Movie

The Way Back

2020 · 108 min

A raw, heartfelt drama that immerses you in one man's struggle with grief and addiction, balancing painful lows with moments of hope.

Directed by: Gavin O'Connor
Genres: Drama
Starring: Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins

Tagline: Every loss is another fight.
Overview: A former basketball all-star, who has lost his wife and family foundation in a struggle with addiction, attempts to regain his soul and salvation by becoming the coach of a disparate ethnically mixed high school basketball team at his alma mater.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Add to a list: The Way Back

Rent or buy in the UK

Apple TV Store
Rakuten TV
Amazon Video

More options Data from JustWatch

Directed by: Gavin O'Connor
Genres: Drama
Starring: Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins

In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: melancholicstrength 3 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
upliftingstrength 2 of 3
darkstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: addiction
grief
redemption
healing
family
Places: small town
school
workplace
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: None
Content intensity: Gore none
Language strong
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	3
Horror	1
Humour	3
Realism	8
Romance	2
Tension	5
Darkness	7
Complexity	5
Emotional weight	8

Titles like The Way Back

Movie

Warrior

2011

A raw, emotionally charged drama that builds tension through brutal fights and fractured family bonds, culminating in a cathartic release.

Same writer: Gavin O'Connor · Melancholic, earnest · about grief and redemption

Also: Same writer: Gavin O'Connor
Via: melancholic
earnest
grief
redemption
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 140 min

Details

WarriorHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Manchester by the Sea

2016

A quietly devastating, deeply human portrait of grief and guilt, leavened by moments of everyday humor and tenderness.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief and redemption

Via: melancholic
earnest
grief
redemption
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: demanding
Runtime: 138 min

Details

Manchester by the SeaHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Million Dollar Baby

2004

A slow, quietly devastating character study that draws you into a world of grit and tenderness before delivering an emotional gut punch.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief and redemption

Via: melancholic
earnest
grief
redemption
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 132 min

Details

Million Dollar BabyHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Another Round

2020

A warm, funny, then quietly devastating look at middle-aged men testing whether a little buzz can fix a life.

Melancholic · about addiction and grief

Via: melancholic
addiction
grief
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 117 min

Details

Another RoundHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

To Leslie

2022

A raw, intimate character study that immerses you in one woman's painful struggle for redemption, anchored by a fierce, vulnerable performance.

Melancholic, earnest · about addiction and grief

Via: melancholic
earnest
addiction
grief
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 119 min

Details

To LeslieHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Creed

2015

A heartfelt, gritty underdog story that balances brutal boxing with tender mentorship and personal legacy.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief and redemption

Via: melancholic
earnest
grief
redemption
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 133 min

Details

CreedHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Flight

2012

A sobering, character-driven drama that balances a harrowing crash with a tense moral reckoning, anchored by a powerhouse performance.

Earnest · about addiction and redemption

Via: earnest
addiction
redemption
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 138 min

Details

FlightHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Good Will Hunting

1997

A warm, talky drama that earns its tears through sharp wit and slow-burning emotional honesty.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief

Via: melancholic
earnest
grief
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 127 min

Details

Good Will HuntingHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Rez Ball

2024

A heartfelt, grounded sports drama that balances the thrill of the game with a moving story of loss and community healing.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief and healing

Via: melancholic
earnest
grief
healing
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 113 min

Details

Rez BallHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

A Good Person

2023

A raw, heartfelt drama that immerses you in grief and addiction, offering a slow, cathartic journey toward forgiveness and hope.

Melancholic, earnest · about addiction and grief

Via: melancholic
earnest
addiction
grief
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 128 min

Details

A Good PersonHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The Whale

2022

A claustrophobic, emotionally raw chamber piece that is hard to watch but impossible to look away from.

Same composer: Rob Simonsen · Melancholic, earnest · about grief and redemption

Also: Same composer: Rob Simonsen
Via: melancholic
earnest
grief
redemption
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 117 min

Details

The WhaleHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The Wrestler

2008

A raw, heartbreaking character study that immerses you in a fading man's loneliness and desperate need for connection, leaving you emotionally drained but deeply moved.

Melancholic, earnest · about grief and redemption

Via: melancholic
earnest
grief
redemption
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 109 min

Details

The WrestlerHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy

Apple TV Store
Rakuten TV
Amazon Video
Sky Store
YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: drama
Directed by: Gavin O'Connor
Written by: Brad Ingelsby
Starring: Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins, Janina Gavankar, Glynn Turman, Melvin Gregg, Brandon Wilson, Will Ropp
Music: Rob Simonsen
Cinematography: Eduard Grau
Runtime: 108 min
Country: United States of America, Canada
Languages: Italian, English

TMDB IMDb Letterboxd Wikipedia Wikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.

The Way Back

How it feels

More like this

Titles like The Way Back

Where to watch in the UK

Details