Movies Like Waking Up

If you liked Waking Up (2021), a movie directed by James Patrick Nelson, 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
Maurice (1987)
★ 7.6/10
After his lover rejects him, Maurice attempts to come to terms with his sexuality within the restrictiveness of Edwardian society.
2
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000)
★ 6.3/10
A close-knit group of gay friends share the emotional roller coster of life, relationships, the death of friends, new beginnings, jealousy, fatherhood and professional success. At various stages of life's disarray…
3
Bros (2022)
★ 6.6/10
Two gay men are possibly, probably, stumbling towards love. Maybe. They're both very busy.
4
Ideal Home (2018)
★ 6.4/10
A couple is going through marital troubles made worse when a previously unknown grandson shows up.
5
Supernova (2020)
★ 6.9/10
Sam and Tusker, partners of 20 years, are traveling across England in their old RV visiting friends, family and places from their past. Since Tusker was diagnosed with early-onset dementia two years ago, their time…
6
Beginners (2011)
★ 6.8/10
Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna only months after his father Hal Fields has passed away. This new love floods Oliver with memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 44 years…
7
My Policeman (2022)
★ 7.5/10
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…
8
The Upside (2019)
★ 7.1/10
Phillip is a wealthy quadriplegic who needs a caretaker to help him with his day-to-day routine in his New York penthouse. He decides to hire Dell, a struggling parolee who's trying to reconnect with his ex and his…
9
The Parenting (2025)
★ 6.1/10
Boyfriends Josh and Rohan plan a weekend getaway to introduce their parents, only to discover that their rental is home to an ancient demon.
10
Flow (1996)
★ 7.7/10
A filmmaker talks about his work and love life with an unseen friend behind the camera. We also watch four of his short films.
11
Buddies (1985)
★ 8.2/10
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…
12
Funny People (2009)
★ 5.9/10
Famous and wealthy funnyman George Simmons doesn't give much thought to how he treats people until a doctor delivers stunning health news, forcing George to reevaluate his priorities with a little help from aspiring…
13
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
★ 6.6/10
Based on the autobiographical novel, the tempestuous 6-year relationship between Liberace and his (much younger) lover, Scott Thorson, is recounted.
14
The Object of My Affection (1998)
★ 5.8/10
A pregnant New York social worker begins to develop romantic feelings for her gay best friend, and decides she'd rather raise her child with him, much to the dismay of her overbearing boyfriend.
15
Barefoot (2014)
★ 6.7/10
The "black sheep" son of a wealthy family meets a young psychiatric patient who's been raised in isolation her entire life. He takes the naive young woman home for his brother's wedding an improbable romance blooms, as…
16
Tongues Untied (1990)
★ 6.7/10
Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs…
17
The Boys in the Band (2020)
★ 6.8/10
At a birthday party in 1968 New York, a surprise guest and a drunken game leave seven gay friends reckoning with unspoken feelings and buried truths.
18
There's Something About Mary (1998)
★ 6.6/10
For Ted, prom night went about as bad as it’s possible for any night to go. Thirteen years later, he finally gets another chance with his old prom date, only to run up against other suitors including the sleazy…
19
Love, Simon (2018)
★ 8/10
Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier, it's a little more complicated. He hasn't told his family or friends that he's gay, and he doesn't know the identity of the anonymous classmate…
20
A Friend of Dorothy (2025)
★ 7/10
Dorothy is a lonely widow whose body is failing, but her mind remains as bright as ever. When 17-year-old JJ accidentally kicks his football into her garden, he upends Dorothy's daily routine of pills, prunes, and…