Movies Like The Secret Life of Words (2005)

The Secret Life of Words is a 2005 drama, romance film from Isabel Coixet with a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with MouseHunt and An American Werewolf in London.

Drama Romance

MouseHunt

1997

Down-on-their luck brothers, Lars and Ernie Smuntz, aren't happy with the crumbling old mansion they inherit... until they discover the estate is worth millions. Before they can cash in, they have to rid the house of its single, stubborn occupant—a tiny and tenacious mouse.

6.5

MagicScore

An American Werewolf in London

1981

American tourists David and Jack are savagely attacked by an unidentified animal while hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. After retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, David soon begins experiencing disturbing changes to his body and mind.

7.4

MagicScore

Breaking the Waves

1996

In a small, conservative Scottish village, an oilman is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when he urges her to have sex with another.

7.5

MagicScore

Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams

2006

A woman and her daughter struggle to make their way through the aftermath of the Balkan war.

6.8

MagicScore

Storm

2009

Hannah Maynard, a prosecutor of Hague's Tribunal for war crimes in former Yugoslavia, charges a Serbian commander for killing Bosniaks. However, her main witness might be lying, so the court sends a team to Bosnia to investigate.

6.1

MagicScore

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself

2002

The strange comedy film of two close brothers; one, Wilbur, who wants to kill himself, and the other, Harbour, who tries to prevent this. When their father dies leaving them his bookstore they meet a woman who makes their lives a bit better yet with a bit more trouble as well.

6.5

MagicScore

Camera Buff

1979

Filip buys an 8mm movie camera when his first child is born. Because it's the first camera in town, he's named official photographer by the local Party boss. His horizons widen when he is sent to regional film festivals with his first works but his focus on movie making also leads to domestic strife and philosophical dilemmas.

7.5

MagicScore

The Promised Land

1975

In nineteenth-century Łódź, Poland, three friends want to make a lot of money by building and investing in a textile factory. An exceptional portrait of rapid industrial expansion is shown through the eyes of one Polish town.

7.3

MagicScore

Kinky Boots

2005

Charles Price may have grown up with his father in the family shoe business in Northampton, central England, but he never thought that he would take his father's place. Charles has a chance encounter with the flamboyant drag queen cabaret singer Lola and everything changes.

6.7

MagicScore

#10

Gung Ho

1986

When a western Pennsylvania auto plant is acquired by a Japanese company, brokering auto worker Hunt Stevenson faces the tricky challenge of mediating the assimilation of two clashing corporate cultures. At one end is the Japanese plant manager and the sycophant who is angling for his position. At the other, a number of disgruntled long-time union members struggle with the new exigencies of Japanese quality control.

6.0

MagicScore

#11

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

1971

When eccentric candy man Willy Wonka promises a lifetime supply of sweets and a tour of his chocolate factory to five lucky kids, penniless Charlie Bucket seeks the golden ticket that will make him a winner.

7.5

MagicScore

#12

The Big Boss

1971

Cheng is a young Chinese mainlander who moves in with his expatriate cousins to work at an ice factory in Thailand. He does this with a family promise never to get involved in any fights. However, when members of his family begin disappearing after meeting the management of the factory, the resulting mystery and pressures force him to break that vow and take on the villainy of the Big Boss.

7.1

MagicScore

#13

Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory

1895

Working men and women leave through the main gate of the Lumière factory in Lyon, France. Filmed on 22 March 1895, it is often referred to as the first real motion picture ever made, although Louis Le Prince's 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene pre-dated it by seven years. Three separate versions of this film exist, which differ from one another in numerous ways. The first version features a carriage drawn by one horse, while in the second version the carriage is drawn by two horses, and there is no carriage at all in the third version. The clothing style is also different between the three versions, demonstrating the different seasons in which each was filmed. This film was made in the 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and at a speed of 16 frames per second. At that rate, the 17 meters of film length provided a duration of 46 seconds, holding a total of 800 frames.

6.7

MagicScore

#14

The Closet

2001

A man spreads the rumor of his fake homosexuality with the aid of his neighbor, to prevent his imminent firing at his work.

6.4

MagicScore

#15

Fat Slags

2004

Leaving their hometown of Fulchester in the North of England, Sandra and Tracey head for the bright lights of London, shagging and boozing their way to fame and fortune.

3.0

MagicScore

#16

Beyond Silence

1996

Beyond Silence is about a family and a young girl’s coming of age story. This German film looks into the lives of the deaf and at a story about the love for music. A girl who has always had to translate speech into sign language for her deaf parents yet when her love for playing music grows strong she must decide to continue doing something she cannot share with her parents.

6.9

MagicScore

#17

Liberty Stands Still

2002

As the heir and current marketing director for one of the nation's biggest gun manufacturers, Liberty Wallace is indifferent to the atrocities made possible through her business and her CEO husband, Victor. On her way to see her actor lover, Liberty ends up chained to a food cart full of explosives -- all at the insistence of "Joe", a sniper whose young daughter was a victim of gun violence, and who now has Liberty in his sights.

5.4

MagicScore

#18

It's All Gone Pete Tong

2004

A comedy following the tragic life of the legendary Frankie Wilde. The story takes us through Frankie's life from being one of the best DJs alive, through a subsequent battle with a hearing disorder, culminating in his mysterious disappearance from the scene.

6.5

MagicScore

#19

Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine

2014

An intimate portrait of Matthew Shepard, the gay young man murdered in one of the most notorious hate crimes in U.S. history. Framed through a personal lens, it's the story of loss, love, and courage in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

7.1

MagicScore

#20

When Father Was Away on Business

1985

Tito's break-up with Stalin in 1948 marked the beginning of not only confusing, but also very dangerous, years for many hard-core Yugoslav communists. A careless remark about the newspaper cartoon is enough for Mesha to join many arrested unfortunates. His family is now forced to cope with the situation and wait for his release from prison.

7.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Secret Life of Words?

The top films similar to The Secret Life of Words by MovieMagicScore are MouseHunt (6.5), An American Werewolf in London (7.4), Breaking the Waves (7.5). Each shares drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Secret Life of Words worth watching?

The Secret Life of Words holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10 from 216 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is The Secret Life of Words?

The Secret Life of Words (2005) is a drama, romance film directed by Isabel Coixet, starring Sarah Polley, Tim Robbins, Javier Cámara.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Secret Life of Words?

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 MouseHunt Movies like An American Werewolf in London Movies like Breaking the Waves Movies like Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams Movies like Storm Movies like Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself

About movies like The Secret Life of Words

This ranked list pairs The Secret Life of Words (2005), a drama and romance film from Isabel Coixet, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Sarah Polley 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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