Dynamic Watchlist Hub: Apr 20, 2026

10 Best Movies Like Return of the absent

If you loved Return of the absent, we've curated the perfect watchlist for you based on shared genres, themes, and directorial style.

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Expert Review & Ratings

See our full critical analysis and audience score for Return of the absent.

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#1
Rocks

Rocks

2019★ 6.6

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Return of the absent for fans of Drama. It captures a similar emotionally gripping atmosphere.

15-year-old Rocks fears that she and her little brother Emmanuel will be taken into care and forced apart if anyone finds out that their mother has left them. Against all odds, and...

#2
Simon Birch

Simon Birch

1998★ 6.8

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Return of the absent for fans of Comedy. It captures a similar light-hearted atmosphere.

Simon Birch and Joe Wenteworth are boys who have a reputation for being oddballs. Joe never knew his father, and his mother, Rebecca, is keeping her lips sealed no matter how much ...

#3
David Copperfield

David Copperfield

1935★ 6.7

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Return of the absent for fans of Drama. It captures a similar emotionally gripping atmosphere.

A young man journeys from a difficult childhood to maturity, exploring social injustice, personal development, and the complexities of human relationships....

#4
The Elder Son

The Elder Son

2006★ 5.9

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Return of the absent for fans of Romance. It captures a similar light-hearted atmosphere.

A thief on the run convinces a single father that he is his long-lost son. Complications ensue when he falls in love with his newfound "sister"....

#5
A Little Princess

A Little Princess

1995★ 7.6

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Return of the absent for fans of Drama. It captures a similar emotionally gripping atmosphere.

When her father enlists to fight for the British in WWI, young Sara Crewe goes to New York to attend the same boarding school her late mother attended. She soon clashes with the se...

#6
Paranoiac

Paranoiac

1963★ 6.6

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Return of the absent for fans of Thriller. It captures a similar spine-chilling atmosphere.

Eleven years ago, the wealthy Ashby family was shattered when Mr and Mrs Ashby died in an airplane crash and their grieving son Tony committed suicide. All who remains is cruel Sim...

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