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Movies that feel like Autumn Sonata (1978)

If you loved Autumn Sonata, the closest films we have are Fanny and Alexander (1982), Winter Light (1963) and The Passion of Anna (1969). All three share Autumn Sonata's contemplative and melancholy feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 11 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video and others, checked against today's data.

After a seven-year absence, Charlotte Andergast travels to Sweden to reunite with her daughter Eva. The pair have a troubled relationship: Charlotte sacrificed the responsibilities of motherhood for a career as a classical pianist. Over an emotional night, the pair reopen the wounds of the past. Charlotte gets another shock when she finds out that her mentally impaired daughter, Helena, is out of the asylum and living with Eva.

πŸ… 85% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 8.1 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Ingmar Bergmancontemplativestylishmelancholyromantic
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If Autumn Sonata hit the spot, these will too

Fanny and Alexander poster
Fanny and Alexander
1982 Β· dir. Ingmar Bergman
πŸ… 100%β˜… 8.1fantasy Β· drama Β· mystery

The same hand behind both of them: Ingmar Bergman

The difference: Missing the style of Autumn Sonata

As children in the loving Ekdahl family, Fanny and Alexander enjoy a happy life with their parents, who run a theater company. After their father dies unexpectedly, however, the siblings end up in a joyless home when their mother, Emilie, marries a stern bishop. The bleak situation gradually grows worse as the bishop becomes more controlling, but dedicated relatives make a valiant attempt to aid Emilie, Fanny and Alexander.

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Winter Light poster
Winter Light
1963 Β· dir. Ingmar Bergman
πŸ… 77%β˜… 8drama

Ingmar Bergman working the same nerve twice

The difference: Not nearly as stylish as Autumn Sonata

A Swedish pastor fails a loving woman, a suicidal fisherman and God.

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The Passion of Anna poster
The Passion of Anna
1969 Β· dir. Ingmar Bergman
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.6drama

Both keep coming back to the same thing: grief

A recently divorced man and an emotionally devastated widow begin a love affair.

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Beyond the Universe poster
Beyond the Universe
2022 Β· dir. Diego Freitas
β˜… 6.6romance Β· drama Β· music

Common ground: pianist

The difference: Sits closer to romance than Autumn Sonata does

While waiting for a kidney transplant, a young pianist finds an unexpected connection with her doctor β€” and the courage to fulfill her musical dreams.

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Walk the Line poster
Walk the Line
2005 Β· dir. James Mangold
πŸ… 83%β˜… 7.8drama Β· music Β· romance

Both are built on the same subject: marriage

The difference: Made in the 2000s, in a different era of the craft

A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

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Places in the Heart poster
Places in the Heart
1984 Β· dir. Robert Benton
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.4drama

One thread runs through both: grief

In 1935 rural Texas, recently widowed Edna Spaulding struggles to survive with two small children, a farm to run, and very little money in the bank - not to mention a deadly tornado and the unwelcome presence of the Ku Klux Klan. Edna is aided by her beautician sister, Margaret; a blind boarder, Mr. Will; and a would-be thief, Moze, who decides to teach Edna how to plant and harvest cotton.

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Woodstock poster
Woodstock
1970 Β· dir. Michael Wadleigh
πŸ… 100%β˜… 8.1documentary Β· music

The same mix in both: style, then romance

An intimate look at the Woodstock Music & Art Festival held in Bethel, NY in 1969, from preparation through cleanup, with historic access to insiders, blistering concert footage, and portraits of the concertgoers; negative and positive aspects are shown, from drug use by performers to naked fans sliding in the mud, from the collapse of the fences by the unexpected hordes to the surreal arrival of National Guard helicopters with food and medical assistance for the impromptu city of 500,000.

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Tender Mercies poster
Tender Mercies
1983 Β· dir. Bruce Beresford
πŸ… 83%β˜… 7.3drama Β· music Β· romance

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

Alcoholic former country singer Mac Sledge makes friends with a young widow and her son. The friendship enables him to find inspiration to resume his career.

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The Silence poster
The Silence
1963 Β· dir. Ingmar Bergman
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.7drama Β· romance

The same preoccupation in both: dramatic

Traveling through an unnamed European country on the brink of war, sickly, intellectual Ester, her sister Anna and Anna's young son, Johan, check into a near-empty hotel. A basic inability to communicate among the three seems only to worsen during their stay. Anna provokes her sister by enjoying a dalliance with a local man, while the boy, left to himself, has a series of enigmatic encounters that heighten the growing air of isolation.

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Nobody Knows poster
Nobody Knows
2004 Β· dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda
πŸ… 92%β˜… 8drama

Melancholy music in both cases

In a small Tokyo apartment, twelve-year-old Akira must care for his younger siblings after their mother leaves them and shows no sign of returning.

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Distant Voices, Still Lives poster
Distant Voices, Still Lives
1988 Β· dir. Terence Davies
πŸ… 80%β˜… 7.4drama Β· music

Drama built on stillness, twice over

Siblings Maisie and Tony, along with their mother, gather for their sister Eileen's wedding. It is a joyous occasion, but through flashbacks, it becomes clear that the family was not always happy. Their father was physically abusive to his wife and left the children emotionally traumatized. As a result, the children have grown into unhappy adults, looking for love they didn't receive when they were young.

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The Last Waltz poster
The Last Waltz
1978 Β· dir. Martin Scorsese
πŸ… 98%β˜… 8.1documentary Β· music

Music with a pulse of style, in both cases

Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, and other rock legends.

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In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Autumn Sonata’s defining feeling.