Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "social-realism"
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1. EastEnders (1985– )
TV-PG | 30 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
The everyday lives of working-class inhabitants of Albert Square, a traditional Victorian square of terrace houses surrounding a park in the East End of London's Walford borough. The square includes the Queen Vic pub and a street market.
Stars: Adam Woodyatt, Steve McFadden, Letitia Dean, June Brown
Votes: 9,241
2. The Wrestler (2008)
R | 109 min | Drama, Sport
A faded professional wrestler must retire, but finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle.
Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Mark Margolis
Votes: 320,202 | Gross: $26.24M
3. Shoplifters (2018)
R | 121 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
On the margins of Tokyo, a dysfunctional band of outsiders are united by loyalty, a penchant for petty theft and playful grifting. When the young son is arrested, secrets are exposed that upend their tenuous, below-the-radar existence.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Lily Franky, Sakura Andô, Kirin Kiki, Mayu Matsuoka
Votes: 86,621 | Gross: $3.31M
4. I, Daniel Blake (2016)
R | 100 min | Drama
After surviving a heart-attack, a 59-year-old carpenter must fight bureaucratic forces to receive Employment and Support Allowance.
Director: Ken Loach | Stars: Dave Johns, Hayley Squires, Sharon Percy, Briana Shann
Votes: 64,852 | Gross: $0.26M
5. Identification of a Woman (1982)
Not Rated | 130 min | Drama, Romance
A director's wife leaves him. He pursues another woman who also departs. This inspires a movie idea about women's relationships. He searches for an actress to star in the film and his life.
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni | Stars: Tomas Milian, Daniela Silverio, Christine Boisson, Lara Wendel
Votes: 3,244
6. Boy A (2007)
R | 106 min | Drama
The story of a young Jack, newly released from serving a prison sentence for a violent crime he committed as a child.
Director: John Crowley | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Peter Mullan, Shaun Evans, Siobhan Finneran
Votes: 38,867 | Gross: $0.11M
7. A Taste of Honey (1961)
Not Rated | 101 min | Drama
A pregnant teenage girl must fend for herself when her mother remarries, leaving the girl with only a new male friend for support.
Director: Tony Richardson | Stars: Rita Tushingham, Dora Bryan, Robert Stephens, Murray Melvin
Votes: 6,375
8. Little Fish (2005)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A woman trying to escape her past becomes embroiled in a drug deal.
Director: Rowan Woods | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Sam Neill, Hugo Weaving, Martin Henderson
Votes: 9,247 | Gross: $0.01M
9. Earth Mama (2023)
R | 101 min | Drama
An intimate coming of age story of a pregnant single mother who embraces her Bay Area community as she determines the fate of her family.
Director: Savanah Leaf | Stars: Tia Nomore, Erika Alexander, Keta Price, Doechii
Votes: 965
10. Made in Britain (1982 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 76 min | Crime, Drama
After being sent to a detention center, a teenage skinhead clashes with the social workers, who want to conform him to the status quo.
Director: Alan Clarke | Stars: Tim Roth, Terry Richards, Bill Stewart, Eric Richard
Votes: 7,647
11. The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971)
GP | 112 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Two journalists try to solve a series of murders connected to a pharmaceutical company's secret experiments, becoming targets of the killer themselves.
Director: Dario Argento | Stars: James Franciscus, Karl Malden, Catherine Spaak, Pier Paolo Capponi
Votes: 13,040
12. Gridlock'd (1997)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Two friends try to kick their drug addiction after a friend dies from an overdose, when they try to enroll in a detox program, things quickly go wrong.
Director: Vondie Curtis-Hall | Stars: Tupac Shakur, Tim Roth, Thandiwe Newton, Charles Fleischer
Votes: 16,609 | Gross: $5.48M
13. Pelle the Conqueror (1987)
PG-13 | 157 min | Drama
When his wife dies, Lasse takes his 12-year-old son, Pelle, from their home in Sweden to Denmark in search of a better life.
Director: Bille August | Stars: Pelle Hvenegaard, Max von Sydow, Erik Paaske, Björn Granath
Votes: 11,878 | Gross: $2.05M
14. Snöänglar (2021– )
341 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two days before Christmas, while Sweden is paralyzed by a heavy snowstorm, the five-week-old baby Lucas inexplicably disappears from his home. The experienced police officer Alice thinks that something is not right in parents' stories.
