Ilusyon (2005)

(1) based on 1 votes
Set in Philippine post-American colonialist era, where the American influence was still apparent, Ilusyon tells the story of Miguel, a young man from the countryside, who decides to visit his father, Pablo, a Modernist painter in Manila. Upon his arrival, he discovers that his father has decided to leave for the province but he opted to stay in Manila for a vacation. One day, he meets Stella, a nude model originally scheduled to pose for Miguel's father. Struck by her beauty, Miguel does the unthinkable - he pretends to be his father the painter. Developing a relationship based on a lie, things turn for the worse as Stella begets a strange skin disease that turns off Miguel. Surrounded by strange characters - a talking cow, a talkative mailman and a nosy landlady - Miguel is driven into a frenzy realization about beauty, lust, love and being true to oneself. An ambiguous ending underlines the surreal tone of the film.
Release Date
Jan 01, 2005
Runtime
01h 40m
Genre
Available in streaming on

Set in Philippine post-American colonialist era, where the American influence was still apparent, Ilusyon tells the story of Miguel, a young man from the countryside, who decides to visit his father, Pablo, a Modernist painter in Manila. Upon his arrival, he discovers that his father has decided to leave for the province but he opted to stay in Manila for a vacation. One day, he meets Stella, a nude model originally scheduled to pose for Miguel's father. Struck by her beauty, Miguel does the unthinkable - he pretends to be his father the painter. Developing a relationship based on a lie, things turn for the worse as Stella begets a strange skin disease that turns off Miguel. Surrounded by strange characters - a talking cow, a talkative mailman and a nosy landlady - Miguel is driven into a frenzy realization about beauty, lust, love and being true to oneself. An ambiguous ending underlines the surreal tone of the film.

Movies like Ilusyon

Week-ends

It sometimes takes little to spoil a weekend in the country. A simple misunderstanding in a supermarket parking lot, a bad reaction, and there you go, everything is awry. Nothing is going well for Christine. Jean leaves her. Her oldest friends, Sylvette and Ulrich, are no longer such good friends. Everything is falling apart at the seams. But life is always full of surprises.
Search similar movies
4.2
Week-ends
Onegin

A virtuous and passionate girl falls in love with a cynical but a dashing aristocrat.
Search similar movies
6.2
Onegin
Civil Brand

Forced to work under slave-like conditions in a "prison for profit" program, the inmates of a mostly-African-American female prison, Whitehead Correctional, try to take over the institution.
Search similar movies
6.7
Civil+Brand
Civil Brand

2003

Search similar movies
Cold Souls

Paul is agonising over his interpretation of 'Uncle Vanya' and, paralysed by anxiety, stumbles upon a solution via a New Yorker article about a high-tech company promising to alleviate suffering by extracting souls. He enlists their services—only to discover that his soul is the shape and size of a chickpea.
Search similar movies
6.0
Cold+Souls
Cold Souls

2009

Search similar movies
Picture Bride

Riyo, an orphaned 17-year old, sails from Yokohama to Hawaii in 1918 to marry Matsuji, a man she has never met. Hoping to escape a troubled past and start anew, Riyo is bitterly disappointed upon her arrival: her husband is twice her age. The miserable girl finds solace with her new friend Kana, a young mother who helps Riyo accept her new life.
Search similar movies
6.4
Picture+Bride
Picture Bride

1995

Search similar movies
Real Women Have Curves

In East Los Angeles, an 18-year-old struggles between her ambitions of going to college and the desires of her domineering mother for her to get married, have children, and oversee the small, rundown family-owned textile factory.
Search similar movies
6.1
Real+Women+Have+Curves
Real Women Have Curves

2002

Search similar movies
The Late Shift

David Letterman vies with Jay Leno and his manager to succeed Johnny Carson, retiring from "The Tonight Show."
Search similar movies
6.4
The+Late+Shift
The Late Shift

