Movies like Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (2026)
The best movies like Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (2026) are Gezhi Town (2025), Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991). If Once Upon a Time in the Middle East hooked you with its drama and war, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedTo Live (1994)8.3/10 from 440 votes
- NewestTony (2026)Released 2026
- In ChineseGezhi Town (2025)Also in Chinese
Gezhi Town (2025)
A group of Chinese refugees and straggler soldiers, led by a machinist, defend their mountain town, "Gezhi," against a surprise attack by Japanese reconnaissance troops in a desperate fight using civilian ingenuity against a trained military force.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEat Drink Man Woman (1994)
Retired and widowed Chinese master chef Chu lives in modern day Taipei, with his three attractive daughters, all of whom are unattached. Soon, each daughter encounters a new man in their lives. When these new relationships blossom, stereotypes are broken and the living situation within the family changes.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRaise the Red Lantern (1991)
In 1920s China, 19-year-old Songlian becomes a concubine of a powerful lord and is forced to compete with his three wives for the privileges gained.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHome Coming (2022)
Two members of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs are tasked with the evacuation of Chinese citizens when war breaks out in Numia, North Africa.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTony (2026)
A 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain travels to Provincetown and stumbles into the chaotic world of a restaurant kitchen, setting off a summer that will shape the course of his life.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Lychee Road (2025)
A Tang Dynasty minor official risks everything to deliver lychees across China. Li Shande, middle-aged and struggling, sees this dangerous mission as his last chance for success.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDevils on the Doorstep (2001)
During the Japanese occupation of China, two prisoners are dumped in a peasant's home in a small town. The owner is bullied into keeping the prisoners until the next New Year, at which time they will be collected. The village leaders convene to interrogate the prisoners. The townspeople then struggle to accommodate the prisoners. One is a bellicose Japanese nationalist, the other a nervous translator. Will the townspeople manage to keep the prisoners until the New Year?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBig Night (1996)
Primo and Secondo, two immigrant brothers, pin their hopes on a banquet honoring Louis Prima to save their struggling restaurant.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTo Live (1994)
Married couple Fugui and Jiazhen endure tumultuous events in mid-20th century mainland China as their personal fortunes move from wealthy landownership to peasantry.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisKokuho (2025)
Nagasaki, 1964. After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, gifted Kikuo is taken under the wing of famed Kabuki actor Hanjirō Hanai. Alongside the great performer's only son, Shunsuke, he dedicates his life to the artform - a centuries-old Japanese theatrical tradition known for its costumes, elaborate makeup and innovative stagecraft.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisFarewell My Concubine (1993)
In an epic tale of theater, gender, love and class, two Beijing opera actors navigate political turmoil as their friendship evolves over decades.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisPalestine 36 (2025)
Year 1936. As villages across Palestine rise against British colonial rule, Yusuf drifts between his rural home and the restless energy of Jerusalem, longing for a future beyond the growing unrest. But history is relentless. With rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe and some arriving with nefarious Zionist-colonial ambitions, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBurnt (2015)
Adam Jones is a Chef who destroyed his career with drugs and diva behavior. He cleans up and returns to London, determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe President's Cake (2026)
While people across 1990’s Iraq struggle to survive, 9-year-old Lamia has been selected to prepare a cake to celebrate the President’s birthday. In a landscape of fear and scarcity, where basic ingredients are nearly impossible to find, Lamia sets out on a determined journey throughout the big city in search of eggs, flour, and sugar. Accompanied by her grandmother, her loyal friend Saeed, and her pet rooster Hindi, she navigates vendors and police officers along the way.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Flowers of War (2011)
A Westerner finds refuge with a group of women in a church during Japan's rape of Nanking in 1937. Posing as a priest, he attempts to lead the women to safety.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNot One Less (1999)
Set in the People's Republic of China during the 1990s, the film centers on a 13-year-old substitute teacher, Wei Minzhi, in the Chinese countryside. Called in to substitute for a village teacher for one month, Wei is told not to lose any students.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEmpire of the Sun (1987)
Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirit, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCity of Life and Death (2009)
In 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Imperial Japanese Army has just captured Nanjing, then-capital of the Republic of China. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a six week period wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & war
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Farewell (2019)
A headstrong Chinese-American woman returns to China when her beloved grandmother is given a terminal diagnosis. Billi struggles with her family's decision to keep grandma in the dark about her own illness as they all stage an impromptu wedding to see grandma one last time.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBoiling Point (2021)
A head chef balances multiple personal and professional crises at a popular restaurant in London.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOne Second (2020)
A movie fan escapes from a labour camp during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and strikes up a relationship with a homeless female vagabond.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Separation (2011)
A married couple are faced with a difficult decision – to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisA Foggy Tale (2025)
Yue's brother was executed by the government. Determined to bring his body back home, Yue goes to Taipei alone and finds help in Chao Kung-tao, a discharged soldier. Two people with no relations become friends in need, embarking on a journey that could cost them their lives.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
The Movie Emperor (2024)
In an attempt to win back the public's interest, has-been Hong Kong film star Lau Wai-chi makes a comeback film with a major director. To prepare for his role as a peasant farmer in the 1960s, he travels to the mainland China countryside to experience rural life there, but his arrogance triggers a series of farces.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAn Elephant Sitting Still (2018)
In the northern Chinese city of Manzhouli, they say there is an elephant that simply sits and ignores the world. Manzhouli becomes an obsession for the protagonists of this film, a longed-for escape from the downward spiral in which they find themselves.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLive from Baghdad (2002)
A group of CNN reporters venture to the Iraqi capital to cover the Gulf War.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAn Ordinary Man (2017)
A war criminal in hiding forms a relationship with his only connection to the outside world - his maid.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBilly Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016)
19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks the film shows what really happened to his squad – contrasting the realities of war with America's perceptions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJacknife (1989)
A conflict develops between a troubled Vietnam veteran and the sister he lives with when she becomes involved romantically with the army buddy who reminds him of the tragic battle they both survived.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStop-Loss (2008)
A veteran soldier returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & war
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Once Upon a Time in the Middle East?
The closest matches to Once Upon a Time in the Middle East are Gezhi Town (2025), Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Once Upon a Time in the Middle East?
People who watched Once Upon a Time in the Middle East most often go on to Gezhi Town (2025), Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991).
What is the highest-rated movie like Once Upon a Time in the Middle East?
To Live (1994), rated 8.3/10 by 440 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Once Upon a Time in the Middle East?
Tony (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Once Upon a Time in the Middle East?
Yes: Gezhi Town (2025), Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) and Raise the Red Lantern (1991).
How are movies similar to Once Upon a Time in the Middle East chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.