12 Movies Like Manchester by the Sea You Need to Watch
Find 12 powerful picks for fans of grief-driven drama, eerie horror, and tense mystery, from A Kid and Natasha to Hereditary and We the Animals.
If you’re searching for movies like Manchester by the Sea, you probably want stories that sit with grief, family tension, and the quiet damage people carry. This list leans into that mood with intimate dramas such as A Kid, Natasha, and We the Animals, each one grounded in raw emotion and careful character work. For something darker, Hereditary, Dayveon, and Woven bring in horror, crime, and mystery without losing the human pain at the center. You’ll also find The Choice alongside Manchester by the Sea and other recent favorites from the page, giving you a mix of heavy, thoughtful films that linger long after the credits roll.
-
01
A Kid
drama
Matthieu is a 33 year old Parisian who finds out that the father he never knew has died and decides to go to his funeral in order to meet his two siblings in Quebec. But once in Montréal, he realizes that nobody is aware of his existence or even interested in it. He is alone, in hostile territory…
Directed by Philippe LioretCast Pierre Deladonchamps, Gabriel Arcand, Catherine De Léan, Marie-Thérèse Fortin, Pierre-Yves CardinalAmazon Prime Video -
02
Natasha
drama · horror
Natasha takes place over the course of one summer. It is the story of Mark Berman, 16, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants living in the suburbs north of Toronto. When his uncle enters into an arranged marriage with woman from Moscow, the woman arrives in Canada with her fourteen year-old daughter, Natasha. Mark, a slacker, is conscripted by his parents to take responsibility for the strange girl. He learns that, in Moscow, she’d led a troubled and promiscuous life. A secret and forbidden romance begins between the two of them that has bizarre and tragic consequences for everyone involved.
Directed by Harry NottCast Stuart Morgan, Ellena Dobby, Luke Harding, Marie Netsborn, Hayley JamesFreevee -
03
Hereditary
drama · horror · mystery · thriller
Following the death of the Leigh family matriarch, Annie and her children uncover disturbing secrets about their heritage. Their daily lives are not only impacted, but they also become entangled in a chilling fate from which they cannot escape, driving them to the brink of madness.
Directed by Ari AsterCast Alex Wolff, Gabriel Byrne, Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Christy SummerhaysMax -
04
Woven
crime · drama · mystery
When a mysterious crime takes the life of her only brother, an Ethiopian American woman searches for the truth behind his death, while struggling to reconcile cultural expectations with her own pursuit of self-identity and love.
Directed by Nagwa Ibrahim, Salome MulugetaCast Salome Mulugeta, Ryan O'Nan, Ryan Spahn, Larisa Polonsky, Alemtsehay WedajoFreevee -
05
The Choice
drama · romance
Travis and Gabby first meet as neighbors in a small coastal town and wind up in a relationship that is tested by life's most defining events.
Directed by Ross KatzCast Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer, Maggie Grace, Alexandra Daddario, Tom WilkinsonNetflix -
06
Dayveon
crime · drama
In the wake of his big brother’s violent death, 13-year-old Dayveon struggles to find his way in an economically depressed Arkansas town. With no parents and few role models around, Dayveon is soon torn between the lure of a local gang and the friendship of his sister’s boyfriend.
Directed by Amman AbbasiCast Devin Blackmon, Kordell Johnson, Dontrell Bright, Chasity Moore, Lachion BuckinghamAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
07
We the Animals
drama
Manny, Joel and Jonah tear their way through childhood and push against the volatile love of their parents. As Manny and Joel grow into versions of their father and Ma dreams of escape, Jonah, the youngest, embraces an imagined world all his own.
Directed by Jeremiah ZagarCast Evan Rosado, Raúl Castillo, Sheila Vand, Isaiah Kristian, Josiah Gabriel SantiagoAmazon Prime Video -
08
The Winter House
drama
Eileen is grieving. She needs to get away. She rents a house in a remote corner of New Hampshire, in the dead of winter, where no one is likely to bother her. But wouldn't you know it? Someone does.
Directed by Keith BoyntonCast François Arnaud, Lili Taylor, Hunter Emery, Beth Fowler, Stephen C. BradburyAmazon Prime Video -
09
Louder Than Bombs
drama
Three years after his wife, acclaimed photographer Isabelle Reed, dies in a car crash, Gene keeps everyday life going with his shy teenage son, Conrad. A planned exhibition of Isabelle’s photographs prompts Gene's older son, Jonah, to return to the house he grew up in - and for the first time in a very long time, the father and the two brothers are living under the same roof.
Directed by Joachim TrierCast Gabriel Byrne, Isabelle Huppert, Jesse Eisenberg, Devin Druid, Amy RyanAmazon Prime Video -
10
In the Summers
drama
On a journey that spans the formative years of their lives, two sisters navigate their loving but volatile father during their yearly summer visits to his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Directed by Alessandra LacorazzaCast Residente, Sasha Calle, Lío Mehiel, Dreya Castillo, Luciana Elisa QuinonezHulu -
11
Jack Goes Home
drama · horror · mystery & thriller
After his father is killed in a car crash, Jack travels home to Colorado to help nurse his mother (who was injured in the crash) back to health. There, he uncovers long buried secrets and lies within his family, his friends, and his very identity.
Directed by Thomas DekkerCast Rory Culkin, Nando Del Castillo, Sally Del Castillo, Lawton Denis, Lin ShayeStarz -
12
Mediterranea
drama
Ayiva recently left his home in Burkina Faso in search of a way to provide for his sister and his daughter. He takes advantage of his position in an illegal smuggling operation to get himself and his best friend Abas off of the continent. Ayiva adapts to life in Italy, but when tensions with the local community rise, things become increasingly dangerous. Determined to make his new situation work he attempts to weather the storm, but it has its costs.
Directed by Jonas CarpignanoCast Koudous Seihon, Alassane Sy, Adam Gnegne, Mary Elizabeth Innocence, Pio AmatoAMC+
Wrapping Up
These picks are here for viewers who want more than a simple tearjerker; they’re for anyone drawn to flawed people, hard choices, and stories that feel lived in. Whether you start with Hereditary for the uneasy atmosphere or A Kid for a smaller, quieter emotional blow, each title adds something different to the same reflective lane. Bookmark this page and come back when you want another thoughtful recommendation. It’s updated regularly, so the lineup keeps growing as new matches are added.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes these movies similar to Manchester by the Sea?
These picks were matched by tone, themes, and story style using a similarity model trained on plot synopses, genres, and cast — not just shared genre tags — so the connection runs deeper than a simple category match.
Related Guides
Last updated: September 12, 2026