1996

Search similar movies
Tart

A student will do anything to become part of the "in-crowd" at the exclusive school she attends in New York.
Search similar movies
4.3
Tart
The Last Two Lovers at the End of the World

On New Year’s Eve of 2029, a six-mile wide asteroid is headed for Earth and set to wipe out humanity and the repressive society that now plagues Los Angeles. One young couple aims to survive this catastrophic event together while simultaneously transforming their civilization into the utopia they desire.
Search similar movies
The+Last+Two+Lovers+at+the+End+of+the+World
The Last Two Lovers at the End of the World

2017

Search similar movies
Mangalyam Thanthunanena

A newly-wed couple who find themselves in a tight spot after husband loses his job in Dubai. Will he manage to get his act together and deal with the crisis on his own?
Search similar movies
6.0
Mangalyam+Thanthunanena
Mangalyam Thanthunanena

2018

Search similar movies
Dog Eat Dog

Silje wants to leave her boyfriend, but when she finds him in a half-hearted attempt to hang himself she has to reconsider, in fear of acting reckless.
Search similar movies
7.6
Dog+Eat+Dog
Dog Eat Dog

2018

Search similar movies
Jugni

Jugni (Firefly) is the beat of the soul, the free-flying spirit. Jugni is Vibhavari (Vibs). Vibs is a music director, working on her first big break in the Hindi film industry. When work and home affairs, with her live-in boyfriend Sid hit a high tide, Vibs hits the road with a glint of hope; to find music. The journey takes her to a village in Punjab in the search of a Bibi Saroop, whose voice holds the promise that Vibs is searching for. But as the twist of fate would have it, Mastana, Bibi's son and a proficient singer himself, is the voice and man who winds his way into Vibs' heart. From here on, Jugni is about striking balances, making tough decisions while trying to soften the blows and dealing with the studied dramatic turns and unpredictabilities of life and finding the place which one can call home; home of the heart, where the firefly is at her brightest.
Search similar movies
6.5
Jugni
All the Beauty

Sarah (Ann Eleonora Jørgensen) and David (Magnus Crepper) meet for the first time in ten years when she arrives at his summer residence. David needs help finishing a play, which turns out to be a dramatization of their long, troublesome relationship. The film presents three love stories about seemingly different couples; all named Sarah and David, but played by different actors in respectively their 20s, 30s and 40s.
Search similar movies
3.0
All+the+Beauty
All the Beauty

2016

Search similar movies
National Theatre Live: War Horse

Based on Michael Morpurgo's novel and adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford, War Horse takes audiences on an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of First World War France.
Search similar movies
8.8
National+Theatre+Live%3A+War+Horse
National Theatre Live: War Horse

2014

Search similar movies
Iris

After the failure of her marriage, Iris goes back to her hometown during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), where she becomes a war photographer.
Search similar movies
6.5
Iris
Blackboards

Itinerant Kurdish teachers, carrying blackboards on their backs, look for students in the hills and villages of Iran, near the Iraqi border during the Iran-Iraq war. Said falls in with a group of old men looking for their bombed-out village; he offers to guide them, and takes as his wife Halaleh, the clan's lone woman, a widow with a young son. Reeboir attaches himself to a dozen pre-teen boys weighed down by contraband they carry across the border; they're mules, always on the move. Said and Reeboir try to teach as their potential students keep walking. Danger is close; armed soldiers patrol the skies, the roads, and the border. Is there a role for a teacher? Is there hope?
Search similar movies
6.6
Blackboards
Blackboards

2000

Search similar movies
Bliss!

