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Prepare to be transported, moved, and utterly captivated.
Here are the 30 best movies that are, in spirit and art, similar to the timeless classic, Jane Campion's The Piano.
30. The Secret Scripture (2016) Rotten Tomatoes score: 35% An elderly woman recounts her life in Ireland, revealing a tumultuous past filled with love, betrayal, and a deeply kept secret that led to her controversial incarceration in a mental institution.
29. Sylvia (2003) Rotten Tomatoes score: 37% The intense and tumultuous relationship between poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, from their passionate courtship to Plath's struggle with depression and eventual suicide.
28. The Edge of Love (2008) Rotten Tomatoes score: 37% Set during World War II, the complex relationship between poet Dylan Thomas, his wife Caitlin, his childhood sweetheart Vera, and her soldier husband, encompassing love, jealousy, and tragedy.
27. Vita & Virginia (2018) Rotten Tomatoes score: 41% The romantic and creative relationship between the writers Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf in the 1920s, depicting their artistic inspiration and personal challenges.
26. Effie Gray (2014) Rotten Tomatoes score: 43% The true story of Euphemia 'Effie' Gray, whose marriage to the critic John Ruskin was never consummated, leading to a famous Victorian love triangle and a scandalous annulment.
25. The Portrait of a Lady (1996) Rotten Tomatoes score: 46% Isabel Archer, a young American woman seeking her destiny in Europe, becomes entangled in a manipulative and tragic romance, ultimately leading to her emotional and financial ruin.
24. Angel (2007) Rotten Tomatoes score: 50% The rise and fall of Angel Deverell, a fiercely ambitious young writer in early 20th century England, whose fantasies blur with reality as she achieves fame but struggles with personal relationships.
23. Carrington (1995) Rotten Tomatoes score: 54% The story of painter Dora Carrington and her complex, platonic love for the gay writer Lytton Strachey in the early 20th century, amidst a backdrop of artistic and social revolution.
22. Possession (2002) Rotten Tomatoes score: 63% Two modern-day scholars uncover a secret love affair between two Victorian poets through their letters and diaries, paralleling their own growing attraction.
21. The Governess (1998) Rotten Tomatoes score: 65% A young Jewish woman, posing as a Christian governess in a Victorian household, becomes romantically involved with her employer, leading to a web of secrets and betrayal.
20. The End of the Affair (1999) Rotten Tomatoes score: 67% In post-World War II London, a writer becomes obsessed with uncovering the reason behind the sudden end of his affair with a married woman, leading to revelations about love, faith, and jealousy.
19. Miss Potter (2006) Rotten Tomatoes score: 69% The life of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved Peter Rabbit books, focusing on her struggle for independence, love affair with her publisher, and success as a writer and illustrator.
18. Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005) Rotten Tomatoes score: 70% A heartwarming tale of an unexpected friendship between Mrs. Palfrey, an elderly widow, and a young writer, as they navigate loneliness and companionship in London.
17. The Invisible Woman (2013) Rotten Tomatoes score: 76% The hidden life of Nelly Ternan, the young mistress of Charles Dickens, exploring their secret affair and its impact on her life and Victorian society.
16. Ginger & Rosa (2012) Rotten Tomatoes score: 78% Set in 1960s London, the film explores the intense friendship of two teenage girls, Ginger and Rosa, as they navigate family issues, politics, and the looming threat of nuclear war.
15. The Deep Blue Sea (2011) Rotten Tomatoes score: 81% Post-World War II, a woman trapped in a loveless marriage finds passion in an affair with a troubled former Royal Air Force pilot, leading to a devastating emotional crisis.
14. I Am Love (2009) Rotten Tomatoes score: 81% A Russian woman married into a wealthy Italian family experiences a profound personal awakening and passion when she falls in love with a chef, setting off a chain of events that disrupt her family's life.
13. The House of Mirth (2000) Rotten Tomatoes score: 82% The tragic journey of Lily Bart, a beautiful socialite in early 20th century New York, who navigates through social hypocrisy and cruelty in her quest to secure a wealthy husband.
12. Cold Comfort Farm (1995) Rotten Tomatoes score: 83% A young, sophisticated Londoner moves to her relatives' dilapidated farm, bringing modern ideas and setting off comedic events that transform the family's life.
11. Bright Star (2009) Rotten Tomatoes score: 83% The passionate and tragic romance between the 19th-century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, focusing on their intense love and Keats' struggles with poverty and illness.
10. Orlando (1992) Rotten Tomatoes score: 84% The story of Orlando, a young nobleman commanded by Queen Elizabeth I to stay forever young, who undergoes a mysterious sex change over centuries, experiencing various lives and relationships.
9. The Wings of the Dove (1997) Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% Set in early 20th century England, a young woman, Kate, plots to secure her financial future by encouraging her lover to seduce a dying American heiress, leading to unexpected emotional turmoil.
8. Morvern Callar (2002) Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% After her boyfriend's suicide, a young woman in a small Scottish town uses his unpublished novel to escape her mundane life, leading her on a journey of self-discovery and liberation.
7. Jane Eyre (2011) Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% An adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's novel, following the life of Jane Eyre, an orphaned girl who becomes a governess and falls in love with her mysterious employer, Mr. Rochester, uncovering his dark secrets.
6. Meek's Cutoff (2010) Rotten Tomatoes score: 86% Set in 1845, this film follows a group of settlers led by a questionable guide through the Oregon desert, as they face dwindling resources and increasing tensions.
5. Lady Macbeth (2016) Rotten Tomatoes score: 88% In 19th century rural England, a young bride trapped in a loveless marriage to a bitter man twice her age embarks on a passionate and dangerous affair, leading to murderous consequences.
4. Sweetie (1989) Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% A quirky and dark exploration of a family's dynamics, focusing on the relationship between two sisters: the reserved Kay and her unpredictable, mentally unstable sister, Sweetie.
3. My Summer of Love (2004) Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% In the English countryside, a transformative summer unfolds as two teenage girls from different backgrounds experience a fleeting, intense romance that alters their lives.
2. A Quiet Passion (2016) Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% The life of American poet Emily Dickinson, from her early days as a young schoolgirl to her later years as a reclusive, unrecognized artist.
1. An Angel at My Table (1990) Rotten Tomatoes score: 95% The true story of Janet Frame, New Zealand's most distinguished author, detailing her harrowing childhood, psychiatric misdiagnosis, and eventual literary success.
