You are not alone if you have fell in love with “Call Me By Your Name” and are looking for other BL films with same quality. Many of us yearned for that same seductive mix of summer romance, emotional vulnerability, and coming-of- age metamorphosis after Luca Guadagnino’s masterwork. The excellent news is While providing its own original viewpoints, several other LGBT films also have CMBgyn’s emotional DNA.
These 21 films, including “Call Me By Your Name,” have been carefully chosen to take you to the similar emotional terrain. From working-class London to Taiwanese military academies, from moonlit paths of identity to forbidden love in prestigious British universities, each film catches something of that CMByne enchantment while transporting you somewhere different. Some are secret jewels just waiting to be unearthed, others famous masterpieces.
So grab a peach (or maybe don’t), settle in, and investigate these amazing films like “Call Me By Your Name” that might just cover that Elio-and- Oliver-shaped hole in your heart.
Highlight
Our Unique Rating System
To help you find the perfect CMBYN-like experience, we’ve created a specialized rating system:
- 🍑 CMBYN Similarity: Overall similarity to Call Me By Your Name
- 🌞 Summer Atmosphere: How well the film captures that summer feeling
- 💔 Heartbreak Factor: Emotional impact and poignancy
- 🎭 Emotional Depth: The film’s ability to convey complex feelings, emotional nuance, and psychological insight
- 🎨 Visual Appeal: Overall visual impact including cinematography, color palette, setting, and composition
Summer Romances: Sun-Drenched Love Stories
Summer of 85 (2020)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★★ | Summer Vibes: ★★★★★ | Heartbreak: ★★★★☆
Country: France
Where to Watch: Hulu, Amazon
Set during a summer in a seaside town in Normandy, the film chronicles an intense teenage romance with nostalgic overtones. Like CMBYN, it captures the heightened emotions of youth.
What We Like About It: The chemistry between the leads in “Summer of 85” is electrifying, maybe even better than CMBgyn’s well-known coupling. Filmed in a beach hamlet in Normandy, François Ozon’s work catches the seductive rush of adolescent love with sun-drenched images and 1980s pop music.
Given its working-class environment, this movie seems more approachable than CMBYN. These lads have summer jobs, ride mopeds, and sneak into movie theatres; they are not the children of academics with Italian villas and live-in housekeepers. Their remarkable relationship has something really normal about it.
Director’s Vision: Ozon creates a more accessible environment than CMBYN with its working-class setting. These boys have summer jobs, ride mopeds, and sneak into movie theaters—they’re not the children of academics with Italian villas.
What Makes It Special:
- 1980s French beach town setting creates perfect summer backdrop
- More accessible working-class characters and setting
- Rollercoaster scene perfectly captures emotional terrain of first love
- Period-appropriate music enhances nostalgic atmosphere
“The rollercoaster scene captures the emotional terrain of the movie exactly: that perfect mix of exhilaration and terror defining first love. These moments of physical freedom reflect emotional rebirth, much like CMBYN’s bike excursions.”
Boys (2014)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★★★ | Heartbreak: ★★★★☆
Country: Netherlands
Where to Watch: Amazon, Apple TV
This Dutch coming-of- age movie set in a summer athletic training camp reflects the same physical freedom CMBgyn gets from its swimming scenes. Both films know how bodies in motion convey what characters cannot yet say.
“Boys” stands out from CMByne in my opinion because of its distinctiveness; whereas Elio’s narrative may fit with gender-swapped protagonists, Sieger and Marc’s connection seems especially male in its presentation. Their connection has a genuineness that cannot be replicated in a heterosexual dynamic.
Director’s Vision: The film masterfully builds emotional suspense without contrived drama. Everything unfolds naturally, capturing that specific melancholy of first love without romanticization.
What Makes It Special:
- Summer athletic training creates perfect physical setting
- Distinctly masculine presentation of same-sex attraction
- Natural progression without artificial drama
- Evokes recognition rather than sympathy—hallmark of universal storytelling
“The movie masters building emotional suspense without contrived drama. Everything runs naturally, catching that particular sadness of first love without romanticism. Watching it makes me recognize rather than feel sympathy—the mark of a narrative that speaks to something universal.”
Esteros (2016)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★★★ | Heartbreak: ★★★☆☆
Country: Argentina/Brazil
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon
Why You’ll Love It: “Esteros” deftly swings between adult reconnection and childhood companionship, therefore augmenting both eras. Set in the Iberá Wetlands of Argentina, the sweltering environment adds still another element to the narrative.
