Movies like Lullaby of the Earth (1976)
The best movies like Lullaby of the Earth (1976) are Female Yakuza Tale (1973), Hounddog (2008) and The Truth About Emanuel (2013). If Lullaby of the Earth hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Ballad of Narayama (1983)7.5/10 from 213 votes
- NewestEleanor the Great (2025)Released 2025
- In JapaneseFemale Yakuza Tale (1973)Also in Japanese
Female Yakuza Tale (1973)
Ocho is accidentally captured by a drug trafficking cartel who use Chinese women to smuggle drugs into Japan by hiding it in their vaginas. She is tortured, and manages to escape, fighting both the male yakuzas and a gang of female thieves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHounddog (2008)
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Truth About Emanuel (2013)
A troubled young woman becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl's dead mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSkin (2009)
Based on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTokyo Family (2013)
An elderly couple journey to Tokyo to visit their grown children, only to find them preoccupied and self-involved.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHungry Hearts (2015)
The relationship of a couple who meet by chance in New York City is put to the test when they encounter a life or death circumstance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Enforcer (2022)
A noir thriller set in Miami, the film follows an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss has branched out into cyber sex trafficking, putting a young runaway he’s befriended at risk. He sacrifices everything to save the young girl from the deadly organization he’s spent his life building.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Congress (2013)
An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTokyo Decadence (1992)
A submissive hooker goes about her trade, suffering abuse at the hands of Japanese salarymen and Yakuza types. She's unhappy about her work, and is apparently trying to find some sort of appeasement for the fact that her lover has married.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHeidi (2005)
Swiss girl Adelheid 'Heidi' is orphaned young. Aunt Detie brings her to grandpa Alp and his wife, who live isolated in the Alps since his murder charge. Heidi soon takes to the wild country, especially accompanying young goatherd Peter. Grandpa refuses to send her to school in the city, but aunt Detie returns and forces him to give in. She's sent to a posh lady in Frankfurt, where she'll be a companion for crippled daughter Clara after school hours.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOne Million Yen Girl (2008)
A 21-year-old girl is released from prison, only to deal with the neighborhood gossip about her and family conflicts. She decides to save one million yen, move to where no one knows her and keep repeating the process.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Ballad of Narayama (1983)
In a small village in a valley everyone who reaches the age of 70 must leave the village and go to a certain mountain top to die. If anyone should refuse they would disgrace their family. Old Orin is 69. This winter it is her turn to go to the mountain. But first she must make sure that her eldest son Tatsuhei finds a wife.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Poker House (2008)
Agnes and her two sisters struggle through a day in a home overrun by gamblers, thieves, and johns.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBastard Out of Carolina (1996)
A poor, struggling South Carolinian mother and daughter face painful choices with their resolve and pride. Bone, the eldest daughter, and Anney her tired mother, grow both closer and farther apart: Anney sees Glen as her last chance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHome Run (2013)
A pro ball player with a substance abuse problem is forced into rehab in his hometown, finding new hope when he gets honest about his checkered past, and takes on coaching duties for a misfit Little League team
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisXiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl (1998)
Young teen girl Xiu Xiu is sent away to a remote corner of the Sichuan steppes for manual labor in 1975 (sending young people to there was a part of Cultural Revolution in China). A year later, she agrees to go to even more remote spot with a Tibetan saddle tramp Lao Jin to learn horse herding.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Good Neighbor (2022)
A nightmarish evening unfolds for neighbors David and Robert when they accidentally hit a woman on her bike and flee the scene. While David is increasingly plagued by feelings of guilt, Robert shows no remorse and becomes overbearing and possessive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTalhotBlond (2012)
Thomas Montgomery, a married father of two young daughters, gets seduced by the world of online gambling and chat rooms where a virtual romance and sexual obsession ultimately leads to the murder of an innocent man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Girl in the Book (2015)
The story of a young writer's transformation when her past invades her present.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisEleanor the Great (2025)
94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein tries to rebuild her life after the death of her best friend. As a result, she moves back to New York City after living in Florida for decades.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmmanuelle 2000: Being Emmanuelle (2000)
Exploring desires and fantasies while experiencing pleasures through the love making device gets Emmanuelle willing to spread the excitement so much it gets close to feeling like in her own skin.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Eine Frau für gewisse Stunden (1985)
Liza Hofer is a luxury prostitute and drug addict who works at the nightclub of William Ackermann. One day, Liza walking her friend's dog, meets a student Hinrich in a wheelchair in the park. Love begins to develop between them, but will Liza's profession do not stop her?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Torremolinos 73 (2003)
Set in 1973 Spain, a struggling encyclopedia salesman and his wife take advantage of an offer to make adult films. The act turns him into an aspring legit filmmaker and her into an international sex symbol.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlindspot (2008)
A sexy, psychological film noir which features the story of a man who is sucked into the psychological web of two women on the run. On the run from themselves and from their past. One - wild, tempestuous and adulterous, the other - introverted, bitter and revengeful. Only the dance is pure - with the gun loaded.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
O Fantasma (2000)
Sergio is a brooding, alienated man who works as a trash collector in Lisbon by day and roams the city streets by night seeking rough, anonymous sex with men. One night he meets a man who seems to be the embodiment of his tormented fantasies, and he becomes obsessed with the stranger until loneliness and unfulfilled desire propel him finally into a dark and dangerous animalistic state.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBetween Something & Nothing (2008)
After being accepted into a prestigious New England art school, sexy small-town Joe and townie mastermind Jennifer quickly join forces. They are determined to succeed on a campus over-populated with jaded mega-rich kids awash in trust funds, abortions, and drugs galore.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
House of Flesh Mannequins (2009)
A loner artist with a history of abuse meets a beautiful woman who takes an interest in his life and work; leading to a chilling path of tragedy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Woman Buried Alive (1973)
Duke Philippe marries Cristina, the daughter of a fisherman. But his brothers, seeing that they would be cut from the family inheritance set to go to Cristina, decide to get rid of her by imprisoning her in a tower and making the duke believe she died.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Susanna (1996)
An irresponsible young Spaniard having spent 6 months in jail for embezzlement gets a job as a waiter in a bar restaurant and becomes involved in a stolen goods racket.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Night of The Flowers (1979)
A hippie tells a story to his wife about four hedonists who lived in an old house. The hedonists pass their time discussing various topics and arguing. One night, a spirit haunts them and drives them insane. When the story is over, the hippie’s wife gives birth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Lullaby of the Earth?
The closest matches to Lullaby of the Earth are Female Yakuza Tale (1973), Hounddog (2008) and The Truth About Emanuel (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Lullaby of the Earth?
Start with Female Yakuza Tale (1973), the closest match to Lullaby of the Earth.
What is the highest-rated movie like Lullaby of the Earth?
The Ballad of Narayama (1983), rated 7.5/10 by 213 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Lullaby of the Earth?
Eleanor the Great (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Lullaby of the Earth?
Yes: Female Yakuza Tale (1973), Tokyo Family (2013) and Tokyo Decadence (1992).
How are movies similar to Lullaby of the Earth chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Lullaby of the Earth, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.