Stars: Josefin Asplund, Ardalan Esmaili, Eva Melander, Maria Rossing
Votes: 1,760
15. Bread and Roses (2000)
R | 110 min | Drama
Two Latina sisters work as cleaners in a downtown office building, and fight for the right to unionize.
Director: Ken Loach | Stars: Pilar Padilla, Adrien Brody, Elpidia Carrillo, Jack McGee
Votes: 6,082 | Gross: $0.53M
16. The Bloodstained Shadow (1978)
Not Rated | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
The body of a schoolgirl is found in a meadow. The murderer is never caught, and years later, a young man named Stefano returns to the island and is reunited with his brother, the local priest.
Director: Antonio Bido | Stars: Lino Capolicchio, Stefania Casini, Craig Hill, Massimo Serato
Votes: 1,970
17. The Child (2005)
R | 95 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Bruno and Sonia, a young couple living off her benefit and the thefts committed by his gang, have a new source of money: their newborn son.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne | Stars: Jérémie Renier, Déborah François, Jérémie Segard, Fabrizio Rongione
Votes: 19,417 | Gross: $0.65M
18. Submarino (2010)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama
Two brothers meet at their mother's funeral, each in his way on a path of self-destruction, both haunted by a tragedy in their youth.
Director: Thomas Vinterberg | Stars: Gustav Fischer Kjærulff, Sebastian Bull, Mads Broe Andersen, Jakob Cedergren
Votes: 11,606
19. Lost (2021)
70 min | Drama, Romance
A forty year old woman who feels like she has not accomplished anything in life and a twenty-seven year old man who's frightened of himself.
Stars: Jeon Do-yeon, Ryu Jun-yeol, Park Ji-young, Yoo Su-bin
Votes: 523
20. The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
Not Rated | 186 min | Drama, History
Peasant life in a feudal farm in rural Italy at the end of the 19th century.
Director: Ermanno Olmi | Stars: Luigi Ornaghi, Francesca Moriggi, Omar Brignoli, Antonio Ferrari
Votes: 6,907
21. It's a Free World... (2007)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama
After being fired from her job, Angie teams up with her flatmate to find employment for immigrants.
Director: Ken Loach | Stars: Kierston Wareing, Juliet Ellis, Leslaw Zurek, Joe Siffleet
Votes: 6,306
22. Camera Buff (1979)
Not Rated | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An ordinary factory worker buys a camera on the occasion of the birth of his child. The authorities order him to make documentaries about the factory's success. But his endeavor to be truthful leads him to opposition against censorship.
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski | Stars: Jerzy Stuhr, Malgorzata Zabkowska, Ewa Pokas, Stefan Czyzewski
Votes: 8,291
23. Raining Stones (1993)
Not Rated | 90 min | Comedy, Drama
This Ken Loach film tells the story of a man devoted to his family and his religion. Proud, though poor, Bob wants his little girl to have a beautiful (and costly) brand-new dress for her ... See full summary »
Director: Ken Loach | Stars: Bruce Jones, Julie Brown, Gemma Phoenix, Ricky Tomlinson
Votes: 4,927 | Gross: $0.09M
24. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000)
197 min | Biography, History
Biopic of B. R. Ambedkar, known mainly for his contributions in the emancipation of the downtrodden and oppressed classes in India and shaping the Constitution of India.
Director: Jabbar Patel | Stars: Mammootty, Sonali Kulkarni, Mohan Gokhale, Mrinal Kulkarni
Votes: 2,747
25. The Boss, Anatomy of a Crime (2014)
90 min | Crime, Drama
With dreams of a better life, a humble but illiterate labourer and his wife leave their poor village in Santiago to move to Buenos Aires. However, a sinister boss' promise of a bright future will come at a high price.
Director: Sebastián Schindel | Stars: Guillermo Pfening, Andrea Garrote, Joaquín Furriel, Gabriel Martín Fernández
Votes: 2,586
26. Bænken (2000)
93 min | Drama
Kaj is an alcoholic living on the money the Danish state is providing him. Him and his friends spend their time drinking beer at a public bench. One day Kaj's life turns upside down when a young lady and her child moves in next to him.
