Movies Like Barbara (2012)

Barbara is a 2012 drama film from Christian Petzold with a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Lives of Others and Balloon.

Drama

The Lives of Others

2006

In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.

8.0

MagicScore

Balloon

2018

Two families attempt a daredevil plan to escape the GDR with a homemade hot air balloon, but it crashes just before the border. The Stasi finds traces of this attempt to escape and immediately starts investigations, while the two families are forced to build a new escape balloon. With each passing day the Stasi is closer on their heels – a nerve-wracking race against time begins.

7.5

MagicScore

Free Country

2020

Former East Germany, 1992. Patrick Stein and Markus Bach, two very different police officers, are commissioned to investigate the disappearance of two female teenagers in a remote area of the country. Did they run away from home or did something more terrible happen to them?

6.3

MagicScore

River of No Return

1954

An itinerant farmer and his young son help a heart-of-gold saloon singer search for her estranged husband.

6.7

MagicScore

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

2009

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a movie based on the life story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson from 1961 to 1987.

7.8

MagicScore

Live and Become

2005

In 1980, the black Falashas in Ethiopia are recognised as genuine Jews and are secretly carried to Israel. The day before the transport the son of a Jewish mother dies. In his place and with his name (Schlomo) she takes a Christian 9-year-old boy.

7.4

MagicScore

The Witnesses

2007

Paris, 1984. A group of friends contend with the first outbreak of the AIDS epidemic.

6.3

MagicScore

Red Beard

1965

Aspiring to an easy job as personal physician to a wealthy family, Noboru Yasumoto is disappointed when his first post after medical school takes him to a small country clinic under the gruff doctor Red Beard. Yasumoto rebels in numerous ways, but Red Beard proves a wise and patient teacher. He gradually introduces his student to the unglamorous side of the profession, ultimately assigning him to care for a prostitute rescued from a local brothel.

8.2

MagicScore

Nosferatu the Vampyre

1979

A real estate agent leaves behind his beautiful wife to go to Transylvania to visit the mysterious Count Dracula and formalize the purchase of a property in Wismar.

7.3

MagicScore

#10

Kings Row

1942

Five young adults in a small American town face the revelations of secrets that threaten to ruin their hopes and dreams.

7.2

MagicScore

#11

Faust

2011

A doctor in early 19th-century Germany becomes infatuated with the sister of a man he unintentionally killed and bargains with the Devil incarnate to conjure their union in exchange for his soul.

6.6

MagicScore

#12

The River and Death

1954

A useless and bloody vendetta has been going on for ages between two families in this Mexican village. Men, sons, have killed each other for generations, for a so-called conception of honor in a revenge that never ends since it is also triggered by people of the village. Now, today, there are only two sons left, one in each family. One has become a doctor in the big city and his culture is modern. The other last one - of the other family - hasn't left the village and is waiting for the doctor to come "home" as he plans to kill him, to settle this war on this matter of honor once and for all. And the people of the village want blood.

6.4

MagicScore

#13

The Lost Boys

1987

When an unsuspecting town newcomer is drawn to local blood fiends, the Frog brothers and other unlikely heroes gear up to rescue him.

7.1

MagicScore

#14

Radiofreccia

1998

April 24, 1993: it's the last broadcast of Radiofreccia, an independent radio station closing after 18 years, barely one minute before coming of age. Bruno, one of its founders, begins to tell its story, the story of a group of friends—especially troubled Freccia's—and a period of their youth in their small hometown.

7.0

MagicScore

#15

Casablanca

1943

In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.

8.1

MagicScore

#16

Small Things Like These

2024

In 1985, while working as a coal merchant to support his family, Bill Furlong discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers truths of his own; forcing him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.

6.7

MagicScore

#17

Texasville

1990

Summer, 1984: 30 years after Duane captained the high school football team and Jacy was homecoming queen, this Texas town near Wichita Falls prepares for its centennial. Oil prices are down, banks are failing, and Duane's $12 million in debt. His wife Karla drinks too much, his children are always in trouble, and he tom-cats around with the wives of friends. Jacy's back in town, after a mildly successful acting career, life in Italy, and the death of her son. Folks assume Duane and Jacy will resume their high school romance. And Sonny is "tired in his mind," causing worries for his safety. Can these friends find equilibrium in middle age?

6.0

MagicScore

#18

American Visa

2005

After being denied an American visa, a Bolivian professor becomes involved in a web of criminal activities, holds-up the American consulate and falls for a beautiful prostitute from the Bolivian lowlands.

6.6

MagicScore

#19

El señor doctor

1965

It's about a country doctor that comes to the city while a clinic is built in his home town... he rubs off his care and compassion on others at the hospital with his humor and wit.

7.8

MagicScore

#20

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

1956

A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.

7.5

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Barbara?

The top films similar to Barbara by MovieMagicScore are The Lives of Others (8.0), Balloon (7.5), Free Country (6.3). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Barbara worth watching?

Barbara holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10 from 344 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Barbara?

Barbara (2012) is a drama film directed by Christian Petzold, starring Nina Hoss, Ronald Zehrfeld, Rainer Bock.

Where can I find more recommendations like Barbara?

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 Lives of Others Movies like Balloon Movies like Free Country Movies like River of No Return Movies like Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story Movies like Live and Become

About movies like Barbara

This ranked list pairs Barbara (2012), a drama film from Christian Petzold, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Nina Hoss 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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