▲介词后接介词短语作宾语

介词 from, except, until, in, including 等是可以后接介词短语接宾语的，这点大家都很熟悉。如：

I saw her from across the street. 我从街对面望见了她。

Choose a book from among these. 从这些书中选一本吧。

The sun emerged from behind the clouds. 太阳从云层后面露了出来。

The buses run until after twelve. 公共汽车一直行驶到午夜以后。

I looked everywhere except in the bedroom. 除了卧室我哪儿都找过了。

You can do the job in under an hour. 这工作你不到一个钟头就能干完。

The past progressive expresses ongoing action in the past, including in relation to another action. 过去进行时表示在过去正在进行的动作，包括与另一个动作相关的动作。

▲介词 like 后接介词短语作宾语

正如介词 from, except, until 等可以后接介词短语接宾语一样，用作介词的 like 有时也可以后接介词短语作宾语。如：

We really were afraid, not like in the cinema. 我们是真的很害怕，不是像看电影时的那种害怕。

He heard everything through a screen of interference, like on a badly tuned radio. 屏幕受到干扰，他收看节目时听到各种声音，就像收听没调好的收音机一样。

▲你的句子：Life isn't like in the movies.

你的句子中，介词 like 后接的介词短语 in the movies 是其宾语，全句意思是：生活不像在电影里那样。当然，若改成你说的 Life isn't like what it is in the movies 也完全可以。