feelsalike.com

Movies that feel like East of Eden (1955)

If you loved East of Eden, the closest films we have are Floating Weeds (1959), Splendor in the Grass (1961) and Black Narcissus (1947). All three share East of Eden's contemplative and romantic feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 7 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on HBO Max, Criterion Channel and Artiflix and others, checked against today's data.

In the Salinas Valley in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming odds with his brother for the love of their father. Cal is frustrated at every turn, from his reaction to the war, how to get ahead in business and in life, and how to relate to his estranged mother.

πŸ… 86% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.8 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Elia Kazancontemplativeromantic

Not on subscription streaming right now. Rent or buy below.

See it on the map

When is East of Eden streaming? β†’

If East of Eden hit the spot, these will too

Floating Weeds poster
Floating Weeds
1959 · dir. Yasujirō Ozu
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.9drama

Common ground: love

A theater troupe master's visit with his old flame unintentionally sets off a chain of unexpected events with devastating consequences.

Feels alike?
Splendor in the Grass poster
Splendor in the Grass
1961 Β· dir. Elia Kazan
πŸ… 75%β˜… 7.7drama Β· romance

Elia Kazan working the same nerve twice

The difference: Sits closer to romance than East of Eden does

A fragile Kansas girl's unrequited and forbidden love for a handsome young man from the town's most powerful family drives her to heartbreak and madness.

Feels alike?
Black Narcissus poster
Black Narcissus
1947 Β· dir. Michael Powell
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.7drama

The same mix in both: stillness, then romance

A group of Anglican nuns, led by Sister Clodagh, are sent to a mountain in the Himalayas. The climate in the region is hostile and the nuns are housed in an odd old palace. They work to establish a school and a hospital, but slowly their focus shifts. Sister Ruth falls for a government worker, Mr. Dean, and begins to question her vow of celibacy. As Sister Ruth obsesses over Mr. Dean, Sister Clodagh becomes immersed in her own memories of love.

Feels alike?
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag poster
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
2013 Β· dir. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
πŸ… 71%β˜… 8.2drama

The same preoccupation in both: love

The difference: Made in the 2010s, in a different era of the craft

The true story of the "Flying Sikh" world champion runner and Olympian Milkha Singh who overcame the massacre of his family, civil war during the India-Pakistan partition, and homelessness to become one of India's most iconic athletes.

Feels alike?
On the Waterfront poster
On the Waterfront
1954 Β· dir. Elia Kazan
πŸ… 99%β˜… 8.1crime Β· drama Β· romance

Elia Kazan directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

The difference: Leans harder into crime than East of Eden does

A prizefighter-turned-longshoreman with a conscience goes up against labor leaders to expose corruption, extortion, and murder among the union ranks.

Feels alike?
The Sea Inside poster
The Sea Inside
2004 Β· dir. Alejandro AmenΓ‘bar
πŸ… 85%β˜… 8drama

One thread runs through both: brothers and sisters

RamΓ³n Sampedro is a ship mechanic and part-time poet left a quadriplegic following a diving accident. RamΓ³n fought for 30 years for the legal right to end his own life. He develops close relationships with his long-term lawyer Julia and his friend Rosa, who tries to convince him that his life is worth living. Despite his situation, RamΓ³n manages to inspire those around him to live life to the fullest.

Feels alike?
After the Wedding poster
After the Wedding
2006 Β· dir. Susanne Bier
πŸ… 87%β˜… 7.7drama

Drama with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

A manager of an orphanage in India is sent to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he discovers a life-altering family secret.

Feels alike?
Loveless poster
Loveless
2017 Β· dir. Andrey Zvyagintsev
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.6drama

Romantic drama in both cases

Zhenya and Boris are going through a vicious divorce marked by resentment, frustration and recriminations. Already embarking on new lives, each with a new partner, they are impatient to start again, to turn the page – even if it means threatening to abandon their 12-year-old son Alyosha. Until, after witnessing one of their fights, Alyosha disappears.

Feels alike?
Yi Yi poster
Yi Yi
2000 Β· dir. Edward Yang
β˜… 8.1drama

Drama built on stillness, twice over

Each member of a family in Taipei asks hard questions about life's meaning as they live through everyday quandaries. NJ is morose: his brother owes him money, his mother is in a coma, his wife suffers a spiritual crisis when she finds her life a blank and his business partners make bad decisions.

Feels alike?
Marty poster
Marty
1955 Β· dir. Delbert Mann
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.7drama Β· romance

Both run romantic where it counts

Marty, a butcher who lives in the Bronx with his mother, is unmarried at 34. Good-natured but socially awkward, he faces constant badgering from family and friends to get married but has reluctantly resigned himself to bachelorhood. He then meets Clara, an unattractive school teacher. Realising their emotional connection, Marty promises to call, but family and friends try to convince him not to.

Feels alike?
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof poster
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
1958 Β· dir. Richard Brooks
πŸ… 97%β˜… 7.9drama

The same two preoccupations: individual, and southern usa

The difference: None of the romance East of Eden is built on

An alcoholic ex-football player drinks his days away, having failed to come to terms with his sexuality and his real feelings for his football buddy who died after an ambiguous accident. His wife is crucified by her desperation to make him desire her: but he resists the affections of his wife. His reunion with his fatherβ€”who is dying of cancerβ€”jogs a host of memories and revelations for both father and son.

Feels alike?
The Hustler poster
The Hustler
1961 Β· dir. Robert Rossen
πŸ… 94%β˜… 7.9drama Β· romance

Both are built on the same subject: money

Fast Eddie Felson is a small-time pool hustler with a lot of talent but a self-destructive attitude. His bravado causes him to challenge the legendary Minnesota Fats to a high-stakes match.

Feels alike?

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share East of Eden’s defining feeling.