and drama
Bridger is a young outsider who's always wanted more. He and his mother flee an abusive home, eventually finding a small town in the middle of nowhere. Once there, Bridger finds true acceptance with another misfit.