Best Movies Like 365 Days

A Polish romantic thriller that came to Netflix in 2020, 365 Days (or 365 Dni, its Polish title) was an unexpectedly massive international hit, ranking comfortably among the platform’s most-viewed films at the time. Now, admittedly, the story did not garner a particularly positive reception from critics; in fact, it was fairly quickly labeled as an all-time terrible movie. Yet, 365 Days was undeniably successful, to the point of inspiring a 2022 sequel called 365 Days: This Day. During that same year, the trilogy was completed with the arrival of The Next 365 Days, and all three movies are still readily available on Netflix.

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Massimo and Laura’s European escapades balance SOAP-style drama with eroticism and taboo power dynamics. These movies are effectively the equivalent of trashy romance novellas, and while they might not be for everyone, they can scratch an itch that most other films ignore. Surprisingly, there are not all that many movies like 365 Days, but the following films should be good alternatives.

Updated July 12, 2025 by Mark Sammut: Two more films like 365 Days are now part of the discussion. For this batch, I focused on a notoriously bad movie and a modern take on a classic romance story. Click below to jump to these new entries.

25

Lost Girls & Love Hotels

A Yakuza Romance In Tokyo

Lost Girls and Love Hotels

Release Date

September 18, 2020

Runtime

97 minutes

Director

William Olsson

Lost Girls & Love Hotels is a fascinating movie about an American expat who works in Tokyo as a teacher for flight attendants, educating them on the basics of English safety protocols. Margaret leads a listless and directionless life, one that she seems to have little control over. The movie, in general, has this almost dream-like element to it, especially in the fragmented nature of its storytelling.

The main hook that might appeal to 365 Days fans is that Margaret becomes enamored with a Yakuza member named Kazu, and they start dating. This relationship serves to drive the protagonist’s development, but the story always remains about her journey rather than the romance. Kazu is fairly interesting and has great chemistry with the lead, but he is mostly only seen through Margaret’s eyes.

24

Eyes Wide Shut

A Twisted Tale Of Secrecy & Sex

Eyes Wide Shut

Release Date

July 16, 1999

Runtime

159 minutes

Director

Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick is a master of his craft, and it’s a shame that he didn’t manage to complete his editing process on Eyes Wide Shut before meeting an untimely demise that rocked the entire filmmaking world to its core. To this day, the director is touted by many as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, and people are still influenced by his work and hold it to an extremely high standard that very few people have managed to reach.

Eyes Wide Shut is an erotic psychological thriller that focuses on the exploits of a couple who deal with marital issues of their own while toying around with the concept of infidelity in many unique ways. The movie almost feels surreal in certain instances, making for an intense watch, and shows just how much of a master Kubrick was of his craft, relentlessly editing the movie days before his death.

23

The Boy Next Door

A Campy Thriller With A Fun Performance By Jennifer Lopez

The Boy Next Door

Release Date

January 23, 2015

Runtime

91 Minutes

Director

Rob Cohen

365 Days is built on a lopsided power dynamic, and The Boy Next Door goes down a somewhat similar route, albeit slightly more taboo. While going through personal trauma, Jennifer Lopez’s Claire, a teacher, finds herself in the arms of Noah, who she eventually learns is still a high school student. This moment spirals into pure chaos, with Claire quickly realizing that Noah is a very dangerous person.

OK, The Boy Next Door‘s teacher-student dynamic is not as taboo as it sounds since Noah is painted as being around 20, which does reduce the yuck factor to an extent. The movie is also fairly campy without being straight-up silly, and it is bolstered by a pretty great performance by Jennifer Lopez.

22

Girls To Buy

A Journey Into A Dark Industry

Girls To Buy

Release Date

November 26, 2021

Runtime

146 Minutes

Director

Maria Sadowska

A Polish movie, Girls to Buy follows Emi, a young woman who goes on a wild trip and ends up attracted by the allure of the sex worker industry, seeing it as a road to riches and power. She is drawn to this world by Sam, a guy who knows exactly what to say to convince impressionable women like Emi to do what he wants.

Now, Girls to Buy is quite a different experience from 365 Days, and it is arguably not that much of an erotic thriller. While certainly packed with scenes devoted to showing the “appeal” of this lifestyle, the movie also shines a light on the dark underbelly hidden by expensive apartments and fancy clothes.