Tasha Robson, 16, has run away from home! While she rides the waves aboard the large ferry heading from South Shields, England to Scandinavia in search of her unknown father, "The Viking" all is less than calm in the Robson household.
Search similar movies
9.0
Bliss%21
Suicide Kale

Jasmine and Penn, a new couple with an uncertain future, struggle through a lunch party after they stumble upon an anonymous suicide note in the home of the hosts.
Search similar movies
5.1
Suicide+Kale
Suicide Kale

2016

Search similar movies
Shirley

A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.
Search similar movies
6.1
Shirley
Klimt

A portrait of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt whose lavish, sexual paintings came to symbolize the art nouveau style of the late 19th and early 20th century.
Search similar movies
5.1
Klimt
Girltrash: All Night Long

The story of five girls and one epic night. The girls will find love, lust, girl-fights, rock and roll, and a whole lot of stoned sorority girls.
Search similar movies
6.0
Girltrash%3A+All+Night+Long
Girltrash: All Night Long

2014

Search similar movies
Judit

An intimate and bucolic portrait of a young girl and her role within her family that reconstructs the biblical myth of Judith and Holofernes.
Search similar movies
2.0
Judit
Essential Truths of the Lake

Faced with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody murders and brazen lies, ethically conflicted police lieutenant Hermes Papauran continues his struggle to find a resolution to a 15-year-old case around a volcanic ash-laden landscape and an impenetrable lake.
Search similar movies
6.5
Essential+Truths+of+the+Lake
Essential Truths of the Lake

2023

Search similar movies
The Soong Sisters

The Soong family was a political dynasty in China that reached the highest levels of power. This film follows the lives of the three Soong daughters, who were educated in America and returned to China. Ai-ling married a wealthy and powerful businessman. Ching-ling married Sun Yat-sen, the revolutionary founder of modern China. Mei-ling married Chiang Kai-shek, China's leader during World War II. The sisters captured the world's fascination for their brilliant marriages and their strong influence on their nation.
Search similar movies
6.6
The+Soong+Sisters
The Soong Sisters

1997

Search similar movies
The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love

An adventurous love story between two young women of different social and economic backgrounds who find themselves going through all the typical struggles of a new romance.
Search similar movies
6.3
The+Incredibly+True+Adventure+of+Two+Girls+in+Love
The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love

1995

Search similar movies
Seaburners

Denise, a botanist, is working in the swamps in a part of Turkey, planting and researching local flora. In her evenings she sometimes meets with her lover Hamit, a simple man at first glance. But he is making his living with human trafficking which he keeps a secret from Denise. When Hamit learns that Denise is being sent back to her home country soon, one final trafficking job takes a dark outcome.
Search similar movies
4.7
Seaburners
Seaburners

2014

Search similar movies
Thou Wast Mild and Lovely

The arrival of a handsome new farmhand threatens the balance between a farmer and his daughter.
Search similar movies
5.2
Thou+Wast+Mild+and+Lovely
Thou Wast Mild and Lovely

2014

Search similar movies
Too Legit

A woman tries to determine if her rape was legitimate or not.
Search similar movies
5.3
Too+Legit
Tell Me a Riddle

A long-married couple embark on one last cross-country journey when it is discovered that the wife is dying. Together they try to reconnect with their estranged daughter before it is too late.
Search similar movies
6.0
Tell+Me+a+Riddle
Tell Me a Riddle

1980

Search similar movies
An Affirmative Act

"An Affirmative Act" is pro-gay marriage film, starring Charles Durning, Eric Etebari, Costas Mandylor, Rachael Robbins, and Blanche Baker, about a lesbian couple where one pretends to be a man in order for the two to get married and equal benefits. A slice of life of a young, professional married couple with their darling baby turns a sharp, dark corner when the pair are arrested and charged with several counts of fraud. The reason: Terry and Samantha Succi aren't the man and woman that they purported to be... Terry and Samantha married under false pretenses, ignoring state law that discriminates against homosexual partners and prohibits them from receiving the same rights and benefits as their straight counterparts.
Search similar movies
2.9
An+Affirmative+Act
An Affirmative Act

