SimilarScreen
Joe the King

Joe the King

The road to disaster is paved with many small mistakes.

19995.91h 36m

Overview

A destitute 14-year-old struggles to keep his life together despite harsh abuse at his mother's hands, harsher abuse at his father's, and a growing separation from his slightly older brother.

Directed by Frank Whaley
Written by Frank Whaley
Produced by Jennifer Dewis, Scott Macaulay, Lindsay Marx
0

Top Cast

Noah Fleiss

Noah Fleiss

Joe Henry

Karen Young

Karen Young

Theresa Henry

Camryn Manheim

Camryn Manheim

Mrs. Basil

Austin Pendleton

Austin Pendleton

Winston

Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer

Bob Henry

M

Max Ligosh

Mike Henry

James Costa

James Costa

Ray

Jenny Robertson

Jenny Robertson

Waitress

Amy Wright

Amy Wright

Mary

Richard Bright

Richard Bright

Roy

Themes & Keywords

child abuse1970sclassroomabusive fatherdineralcoholismcoming of agemoneyspankingdebttheftsemi autobiographicalroller skating rinkschool counselorsyracuse, new yorkteenage protagonist

About Joe the King

Joe the King is a crime, drama film released in 1999 exploring themes of child abuse, 1970s, classroom, abusive father, diner, alcoholism. Directed by Frank Whaley, it stars Noah Fleiss, Karen Young, Camryn Manheim. A destitute 14-year-old struggles to keep his life together despite harsh abuse at his mother's hands, harsher abuse at his father's, and a growing separation from his slightly older brother.

Movies Similar to Joe the King

Discover titles like Joe the King — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Joe the King

If you enjoyed Joe the King, 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 Joe the King.

Boy A
26% Match

Boy A(2008)

Movie7.1/10

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.

Casino
24% Match

Casino(1995)

Movie8.0/10

In Las Vegas, two best friends--a casino executive and a Mafia enforcer--compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.

Dolores Claiborne
24% Match

Dolores Claiborne was accused of killing her abusive husband twenty years ago, but the court's findings were inconclusive and she was allowed to walk free. Now she has been accused of killing her employer, Vera Donovan, and this time there is a witness who can place her at the scene of the crime. Things look bad for Dolores when her daughter Selena, a successful Manhattan magazine writer, returns to cover the story.

GoodFellas
22% Match

GoodFellas(1990)

Movie8.5/10

The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway.

City of God
21% Match

In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.

At Close Range
21% Match

Brad Whitewood Jr. lives in rural Pennsylvania and has few prospects. Against his mother's wishes, he seeks out his estranged father, the head of a gang of thieves in a nearby town. Though his new girlfriend supports his criminal ambitions, Brad Jr. soon learns that his father is a dangerous man. Inspired by the real events that led to the end of the Johnston Gang, who operated in the northeastern United States in the 1970s.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
21% Match

After seven months have passed without a culprit in her daughter's murder case, Mildred Hayes makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at Bill Willoughby, the town's revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Jason Dixon, an immature mother's boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing's law enforcement is only exacerbated.

Taxi Driver
21% Match

Suffering from insomnia, disturbed loner Travis Bickle takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of cleaning up the filthy city.

Thirteen
20% Match

Thirteen(2003)

Movie6.7/10

When 13-year-old Tracy befriends Evie, the most popular girl in school, her life is turned upside down as Evie introduces her to a world of sex, drugs, and money. But it isn’t long before Tracy’s new lifestyle begins to take a heavy toll on her and her family.

Boogie Nights
20% Match

Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams, a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams' rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, "Dirk Diggler". Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams' dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.