Movies Like Kes (1970)

Kes is a 1970 drama film from Ken Loach with a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with A Taste of Honey and Room at the Top.

Drama

A Taste of Honey

1961

While out to avoid spending time with her narcissistic and promiscuous mother, sixteen-year-old Jo has a brief affair that leaves her pregnant and abandoned. When her mother remarries, Jo's only support becomes her friend Geoffrey, a homosexual.

6.9

MagicScore

Room at the Top

1958

An ambitious young accountant schemes to wed a wealthy factory owner's daughter, despite falling in love with a married older woman.

6.9

MagicScore

This Sporting Life

1963

In Northern England in the early 1960s, Frank Machin is mean, tough and ambitious enough to become an immediate star in the rugby league team run by local employer Weaver.

7.0

MagicScore

A Kind of Loving

1962

As Vic Brown vacillates between infatuation and disinterest for his co-worker Ingrid Rothwell, she finds out that she is pregnant and Vic has to reconcile how he thought his life would go with what life actually has in store for him.

7.0

MagicScore

My Summer of Love

2005

In the Yorkshire countryside, working-class tomboy Mona meets the exotic, pampered Tamsin. To seal their friendship, Mona introduces Tamsin to her born-again Christian brother and helps her spy on her adulterous father. Bound together by their secrets, the two girls see their friendship deepen and enter into dangerous waters.

6.1

MagicScore

Threads

1984

Documentary style account of a nuclear holocaust and its effect on the working class city of Sheffield, England; and the eventual long run effects of nuclear war on civilization.

7.6

MagicScore

The Tree of Life

2011

The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.

6.7

MagicScore

Legends of the Fall

1994

In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow lives on a ranch in the wilderness with his sons, Alfred, Tristan, and Samuel. Eventually, the unconventional but close-knit family are bound by loyalty, tested by war, and torn apart by love, as told over the course of several decades in this epic saga.

7.4

MagicScore

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

1960

A 22-year-old factory worker lets loose on the weekends: drinking, brawling, and dating two women, one of whom is older and married.

7.0

MagicScore

#10

Legendary

2010

A book-smart teenager joins his school's wrestling team as a way to reunite his surviving family members, who split apart after the death of his father, a college wrestling legend, 10 years ago.

6.5

MagicScore

#11

The Slingshot

1993

Stockholm in the 1920s. Young Roland lives with his socialist father, Jewish mother and a boxing brother. His mother sells condoms illegally, and from them, Roland makes slingshots which he sells. His rebellious ways has gotten him the special attention of his school teacher, who always makes sure that Roland is punished. Roland also tries to make extra money by repairing bicycles, a successful business that in the end lands him in hot water.

6.0

MagicScore

#12

A Private Function

1984

In the summer of 1947, Britain prepares to commemorate the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. To get around food-rationing laws, Dr. Charles Swaby, accountant Henry Allardyce and solicitor Frank Lockwood are fattening a black-market pig for the big day. Egged on by his wife, meek Gilbert Chilvers steals the swine, but the couple must conceal it from inspector Morris Wormold.

6.4

MagicScore

#13

Calendar Girls

2003

Members of a Yorkshire branch of the Women's Institute cause controversy when they pose nude for a charity calendar.

6.5

MagicScore

#14

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

1993

Gilbert Grape is a small-town young man with a lot of responsibility. Chief among his concerns are his mother, who is so overweight that she can't leave the house, and his mentally impaired younger brother, Arnie, who has a knack for finding trouble. Settled into a job at a grocery store and an ongoing affair with local woman Betty Carver, Gilbert finally has his life shaken up by the free-spirited Becky.

7.7

MagicScore

#15

The Sparks Brothers

2021

Take a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers Ron & Russell Mael, celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your favorite band’s favorite band.

7.3

MagicScore

#16

My Brother Is an Only Child

2007

Accio and Manrico are siblings from a working-class family in 1960s Italy: older Manrico is handsome, charismatic, and loved by all, while younger Accio is sulky, hot-headed, and treats life as a battleground — much to his parents' chagrin. After the former is drawn into left-wing politics, Accio joins the fascists out of spite, but his flimsy beliefs are put to test when he falls for Manrico's like-minded girlfriend.

6.7

MagicScore

#17

The Chipmunk Adventure

1987

The Chipmunks and the Chipettes go head to head in a hot air balloon race, and the winner gets $10,000. Unbeknownst to the participants, the "race" is actually a diamond smuggling ring!

6.8

MagicScore

#18

Close

2022

Two 13-year-old boys spend an idyllic summer together, but their connection is put to the test when they become the subject of speculation at school.

7.8

MagicScore

#19

The Fabelmans

2022

Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.

7.6

MagicScore

#20

The Damned United

2009

Taking over Leeds United, Brian Clough's abrasive approach and his clear dislike of the players' dirty style of play make it certain there is going to be friction. Glimpses of his earlier career help explain both his hostility to previous manager Don Revie and how much he is missing right-hand man Peter Taylor.

7.2

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Kes?

The top films similar to Kes by MovieMagicScore are A Taste of Honey (6.9), Room at the Top (6.9), This Sporting Life (7.0). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Kes worth watching?

Kes holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10 from 414 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Kes?

Kes (1970) is a drama film directed by Ken Loach, starring David Bradley, Freddie Fletcher, Lynne Perrie.

Where can I find more recommendations like Kes?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like A Taste of Honey Movies like Room at the Top Movies like This Sporting Life Movies like A Kind of Loving Movies like My Summer of Love Movies like Threads

About movies like Kes

This ranked list pairs Kes (1970), a drama film from Ken Loach, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of David Bradley take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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