This movie links to CMBgyn because of its view of summer as a unique period when usual rules seem to be suspended. “What did one do around here?” one character in the book version of CMBYN asks. Not nothing. Wait for the summer to fade. What then one done in the winter? … Hold out for summer to arrive. Seasonal circumstances in both films help to produce emotional pressure cookers.
Director’s Vision: The film connects to CMBYN through its view of summer as a unique period when normal rules seem suspended, creating an emotional pressure cooker for character development.
What Makes It Special:
- Two childhood friends reunite at beach house as adults
- Flashbacks enrich understanding of current relationship
- Argentinian wetlands create distinctive environment
- Slow pace allows moments of attraction to stretch meaningfully
“The slow tempo lets little moments of attraction stretch endlessly, creating that wonderful anticipation that frequently surpasses the gratification of resolution. It’s about the journey towards love, not its domesticated reality.”
Shelter (2007)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★★★ | Heartbreak: ★★★★☆
Country: USA
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, Tubi (free with ads)
Why You’ll Love It: “Shelter” proved that emotional honesty comes first even with a small budget by sweeping film festival honours. Against the surfing scene of Southern California, it generates that same sunny, physical environment that makes CMBgyn so engrossing.
This movie is unique in that it emphasises responsibility alongside desire; our protagonist is not only negotiating his sexuality but also looking after his nephew and controlling family expectations. This extra dimension generates really realistic stakes.
Director’s Vision: Jonah Markowitz proves that emotional honesty comes first even with a small budget, winning film festival honors with authentic storytelling and beautiful coastal imagery.
What Makes It Special:
- Surfing scenes allow physical expression of unspoken emotions
- Family responsibilities add realistic stakes to romance
- California beach setting creates distinctive summer atmosphere
- Working-class characters face different challenges than CMBYN’s academics
“Like CMBYN’s swimming scenes, the surfing sequences allow characters to physically express what they cannot yet articulate. Both films understand how moving bodies can tell stories words cannot.”
Coming-of-Age LGBTQ Journeys
Handsome Devil (2016)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★☆☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★☆☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★☆☆
Country: Ireland
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon
Why You’ll Love It: Filmed in an Irish boarding school steeped in rugby, this film examines the unusual connection between artistic outcast Ned and athletic new student Connor. Though mostly on friendship rather than romance, it reflects CMByne’s curiosity on how intellectual connection may heal apparently insurmount divisions.
The way this movie emphasises self-definition versus social norms makes it unique. The film’s rallying call, “Don’t borrow others’ voices!” – which promotes authenticity in a conformist setting – originates from the exhortation of the English instructor.
Director’s Vision: The film emphasizes self-definition versus social norms with the English teacher’s rallying call, “Don’t borrow others’ voices!”—promoting authenticity in a conformist setting.
What Makes It Special:
- Rugby-obsessed boarding school creates unique setting
- Andrew Scott (Moriarty from “Sherlock”) delivers standout performance
- Focus on friendship and authenticity rather than just romance
- Adult characters provide important perspective without overwhelming narrative
“Andrew Scott and Michael McElhatton give subtle performances that transcend conventional teen fare, surprisingly brilliant. Like Mr. Perlman in CMBYN, these mature characters offer vital perspective without distorting the narrative.”
Your Name Engraved Herein (2020)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★★
Country: China-Taiwan
Where to Watch: Netflix
Why You’ll Love It: Filmed in early 1990s Taiwan right after martial control was lifted, this deeply personal lens depicts a turning point in history. Two Catholic students negotiate their emotions in the context of fast evolving societal conventions: girls being accepted into their university while homosexuality is still forbidden.
This movie is unique in how it positions personal struggle inside historical change. Documenting both how far society has come and how difficult that trip has been for people caught in transition, it marks a turning point in Taiwan’s LGBTQ film.
Director’s Vision: The film uniquely positions personal struggle within historical change, documenting both how far society has come and how difficult that journey has been for individuals caught in transition.
What Makes It Special:
- Period setting during significant social change in Taiwan
- Catholic school environment adds religious dimension
- Marks turning point in Taiwan’s LGBTQ cinema history
- Characters challenge limits while being products of their time
“Like the 1980s setting of CMBYN, the period features create both nostalgic distance and immediate emotional recognition. Both films understand how social circumstance impacts expression without completely dictating it.”
