Movies like Radical: 20 to watch next
If you loved Radical (2023) — a drama film directed by Christopher Zalla — these 20 movies are the closest matches.
The first picks are what fans of Radical most often go on to watch; the rest share its genres and themes like usa–mexico border, border town and teachers and students. 4 of them are streaming in India right now — each entry shows where.
Where to watch Radical →·Get picks for your whole taste →
- 1
Carmen 2023★ 6.2
Shares: Drama
A young and fiercely independent woman, Carmen, is forced to flee her home in the Mexican desert following the brutal murder of her mother. She survives an illegal border crossing into the US, only to be confronted by a lawless volunteer border guard. When the border guard and his patrol partner Aidan become embroiled in a deadly standoff, the pair is forced to escape together.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 2
Stand and Deliver 1988★ 7.8
Shares: Drama
Jaime Escalante is a mathematics teacher in a school in a Hispanic neighbourhood. Convinced that his students have potential, he adopts unconventional teaching methods to try and turn gang members and no-hopers into some of the country's top algebra and calculus students.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 3
Frontera 2014★ 6.5
Shares: Drama
After crossing the border illegally for work, Miguel, a hard-working father and devoted husband, finds himself wrongfully accused of murdering a former sheriff’s wife. After learning of his imprisonment, Miguel’s pregnant wife tries to come to his aid and lands in the hands of corrupt coyotes who hold her for ransom. Dissatisfied with the police department’s investigation, the former sheriff tries to uncover the truth about his wife’s death and discovers disturbing evidence that will destroy one family’s future, or tear another’s apart.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 4
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada 2005★ 7.0
Shares: Drama
When brash Texas border officer Mike Norton wrongfully kills and buries the friend and ranch hand of Pete Perkins, the latter is reminded of a promise he made to bury his friend, Melquiades Estrada, in his Mexican home town. He kidnaps Norton and exhumes Estrada's corpse, and the odd caravan sets out on horseback for Mexico.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 5
Beyond the Blackboard 2011★ 7.5
Shares: Drama
Inspired by a true story, “Beyond the Blackboard” is about a 24-year-old first-time teacher who makes a difference in the lives of the homeless children she teaches in a shelter’s makeshift classroom. Set in 1987 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this movie tells the story a brand-new teacher and Mom who is given a tougher than expected teaching job and winds up teaching homeless children in a school that is housed in a room and called, literally, The School with No Name. She has some personal prejudicial hurdles to cross before she is able to be a true teacher for these children and of course there are hurdles like the lack of books and supplies.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 6
Cry Macho 2021★ 5.9
Shares: Drama
A one-time rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder takes a job from an ex-boss to bring the man's young son home from Mexico.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 7
The Ron Clark Story 2006★ 7.6
Shares: Drama
Passionate and innovative teacher Ron Clark leaves his small hometown to teach in one of Harlem's toughest schools. But to break through to the students, he must use unconventional methods, including his ground-breaking classroom rules, to help them reach their potential. Based on a true story.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 8
The Wave 1981★ 6.9
Shares: Drama
A teacher conducts an experiment in an American high school where students learn how easy it is to be seduced by the same social forces which led to the horrors of Nazi Germany.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 9
Borderline 1980★ 6.0
Shares: Drama
Jeb Maynard is a patrolman guarding the U.S.-Mexican border, whose partner and buddy Scooter has just been murdered. Maynard knows that a smuggler of illegal aliens is responsible for Scooter's death, but the feds insist that drug dealers committed the crime.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 10
Cheaters 2000★ 6.3
Shares: Drama
In the fall of 1994, a teacher at Chicago's run-down Steinmetz High conspires with the school's academic decathlon team to cheat on an academic competition.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 11
Dead Poets Society 1989★ 8.3
Shares: Drama
At an elite, old-fashioned boarding school in New England, a passionate English teacher inspires his students to rebel against convention and seize the potential of every day, courting the disdain of the stern headmaster.
Stream in India on JioHotstar, VI movies and tv
- 12
Upon Entry 2023★ 6.7
Shares: Drama
Diego, a Venezuelan urbanist, and Elena, a contemporary dancer from Barcelona, move to the United States with their approved visas to start a new life. Their intention is to boost their professional careers and start a family in 'the land of opportunities'. But upon entering New York airport's immigration area, they are taken to the secondary inspection room, where border officers will subject them to an unpleasant inspection process and a psychologically grueling interrogation.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 13
Sleep Dealer 2008★ 5.9
Shares: Drama
Set in a near-future, militarized world marked by closed borders, virtual labor and a global digital network that joins minds and experiences, three strangers risk their lives to connect with each other and break the barriers of technology.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 14
All Together Now 2020★ 6.7
Shares: Drama
An optimistic, talented teen clings to a huge secret: she's homeless and living on a school bus. When tragedy strikes, can she learn to accept a helping hand?
Stream in India on Netflix
- 15
Call Me Crazy: A Five Film 2013★ 7.0
Shares: Drama
A psychotherapist helps a law student cope with schizophrenia in one of five interconnected tales dealing with mental illness.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 16
Violet Perfume: Nobody Hears You 2001★ 7.9
Shares: Drama
Yessica is a rebellious girl who forms an unlikely friendship with quiet schoolmate Miriam. Yessica's home life is ruled by her brutal stepfather and her amoral stepbrother, Jorge, while Miriam shares a calm, loving household with her mother. The girls' friendship is shattered after Jorge arranges to have one of his friends rape Yessica.
Stream in India on Tubi TV
- 17
Sky 2016★ 6.2
Shares: Drama
A woman embarks on a journey alone across the United States after fleeing from her violent husband.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 18
The Shooting 1966★ 6.3
Shares: Drama
Two miners agree to guide a mysterious woman, who has appeared in their camp from nowhere, to a nearby town; but soon, because of her erratic behavior, they begin to suspect that her true purpose is quite different.
Stream in India on Artiflix
- 19
Man in the Shadow 1957★ 6.7
Shares: Drama
In a modern cow town, the powerful ranch owner’s henchmen kill a ranch hand, prompting the sheriff to investigate despite facing strong opposition. He finds an unlikely ally in the rancher's overprotected daughter, but their quest for justice puts them both in danger.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 20
Billy Jack 1971★ 6.0
Shares: Drama
A Euro-Indigenous American Ex-Green Beret hapkido expert saves wild horses from being slaughtered for dog food and helps protect a desert "freedom school" for runaways.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now