15 Movies Like This Ain't California

Loved This Ain't California? Based on its unique Cinema DNA—including its pacing, themes, and emotional tone—we've curated the ultimate list of what you should watch next.

Downfall
#1

Downfall

In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force attacking from the west. In Berlin, capital of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler proclaims that Germany will still achieve victory and orders his generals and advisers to fight to the last man. When the end finally does come, and Hitler lies dead by his own hand, what is left of his military must find a way to end the killing that is the Battle of Berlin, and lay down their arms in surrender.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Das Boot
#2

Das Boot

A German submarine hunts allied ships during the Second World War, but it soon becomes the hunted. The crew tries to survive below the surface, while stretching both the boat and themselves to their limits.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts
#3

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts

An enchanting making-of story told through all-new in-depth interviews and cast conversations, inviting fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time.

💡Why it's a match: A highly-rated genre match based on the viewing habits of people who liked This Ain't California.

The Tin Drum
#4

The Tin Drum

In 1924, Oskar Matzerath is born in the Free City of Danzig. At age three, he falls down a flight of stairs and stops growing. In 1939, World War II breaks out.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Grand Prix of Europe
#5

Grand Prix of Europe

Edda, a young mouse and the daughter of fairground operator Erwin, dreams of becoming a race car driver. Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the European Grand Prix, Edda gets the opportunity to meet her idol, racing star Ed, and to help her father save his failing business. But to do so, she'll have to get behind the wheel herself.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Colonia
#6

Colonia

A young woman's desperate search for her abducted boyfriend draws her into the infamous Colonia Dignidad, a sect nobody ever escaped from.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Never Look Away
#7

Never Look Away

German artist Kurt Barnert has escaped East Germany and now lives in West Germany, but is tormented by his childhood under the Nazis and the GDR regime.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Stalingrad
#8

Stalingrad

A German Platoon is explored through the brutal fighting of the Battle of Stalingrad. After half of their number is wiped out and they're placed under the command of a sadistic captain, the platoon lieutenant leads his men to desert. The platoon members attempt escape from the city, now surrounded by the Soviet Army.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Robinson Crusoe
#9

Robinson Crusoe

On a tiny exotic island, Tuesday, an outgoing parrot lives with his quirky animal friends in paradise. However, Tuesday can't stop dreaming about discovering the world. After a violent storm, Tuesday and his friends wake up to find a strange creature on the beach: Robinson Crusoe. Tuesday immediately views Crusoe as his ticket off the island to explore new lands. Likewise, Crusoe soon realizes that the key to surviving on the island is through the help of Tuesday and the other animals. It isn't always easy at first, as the animals don't speak "human." Slowly but surely, they all start living together in harmony, until one day, when their comfortable life is overturned by two savage cats, who wish to take control of the island. A battle ensues between the cats and the group of friends but Crusoe and the animals soon discover the true power of friendship up against all odds (even savage cats).

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Rhinegold
#10

Rhinegold

Xatar’s way from the ghetto to the top of the charts is as dramatic as it is daring. From the hell of an Iraqi jail, Giwar Hajabi emigrated to Germany as a young boy with his family in the mid-1980s and has to start right at the bottom. There are opportunities, but far more obstacles. Giwar’s rise from petty criminal to major dealer is swift. Until one shipment goes missing. In order to clear his debts with the cartel, he plans a legendary gold heist. But just as everything goes wrong, another door opens for Giwar thanks to his passion for music …

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Animals United
#11

Animals United

A group of animals waiting for the annual flood they rely on for food and water discover that the humans, who have been destroying their habitats have built a dam for a leisure resort. The animals endeavour to save the delta and send a message to the humans not to interfere with nature.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

The Baader Meinhof Complex
#12

The Baader Meinhof Complex

When German police viciously quell a protest against the shah of Iran, popular journalist Ulrike Meinhof rebels against her dishonest marriage, walks away from her children and joins radical anarchist Andreas Baader. Together with Baader's girlfriend, Gudrun Ensslin, they form the violent Red Faction Army, and together perpetrate a slew of terrorist attacks as a way of disrupting the fabric of what they see as an increasingly fascist state.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

The Tasters
#13

The Tasters

In autumn 1943, in Gross-Partsch, 26-year-old Rosa, who had come from Berlin to stay with the parents of her husband Gregor, who was fighting on the Russian front, was taken by the SS to a mysterious place. Forced to taste a dish, she joins the group of tasters responsible for checking that the food destined for Hitler is not poisoned.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God
#14

Aguirre, the Wrath of God

A few decades after the destruction of the Inca Empire, a Spanish expedition led by the infamous Aguirre leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon River in search of the lost city of El Dorado. When great difficulties arise, Aguirre’s men start to wonder whether their quest will lead them to prosperity or certain death.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.

Freedom to Love
#15

Freedom to Love

A sex education film dedicated to all forms of human sexuality.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to This Ain't California.