Films like American History X
15 picks with a similar feel
What defines American History X, going by its Boxlist taste profile: Gritty and realistic: a dark drama, heavy rather than light. Best if you like real life over fantasy. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of competition, unlikely connections and deep rivalry, plus tags such as hate, nazism and skinhead.
Here are 15 films with a similar feel, ranked by how closely they match that profile. Treat them as picks to try, not a definitive list.
Based on American History X (1998).
- 1
La Haine (1995)
Film8.1
Why it's like American History X: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of unlikely connections and deep rivalry. Common ground: neo-nazism, xenophobia.
- 2
A Bronx Tale (1993)
Film7.8
Why it's like American History X: Also weighty and gritty, with themes of unlikely connections and deep rivalry. Common ground: xenophobia.
- 3
The Basketball Diaries (1995)
Film7.4
Why it's like American History X: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of competition and unlikely connections. Common ground: basketball.
- 4
The Hurricane (1999)
Film7.4Warmer in tone
Why it's like American History X: Also grounded and emotional, with themes of competition and deep rivalry. Common ground: prison.
- 5
Gran Torino (2008)
Film8.0
Why it's like American History X: Also weighty and gritty, with themes of deep rivalry and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: rape.
- 6
Air (2023)
Film7.4Warmer in tone
Why it's like American History X: Also emotional and weighty, with themes of competition and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: basketball.
- 7
I, Tonya (2017)
Film7.5Lighter option
Why it's like American History X: Also grounded and emotional, with themes of competition and deep rivalry.
- 8
The Untouchables (1987)
Film7.8More intricate
Why it's like American History X: Also gritty and weighty, with themes of competition and deep rivalry.
- 9
Ali (2001)
Film6.8Warmer in tone
Why it's like American History X: Also grounded and gritty, with themes of competition and an all-consuming quest.
- 10
In the Name of the Father (1993)
Film7.9More intricate
Why it's like American History X: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of deep rivalry and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: prison.
- 11
Lawless (2012)
Film7.0
Why it's like American History X: Also grounded and gritty, with themes of deep rivalry. Common ground: brother.
- 12
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Film8.7
Why it's like American History X: Also weighty and gritty, with themes of unlikely connections and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: prison.
- 13
Fences (2016)
Film6.8Warmer in tone
Why it's like American History X: Also weighty and grounded, with themes of competition and social commentary.
- 14
GoodFellas (1990)
Film8.5More intricate
Why it's like American History X: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of deep rivalry. Common ground: prison.
- 15
Moneyball (2011)
Film7.2Warmer in tone
Why it's like American History X: Also grounded and weighty, with themes of competition and an all-consuming quest.
Boxlist compares American History X with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point. Ratings are TMDB audience scores out of 10.
Which of these suit you?
Take the taste test and every pick shows how well it matches you.
Take the taste testQuestions
- What should I watch if I like American History X?
- Picks with a similar feel include La Haine, A Bronx Tale, The Basketball Diaries and The Hurricane. Each shares part of American History X's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 15 films.
- How are these films like American History X chosen?
- Boxlist compares American History X with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point.
- Is there a lighter film like American History X?
- I, Tonya has a similar feel but scores lighter on Boxlist's weightiness scale.