2010

Search similar movies
Me and You and Everyone We Know

Single dad Richard meets Christine, a starving artist who moonlights as a cabbie. They awkwardly attempt to start a romance, but Richard’s divorce has left him emotionally damaged. Meanwhile, Richard’s sons—one a teenager, the other 6-years-old—take part in clumsy experiments with the opposite sex.
Search similar movies
7.0
Me+and+You+and+Everyone+We+Know
Me and You and Everyone We Know

2005

Search similar movies
The Cave of the Yellow Dog

The little nomad girl, Nansal, finds a baby dog in the Mongolian veld, who becomes her best friend - against all rejections of her parents. A story about a Mongolian family of nomads - their traditional way of life and the rising call of the City.
Search similar movies
7.4
The+Cave+of+the+Yellow+Dog
The Cave of the Yellow Dog

2005

Search similar movies
Take My Eyes

One winter night, Pilar runs away from home. With her, she takes only a few belongings and her son, Juan. Antonio soon sets out to look for her. He says Pilar is his sunshine, and what's more, "She gave him her eyes"...
Search similar movies
7.2
Take+My+Eyes
Take My Eyes

2003

Search similar movies
The Virgin Suicides

A group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents.
Search similar movies
7.1
The+Virgin+Suicides
The Virgin Suicides

2000

Search similar movies
Antonia's Line

After World War II, Antonia and her daughter, Danielle, go back to their Dutch hometown, where Antonia's late mother has bestowed a small farm upon her. There, Antonia settles down and joins a tightly-knit but unusual community. Those around her include quirky friend Crooked Finger, would-be suitor Bas and, eventually for Antonia, a granddaughter and great-granddaughter who help create a strong family of empowered women.
Search similar movies
7.0
Antonia%27s+Line
Antonia's Line

1995

Search similar movies
Andrei Rublev

An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.
Search similar movies
8.0
Andrei+Rublev
Andrei Rublev

1966

Search similar movies
Copying Beethoven

A fictionalised exploration of Beethoven's life in his final days working on his Ninth Symphony. It is 1824. Beethoven is racing to finish his new symphony. However, it has been years since his last success and he is plagued by deafness, loneliness and personal trauma. A copyist is urgently needed to help the composer. A fictional character is introduced in the form of a young conservatory student and aspiring composer named Anna Holtz. The mercurial Beethoven is skeptical that a woman might become involved in his masterpiece but slowly comes to trust in Anna's assistance and in the end becomes quite fond of her. By the time the piece is performed, her presence in his life is an absolute necessity. Her deep understanding of his work is such that she even corrects mistakes he has made, while her passionate personality opens a door into his private world.
Search similar movies
6.4
Copying+Beethoven
Copying Beethoven

2006

Search similar movies
Nowhere in Africa

A Jewish woman named Jettel Redlich flees Nazi Germany with her daughter Regina, to join her husband, Walter, on a farm in Kenya. At first, Jettel refuses to adjust to her new circumstances, bringing with her a set of china dishes and an evening gown. While Regina adapts readily to this new world, forming a strong bond with her father's cook, an African named Owuor.
Search similar movies
7.1
Nowhere+in+Africa
Nowhere in Africa

2001

Search similar movies
When Saturday Comes

Jimmy Muir comes from a typical gritty, northern town where there are only two options: working down the pit or in a factory. But Jimmy has other ideas - he dreams of becoming a professional footballer. Confronted by a bitter and unsupportive father, hard drinking friends and a lifetime of bad habits...has Jimmy the will to achieve his ultimate goal?
Search similar movies
5.7
When+Saturday+Comes
When Saturday Comes

1996

Search similar movies
A Real Young Girl

Reluctantly, a sulky adolescent returns to her parents' house for yet another boring summer vacation, dabbling in desire and the art of desirability, eventually mixing reality with vision, caged fantasies with the fierce female sexuality.
Search similar movies
5.3
A+Real+Young+Girl
A Real Young Girl