The Way He Looks (2014)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★★☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★☆☆
Country: Brazil
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime
Why You’ll Love It: Originally an award-winning short film, director Daniel Ribeiro developed this Brazilian treasure into a feature spanning festival honours. Its idea, a blind teen falling in love with a new classmate, generates a singular sensory experience whereby touch takes front stage as the main language of communication.
The way the movie veers from pure romance to independence and self-determination is amazing. Like CMBgyn, it sees first love as a means of inspiration for more general self-discovery rather than a goal in and alone. The protagonist’s path calls for asserting the freedom to make that decision as much as for who he loves.
Regardless of your sexuality, the movie catches those awkward, sensitive moments of adolescent discovery with such realism that you’ll be taken back to your own teenage years.
Director’s Vision: Director Daniel Ribeiro developed his award-winning short film into a feature that beautifully balances romance with themes of independence and self-determination.
What Makes It Special:
- Focus on non-visual senses creates unique perspective
- Journey toward independence parallels romantic development
- Belle and Sebastian soundtrack provides perfect emotional backdrop
- Universal coming-of-age moments transcend sexuality and disability
“Like CMBYN, the film sees first love as a catalyst for broader self-discovery rather than an end in itself. The protagonist’s journey demands asserting the freedom to make choices as much as it concerns who he loves.”
Beautiful Thing (1996)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★☆☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★★☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★☆☆
Country: UK
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, Tubi (free with ads)
Why You’ll Love It: Unlike CMBgyn’s sophisticated academic environment, “Beautiful Thing” dumps us into a working-class London house estate to tell its coming-of-age tale. Actually, this discrepancy emphasises what makes both films successful: they are finally about the universal feeling of first love, independent of situation.
What’s great is how the movie substitutes real warmth for theatrics. Those little gestures tell volumes; a few words said at the bedside, a gift from Mom inadvertently, a courageous hug in sunshine regardless of who might see. Here there is a genuineness that speaks to me.
The rather utopian dancing number in the climax precisely balances the narrative; everything left unsaid throughout the film finds expression. It brings to me the fireplace scene or final call name from CMBYN, those times when everything crystallises. Both films recognise how transformational love can be, particularly in youth when the world hasn’t been friendly.
Director’s Vision: Hettie MacDonald brings warmth instead of melodrama, focusing on small gestures that speak volumes—a bedside comment, an accidental gift from mom, a brave embrace in sunlight.
What Makes It Special:
- Working-class setting offers contrast to CMBYN’s academic privilege
- Mama Cass soundtrack provides perfect emotional backdrop
- Joyful final dance sequence balances the narrative emotionally
- Genuine authenticity in portraying young love without stereotypes
“The film’s utopian dance finale perfectly balances the narrative; everything left unsaid throughout finds expression, reminiscent of CMBYN’s fireplace scene or final name call.”
Moonlight (2016)
Country: USA
Where to Watch: Netflix, Kanopy, Amazon, Apple TV
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★★☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★★
Why You’ll Love It: Moonlight’s poetic approach to narrative sets it apart. Based on Tarell Alvin McCraney’s semi-autobiographical work—which he characterises as simply “artists trying to figure things out”—the film chronicles the path of a young Black child through three major periods of life.
Set in Liberty City, Miami, we follow Chiron as he negotiates the difficult facts of bullying, a drug-addled mother, and a fatherless life. Both films have an amazing sensory intimacy even if the environment couldn’t be more different from CMBYN’s wealthy Italian summer.
Director’s Vision: Barry Jenkins uses blue-tinted moonlight scenes that parallel CMBYN’s golden Italian sunshine, creating distinct emotional atmospheres through masterful use of color and light.
What Makes It Special:
- Miami’s vibrant urban landscapes mirror CMBYN’s lush Italian countryside
- Water symbolism represents freedom and rebirth throughout
- Classical and contemporary music blend creates an emotional soundscape
- Intimate character development transcends labels to tell a universal story
“Like moonlight waves flowing over you, this film connects to CMBYN through its emotional undercurrent – both remind us how early connections shape who we become.”
🔍 Similar Recommendations:
Forbidden Love & Age Gaps
Maurice (1987)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★★ | Summer Vibes: ★★★★☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★☆
Country: UK
Where to Watch: HBO Max, Criterion Channel, Amazon
Why You’ll Love It: “Maurice” is a story about a gay character’s journey written by a gay guy, filmed by a gay director, and has great potency regarding it. Its unwillingness to compromise on its ending reveals this threefold sincerity.
