Movies Like The Secret Life of Edward James

If you liked The Secret Life of Edward James (1978), a movie directed by Patrick Boyle, 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
Becoming Jane (2007)
★ 7.3/10
Though young Jane Austen's financially strapped parents expect her to marry the nephew of wealthy Lady Gresham, Jane herself knows that such a union will destroy her creativity and sense of self-worth. Instead, she…
2
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.
3
While We're Young (2015)
★ 6/10
An uptight documentary filmmaker and his wife find their lives loosened up a bit after befriending a free-spirited younger couple.
4
Motherless Brooklyn (2019)
★ 6.7/10
New York City, 1957. Lionel Essrog, a private detective living with Tourette syndrome, tries to solve the murder of his mentor and best friend, armed only with vague clues and the strength of his obsessive mind.
5
Elegy (2008)
★ 6.3/10
Cultural critic David Kepesh finds his life -- which he indicates is a state of "emancipated manhood" -- thrown into tragic disarray by Consuela Castillo, a well-mannered student who awakens a sense of sexual…
6
An Unmarried Woman (1978)
★ 6.8/10
A wealthy woman from Manhattan's Upper East Side struggles to deal with her new identity and her sexuality after her husband of 16 years leaves her for a younger woman.
7
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
★ 7.5/10
Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children and then they separated. All three children are extraordinary --- all geniuses. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently…
8
Little Ashes (2008)
★ 5.8/10
About the young life and loves of artist Salvador Dalí, filmmaker Luis Buñuel and writer Federico García Lorca.
9
Far from Heaven (2002)
★ 7.1/10
In 1950s Connecticut, a housewife's life is upended by a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in society.
10
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)
★ 6.1/10
In 1958 New York Diane Arbus is a housewife and mother who works as an assistant to her husband, a photographer employed by her wealthy parents. Respectable though her life is, she cannot help but feel uncomfortable in…
11
Marty Supreme (2025)
★ 7.4/10
Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.
12
Final Portrait (2017)
★ 6/10
Paris, 1964. The Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti, one of the most accomplished and respected artists of his generation, asks his friend, the American writer James Lord, to sit for a portrait, assuring him…
13
Factory Girl (2006)
★ 6/10
In the mid-1960s, wealthy debutant Edie Sedgwick meets artist Andy Warhol. She joins Warhol's famous Factory and becomes his muse. Although she seems to have it all, Edie cannot have the love she craves from Andy, and…
14
A Thousand Words (2012)
★ 6.1/10
Jack McCall is a fast-talking literary agent, who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for his own selfish purposes. But Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack’s life comes…
15
Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)
★ 6.5/10
Recently divorced career woman Alex Greville begins a romantic relationship with glamorous mod artist Bob Elkin, fully aware that he's also intimately involved with middle-aged doctor Daniel Hirsh. For both Alex and…
16
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
★ 7.1/10
Three childhood friends, Martha, Walter and Sam, share a terrible secret. Over time, the ambitious Martha and the pusillanimous Walter have married. She is a cold businesswoman; he is the district attorney: a perfect…
17
Adoration (2013)
★ 6.1/10
Lil and Roz are two lifelong friends, having grown up together as neighbors in an idyllic beach town. As adults, their sons have developed a friendship as strong as that which binds their mothers. One summer, all four…
18
Just Before I Go (2015)
★ 6.4/10
Ted Morgan has been treading water for most of his life. After his wife leaves him, Ted realizes he has nothing left to live for. Summoning the courage for one last act, Ted decides to go home and face the people he…
19
The Portrait of a Lady (1996)
★ 5.9/10
Ms. Isabel Archer isn't afraid to challenge societal norms. Impressed by her free spirit, her kindhearted cousin writes her into his fatally ill father's will. Suddenly rich and independent, Isabelle ventures into the…
20
The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)
★ 6.8/10
Successful surgeon Tomas leaves Prague for an operation, meets a young photographer named Tereza, and brings her back with him. Tereza is surprised to learn that Tomas is already having an affair with the bohemian…