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Paperhouse

Paperhouse

A drawing that became a dream. A dream that became reality.

19886.51h 32m

Overview

A young girl lost in the loneliness and boredom of reality finds solace in an ill boy, whom she can visit in a surreal dream world that she drew in her school composition book.

Directed by Bernard Rose
Written by Matthew Jacobs, Catherine Storr
Produced by Tim Bevan, Sarah Radclyffe
Box Office0Revenue: $241K

Top Cast

Charlotte Burke

Charlotte Burke

Anna Madden

E

Elliott Spiers

Marc

Glenne Headly

Glenne Headly

Kate Madden

Gemma Jones

Gemma Jones

Dr. Sarah Nicols

Ben Cross

Ben Cross

Dad

Jane Bertish

Jane Bertish

Miss Vanstone

S

Sarah Newbold

Karen

Steven O'Donnell

Steven O'Donnell

Dustman

S

Samantha Cahill

Sharon

Gary Bleasdale

Gary Bleasdale

Policeman

Themes & Keywords

dreamsnightmarehouselighthousedisabled childdrawingchildhoodimaginary worlddreaming

About Paperhouse

Paperhouse is a drama, fantasy film released in 1988 exploring themes of dreams, nightmare, house, lighthouse, disabled child, drawing. Directed by Bernard Rose, it stars Charlotte Burke, Elliott Spiers, Glenne Headly. A young girl lost in the loneliness and boredom of reality finds solace in an ill boy, whom she can visit in a surreal dream world that she drew in her school composition book.

Movies Similar to Paperhouse

Discover titles like Paperhouse — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Paperhouse

If you enjoyed Paperhouse, 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 Paperhouse.

The Tree of Life
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Lost Highway
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Waking Life
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Wings of Desire
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Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing invisible rays of hope to the distressed but never interacting with them. When Damiel falls in love with lonely trapeze artist Marion, the angel longs to experience life in the physical world, and finds — with some words of wisdom from actor Peter Falk — that it might be possible for him to take human form.

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Kes(1970)

Movie7.4/10

Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy Casper, a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy, tames and trains his pet kestrel falcon whom he names Kes. Helped and encouraged by his English teacher and his fellow students, Billy finally finds a positive purpose to his unhappy existence.

The Fabelmans
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Hapless family man Paul Matthews finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. But when his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to navigate his newfound stardom.

A Ghost Story
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Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife, only to find that in his spectral state he has become unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away.

Slacker
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Slacker(1990)

Movie6.7/10

Austin, Texas, is an Eden for the young and unambitious, from the enthusiastically eccentric to the dangerously apathetic. Here, the nobly lazy can eschew responsibility in favor of nursing their esoteric obsessions. The locals include a backseat philosopher who passionately expounds on his dream theories to a seemingly comatose cabbie, a young woman who tries to hawk Madonna's Pap test to anyone who will listen and a kindly old anarchist looking for recruits.