The picture, which is set in Edwardian England, feels shockingly current in its emotional honesty. It follows Maurice’s path from his intellectual relationship with Clive to his intense bond with the gamekeeper Scudder, finally choose love over social boundaries – a radical idea for a period drama.
The English countryside and Cambridge scenes in the movie are caught with the same respect as CMBgyn’s Italian home, therefore creating an immersive universe where landscape and architecture mirror emotional moods. Both films know how emotional resonance could be enhanced by physical beauty.
Director’s Vision: James Ivory (CMBYN’s screenwriter) crafted a period drama with emotional honesty that feels surprisingly contemporary, refusing to compromise its ending or emotional truth.
What Makes It Special:
- English countryside and Cambridge scenes mirror CMBYN’s reverence for setting
- Explores class differences alongside romantic connection
- Historical setting adds stakes to character choices
- Architecture and literature serve as metaphors for gay history
“The film’s unwillingness to compromise on its ending reveals a threefold sincerity: a gay character’s journey written by a gay man, filmed by a gay director, with powerful authenticity.”
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★★
Country: USA
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV
Not only was “Brokeback Mountain” revolutionary in its broad appeal but also in its rejection of preconceptions regarding LGBT characters. Jack and Ennis are shown as working-class cowboys men who defy Hollywood’s inclination towards caricature by being generally macho.
Ang Lee’s deft direction reveals amazing restraint, allowing emotional power to develop through what’s unspoken instead than theatrical pronouncements. This similar method lends CMBgyn its strength; both films know that looks across a room has more weight than speeches.
Director’s Vision: Ang Lee’s restrained direction allows emotional power to build through what remains unspoken rather than theatrical declarations, similar to CMBYN’s approach to emotional storytelling.
What Makes It Special:
- Sweeping natural landscapes mirror emotional vastness
- Long time span shows lasting impact of formative connection
- Working-class cowboys offer different perspective than academics
- Shirt becomes powerful symbol like CMBYN’s peach
“What connects these films ultimately is their universalizing of specific experiences. Not ‘gay stories’ but human stories about connection, desire, and the terrible gap between what we want and what society permits.”
Sorry Angel (2018)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★★
Country: France
Where to Watch: MUBI, Amazon
Filmed in early 1990s Paris, this movie catches a moment in homosexual history that seems both far-off and instant. The interaction between writer living with AIDS Jacques and much younger pupil Arthur produces an interesting intellectual and physical interplay.
This movie is unique in that it weaves a rich tapestry of connections from beyond its centre romance, including Jacques’s dying ex-boyfriend, his child with a female friend, his on-again, off-again lover, and neighbour. This neighbourhood snapshot provides the central love story more thorough background.
Director’s Vision: Christophe Honoré weaves a rich tapestry of connections beyond the central romance, including Jacques’s dying ex-boyfriend, his child with a female friend, and various supporting characters.
What Makes It Special:
- 1990s Paris creates distinctive historical backdrop
- Literary references enhance intellectual connection between characters
- Age difference explored with nuance and depth
- Letters, postcards, and poetry exchanges create beautiful intimacy
“Their exchanges of letters, postcards, and poetry reveal the most exquisite moments. These establish an intellectual intimacy as powerful as physical connection, much like the literary allusions in CMBYN.”
God’s Own Country (2017)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★★ | Summer Vibes: ★★★☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★☆
Country: UK
Where to Watch: Hulu, Amazon, Apple TV
Why You’ll Love It: For good cause, this British indie beauty swept the UK Independent Film Awards and kept a nearly perfect 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the sheep-herding backdrop makes it sometimes known as “the British Brokeback Mountain,” its intimate narrative of unexpected bonding shares more DNA with CMBYN.
The way the movie contrasts real sensitivity with the severity of rural Yorkshire farm life is amazing. Though both films recognise that location is more than simply backdrop – it’s character – the muddy, rain-soaked terrain hardly be more from sun-drenched Italy.
Director’s Vision: Francis Lee contrasts tenderness with the harshness of rural farm life, creating a powerful emotional landscape that’s miles away from sun-drenched Italy yet equally affecting.
What Makes It Special:
- Rugged, rain-soaked terrain provides stark contrast to CMBYN’s warmth
- Environment functions as character rather than mere backdrop
- Physical labor and care for animals offers unique metaphors for emotional connection
- Authentic portrayal of working-class rural life adds distinctive perspective
“Though the muddy Yorkshire hills couldn’t be more different from Italy’s sun-bathed countryside, both films understand that location is more than scenery—it’s emotional terrain.”
