SimilarScreen
Shank

Shank

20095.91h 34m

Overview

Teenage gang member Cal, hides his sexuality from his fellow gang members despite their often violent dislike of anyone that isn't the same as them, be they unsuspecting shoppers, foreign students, gays, etc. When his world collides with Olivier, a student he rescues from a pointless beating, he encounters a lifestyle that presents as many new experiences as it does obstacles.

Directed by Simon Pearce
Written by Darren Flaxstone, Christian Martin
Box OfficeBudget: $25KRevenue: $714K

Top Cast

Wayne Virgo

Wayne Virgo

Cal

Marc Laurent

Marc Laurent

Olivier

Tom Bott

Tom Bott

Jonno

A

Alice Payne

Nessa

Garry Summers

Garry Summers

Scott

B

Bernie Hodges

Will

L

Louise Fearnside

Dayna

O

Oliver Park

Gang Member 1

E

Earl Virgo

Gang Member 2

F

Felicia Pearce

Class Mate

Themes & Keywords

rapehomophobiacocainehooligandrug useyouth ganglgbtonline hookupgay romancehomophobic attackgay theme

About Shank

Shank is a drama, action film released in 2009 exploring themes of rape, homophobia, cocaine, hooligan, drug use, youth gang. Directed by Simon Pearce, it stars Wayne Virgo, Marc Laurent, Tom Bott. Teenage gang member Cal, hides his sexuality from his fellow gang members despite their often violent dislike of anyone that isn't the same as them, be they unsuspecting shoppers, foreign students, gays, etc. When his world collides with Olivier, a student he rescues from a pointless beating, he encounters a lifestyle that presents as many new experiences as it does obstacles.

Movies Similar to Shank

Discover titles like Shank — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Shank

If you enjoyed Shank, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Shank.

Brokeback Mountain
26% Match

In 1960s Wyoming, two men develop a strong emotional and sexual relationship that endures as a lifelong connection complicating their lives as they get married and start families of their own.

Any Day Now
25% Match

In the late 1970s, when a mentally handicapped teenager is abandoned, a gay couple takes him in and becomes the family he's never had. But once the unconventional living arrangement is discovered by authorities, the men must fight the legal system to adopt the child.

Love Is Strange
25% Match

After 39 years together, Ben and George finally tie the knot, but George loses his job as a result, and the newlyweds must sell their New York apartment and live apart, relying on friends and family to make ends meet.

Beautiful Beings
25% Match

A teenage boy, raised by a mother who considers herself psychic, takes a bullied kid into his group of violent misfits. As the group’s troubles escalate toward life-threatening situations, an inner voice awakens in the boy and, with the help of his mother and his new friend, he manages to find his own path.

Philadelphia
24% Match

Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.

Beach Rats
23% Match

Beach Rats(2017)

Movie6.0/10

On the outskirts of Brooklyn, Frankie, an aimless teenager, suffocates under the oppressive glare cast by his family and a toxic group of delinquent friends. Struggling with his own identity, Frankie begins to scour hookup sites for older men.

The History Boys
22% Match

The story of an unruly class of bright, funny history students at a Yorkshire grammar school in pursuit of an undergraduate place at Oxford or Cambridge. Bounced between their maverick English master, a young and shrewd teacher hired to up their test scores, a grossly out-numbered history teacher, and a headmaster obsessed with results, the boys attempt to pass.

Moonlight
22% Match

Moonlight(2016)

Movie7.4/10

The tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.

Queer
22% Match

Queer(2024)

Movie6.6/10

In 1950s Mexico City, William Lee, an American ex-pat in his late forties, leads a solitary life amidst a small American community. However, the arrival in town of Eugene Allerton, a young student, stirs William into finally establishing a meaningful connection with someone.

The Football Factory
22% Match

The Football Factory is more than just a study of the English obsession with football violence, it's about men looking for armies to join, wars to fight and places to belong. A forgotten culture of Anglo Saxon males fed up with being told they're not good enough and using their fists as a drug they describe as being more potent than sex and drugs put together.

Billy Elliot
21% Match

County Durham, England, 1984. The miners' strike has started and the police have started coming up from Bethnal Green, starting a class war with the lower classes suffering. Caught in the middle of the conflict is 11-year old Billy Elliot, who, after leaving his boxing club for the day, stumbles upon a ballet class and finds out that he's naturally talented. He practices with his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson for an upcoming audition in Newcastle-upon Tyne for the royal Ballet school in London.

Once Were Warriors
21% Match

In a violent relationship, it takes a mother’s strength to save herself and her children from the man she loved. Once Were Warriors is a violent love story set against a contemporary urban backdrop.

Rent
20% Match

Rent(2005)

Movie6.8/10

In New York City's gritty East Village, a group of bohemians strive for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic.