Related Titles

Movies Like Short Term 12

Find movies like Short Term 12 (2013) using TMDB similarity plus Movie Rankings community context. Our top current pick is Palmer. Browse 18 related titles with direct links to rankings, cast pages, and matchup data.

These picks blend TMDB similar-title seeds with Movie Rankings community ranking context.

Next Best Actions

Explore Language Rankings

Explore Streaming Rankings

Recommended If You Liked Short Term 12
TMDB Recommended

Palmer

2021

After 12 years in prison, former high school football star Eddie Palmer returns home to put his life back together—and forms an unlikely bond with Sam, an outcast boy from a troubled home. But Eddie's past threatens to ruin his new life and family.

TMDB Similar

Together

2009

A year after his brother's death, Rob discovers that the only way to help his father cope with the loss is to "force" his affection onto him.

TMDB Recommended

Girl in the Basement

2021

Sara is a teen girl who is looking forward to her 18th birthday to move away from her controlling father Don. But before she could even blow out the candles, Don imprisons her in the basement of their home.

TMDB Similar

Shooting Dogs

2006

Two westerners, a priest and a teacher find themselves in the middle of the Rwandan genocide and face a moral dilemna. Do they place themselves in danger and protect the refugees, or escape the country with their lives? Based on a true story.

TMDB Similar

Green Street Hooligans

2005

After being wrongfully expelled from Harvard University, American Matt Buckner flees to his sister's home in England. Once there, he is befriended by her charming and dangerous brother-in-law, Pete Dunham, and introduced to the underworld of British football hooliganism. Matt learns to stand his ground through a friendship that develops against the backdrop of this secret and often violent world. 'Green Street Hooligans' is a story of loyalty, trust and the sometimes brutal consequences of living close to the edge.

TMDB Recommended

Bird

2024

12-year-old Bailey lives with her single dad Bug and brother Hunter in a squat in North Kent. Bug doesn’t have much time for his kids, and Bailey, who is approaching puberty, seeks attention and adventure elsewhere.

TMDB Similar

Pale Rider

1985

A mysterious preacher protects a humble prospector village from a greedy mining company trying to encroach on their land.

TMDB Recommended

The Boys of St. Vincent

1994

The true story of boys being sexually abused at their orphanage, run by a religious community in Newfoundland.

TMDB Recommended

Boy A

2008

Freed after a lengthy term in a juvenile detention center, convicted child killer Jack Burridge finds work as a deliveryman and begins dating co-worker Michelle. While out on the road one day, Jack notices a distressed child, and, after reuniting the girl with her family, becomes a local celebrity. But when a local newspaper unearths his past, Jack must cope with the anger of citizens who fear for the safety of their children.

TMDB Recommended

Starred Up

2014

19-year-old Eric, arrogant and ultra-violent, is prematurely transferred to the same adult prison facility as his estranged father. As his explosive temper quickly finds him enemies in both prison authorities and fellow inmates — and his already volatile relationship with his father is pushed past breaking point — Eric is approached by a volunteer psychotherapist, who runs an anger management group for prisoners. Torn between gang politics, prison corruption, and a glimmer of something better, Eric finds himself in a fight for his own life, unsure if his own father is there to protect him or join in punishing him.

TMDB Recommended

The Ride

2018

The story of John Buultjens, who has dedicated his life to the sport of BMX.

TMDB Similar

Dear Frankie

2004

Nine-year-old Frankie and his single mum Lizzie have been on the move ever since Frankie can remember, most recently arriving in a seaside Scottish town. Wanting to protect her deaf son from the truth that they've run away from his father, Lizzie has invented a story that he is away at sea on the HMS Accra. Every few weeks, Lizzie writes Frankie a make-believe letter from his father, telling of his adventures in exotic lands. As Frankie tracks the ship's progress around the globe, he discovers that it is due to dock in his hometown. With the real HMS Accra arriving in only a fortnight, Lizzie must choose between telling Frankie the truth or finding the perfect stranger to play Frankie's father for just one day...

TMDB Recommended

Manic

2001

Follows the fate of Lyle, a violent adolescent who, in lieu of prison, is placed in a juvenile mental institution, where he encounters a group of equally troubled teens. This motley crew—abused, sexually confused, violent, and yet hanging on by their grit and anger—becomes Lyle's last lifeline as he fights to find meaning in a world that seems to defy understanding.

TMDB Recommended

Like Dandelion Dust

2009

Rip Porter is sentenced to seven years in prison for beating his wife, Wendy. When he is released, he discovers that Wendy gave up their child, and the privileged Campbell family adopted him. The two families are soon in a legal battle for the child they both love.

TMDB Similar

The Shell Seekers

2007

Penelope Keeling, a sixty-four-year-old daughter of a famous artist, reflects on her life, and the fate and choices that defined it, when she arrives in the Mediterranean to stay with her headstrong daughter. Shifting through time, and falling into place like the pieces of a jigsaw, the truth of Penelope's rich, heartbreaking and surprising life unfolds.

TMDB Similar

Netto

2005

Follows the lives of an unemployed drunk and his son as they struggle to adapt to each other.

TMDB Similar

Femme

2023

Jules is a drag artist in London who withdraws into himself and loses his career after a horrific attack. Months later, he recognizes one of his assailants in a gay sauna and quickly realizes he has the perfect opportunity to get revenge.

TMDB Similar

The Tree of Life

2011

The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.

What are the best movies like Short Term 12?

Palmer is the strongest current recommendation on this page for viewers looking for movies like Short Term 12.

How many recommendations are on the Short Term 12 page?

This page currently lists 18 related titles for Short Term 12.

How often does the Movies Like Short Term 12 page update?

This page refreshes whenever Movie Rankings rebuilds the related-title view for Short Term 12. It was last generated from site data on May 7, 2026.