🔍 Similar Recommendations:
Transformative Connections & Identity
Matthias & Maxime (2019)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★☆
Country: Canada
Where to Watch: MUBI, Amazon
Why You’ll Love It: One kiss transforms everything – and Xavier Dolan masterfully catches that pivotal moment. The way Mat abruptly challenges everything about himself, including emotions for his closest friend he never thought existed, you could sense the ripple effect from the time the guys realise they will have to kiss for a student film.
This is a wonderfully seen trip through doubt, denial, wrath, and uncertainty. Like CMBYN, this movie shines in those quiet times when insight strikes. Seeing someone find aspects of themselves they never knew existed has a certain kind of magic.
I enjoy how this movie plays with your emotions: it builds you up with possibility before cutting your expectations. Dolan changes the emotional terrain just as you believe you know what is happening. That same mixed feeling is what keeps CMBgyn from leaving your head long after you saw.
Director’s Vision: Dolan excels at capturing pivotal moments of realization, creating a journey through doubt, denial, anger, and uncertainty that rivals CMBYN’s emotional landscape.
What Makes It Special:
- Explores blurry boundaries between friendship and attraction
- Quiet moments of insight parallel CMBYN’s most powerful scenes
- Emotional terrain shifts unexpectedly, keeping viewers engaged
- Contemporary storytelling with experimental visual elements
“This film shines in those quiet moments when insight strikes, showing someone discovering aspects of themselves they never knew existed—a magic shared with CMBYN.”
Beach Rats (2017)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★★★ | Heartbreak: ★★★★☆
Country: USA
Where to Watch: Hulu, Kanopy, Amazon
Why You’ll Love It: While CMBgyn investigates sexual awakening amid an affluent milieu, “Beach Rats” looks at related subjects via a grittier prism. The film presents a striking juxtaposition to Elio’s intellectual independence following a Brooklyn youngster negotiating his sexuality inside a hypermasculine beach town.
Not its “gay narrative” but rather its character study distinguishes this movie. Though many viewers found the protagonist’s decisions – dating a female while covertly meeting guys – to be difficult, that’s exactly what gives it real rather than idealised feel. It’s more interested in internal struggle than in outside drama, much as CMBYN is.
Director’s Vision: Eliza Hittman’s raw, documentary-like style creates a striking counterpoint to Guadagnino’s artistic approach, focusing on internal struggle rather than external drama.
What Makes It Special:
- Brooklyn beach culture creates distinctive summer atmosphere
- Neon-lit nighttime scenes suggest spaces where different rules apply
- Character study prioritized over traditional “gay narrative” format
- Realistic portrayal of complicated decisions and identity struggles
“Like CMBYN’s moonlit swims, the neon-lit beach vistas have a dreamlike quality that suggests areas where different rules apply. Both films know how environment shapes expression.”
Weekend (2011)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★★
Country: UK
Where to Watch: Criterion Channel, Amazon Prime, Apple TV
Why You’ll Love It: While “Weekend is a wonderfully created miniature, compressing great emotional depth into just two days, “Brokeback Mountain” is an epic spanning decades. Like the difference between a magnificent bonsai and a tall oak, both gorgeous but on somewhat different sizes.
Andrew Haigh’s director work is outstanding; he shows how two people meeting by chance could go through something significant in just 48 hours. The movie zips in on shared cigarettes, post-coital chats, and debates about identity that seem entirely unscripted instead of great gestures.
Director’s Vision: Haigh focuses on shared cigarettes, post-coital conversations, and debates about identity that feel entirely unscripted rather than grand gestures, creating intimate authenticity.
What Makes It Special:
- Condensed timeframe intensifies emotional impact
- Naturalistic dialogue captures real human connection
- Honest approach avoids stereotypes and obvious sexuality
- Recording conversations serves as powerful metaphor for preserving experience
“The film proposes a path that CMBYN would later take: you don’t need clichés or high production values—just honest writing and performances that capture the nuanced ways we connect.”
End of the Century (2019)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★☆
Country: Argentina
Where to Watch: Criterion Channel, Amazon
The first plays of Argentine director Lucio Castro blurbs three distinct eras in the relationship between a poet and his Spanish girlfriend, in intriguing ways.
The film’s masterwork is in its transitions, which shift across timeframes using things like a camera, a t-shirt with a kiss print, rubber duckies, and refrigerators in various states. Water becomes a strong motif signifying desire; their initial meeting in the sea, a key encounter by a fountain.