Director: Per Fly | Stars: Jesper Christensen, Marius Sonne Janischefska, Stine Holm Joensen, Nicolaj Kopernikus
Votes: 4,435
27. The Whisperers (1967)
Not Rated | 106 min | Drama
Elderly Mrs. Ross lives alone in her meager flat, scraping by on government assistance even as she claims to have great wealth. After finding stolen money she is victimized, making it necessary to find her support in her declining years.
Director: Bryan Forbes | Stars: Edith Evans, Nanette Newman, Harry Baird, Jack Austin
Votes: 1,465
28. Il Grido (1957)
Not Rated | 116 min | Drama
A man wanders aimlessly away from his town, away from the woman he loves, emotionally and socially inactive.
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni | Stars: Gabriella Pallotta, Steve Cochran, Alida Valli, Dorian Gray
Votes: 5,452
29. Tina Goes Shopping (1999 TV Movie)
60 min | Drama
The first film in the Tina trilogy, using the actual inhabitants of a tough Leeds council estate in the leading roles. Tina is a single mum who steals to order for her own `shopping' ... See full summary »
Director: Penny Woolcock | Stars: Dylan Fielding, Gwyn Hollis, Kelli Hollis, Colin Nutton
Votes: 138
30. Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures (2022)
113 min | Drama
Hundreds of migrants descend on the UK village of Great Yarmouth seeking work in the region's turkey processing plants.
Director: Marco Martins | Stars: Beatriz Batarda, Nuno Lopes, Kris Hitchen, Romeu Runa
Votes: 230
31. Tony (I) (2009)
Unrated | 76 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A thriller centered on a serial killer in a rundown London suburb.
Director: Gerard Johnson | Stars: Peter Ferdinando, Greg Kam, Ricky Grover, Kerryann White
Votes: 3,604
32. Lakki... The Boy Who Could Fly (1992)
102 min | Drama
A friendless, lonely boy who dreams of escape from a broken home with an neglectful, promiscuous. alcoholic mother and self-centered, clueless, absent father.
Director: Svend Wam | Stars: Anders Borchgrevink, Nina Gunke, Bjørn Skagestad, Jorunn Kjellsby
Votes: 287
33. Brass (1983–1990)
30 min | Comedy
This spoof of soap-operas was set around two feuding families, the wealthy Hardacres headed by the ruthless capitalist Bradley Hardacre and the poor, working-class Fairchilds headed by the stern socialist Jack Fairchild.
Stars: Timothy West, Caroline Blakiston, James Saxon, Gail Harrison
Votes: 186
34. Tutta la vita davanti (2008)
117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A brilliant recent graduate struggles to find work. After falling into a babysitting job, she is introduced by the child's mother to the world of the international call center, its employees, and the fast pace that drives them.
Director: Paolo Virzì | Stars: Isabella Ragonese, Massimo Ghini, Valerio Mastandrea, Micaela Ramazzotti
Votes: 3,331
35. Socrates (2018)
Not Rated | 71 min | Drama
After his mother's sudden death, Socrates, a 15-year-old living on the margins of São Paulo's coast, must survive on his own while coming to terms with his grief.
Director: Alexandre Moratto | Stars: Christian Malheiros, Tales Ordakji, Jayme Rodrigues, Vanessa Santana
Votes: 1,222
36. Ang pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2005)
Not Rated | 100 min | Drama
A young boy falls in love with a handsome policeman who is investigating his family's criminal activities.
Director: Auraeus Solito | Stars: Nathan Lopez, Soliman Cruz, JR Valentin, Neil Ryan Sese
Votes: 1,631
37. Bayan Ko (1984)
108 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An apolitical worker in a printing press who works as a scab during a company strike belatedly realizes that everyone is affected by the evils of society.
Director: Lino Brocka | Stars: Phillip Salvador, Gina Alajar, Venchito Galvez, Ariosto Reyes Jr.
Votes: 563
38. Atlas (2018)
99 min | Drama, Thriller
Walter is a 60-year-old removal man for forced evictions. He recognizes in one of the tenants about to be evicted his estranged son, Jan. In order to help Jan, Walter has to confront not only his crooked boss but also his own past.
Director: David Nawrath | Stars: Rainer Bock, Albrecht Schuch, Thorsten Merten, Uwe Preuss
Votes: 619
39. Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky (2005– )
150 min | Drama, Romance
A story of unrequited love set in 1930s London.
