Movies Like Pursuit of Freedom

If you liked Pursuit of Freedom (2022), a drama movie directed by George A. Johnson, 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
Hard Eight (1997)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
A stranger mentors a young Reno gambler who weds a hooker and befriends a vulgar casino regular.
2
Eden (2013)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
After a night out with friends, Hyun Jae accepts a late night ride home from a young fire fighter. What begins as a night of promise quickly turns into a nightmare when she is abducted and imprisoned outside Las Vegas…
3
Skin Trade (2014)
★ 6.1/10Also drama
After his family is killed by a Serbian gangster with international interests. NYC detective Nick goes to S.E. Asia and teams up with a Thai detective to get revenge and destroy the syndicates human trafficking network.
4
The Air I Breathe (2007)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
A gambler’s bet spiraling into chaos, a gangster's prophetic visions, a pop star’s dark entanglement, a doctor’s desperate race against time to rescue his beloved... Four interconnected stories reveal life unfolding…
5
The Place Beyond the Pines (2013)
★ 7/10Also drama
A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.
6
Marty Supreme (2025)
★ 7.4/10Also drama
Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.
7
Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
An undocumented immigrant finds a human heart in one of the toilets of the west London hotel where he works with other undocumented immigrants.
8
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
★ 7.1/10Also drama
When illegal card dealer and recovering heroin addict Frankie Machine gets out of prison, he decides to straighten up. Armed with nothing but an old drum set, Frankie tries to get honest work as a drummer. But when his…
9
Above the Rim (1994)
★ 7.1/10Also drama
Story of a promising high school basketball star and his relationships with two brothers, one a drug dealer and the other a former basketball star fallen on hard times and now employed as a security guard.
10
Rounders (1998)
★ 7/10Also drama
Poker addict Mike McDermott knows the game inside out, but loses his money one night in a game to Russian-American gangster Teddy KGB. Promising his partner Jo he'll give up, he meets up with best friend Lester 'Worm'…
11
Urchin (2025)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
Mike, a rough sleeper in London, is trapped in a cycle of self-destruction as he attempts to turn his life around. Along the way, he encounters unexpected chances for a fresh start.
12
Jolene (2010)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
A teenage orphan spends ten years traveling to experience life.
13
Test (2018)
★ 6/10Also drama
Kurt Longson tries to avenge his daughters death. To succeed he has to battle with his conscience and morality to realize true love.
14
Ballad of a Small Player (2025)
★ 5.8/10Also drama
Amid the glittering casinos of Macau, a gambler running from his past—and his debts—becomes fascinated by an enigmatic woman at the baccarat table.
15
The Good Lie (2014)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
A young refugee of the Sudanese Civil War who wins a lottery for relocation to the United States with three other lost boys. Encountering the modern world for the first time, they develop an unlikely friendship with a…
16
The Set-Up (1949)
★ 7.4/10Also drama
Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.
17
Night Always Comes (2025)
★ 6.1/10Also drama
Facing eviction in a city her family can no longer afford, a woman plunges into a desperate and increasingly dangerous all-night search to raise $25,000.
18
Monster (2003)
★ 7.2/10Also drama
In 1989, prostitute Aileen Wuornos befriends and enters a relationship with a young woman named Selby. Determined to straighten out her life, Aileen's limited education lands her back on the corner. She's raped by a…
19
The Poker House (2008)
★ 6.2/10Also drama
Agnes and her two sisters struggle through a day in a home overrun by gamblers, thieves, and johns.
20
Oliver Twist (2005)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
An orphan endures a harsh life in a workhouse before fleeing to London, where he falls in with a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the criminal Fagin, and eventually finds a better life, exposing the cruelties of…