Movies Like Cal (1984)

Cal is a 1984 drama, romance, thriller film from Pat O'Connor with a MovieMagicScore of 5.7/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with In the Name of the Father and Bloody Sunday.

Drama Romance Thriller

In the Name of the Father

1993

A small-time Belfast thief, Gerry Conlon, is wrongly convicted of an IRA bombing in London, along with his father and friends, and spends 15 years in prison fighting to prove his innocence.

7.9

MagicScore

Bloody Sunday

2002

The dramatised story of the Irish civil rights protest march on January 30 1972 which ended in a massacre by British troops.

7.2

MagicScore

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

2006

In 1920s Ireland young doctor Damien O'Donovan prepares to depart for a new job in a London hospital. As he says his goodbyes at a friend's farm, British Black and Tans arrive, and a young man is killed. Damien joins his brother Teddy in the Irish Republican Army, but political events are soon set in motion that tear the brothers apart.

7.3

MagicScore

Shake Hands with the Devil

1959

In 1921 Dublin, the IRA battles the "Black & Tans," special British forces given to harsh measures. Irish-American medical student Kerry O'Shea hopes to stay aloof, but saving a wounded friend gets him outlawed, and inexorably drawn into the rebel organization...under his former professor Sean Lenihan, who has "shaken hands with the devil" and begun to think of fighting as an end in itself. Complications arise when Kerry falls for a beautiful English hostage, and the British offer a peace treaty that is not enough to satisfy Lenihan.

6.5

MagicScore

'71

2014

A young British soldier must find his way back to safety after his unit accidentally abandons him during a riot in the streets of Belfast.

6.8

MagicScore

In the Land of Saints and Sinners

2023

In a remote Irish village, a damaged Finbar is forced to fight for redemption after a lifetime of sins, but what price is he willing to pay? In the land of saints and sinners, some sins can't be buried.

6.5

MagicScore

Patriot Games

1992

When CIA Analyst Jack Ryan interferes with an IRA assassination, a renegade faction targets Jack and his family as revenge.

6.7

MagicScore

Philomena

2013

A woman searches for her adult son, who was taken away from her decades ago when she was forced to live in a convent.

7.3

MagicScore

The Foreigner

2017

Quan is a humble London businessman whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love – his teenage daughter – dies in an Irish Republican Army car bombing. His relentless search to find the terrorists leads to a cat-and-mouse conflict with a British government official whose own past may hold the clues to the identities of the elusive killers.

7.0

MagicScore

#10

Hidden Agenda

1990

In Ireland, American lawyer Ingrid Jessner and her activist partner, Paul Sullivan, struggle to uncover atrocities committed by the British government against the Northern Irish during the "Troubles." But when Sullivan is assassinated in the streets, Jessner teams up with Peter Kerrigan, a British investigator acting against the will of his own government, and struggles to uncover a conspiracy that may even implicate one of Kerrigan's colleagues.

6.9

MagicScore

#11

Hunger

2008

The story of Bobby Sands, the IRA member who led the 1981 hunger strike during The Troubles in which Irish Republican prisoners tried to win political status.

7.2

MagicScore

#12

Once

2007

A vacuum repairman moonlights as a street musician and hopes for his big break. One day a Czech immigrant, who earns a living selling flowers, approaches him with the news that she is also an aspiring singer-songwriter. The pair decide to collaborate, and the songs that they compose reflect the story of their blossoming love.

7.4

MagicScore

#13

Michael Collins

1996

Michael Collins plays a crucial role in the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s, but becomes vilified by those hoping to create a completely independent Irish republic.

6.9

MagicScore

#14

In Bruges

2008

Ray and Ken, two hit men, are in Bruges, Belgium, waiting for their next mission. While they are there they have time to think and discuss their previous assignment. When the mission is revealed to Ken, it is not what he expected.

7.5

MagicScore

#15

Angela's Ashes

1999

An Irish Catholic family returns to 1930s Limerick after a child's death in America. The unemployed I.R.A. veteran father struggles with poverty, prejudice, and alcoholism as the family endures harsh slum conditions.

7.3

MagicScore

#16

Coda

2013

A lost soul stumbles drunken through the city. In a park, Death finds him and shows him many things.

7.3

MagicScore

#17

The Field

1990

"Bull" McCabe's family has farmed a field for generations, sacrificing much in the name of the land. When the widow who owns the field decides to sell it in a public auction, McCabe knows that he must own it. While no local dare bid against him, a wealthy American decides he requires the field to build a highway. "Bull" and his son decide they must try to convince the American to let go of his ambition and return home, but the consequences of their plot prove sinister.

7.0

MagicScore

#18

The Guard

2011

When a small-town Irish cop with a crass personality is partnered with a straight-laced FBI agent to bust an international drug-trafficking ring, they must settle their differences in order to take down a dangerous gang.

7.0

MagicScore

#19

Darby O'Gill and the Little People

1959

A wily old codger matches wits with the King of the Leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced him as caretaker.

6.6

MagicScore

#20

Garage

2007

Due to a learning disability, Josie's life in a tiny town revolves around a menial job taking care of a garage that could close at any day. Things start to change, however, when David, the son of his boss' girlfriend, comes to work with him. Josie hangs out with David and his teenage friends, bringing them beer, and despite being a grown man himself, finds that the new company lifts his spirits. But his simple-mindedness blinds him to some potential legal dangers.

6.6

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Cal?

The top films similar to Cal by MovieMagicScore are In the Name of the Father (7.9), Bloody Sunday (7.2), The Wind That Shakes the Barley (7.3). Each shares drama/romance/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Cal worth watching?

Cal holds a MovieMagicScore of 5.7/10 from 37 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Cal?

Cal (1984) is a drama, romance, thriller film directed by Pat O'Connor, starring John Lynch, Helen Mirren, Donal McCann.

Where can I find more recommendations like Cal?

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 In the Name of the Father Movies like Bloody Sunday Movies like The Wind That Shakes the Barley Movies like Shake Hands with the Devil Movies like '71 Movies like In the Land of Saints and Sinners

About movies like Cal

This ranked list pairs Cal (1984), a drama and romance and thriller film from Pat O'Connor, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of John Lynch 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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