Stars: Bryan Dick, Sally Hawkins, Zoë Tapper, Jacqueline Tong
Votes: 424
40. 75 (2017)
97 min | Crime, Drama
A crash victim, a housewife and two repressed teens are connected by hard-working therapist Viola, who helps them battle their addictions while two disillusioned detectives struggle with the mounting war against heroin in Cincinnati.
Director: Joe Zappa | Stars: Tifani Winkfield, Kip Bennett, Marcus B. Jackson, Shannon Faith
Votes: 60
41. Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937)
86 min | Drama
The lives of two slum neighbors, one of a happy-go-lucky gambler and the other of a poor ronin, converge when the two get involved with the affairs of a powerful samurai official and his gangsters.
Director: Sadao Yamanaka | Stars: Chôjûrô Kawarasaki, Kan'emon Nakamura, Tsuruzô Nakamura, Chôemon Bandô
Votes: 2,301
42. This Is My Street (1964)
94 min | Drama
A bored housewife has an affair with her mother's lodger. When he dumps her, she attempts suicide, which brings everyone to their senses.
Director: Sidney Hayers | Stars: Ian Hendry, June Ritchie, Avice Landone, Meredith Edwards
Votes: 252
43. Stay Alert (1956)
153 min | Comedy, Drama
An innocent guy who has arrived from a village to Kolkata gets himself involved into trouble in search of water after he gets thirsty in the middle of the night.
Directors: Amit Mitra, Sombhu Mitra | Stars: Pradeep Kumar, Sumitra Devi, Smriti Biswas, Pahadi Sanyal
Votes: 1,072
44. Pelle der Eroberer (1986 TV Movie)
89 min | Drama
Near the end of the 19th century ten-year-old Pelle and his elderly widowed father Lasse leave Sweden for Denmark. Due to his age Lasse can only find work on a large farm where workers are ... See full summary »
Director: Christian Steinke | Stars: Stefan Schrader, Martin Trettau, Klaus Manchen, Karin Gregorek
Votes: 71
45. The Dream Castle (1986)
92 min | Drama
The families are talking about moving together in a house, and finally does it. After a year renovating, they are to celebrate their new collective. But the year living together has taken it's toll on their relations.
Directors: Petter Vennerød, Svend Wam | Stars: Øyvin Bang Berven, Birgitte Victoria Svendsen, Petter Vennerød, Hilde Grythe
Votes: 153
46. Die letzten Jahre der Kindheit (1979)
105 min | Drama
A 14-year-old repeatedly comes into conflict with the authorities and into the vicious circle of juvenile home stays and escapes, until he commits suicide in custody.
Director: Norbert Kückelmann | Stars: Gerhard Gundel, Dieter Mustaffof, Norbert Bauhuber, Karl Obermayr
Votes: 88
47. Godless (2016)
99 min | Drama
A nurse traffics the ID cards of demented patients on the black market of identity theft. Driven by easy cash, and an addiction to morphine, she struggles to keep tabs on her emotional void, and a growing fear of punishment.
Director: Ralitza Petrova | Stars: Irena Ivanova, Ventzislav Konstantinov, Svezhen Mladenov, Ivan Nalbantov
Votes: 713
48. Marianne (2011)
Not Rated | 103 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
After the death of his beloved wife a man begins to fall apart mentally, having dreadful nightmares and finding his family and career affected. As time goes on, he begins to rapidly slip away.
Director: Filip Tegstedt | Stars: Thomas Hedengran, Peter Stormare, Tintin Anderzon, Sandra Larsson
Votes: 547
49. Lasse & Geir (1976)
91 min | Crime, Drama
The teenagers Lasse and Geir are arrested after making trouble on a night bus into town. After a night in the slammer they go home. To Geir's alcoholic mother and to Lasse's father, who is terrorizing the entire family.
Director: Svend Wam | Stars: Torgeir Schjerven, Lasse Tømte, Kjersti Døvigen, Jorunn Kjellsby
Votes: 525
50. Eat Sleep Die (2012)
104 min | Drama
A young Eastern European immigrant, working in Sweden, is faced with a painful choice when she's laid off from her factory in the name of efficiencies.
Director: Gabriela Pichler | Stars: Nermina Lukac, Milan Dragisic, Jonathan Lampinen, Peter Fält
Votes: 2,289