Director’s Vision: The film’s masterwork lies in its transitions, shifting across timeframes using objects like cameras, t-shirts, rubber ducks, and refrigerators in various states, creating a dreamlike experience.
What Makes It Special:
- Non-linear narrative structure creates unique viewing experience
- Barcelona setting provides beautiful backdrop
- Water motifs (initial meeting at sea, fountains) symbolize desire
- Examines how brief encounters can echo across decades
“Water becomes a powerful motif signifying desire; their initial meeting in the sea, a key encounter by a fountain. These watery elements create a dreamy effect where conventional norms seem suspended, much like CMBYN’s swimming pool.”
Departure (2015)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★★☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★★☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★☆
Country: UK/France
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime, Apple TV
Why You’ll Love It: Two outstanding performances in this movie are from Phenix Brossard, playing against type as a muscular, angry straight character, and Alex Lawther (from “The End of the F***ing World”).
The film’s purposefully sluggish tempo, subdued colour palette, and simple score produce an almost mesmerising viewing experience. Though I first focused on the performers, I discovered myself captivated into the nuanced emotional relationships despite (or maybe because of their demanding nature.
Director’s Vision: The film’s deliberately slow pace, subdued color palette, and simple score create an almost mesmerizing viewing experience where every glance has purpose and every sentence carries subtext.
What Makes It Special:
- South of France setting mirrors CMBYN’s Italian countryside
- Family dynamics (closeted father, grieving mother) add complexity
- Poetic approach creates film that feels experienced rather than merely watched
- Explores coming-of-age through multiple perspectives
“This goes beyond conventional coming-of-age fare by exploring family dynamics: a deeply closeted father and bereaved mother forming the context in which our protagonist must discover himself. Like CMBYN, the movie recognizes how surroundings define identity.”
Close (2022)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★☆☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★★
Country: Belgium
Where to Watch: MUBI, Amazon
Why You’ll Love It: Second movie by Belgian director Lukas Dhont following his award-winning “Girl” examines the close friendship between two 13-year-old boys destroyed under social pressure. The title aptly catches the two ideas of closeness and loss in the movie.
The visual grace of this film distinguishes it. With such sensitivity, Dhont captures the physical intimacy between the boys – sleepovers, whispered secrets, shared hobbies – it makes their later estrangement physically uncomfortable to see.
Director’s Vision: Dhont captures the physical intimacy between the boys—sleepovers, whispered secrets, shared hobbies—with such sensitivity that their later estrangement becomes physically uncomfortable to witness.
What Makes It Special:
- Examines intimate male friendship before societal expectations intervene
- Visual grace in depicting childhood physical intimacy
- Simplicity of narrative enhances emotional power
- Explores masculinity expectations without being heavy-handed
“Like CMBYN, the movie recognizes how harsh judgments are shaped by societal expectations about masculinity. Both examine how outside forces can contaminate the purest relationships, forcing characters to choose between acceptance and authenticity.”
LGBTQ Historical & Cultural Perspectives
A Single Man (2009)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★☆☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★☆☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★★
Country: USA
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV
Why You’ll Love It: For good cause, Colin Firth received an Oscar nomination from fashion designer Tom Ford’s directing debut. Filmed in 1962 Los Angeles amid the Cuban Missile Crisis, it centres on a professor preparing his suicide after losing his sixteen-year companion.
It’s amazing how Ford crafts a sensual visual experience out of a weighty topic. Every frame feels painstakingly constructed, with colour palettes changing to mirror emotional states, just like in CMBYN. Both directors see films as a visual language rather than only a narrative one.
Director’s Vision: Ford crafts a sensual visual experience from weighty subject matter, with meticulously constructed frames and color palettes shifting to mirror emotional states, similar to CMBYN’s visual language.
What Makes It Special:
- Exquisite visual design with fashion-influenced aesthetic
- Color palettes change to reflect emotional states
- Seemingly limited scope (one man, one day) achieves remarkable depth
- Captures temporal dilation experienced during emotional crisis
“What’s amazing is how Ford crafts a sensual visual experience out of a weighty topic. Every frame feels painstakingly constructed, with color palettes changing to mirror emotional states, just like in CMBYN.”
Holding the Man (2015)
CMBYN Similarity: ★★★☆☆ | Summer Vibes: ★★★☆☆ | Heartbreak: ★★★★★
Country: Australia
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon
Why You’ll Love It: Based on a real story from Melbourne that had theatre audiences in tears, this Australian film follows a romance from teenage awakening to its sad end.