21

Beastly

A YA Take On Beauty And The Beast

Beastly

Release Date

January 21, 2011

Runtime

95 minutes

Director

Daniel Barnz

Beauty and the Beast shares a few similarities with 365 Days. Both stories involve the male protagonist keeping the female lead hostage, with the hope of inspiring the latter to fall in love with them (more so in 365 Days, but the Beast wants to feel true love too). As similar as their premises are, I cannot specifically recommend the Disney classic or live-action remake to 365 Dni fans since they are still very different experiences, although the animated movie is a masterpiece that should be watched by everyone.

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However, Beastly can scratch a similar itch as 365 Days, in the sense that both films are PERFECT for cheesy romance nights where entertainment is the main goal. Featuring a pretty great early 2010s cast, Beastly offers a modern take on Beauty and the Beast, albeit with the kidnapping element removed from the equation. Is the film great? Eh, not necessarily, but it is messy in a really fun way.

20

Indiscretion

Fun & Sordid

Indiscretion

Release Date

June 8, 2016

Runtime

99 minutes

Director

John Stewart Muller

A movie that combines a bunch of steamy scenes with a political thriller, Indiscretion is a unique blend of genres that fans of 365 Days will have a great time with. The movie’s setup deals with the wife of a politician who ends up having an affair with a young artist, only for things to spiral out of control after the man ends up developing a dangerous obsession with her.

It may not be a mind-blowing movie by any stretch of the imagination, but Indiscretion is a great choice for a couple looking for a more raunchy movie to watch over the weekend. The shots are decent, the plot gets the job done, and the actors succeed in convincing the audience just how crazy they are for each other throughout the movie’s runtime.

19

Gigli

A Legendary Bad Movie

Gigli

Release Date

August 1, 2003

Runtime

121 Minutes

Director

Martin Brest

While certainly enjoyable as just a straightforward European dark romance, 365 Days can also fall under the “so bad, it’s good” territory, making it a valid candidate to throw on when you are just looking to laugh at the silliness on screen. Cinema’s history is full of confusing projects that tried to reach the stars but only managed to smack the ground, and Gigli is one of the more famous examples of a box office misfire. Famous for bringing Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck together as a real couple, the 2003 movie was absolutely torn apart by critics and, frankly, even audiences, inspiring a legacy that puts it in the same category as something like The Room.

Although their stories are very different, both 365 Days and Gigli revolve around a kidnapping and a couple who gradually fall for each other, with the guy driving most of the relationship forward. More importantly, both films laugh in the face of good taste and cross the line into absurdity often.

18

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

A More Artistic Option

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a unique movie that hooks viewers in from the get-go, featuring two young women who go on a trip to Barcelona and get enamored with an interesting man named Juan Antonio who offers to court them both for the night. However, it turns out that Juan has a crazy ex-wife who is still hopelessly in love with him…and this feeling is mutual, as the movie slowly progresses and explores their unique relationship.

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The movie can be pretty funny, with its steamier scenes handled with great delicacy. The cast is also quite talented, with the trio of Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, and Penélope Cruz doing great justice to their characters and showing off the wealth of talents at their disposal.

17

Cruel Intentions

A Risqué Movie That Screams “Late 1990s”

Cruel Intentions

Release Date

March 5, 1999

Runtime

97 minutes

Director

Roger Kumble

Cruel Intentions is a product of its time, in the best possible way. The movie’s selling point was its cast, popular young actors from the ’90s who were fairly inescapable at the time. Based on Dangerous Liaisons, Cruel Intentions follows two step-siblings who decide to set up a bet to see if Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe) could seduce Annette (Reese Witherspoon), a girl who believes sex should follow love. If Sebastian pulls it off, he gets to sleep with his step-sister, Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar).

Someone’s mileage with Cruel Intentions might come down to whether they have nostalgia for the late ’90s, as the movie has not aged particularly well. That said, it is still an entertaining watch that plays into taboo ideas without going too far, while allowing its characters to have quite a lot of fun with their performances.

16

Fair Play

Finance, Ambition, & Steamy Romance

Fair Play

Release Date

October 6, 2023

Runtime

113 minutes

Director

Chloe Domont

Fair Play is all about power, somewhat similar to 365 Days. Now, on paper, the finance industry might not sound as exciting as Italy or Poland, but this 2023 movie does a fantastic job of exploring the world of hedge funds through a romance between two coworkers. Opting to keep their relationship a secret due to their company prohibiting fraternization, Luke and Emily are a pretty great couple who do not hesitate to embrace their passion when they are alone. They even plan to get married.

However, their dynamic takes a strange turn when Emily receives a promotion and Luke ends up working for her. This shift throws their balance off, turning this romance into a surprisingly intense thriller. While not featuring as many steamy scenes as some other recommendations, Fair Play is a well-written drama that throws out quite a few effective twists.