Movie

The Brother from Another Planet

1984 · 108 min

A quiet, humane wander through a bustling neighborhood, mixing gentle comedy and social observation with a melancholy undertow.

Directed by: John Sayles
Genres: Comedy, Science fiction, Drama
Starring: Joe Morton, Rosanna Carter, Ray Ramirez

Tagline: He's not just another out-of-towner...
Overview: A mute alien with the appearance of a black human is chased by outer-space bounty hunters through the streets of Harlem.

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 Brother from Another Planet

Stream in the UK

Artiflix

More options Data from JustWatch

Directed by: John Sayles
Genres: Comedy, Science fiction, Drama
Starring: Joe Morton, Rosanna Carter, Ray Ramirez

In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: warmstrength 2 of 3
satiricalstrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 2 of 3
whimsicalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: isolation
race
identity
addiction
found family
Places: big city
home
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: ensemble
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	3
Horror	2
Humour	5
Realism	6
Romance	1
Tension	4
Darkness	5
Complexity	6
Emotional weight	6

Titles like The Brother from Another Planet

Movie

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

1982

A warm, wondrous childhood adventure that swells with feeling and leaves you glowing, though the parting aches.

Warm, melancholic · about isolation

Via: warm
melancholic
isolation
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 115 min

Details

E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Do the Right Thing

1989

A sweltering, funny, and ultimately devastating day-in-the-life that builds heat and tension until the air is thick with consequence.

Same cinematographer: Ernest R. Dickerson · Warm, satirical · about race · ensemble

Also: Same cinematographer: Ernest R. Dickerson
Via: warm
satirical
race
ensemble
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 120 min

Details

Do the Right ThingHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The Man Who Fell to Earth

1976

A haunting, disorienting descent into loneliness and addiction, told through surreal imagery and a deeply melancholic mood.

Melancholic · about isolation and identity

Via: melancholic
isolation
identity
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: demanding
Runtime: 139 min

Details

The Man Who Fell to EarthHidden from your suggestions.

TV series

Resident Alien

2021–2025

A wry, warm-hearted small-town mystery where a grumpy alien learns to care about people while hiding in plain sight.

Warm, satirical · about isolation and identity

Via: warm
satirical
isolation
identity
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Seasons: 4

Details

Resident AlienHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Tokyo Godfathers

2003

A warm, chaotic Christmas ride that balances slapstick and sentiment, leaving you moved by its messy, compassionate characters.

Warm, melancholic · about isolation and identity · ensemble

Via: warm
melancholic
isolation
identity
ensemble
Pacing: brisk
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 92 min

Details

Tokyo GodfathersHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Ghost World

2001

A wry, bittersweet drift through post-graduation limbo, mixing deadpan humor with a quiet ache of alienation.

Warm, satirical · about isolation and identity

Via: warm
satirical
isolation
identity
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 111 min

Details

Ghost WorldHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The World's End

2013

A raucous, fast-talking pub crawl that keeps erupting into slapstick sci-fi brawls, while quietly aching about middle age and wasted potential.

Satirical, melancholic · about isolation and identity · ensemble

Via: satirical
melancholic
isolation
identity
ensemble
Pacing: brisk
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 109 min

Details

The World's EndHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

A Serious Man

2009

A wry, unsettling plunge into one man's cascading misfortunes, mixing deadpan comedy with existential dread and a lingering sense of cosmic unfairness.

Satirical, melancholic · about isolation and identity · ensemble

Via: satirical
melancholic
isolation
identity
ensemble
Pacing: measured
Attention: demanding
Runtime: 106 min

Details

A Serious ManHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

PK

2014

A warm, funny and thought-provoking ride that mixes satire with heart, making you laugh and reflect on belief and love.

Warm, satirical · about identity · ensemble

Via: warm
satirical
identity
ensemble
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 153 min

Details

PKHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Macadam Stories

2015

A gentle, bittersweet mosaic of lonely lives briefly connecting, mixing quiet humour with tender melancholy.

Warm, melancholic · about isolation and identity · ensemble

Via: warm
melancholic
isolation
identity
ensemble
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 100 min

Details

Macadam StoriesHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Elio

2025

A gentle, colorful space adventure that balances quirky alien humor with a heartfelt story about a lonely kid finding connection.

Warm · about isolation and identity

Via: warm
isolation
identity
Pacing: measured
Attention: easy-watch
Runtime: 98 min

Details

ElioHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Moon

2009

A quiet, lonely and haunting experience that slowly pulls you into one man's unraveling reality, with moments of dry humor and deep sadness.

Melancholic · about isolation and identity

Via: melancholic
isolation
identity
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: demanding
Runtime: 97 min

Details

MoonHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Stream

Artiflix

Free

Tubi TV
Plex

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: comedy, science fiction, drama
Directed by: John Sayles
Written by: John Sayles
Starring: Joe Morton, Rosanna Carter, Ray Ramirez, Yves Rene, Peter Richardson, Ginny Yang, Daryl Edwards, Steve James
Music: Martin Brody, Mason Daring
Cinematography: Ernest R. Dickerson
Runtime: 108 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: Spanish, French, English

TMDB IMDb Letterboxd Wikipedia Wikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.

The Brother from Another Planet

How it feels

More like this

Titles like The Brother from Another Planet

Where to watch in the UK

Details