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Home/L.I.E./Similar Movies

L.I.E.

Movies Like L.I.E. (2001)

L.I.E. is a 2001 crime, drama film from Michael Cuesta with a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Boys on the Outside and The Tender Bar.

Boys on the Outside poster

Boys on the Outside

1990

Young men with no future have little in the present as well. Natale is released from prison: he takes up with his friends again but none can find work. Claudio, from Palermo, gets out of juvenile detention in Naples and he's met by Vita, a girl who's come from home to run away with him. Where can they go? A young dad, whose potato stall at the market is shut down because he has no permit, takes his two small children to the beach and yells at them. Mario, gay, a prostitute in drag, gets a visit from his mom; he offers tea, then finds the water to his apartment is shut off. Social workers drop by, parole officers file reports. What hope is there? What options besides crime?

The Tender Bar poster

The Tender Bar

2021

JR is a fatherless boy growing up in the glow of a bar where the bartender, his Uncle Charlie, is the sharpest and most colorful of an assortment of quirky and demonstrative father figures. As the boy’s determined mother struggles to provide her son with opportunities denied to her — and leave the dilapidated home of her outrageous if begrudgingly supportive father — JR begins to gamely, if not always gracefully, pursue his romantic and professional dreams, with one foot persistently placed in Uncle Charlie’s bar.

Last Summer poster

Last Summer

1969

During summer vacation on Fire Island, three young people become very close. When an uncool girl tries to infiltrate the trio's newly found relationship, they construct an elaborate plot that has violent results.

A Brighter Summer Day poster

A Brighter Summer Day

1991

A boy experiences first love, friendships and injustices growing up in 1960s Taiwan.

Perro callejero poster

Perro callejero

1980

An abandoned child steals to survive and has problems when he decides to steal from the priest who helps him.

The Outsiders poster

The Outsiders

1983

In 1960s Tulsa, class divisions ignite a violent rivalry between the working-class Greasers and the privileged Socs. When a deadly encounter forces two Greasers, Ponyboy and Johnny, to flee, their struggle for survival and redemption exposes the fragile innocence and enduring bonds of youth on the wrong side of town.

Over the Edge poster

Over the Edge

1979

A group of bored teenagers rebel against authority in the community of New Granada.

Kids poster

Kids

1995

A day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around New York City skating, drinking, smoking and deflowering virgins.

Mysterious Skin poster

Mysterious Skin

2005

A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth.

37 Seconds poster

37 Seconds

2019

23-year-old comic book artist Yuma, physically disabled due to profound cerebral palsy and emotionally stunted by her well-meaning but overly protective mother, forges her own unusual path to sexual awakening and independence while at the same time discovering love and forgiveness.

Sebastian poster

Sebastian

2024

Max is a 25-year-old freelance writer and aspiring novelist who seems well on his way to success in London’s cultural spheres. Yet by night, he finds a different kind of exhilaration as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, meeting men via an escorting platform. Max uses his experiences as Sebastian to fuel his stories and the worthy debut novel that he has been longing to write, finally seems within reach.

Sugar poster

Sugar

2004

Cliff receives an unusual 18th birthday gift from his younger sister — marijuana, alcohol, a subway token and the mission to lose his virginity. This results in Cliff meeting a young street hustler named Butch. At first, as Butch introduces Cliff to gay street life in Toronto, Cliff is excited by his new relationship. But as the two grow closer, he finds that Butch has problems, including drug addiction, that are cause for serious concern.

My First Summer poster

My First Summer

2020

Isolated on a remote property, 16-year-old Claudia finds her world transformed when a spirited girl named Grace wanders into her garden.

Mommy poster

Mommy

2014

A peculiar neighbor offers hope to a recent widow who is struggling to raise a teenager who is unpredictable and, sometimes, violent.

Kids on the Slope poster

Kids on the Slope

2018

Two different students—a successful but aloof academic and a rebellious but kindhearted delinquent—form a friendship through their love of jazz music.

The Lost Boys poster

The Lost Boys

2023

In a youth correctional facility, Joe is preparing his return to society. But William’s arrival turns his desire for freedom into desire of another kind. Behind fences and cell walls, passions begin to play havoc with the need for liberty.

Tea in the Harem poster

Tea in the Harem

1985

The story of two youths – one Algerian, one French – who become juvenile delinquents in a Paris suburb.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever poster

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

2024

The Herdman kids are undeniably the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, cheat, bully and overall terrorize their small community. But this Christmas, they're taking over their local church Pageant – and they just might unwittingly teach a shocked little town the true meaning of Christmas.

Night Comes On poster

Night Comes On

2018

Angel is released from juvenile detention on the eve of her 18th birthday. Haunted by her past, she embarks on a journey with her 10 year-old sister that could destroy their future.

Khamsa poster

Khamsa

2008

After fleeing from his foster family, 11-years-old Khamsa returns to the gypsy camp where he was born. With his cousin, Tony "The Midget", Khamsa dreams of getting rich with cock fights. Nothing seems to have changed since he left, the card games, the Mediterranean Sea... Until his best friend, Coyote, meets Rachitique, a small-time crook. Very soon they pass from stealing scooters to armed robbery, and Khamsa quickly spirals down into delinquency.

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like L.I.E.?

The top films similar to L.I.E. by MovieMagicScore are Boys on the Outside (6.8), The Tender Bar (6.6), Last Summer (6.2). Each shares crime/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is L.I.E. worth watching?

L.I.E. holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10 from 131 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is L.I.E.?

L.I.E. (2001) is a crime, drama film directed by Michael Cuesta, starring Paul Dano, Bruce Altman, Brian Cox.

Where can I find more recommendations like L.I.E.?

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

Keep exploring

Movies like Boys on the Outside Movies like The Tender Bar Movies like Last Summer Movies like A Brighter Summer Day Movies like Perro callejero Movies like The Outsiders

About movies like L.I.E.

This ranked list pairs L.I.E. (2001), a crime and drama film from Michael Cuesta, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Paul Dano 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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