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Movies that feel like Water for Elephants (2011)

If you loved Water for Elephants, the closest films we have are The Best of Me (2014), After We Collided (2020) and With Every Heartbeat (2011). All three share Water for Elephants' 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 Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Criterion Channel and others, checked against today's data.

In this captivating Depression-era melodrama, impetuous veterinary student Jacob Jankowski joins a celebrated circus as an animal caretaker but faces a wrenching dilemma when he's transfixed by angelic married performer Marlena.

πŸ… 60% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 6.9 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Francis Lawrencecontemplativeromantictender

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If Water for Elephants hit the spot, these will too

The Best of Me poster
The Best of Me
2014 Β· dir. Michael Hoffman
πŸ… 12%β˜… 6.7drama Β· romance

The same mix in both: stillness, then romance

The difference: Critics were much harder on this one

A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.

After We Collided poster
After We Collided
2020 Β· dir. Roger Kumble
πŸ… 13%β˜… 5.1drama Β· romance

The same preoccupation in both: grand

Tessa finds herself struggling with her complicated relationship with Hardin; she faces a dilemma that could change their lives forever.

With Every Heartbeat poster
With Every Heartbeat
2011 Β· dir. Alexandra-Therese Keining
β˜… 6.8romance Β· drama

Tender drama in both cases

After they meet at their parent's engagement party, Mia and Frida are intrigued by and attracted to one another, despite Mia's own upcoming engagement to Tim. Mia must decide whether to continue her life with Tim or to follow her heart with Frida.

The Longest Ride poster
The Longest Ride
2015 Β· dir. George Tillman Jr.
πŸ… 31%β˜… 7drama Β· romance

Romance built on stillness, twice over

The lives of a young couple intertwine with a much older man as he reflects back on a lost love while he's trapped in an automobile crash.

Eat Pray Love poster
Eat Pray Love
2010 Β· dir. Ryan Murphy
πŸ… 34%β˜… 5.9drama Β· romance

Both lean on romance more than on drama

A married woman realizes how unhappy her marriage really is, and that her life needs to go in a different direction. After a painful divorce, she takes off on a round-the-world journey to "find herself".

Like Crazy poster
Like Crazy
2011 Β· dir. Drake Doremus
πŸ… 70%β˜… 6.6drama Β· romance

Tender romance, and it commits to that

A British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she's banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan poster
Jab Tak Hai Jaan
2012 Β· dir. Yash Chopra
πŸ… 91%β˜… 6.7drama Β· romance

Drama with a pulse of stillness, in both cases

Samar Anand, a London-based struggling musician falls in love with Meera Thappar. After a severe accident, a panicked Meera promises God to leave Samar if he lives. Heartbroken, Samar leaves for India to become a fearless bomb disposal expert in the army.

Certified Copy poster
Certified Copy
2010 Β· dir. Abbas Kiarostami
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7.2drama Β· romance

Romantic romance, and it commits to that

In Tuscany to promote his latest book, a middle-aged English writer meets a French woman who leads him to the village of Lucignano.

The Lucky One poster
The Lucky One
2012 Β· dir. Scott Hicks
πŸ… 20%β˜… 6.4drama Β· romance

A streak of tenderness through both

A Marine travels to Louisiana after serving three tours in Iraq and searches for the unknown woman he believes was his good luck charm during the war.

One Day poster
One Day
2011 Β· dir. Lone Scherfig
πŸ… 36%β˜… 7drama Β· romance

Both know what they want from drama

After spending the night together on the eve of their college graduation, Dexter and Emma are shown each year on the same date to see where they are in their lives. They are sometimes together, and sometimes not.

Two Lovers poster
Two Lovers
2008 Β· dir. James Gray
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7drama Β· romance

The romance is handled with the same confidence

A depressed man moves back in with his parents following a recent heartbreak and finds himself with two women.

Sidewalls poster
Sidewalls
2011 Β· dir. Gustavo Taretto
πŸ… 70%β˜… 7.5drama Β· romance

Cut from the same drama cloth

Martin is a neurotic web designer taking baby steps out of the isolation of his one-room apartment and his virtual reality. Mariana is an artist fresh out of a long relationship. They are perfect for each other, live on the same street, in opposite buildings, but they never meet. Can the movement of a modern city of three million people bring them together?

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Water for Elephants’ defining feeling.