Movies Similar to Paradise Is Burning

8 Mile(2002)

For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance.

7.1

Billy Elliot(2000)

County Durham, England, 1984. The miners' strike has started and the police have started coming up from Bethnal Green, starting a class war with the lower classes suffering. Caught in the middle of the conflict is 11-year old Billy Elliot, who, after leaving his boxing club for the day, stumbles upon a ballet class and finds out that he's naturally talented. He practices with his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson for an upcoming audition in Newcastle-upon Tyne for the royal Ballet school in London.

7.6

Dirty Dancing(1987)

Expecting the usual tedium that accompanies a summer in the Catskills with her family, 17-year-old Frances 'Baby' Houseman is surprised to find herself stepping into the shoes of a professional hoofer—and unexpectedly falling in love.

7.3

The 400 Blows(1959)

For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel, life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including his neglectful parents, Antoine spends his days with his best friend, Rene, trying to plan for a better life. When one of their schemes goes awry, Antoine ends up in trouble with the law, leading to even more conflicts with unsympathetic authority figures.

8.0

Almost Famous(2000)

In 1973, 15-year-old William Miller's unabashed love of music and aspiration to become a rock journalist lands him an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine to interview and tour with the up-and-coming band, Stillwater.

7.5

Closely Watched Trains(1966)

At a village railway station in occupied Czechoslovakia, a bumbling dispatcher’s apprentice longs to liberate himself from his virginity. Oblivious to the war and the resistance that surrounds him, this young man embarks on a journey of sexual awakening and self-discovery, encountering a universe of frustration, eroticism, and adventure within his sleepy backwater depot.

7.2

American Graffiti(1973)

A couple of high school graduates spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college.

7.0

The Last Escape(1980)

The hero of the film Scrubs – a war veteran who works in a school for troubled teens. On the day of release from the special school his favorite pupil Viktor waited in vain for his mother – she did not come for her son, and went out to meet the swimming man, Vitya's stepfather. Then the teacher took home Vitya – Aleksey Ivanovich. But when Viktor saw the house merry company, his resentment prevailed, and the stubborn kid runs away from the bush, and the caretaker does not do anything but go in search of the fugitive

7.7

Dense on the Sea(2000)

Constant Wegman (Benja Bruijning), a 14 year old boy, raised by his grandmother (Carry Tefsen) in Zeedijk, Amsterdam. She is the owner of a cafe-hotel “De Rode Laars” (“The Red Boots”). The dreaming Constant runs away from this world of drunkards, gamblers, fighters by writing poems. His grandmother wants him to take control of the cafe. Then Constant secretly subscribes to a national poem writing competition: a new Vondel is born!

4.0

Just Like Arcadia(2015)

A melancholy, dreamy voyage back to cruel adolescence, which condemns us to live without the possibility of return.

2.0

Homebreaker(2015)

Eelis is skipping classes, mom and dad are on the verge of divorce, sister has yet another boyfriend. The life of a little boy is in its turning point.

4.0

The Breakfast Club(1985)

Five high school students from different walks of life endure a Saturday detention under a power-hungry principal. The disparate group includes rebel John, princess Claire, outcast Allison, brainy Brian and Andrew, the jock. Each has a chance to tell his or her story, making the others see them a little differently -- and when the day ends, they question whether school will ever be the same.

7.7

Butterfly Cloud(1977)

End of childhood, first love and misunderstandings that seem unsolvable. Comic story of sixteen years old boy who seems to be all against his dreams - and the families and friends, and the world from the supermarket where he works.

5.0

Paranoid Park(2007)

A teenage skateboarder becomes suspected of being connected with a security guard who suffered a brutal death in a skate park called "Paranoid Park".

6.5

Cherries(2017)

Family tensions are slowly eroding what should have been a carefree summer for the young boy Jakov. A series of events ending in tragedy will incite his emotional revolt against the grown ups, but also his sense of guilt.

6.7

Push It(2017)

Hedda tries to approach Adam in every way she can, but everything she does turns out wrong. And Adam gets to break all the rules. A film about never being able to win, even though you’re the best, with the gym hall as its arena.

0.0

Persepolis(2007)

In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family of a long dream being fulfilled of the hated Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. However as Marji grows up, she witnesses first hand how the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, has become a repressive tyranny on its own.

7.9

Maria Full of Grace(2004)

A pregnant Colombian teenager becomes a drug mule to make some desperately needed money for her family.

7.2

Popular Music(2004)

Matti and Niila, growing up in the mid-sixties in the harsh and conservative environment of a Finnish-speaking part of Tornedalen in Swedish Laponia, close to the Finnish border. Their big dream is to become rock stars. In the present the now grown-up Matti feels guilt for the death of his drug-addicted rock star friend Niila.

6.2

7 Virgins(2005)

Tano is 16-years-old and is already sitting in jail. In 48 hours he’s a free man and off to the wedding of his brother. In the two days he recounts his neighborhood in a section of Sevilla.

6.0