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We Burn Like This

We Burn Like This

202181 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Director
Alana Waksman
Starring
Madeleine Coghlan, Devery Jacobs, Casidee Riley, Kendra Mylnechuk

Amidst rising anti-Semitism in Billings, Montana, Rae, a 22 year-old descendant of Holocaust survivors uncovers the truth about a childhood accident.

Where to watch

Where can I watch We Burn Like This?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists We Burn Like This streaming on Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

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Highlights

What stands out about We Burn Like This?

We Burn Like This earns 3 badges, led by Cult Classic and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is We Burn Like This worth watching?

We Burn Like This' Midcredits score is the 54th percentile of all films, from 394 ratings across 3 sources. 62% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

54th percentile

Better received than 54% of films

53rd percentile among Drama55th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)38th
Approval (how many liked it)68th

58 /100

38th percentile of all films

35th percentile among Drama40th percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

62% liked it

68th percentile of all films

70th percentile among Drama69th percentile among 2020s
62% rated it 7–1038% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 5 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

51st percentile

394 ratings across platforms

54th percentile among Drama49th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 5% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • grounded performances and fierce lead
  • nuanced look at microaggressions and intergenerational trauma
  • beautiful cinematography and soundtrack

Detractors panned

  • slow build leads nowhere
  • understated handling of antisemitism feels anticlimactic

What stands out

Cinematography85

flawless visual craft

Acting78

grounded nuanced performances, fierce in lead

OriginalityDivisive70

vulnerable perspective, not sensationalistic

Characters60

focus on internalized journey and friendship

Plot and storyDivisive35

slow-burn minimalist structure, underwhelming

Ending30

anticlimactic resolution

Watch experience

What is We Burn Like This like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
TenseMelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its heavy subject matter with earnest gravity, allowing room for moments of tenderness.
The rideThe synopsis and reviews suggest a building tension from microaggressions, a melancholic undertone from inherited trauma, and a late turn toward healing and hope.
StructureThe synopsis describes a linear, character-driven journey with no indication of nonlinear or other structural devices.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's focus on forgiveness and healing leaves the viewer with a sense of hope, while its unflinching look at inherited trauma lingers as a question.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows Rae, a young woman confronting inherited trauma and seeking forgiveness, which aligns with a rebirth/healing arc rather than a monster-fight or quest.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfTraumaSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% (this title) · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% (this title) · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Trauma · 7% of filmsPrejudice · 3% of filmsForgiveness · 1% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores inherited historical trauma from the Holocaust made immediate by present-day antisemitic attacks, and the protagonist's path toward self-forgiveness.
StanceThe film observes the weight of inherited trauma and the everyday reality of antisemitism in a small community without sensationalism, focusing on Rae's personal journey.

The world

ContemporaryRuralDomesticRealistic
AmbientFolkSupportive music · original score · H. Scott Salinas
SettingBillings, Montana, a rural community grappling with rising antisemitism
MusicThe soundtrack is described as 'flawless' by one reviewer, supporting the film's emotional tone.

Content guide

Is We Burn Like This okay for kids?

Not Rated

We Burn Like This is not rated.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Canada18A

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does We Burn Like This have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in We Burn Like This?

Cast

Madeleine Coghlan
as Rae
Devery Jacobs
as Chrissy B.
Casidee Riley
as Maggie
Kendra Mylnechuk
as Layne
Kate Britton
as Christian Woman
Megan Folsom
as Lacey
Rinnan Henderson
as Lynn
Jenna Ciralli
as Christian Woman
John Budge
as Handsome
Mary Riitano
as Skinny Woman

Crew

More like this

What are movies like We Burn Like This?

Movies like We Burn Like This include The Shack (2017), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002) and Imaginary Heroes (2004). Of the 6 closest matches, all are stories of healing, and most are stories about parents and children.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

3 of these 6 share its subject: forgiveness. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with We Burn Like This?

824 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: terrorist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.