Its wide span, which shows how young love could develop through phases of discovery, societal pressure, happiness, and finally tragedy, sets it apart. Like the conclusion of CMBYN, the movie invites us to reflect on how early relationships impact our whole life.
Director’s Vision: The film’s broad scope, showing how young love can evolve through phases of discovery, social pressure, happiness, and ultimately tragedy, offers a comprehensive emotional journey.
What Makes It Special:
- Covers 15-year relationship from high school to adulthood
- Based on true story adds emotional resonance
- Shows how early relationships impact entire life
- Chronicles changing social attitudes over decades
“This is ultimately a story about life itself—how two people navigate the world together from youthful hormonal stirrings to adult commitment, overcoming every challenge together until the very end.”
Our Selection Criteria
When curating this collection of 21 films similar to “Call Me By Your Name,” we applied the following specific criteria:
- Emotional Authenticity – Films that portray genuine emotional experiences rather than relying on stereotypes or clichés
- Artistic Quality – Well-crafted cinematography, thoughtful direction, and strong performances that elevate the storytelling
- Thematic Resonance – Stories that explore universal themes of desire, identity, self-discovery, and transformation
- Setting as Character – Films where location plays a vital role in the narrative, similar to CMBYN’s Italian summer backdrop
- Coming-of-Age Elements – Stories that capture the formative nature of youth and personal awakening
- Intellectual Depth – Films that engage with ideas and feature meaningful conversations, not just physical attraction
- Cultural Impact – Works that have influenced LGBTQ+ cinema or received critical recognition
- Memorable Sensory Experience – Movies that create immersive worlds through attention to visual details, sound, and atmosphere
- Emotional Complexity – Stories that don’t shy away from the bittersweet, complicated nature of love and connection
- Universal Appeal – Films that transcend being categorized simply as “gay movies” to tell human stories that resonate with wide audiences
These films’ artistic approach to narrative connects them more than their LGBTQ+ topics. You’ll discover anything on this list that expresses the same core whether your connection with CMBgyn’s summer setting, academic environment, coming-of-age narrative, or emotional honesty. If you value films that show emotional realism in same-sex relationships, you might also find great enjoyment in our selection of Japanese homosexual films with similarly intense examination of desire and identity.
Frequently Asked Questions About Movies Like Call Me By Your Name
What is the best movie to watch if you liked Call Me By Your Name?
If you loved “Call Me By Your Name,” we highly recommend “God’s Own Country” (2017) as your next watch. This British film shares many similarities with CMBYN, including a transformative summer romance between two young men in a beautiful rural setting. The emotional depth, stunning cinematography, and intimate character development make it the closest spiritual successor to Luca Guadagnino’s masterpiece. Other excellent choices would be “Moonlight” for its poetic sensibility or “Summer of 85” for that similar sun-drenched nostalgic atmosphere.
Are there any Asian films similar to Call Me By Your Name?
Yes, several outstanding Asian films capture similar themes and emotions to “Call Me By Your Name.” The most notable is “Your Name Engraved Herein” (2020), Taiwan’s highest-grossing LGBTQ+ film. Set in 1980s Taiwan as martial law ends, it follows two male students at a Catholic school who develop feelings for each other. The film beautifully captures forbidden love, societal constraints, and youthful longing like CMBYN. Other Asian films with similar sensibilities include “Happy Together” by Wong Kar-wai and Japanese coming-of-age drama “His” (2020).
What other movies did Timothée Chalamet star in similar to Call Me By Your Name?
While Timothée Chalamet’s performance in “Call Me By Your Name” remains unique, he has starred in other films that showcase his emotional range and talent for portraying complex characters. “Beautiful Boy” (2018) features Chalamet in another emotionally raw performance as a young man struggling with addiction. “Little Women” (2019) showcases his ability to portray romantic yearning, albeit in a very different setting. For fans of CMBYN’s coming-of-age aspects, Chalamet’s performance in “Lady Bird” (2017) captures similar themes of youth and self-discovery, though his role is supporting rather than lead.
Which movies have a summer romance theme like Call Me By Your Name?
Several films capture that magical summer romance atmosphere similar to “Call Me By Your Name”:
- “Summer of 85” (2020) – Set in a seaside town in Normandy with sun-drenched visuals and 1980s music
- “Esteros” (2016) – Childhood friends reunite at a beach house in Argentina’s Iberá Wetlands
- “Shelter” (2007) – Southern California surfing backdrop for an unexpected summer love
- “Boys/Jongens” (2014) – Summer athletic training camp setting for two young runners
- “A Moment in the Reeds” (2017) – Finnish summer cottage provides the backdrop for romance
All these films use summer settings to create that sense of suspended time and possibility that made CMBYN so captivating.
