Movies Like Shame and Understanding

If you liked Shame and Understanding, a movie, 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
Out of My Mind (2024)
★ 7.7/10
Melody Brooks, a sixth grader with cerebral palsy, has a quick wit and a sharp mind, but because she is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair, she is not given the same opportunities as her classmates. When a young educator…
2
Saint Catherine (2024)
★ 6.2/10
An orphaned girl is rescued from a satanic ritual and taken to Saint Catherine Institute for homeless youth. There she will learn new skills while facing demons that stalk her.
3
The Fallout (2021)
★ 7.5/10
In the wake of a school tragedy, Vada, Mia and Quinton form a unique and dynamic bond as they navigate the never linear, often confusing journey to heal in a world that feels forever changed.
4
A Dog's Purpose (2017)
★ 7.6/10
A dog goes on quest to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes with multiple owners.
5
Vicious (2025)
★ 6/10
When Polly receives a mysterious box, it comes with one rule: place inside something she needs, something she hates, and something she loves. If she doesn’t obey, it will consume everything—and everyone—she’s ever known.
6
What Maisie Knew (2013)
★ 7.1/10
In New York City, a young girl is caught in the middle of her parents' bitter custody battle.
7
Orphan (2009)
★ 7/10
After losing their baby, a married couple adopt 9-year old Esther, who may not be as innocent as she seems.
8
Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
★ 6.7/10
In 1965, a young woman with dreams of becoming a writer has a son at the age of 15 and struggles to make things work with the drug-addicted father.
9
Level 16 (2018)
★ 6.7/10
The teenage girls of Vestalis Academy are meticulously trained in the art of being “clean girls,” practicing the virtues of perfect femininity. But what exactly are they being trained for? Vivien intends to find out.
10
Mr. Church (2016)
★ 7.4/10
A unique friendship develops when a little girl and her dying mother inherit a cook - Mr. Church. What begins as an arrangement that should only last six months, instead spans fifteen years.
11
Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)
★ 7.1/10
A poor, struggling South Carolinian mother and daughter face painful choices with their resolve and pride. Bone, the eldest daughter, and Anney her tired mother, grow both closer and farther apart: Anney sees Glen as…
12
The Miracle Worker (1962)
★ 7.9/10
The true story of the frightening, lonely world of silence and darkness of 7-year-old Helen Keller who, since infancy, has never seen the sky, heard her mother's voice or expressed her innermost feelings. Then Annie…
13
All of You (2025)
★ 6.3/10
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?
14
Gracie (2007)
★ 6.2/10
A teenager faces an uphill battle when she fights to give women the opportunity to play competitive soccer.
15
Luckiest Girl Alive (2022)
★ 6.5/10
A successful woman in New York City finds her life upended when she is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted life.
16
Lassie (1994)
★ 6.1/10
On their way to start a new life at a sheep farm in rural Virginia, the Turner family are halted by a wreck on the highway that has claimed the life of a truck driver. Spotting the trucker's now-abandoned collie on the…
17
Don't Say Good Luck (2026)
★ 7.3/10
Sophie Birenbaum is ready for the spotlight as the lead in her high school musical—until she's suddenly facing more drama at home than on the stage.
18
Lady Bird (2017)
★ 7.2/10
Lady Bird McPherson, a strong willed, deeply opinionated, artistic 17 year old comes of age in Sacramento. Her relationship with her mother and her upbringing are questioned and tested as she plans to head off to…
19
One Night with the King (2006)
★ 6.7/10
In Biblical times, a girl disguises her Jewish origins when the Persian king comes looking for a new bride among his subjects.
20
Herself (2020)
★ 6.7/10
Struggling to provide her daughters with a safe, happy home, Sandra decides to build one - from scratch. Using all her ingenuity to make her ambitious dream a reality, Sandra draws together a community to lend a…