1976

Search similar movies
Adrien

Is having control of our life a right? Are living and dying freedoms, duties or responsibilities? How should we love? How should we live? How should we die? These questions are woven into the story of Adrien, who suffers from kidney failure. He runs a garage in Trois-Pistoles, a small town on the St-Lawrence in Québec, where people seem ordinary, but aren't: each love story, each life, each destiny is unique.
Search similar movies
5.6
Adrien
Always Shine

On a trip to Big Sur, two friends, both actresses, try to reconnect with one another. Once alone, the women's suppressed jealousies and deep-seated resentments begin to rise, causing them to lose their grasp on not only the true nature of their relationship, but also their identities.
Search similar movies
5.4
Always+Shine
Always Shine

2016

Search similar movies
The Ways of Man

A contemporary evocation of Judas Iscariot trying to escape from his own guilt after betraying his best friend. He wanders into a forest and lost in himself, meets a mysterious young man. The young companion will accompany him on this path of repentance and penance and help him deal with his feelings, understand his guilt and cope with he has done. This is the story of the last three days of a repentant.
Search similar movies
4.7
The+Ways+of+Man
The Ways of Man

2016

Search similar movies
200 Cigarettes

In 1981 New York City, a collection of twentysomethings try to cope with relationships, loneliness, desire and their individual neuroses on New Years Eve.
Search similar movies
5.8
200+Cigarettes
200 Cigarettes

1999

Search similar movies
The Girl from Monaco

A brilliant and neurotic attorney goes to Monaco to defend a famous criminal. But, instead of focusing on the case, he falls for a beautiful she-devil, who turns him into a complete wreck... Hopefully, his zealous bodyguard will step in and put everything back in order... Or will he ?
Search similar movies
5.2
The+Girl+from+Monaco
The Girl from Monaco

2008

Search similar movies
Something New

Kenya McQueen, a corporate lawyer, finds love in the most unexpected place when she agrees to go on a blind date with Brian Kelly, a sexy and free-spirited landscaper.
Search similar movies
6.5
Something+New
Something New

2006

Search similar movies
The Notorious Bettie Page

Bettie Page grew up in a conservative religious family in Tennessee and became a photo model sensation in 1950s New York. Bettie's legendary pin-up photos made her the target of a Senate investigation into pornography, and transformed her into an erotic icon who continues to enthrall fans to this day.
Search similar movies
6.3
The+Notorious+Bettie+Page
The Notorious Bettie Page

2005

Search similar movies
Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Helmed by three female directors, this omnibus features three films set in China, Thailand and Singapore respectively. Each story occurs at a specific mealtime, and seeks to interpret the frailties and complexities of love through different Asian perspectives. All three stories are tethered with the question, "Will you marry me?" Mirroring the repasts themselves, Breakfast and Dinner are heavier in tone, while Lunch is light with a sprinkle of humor.
Search similar movies
5.5
Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner
Breakfast Lunch Dinner

2010

Search similar movies
Wild Texas Wind

Soon after a country singer moves in with her band's new manager, he's found slain and she's a suspect.
Search similar movies
5.4
Wild+Texas+Wind
Wild Texas Wind

1991

Search similar movies
Falling Beauty

Ninni is sixteen and she lives in a beautiful mansion in the swedish countryside with her family.
Search similar movies
2.5
Falling+Beauty
Falling Beauty

2004

Search similar movies
Waiting for the Tenor

The author Thomas meets his childhood friend Hoffman on an autumn night in 1997. They decide to let a dream come true: to make a film of a play by Thomas, Veranda for a Tenor, with Hoffman in the lead role. The story takes us back to the summer of 1961, which changed their lives. The writing of the script awakens memories and forbidden questions are answered. Their friendship is put to the test a final time. Veranda for a tenor is a film about male friendship, but also about love. Their love for the same woman...
Search similar movies
6.0
Waiting+for+the+Tenor
Waiting for the Tenor

1998

Search similar movies