Movies like The Death & Life of John F. Donovan: 20 to watch next
If you loved The Death & Life of John F. Donovan (2019) — a drama film directed by Xavier Dolan — these 20 movies are the closest matches.
The first picks are what fans of The Death & Life of John F. Donovan most often go on to watch; the rest share its genres and themes like movie business, celebrity and hollywood. 4 of them are streaming in India right now — each entry shows where.
Where to watch The Death & Life of John F. Donovan →·Get picks for your whole taste →
- 1
My Brother the Devil 2012★ 6.3
Shares: Drama
Fourteen-year-old Mo is a lonely, sensitive boy whose hunger for the rant and banter of buddies makes him prone to tread dangerous territories. He idolizes his handsome older brother, Rashid, a charismatic, well-respected member of a local gang, whose drug dealing enables “Rash” to provide for his family. Aching to be seen as a tough guy himself, Mo takes a job that unlocks a fateful turn of events and forces the brothers to confront their inner demons. It turns out that hate is easy. It is love and understanding that take real courage.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 2
An Englishman in New York 2009★ 6.4
Shares: Drama
Biographical drama based on the last 20 years of Crisp's life. The literary figure and gay iconoclast emigrated to New York in 1981 and lived there until his death. The film observes Crisp in both his public and private lives, from his seemingly cavalier response to the outbreak of AIDS to his tender relationship with his friend Patrick Angus and his own response to growing old.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 3
The Boys in the Band 2020★ 6.8
Shares: Drama
At a birthday party in 1968 New York, a surprise guest and a drunken game leave seven gay friends reckoning with unspoken feelings and buried truths.
Stream in India on Netflix
- 4
Life 2015★ 6.0
Shares: Drama
In 1955, young photographer Dennis Stock develops a close bond with actor James Dean while shooting pictures of the rising Hollywood star.
Stream in India on Netflix
- 5
Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon 1998★ 6.1
Shares: Drama
In the 1960s, British painter Francis Bacon surprises a burglar and invites him to share his bed. The burglar, a working class man named George Dyer, accepts. After the unique beginning to their love affair, the well-connected and volatile artist assimilates Dyer into his circle of eccentric friends, as Dyer's struggle with addiction strains their bond.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 6
Naked as We Came 2013★ 5.8
Shares: Drama
After an unexpected phone call, Laura and her brother Elliot rush to their family’s country estate to find their mother, Lilly, gravely ill and living with a handsome young stranger named Ted. Estranged for some time, their mother’s condition sets Laura and Elliot on a path to realizing where their own lives have gone wrong.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 7
Pariah 2011★ 6.8
Shares: Drama
A Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak, and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 8
Hounddog 2008★ 6.5
Shares: Drama
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 9
Blue 1993★ 7.2
Shares: Drama
Against a plain, unchanging blue screen, a densely interwoven soundtrack of voices, sound effects and music attempt to convey a portrait of Derek Jarman's experiences with AIDS, both literally and allegorically, together with an exploration of the meanings associated with the colour blue.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 10
Prick Up Your Ears 1987★ 6.7
Shares: Drama
When the young, attractive Joe Orton meets the older, more introverted Kenneth Halliwell at drama school, he befriends the kindred spirit and they start an affair. As Orton becomes more comfortable with his sexuality and starts to find success with his writing, Halliwell becomes increasingly alienated and jealous, ultimately tapping into a dangerous rage.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 11
Rocketman 2019★ 7.3
Shares: Drama
The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 12
Sunday Bloody Sunday 1971★ 6.5
Shares: Drama
Recently divorced career woman Alex Greville begins a romantic relationship with glamorous mod artist Bob Elkin, fully aware that he's also intimately involved with middle-aged doctor Daniel Hirsh. For both Alex and Daniel, the younger man represents a break with their repressive pasts, and though both know that Bob is seeing both of them, neither is willing to let go of the youth and vitality he brings to their otherwise stable lives.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 13
The Boys in the Band 1970★ 7.0
Shares: Drama
Harold is celebrating a birthday, and his friend Michael has drafted some other friends to help commemorate the event. As the evening progresses, an unexpected guest shows up, the alcohol flows, the knives come out, and dormant and unspoken emotions are unleashed.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 14
A Million Little Pieces 2019★ 6.2
Shares: Drama
A young drug-addled writer approaching the bottom of his descent submits to two months of agonizing detox at a treatment center in Minnesota.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 15
Bessie 2015★ 6.4
Shares: Drama
The story of legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
Stream in India on JioHotstar
- 16
Beast 2026★ 7.5
Shares: Drama
MMA legend Patton James, now a commercial fisherman, is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy, he commits to one final fight in one championship against the brutal champion Xavier Grau.
Stream in India on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, JioHotstar
- 17
Maps to the Stars 2014★ 6.2
Shares: Drama
Driven by an intense need for fame and validation, members of a dysfunctional Hollywood family chase celebrity, one another, and the relentless ghosts of their pasts. Their fragile ecosystem is disrupted by the arrival of Agatha, the scarred and estranged pyromaniac daughter.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 18
The Hero 2017★ 6.1
Shares: Drama
Lee, a former Western film icon, is living a comfortable existence lending his golden voice to advertisements and smoking weed. After receiving a lifetime achievement award and unexpected news, Lee reexamines his past, while a chance meeting with a sardonic comic has him looking to the future.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 19
The Short History of the Long Road 2019★ 7.3
Shares: Drama
Nola grew up living in a van with her father, Clint—two nomads against the world. When tragedy strikes, Nola must confront the reality of life on the road alone, learning to own her grief, her past, and her new destination.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 20
Magazine Dreams 2025★ 7.0
Shares: Drama
Aspiring bodybuilder Killian Maddox struggles to find human connection in an exploration of celebrity and violence. Nothing deters him from his fiercely protected dream of superstardom, not even the doctors who warn him of the permanent damage he causes to himself with his quest.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now