Movies like KANNAGI. (2022)
The best movies like KANNAGI. (2022) are Hounddog (2008), El Chicano (2019) and Hands of Stone (2016). If KANNAGI. hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedModest Heroes (2018)6.7/10 from 204 votes
- NewestThe Cut (2025)Released 2025
- In JapaneseIntentions of Murder (1964)Also in Japanese
Hounddog (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 thisEl Chicano (2019)
A pair of twin brothers from East L.A. choose to live their lives differently and end up on opposite sides of the law.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHands of Stone (2016)
The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other's lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmbattled (2020)
The eldest son of a ruthlessly tough MMA champion must fight his way out of the abusive cycle his father has continued.
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 thisIntentions of Murder (1964)
The neglected common-law wife of a Japanese librarian is repeatedly harassed by a young man with a heart condition who seduces her with the prospect of a better life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnuja (2024)
When a brilliant nine-year-old working in a sweatshop gets a chance to attend school, she must make a difficult choice for her and her sister's future.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisModest Heroes (2018)
Two tiny, aquatic humanoids search for their missing father, a boy battles a lethal allergy to eggs, and an invisible salaryman tries to become a hero.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Trials of Cate McCall (2013)
In order to be reinstated to the bar and recover custody of her daughter, a hotshot lawyer, now in recovery and on probation, must take on the appeal of a woman wrongfully convicted of murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisSalomé (2013)
After the lewd and frenetic Dance of the Seven Veils, and with the solemn pledge from the very lips of Herod himself that she could have whatever her heart desires up to half his kingdom, wanton and proud young Salomé comes before her king with an unreasonable demand. Beguiled by John the Baptist, and then scorned for the sake of his god, lascivious Salomé—encouraged by her mother, the vindictive, Herodias—commands that John be executed and his head delivered on a silver platter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisImperial Dreams (2014)
A 21-year-old reformed gangster's devotion to his family and his future is put to the test when he is released from prison and returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKisses (2008)
Two kids, Dylan and Kylie, run away from home on Christmas Day and spend a night of magic and terror on the streets of inner-city Dublin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLorelei (2020)
A man is released from prison after 15 years. He reunites with his high school girlfriend, now a single mother of three. What follows is a lyrical take on love, regret and second chances.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNo Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1990)
Two feuding brothers of differing political views, one a policeman, the other a martial artist, join forces to avenge the death of their father, a retired agent who was brutally murdered by the mafia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGirl in the Box (2016)
The true story of 20-year-old Colleen Stan, a hitchhiking woman abducted by a young couple and held captive for seven years, during which time she's tortured and forced to live as a slave to her captors.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Cut (2025)
A retired boxer intends to return to the ring for one last shot at the title, but first he must make the weight. Holed up in a room in Las Vegas with an unscrupulous trainer, he embarks on an intensive and illegal weight-cutting program.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies 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 thisGoyokin (1969)
A guilt-haunted samurai warrior attempts to stop a massacre taking place.
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 thispoint (2022)
Joshua, a young foreigner traveling in Japan. Yamagishi, an elderly man in a car. The two are heading to their own destinations. When the two meet, despite not being able to speak the same language, their hearts begin to move. This is a work that explores the importance of being able to communicate without words, beyond the barriers of age and nationality.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
at the lakeside (2022)
A short film by Kana Yamada.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
I, Jiro Kawakami of the IMPERIAL (2022)
A personal novel-like piece that tries to leave a "record" of the restaurant in the past, triggered by the closing of a western restaurant in Dojima, Osaka, which is a restaurant of the director's own memories. Koichi Sato plays the role of a chef who has accumulated history with the restaurant for 35 years.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
She Mad: Bitch Zone (2020)
At a weeklong camp for teenage girls, a counselor leads the campers through a series of exercises that blend the language of female empowerment and body positivity with the kind of radical transparency that makes for good reality TV. The exercises culminate in a bizarre group confessional.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Basol (TBA)
Two Brothers who lost their parents at a young age navigate through their dreadful lives. As they both confront the trials of life, will they be able to restore their bond as brothers and heal each other in order to save their lives from life`s turmoils.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Predecessor (1988)
A film about the life and work of 19th-century Georgian writer Egnate Ninoshvili. Biographical moments from the writer's life are closely intertwined with the plots and characters of his own works.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Kasie's Diary (2017)
This film is about a young woman named Kasie. Sometimes, the disappearance of the only glimmer of hope could spell the end of a dream for some people...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like KANNAGI.?
The closest matches to KANNAGI. are Hounddog (2008), El Chicano (2019) and Hands of Stone (2016). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after KANNAGI.?
Start with Hounddog (2008), the closest match to KANNAGI..
What is the highest-rated movie like KANNAGI.?
Modest Heroes (2018), rated 6.7/10 by 204 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like KANNAGI.?
The Cut (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like KANNAGI.?
Yes: Intentions of Murder (1964), Modest Heroes (2018) and Goyokin (1969).
How are movies similar to KANNAGI. chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside KANNAGI., then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.