Movies Like The Starling (2021)

The Starling is a 2021 drama film from Theodore Melfi with a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Long Excuse and Burning Man.

Drama

The Long Excuse

2016

A recently widowed writer whose wife died in a bus crash comes to terms with his grief—or lack of it—in caring for the children of a working man who also lost his wife in the same accident.

6.5

MagicScore

Burning Man

2011

Tom is a British chef in a Bondi restaurant who seems to have decided there are no longer any rules he needs to obey. Whatever Tom is up to, his actions seem to be tolerated by those around him. As Tom descends into darkness, fragments of a different story begin to emerge. All the women in his world are trying in their own, very different ways to help put him back together.

5.9

MagicScore

Collateral Beauty

2016

Retreating from life after a tragedy, a man questions the universe by writing to Love, Time and Death. Receiving unexpected answers, he begins to see how these things interlock and how even loss can reveal moments of meaning and beauty.

7.2

MagicScore

Suncoast

2024

While caring for her brother along with her audacious mother, a teenager strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time.

6.7

MagicScore

Teenage Kicks

2016

Miklós is at the age when everything feels high-stakes. He is coming to terms with his own sexuality, and when his best friend Dan reveals that he has a new girlfriend, this puts an end to their plans to run away together.

5.8

MagicScore

Manchester by the Sea

2016

After his older brother passes away, Lee Chandler is forced to return home to care for his 16-year-old nephew. There he is compelled to deal with a tragic past that separated him from his family and the community where he was born and raised.

7.5

MagicScore

Waves

2019

A controlling father’s attempts to ensure that his two children succeed in high school backfire after his son experiences a career-ending sports injury. Their familial bonds are eventually placed under severe strain by an unexpected tragedy.

7.4

MagicScore

A Ghost Story

2017

Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife, only to find that in his spectral state he has become unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away.

7.1

MagicScore

Dogs Don't Wear Pants

2019

A grieving heart surgeon struggling with the loss of his wife drifts through an emotionally detached life while raising his teenage daughter. His chance encounter with a dominatrix awakens feelings he thought were gone, drawing him into a dark and unconventional world where pain and desire intertwine.

6.9

MagicScore

#10

After Yang

2022

When his young daughter's beloved companion — an android named Yang — malfunctions, Jake searches for a way to repair him. In the process, Jake discovers the life that has been passing in front of him, reconnecting with his wife and daughter across a distance he didn't know was there.

6.4

MagicScore

#11

Handling the Undead

2024

On a hot summer day in Oslo, the dead mysteriously awaken, and three families are thrown into chaos when their deceased loved ones come back to them. Who are they, and what do they want?

5.9

MagicScore

#12

A Mighty Heart

2007

Based on Mariane Pearl's account of the terrifying and unforgettable story of her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl's life and death.

6.4

MagicScore

#13

I'll See You in My Dreams

2015

A sudden loss disrupts Carol’s orderly life, propelling her into the dating world for the first time in 20 years. Finally living in the present tense, she finds herself swept up in not one, but two unexpected relationships that challenge her assumptions about what it means to grow old.

6.3

MagicScore

#14

Come Back, Little Sheba

1953

A mismatched couple's marital problems come to the surface when the husband develops an interest in their pretty boarder.

7.2

MagicScore

#15

The Country Girl

1954

An actor on the skids is given one more chance to regain his stardom, as well as his self-respect, yet his alcoholism may prevent that from happening.

6.9

MagicScore

#16

Rabbit Hole

2010

Life for a happy couple is turned upside down after their young son dies in an accident.

6.7

MagicScore

#17

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

#18

Our 30-Minute Sessions

2020

College student Sota picks up a cassette tape left behind by musician Aki when he died a year ago. When the tape is played back, Aki takes over Sota's body for just 30 minutes. They share the same body and rush to reunite a band that split up and bring a smile to Aki's girlfriend Kana's face.

7.6

MagicScore

#19

Twinless

2025

Two men who lost their respective twin brothers develop a growing friendship after meeting in a support group. However, both harbor long-hidden secrets that threaten to tear them apart.

7.3

MagicScore

#20

I Like Movies

2023

Socially inept 17-year-old cinephile Lawrence Kweller gets a job at a video store, where he forms a complicated friendship with his older female manager.

7.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Starling?

The top films similar to The Starling by MovieMagicScore are The Long Excuse (6.5), Burning Man (5.9), Collateral Beauty (7.2). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Starling worth watching?

The Starling holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10 from 301 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is The Starling?

The Starling (2021) is a drama film directed by Theodore Melfi, starring Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd, Kevin Kline.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Starling?

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 The Long Excuse Movies like Burning Man Movies like Collateral Beauty Movies like Suncoast Movies like Teenage Kicks Movies like Manchester by the Sea

About movies like The Starling

This ranked list pairs The Starling (2021), a drama film from Theodore Melfi, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Melissa McCarthy 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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