Are there any movies like Call Me By Your Name with happy endings?
While “Call Me By Your Name” has a bittersweet ending, several similar films offer more hopeful conclusions:
- “God’s Own Country” provides a more optimistic ending for its central couple
- “Beautiful Thing” ends with a joyful dance sequence suggesting a positive future
- “The Way He Looks” concludes with its young protagonists together and facing the future
- “Handsome Devil” offers a hopeful ending focused on friendship and self-acceptance
- “Shelter” gives its characters a chance at happiness despite family complications
These films maintain the emotional depth of CMBYN while providing viewers with more uplifting resolutions.
What movies explore first love like Call Me By Your Name?
Many films beautifully capture the intensity and transformative nature of first love similar to “Call Me By Your Name”:
- “The Way He Looks” (2014) – A blind teenager experiences first love with a new classmate
- “Moonlight” (2016) – Explores the impact of early connection across three life stages
- “Beautiful Thing” (1996) – Working-class London teens discover love in an unlikely setting
- “Boys/Jongens” (2014) – Dutch film capturing the innocence and confusion of first attraction
- “Close” (2022) – Though focused on friendship, portrays the intensity of early emotional bonds
Each of these films captures that unique combination of discovery, vulnerability, and emotional awakening that makes first love stories so compelling.
Which period dramas are similar to Call Me By Your Name?
If you enjoyed the period setting of “Call Me By Your Name” (1980s Italy), consider these period dramas with similar themes:
- “Maurice” (1987) – Set in early 20th century England, exploring forbidden love amid societal constraints
- “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) – Spanning several decades from the 1960s in rural Wyoming
- “A Single Man” (2009) – Set in 1962 Los Angeles with meticulous period detail
- “Sorry Angel” (2018) – 1990s Paris during a pivotal time in LGBTQ+ history
- “Summer of 85” (2020) – 1980s French coastal town with perfect period aesthetics
These films use their historical settings not just as backdrop but as integral elements that shape the characters’ experiences and choices.
Are there any movies with age-gap relationships like in Call Me By Your Name?
Several thoughtful films explore age-gap relationships similar to the one in “Call Me By Your Name”:
- “Sorry Angel” (2018) – A relationship between a university student and an older writer
- “A Single Man” (2009) – Features moments of connection between a professor and his student
- “End of the Century” (2019) – Explores connections between characters at different life stages
- “Beginners” (2010) – Though not primarily focused on an age-gap romance, explores intergenerational relationships
- “God’s Own Country” (2017) – Features a moderate age difference between its protagonists
These films approach age differences with similar nuance and complexity to CMBYN, exploring the dynamics without sensationalizing them.
What are the best coming-of-age LGBTQ+ films like Call Me By Your Name?
The best coming-of-age LGBTQ+ films that capture the emotional depth of “Call Me By Your Name” include:
- “Moonlight” (2016) – Academy Award-winning film following a young Black man’s journey through three life stages
- “The Way He Looks” (2014) – Brazilian film about a blind teenager experiencing first love
- “Beautiful Thing” (1996) – Classic British film about working-class teens discovering love
- “Handsome Devil” (2016) – Irish boarding school setting for a story about authenticity and friendship
- “Beach Rats” (2017) – Gritty exploration of identity in Brooklyn’s beach communities
These films all share CMBYN’s commitment to authentic character development and emotional honesty in portraying young people discovering their identities.
Which directors make films similar to Luca Guadagnino’s style in Call Me By Your Name?
Directors who create work with similar sensibilities to Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name” include:
- François Ozon – French director of “Summer of 85” with a similar visual sensibility and attention to youthful emotion
- Andrew Haigh – Director of “Weekend” who shares Guadagnino’s talent for intimate, naturalistic dialogue and emotionally authentic stories
- Barry Jenkins – “Moonlight” director whose poetic visual style and emotional depth parallel Guadagnino’s approach
- Céline Sciamma – Though “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” features a lesbian relationship, her attention to sensual detail and forbidden desire echoes CMBYN
- Wong Kar-wai – Hong Kong director whose films like “Happy Together” share the lush visuals and emotional intensity of Guadagnino’s work
These filmmakers all prioritize emotional authenticity, sensory experiences, and visual beauty in ways that will appeal to fans of Guadagnino’s style.