Movies like The Sands of Kurobe (1968)
The best movies like The Sands of Kurobe (1968) are Tokyo Family (2013), Hardball (2001) and Come Sunday (2018). If The Sands of Kurobe 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
- NewestStardom in Toyama 2026 Jun. (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseTokyo Family (2013)Also in Japanese
Tokyo 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 thisHardball (2001)
An aimless young man who is scalping tickets, gambling and drinking, agrees to coach a Little League team from the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago as a condition of getting a loan from a friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCome Sunday (2018)
Evangelist Carlton Pearson is ostracized by his church for preaching that there is no Hell.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies 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 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 thisAll Together Now (2020)
An optimistic, talented teen clings to a huge secret: she's homeless and living on a school bus. When tragedy strikes, can she learn to accept a helping hand?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Safety of Objects (2002)
In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, and neglects her daughter and husband. Lawyer Jim Train is devoted to his career, not his family. Helen Christianson wants to find a new spark in life, while Annette Jennings tries to rebuild hers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHouse of Bamboo (1955)
Eddie Kenner is given a special assignment by the Army to get the inside story on Sandy Dawson, a former GI who has formed a gang of fellow servicemen and Japanese locals.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Short History of the Long Road (2019)
Nola grew up living in a van with her father, Clint—two nomads against the world. When tragedy strikes, Nola must confront the reality of life on the road alone, learning to own her grief, her past, and her new destination.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisPastoral: To Die in the Country (1974)
A director faces creative block while working on his latest film – a reimagination of his adolescence growing up in a mountain village in rural Japan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Caveman's Valentine (2001)
Romulus, a misunderstood musician turned recluse hiding from personal demons in a New York City cave, finds the frozen body of a young drifter in a tree. The authorities, including his police officer daughter, claim the death is accidental. Romulus is convinced the man was murdered by a prominent art photographer but how can he prove he's right when everyone thinks he's insane?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe River (1984)
Tom and Mae Garvey are a Tennessee farming couple battling violent floods to save their land. In addition to natural disasters, the Garveys fight to stop a selfish land developer and a local corporation from foreclosing on their farm. While Mae stays at home to care for their children and tend to the crops, Tom finds work as a scab at a steel mill to preserve his family's property.
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 thisBattle of the Year (2013)
A down-on-his-luck coach is hired to prepare a team of the best American dancers for an international tournament that attracts all the best crews from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPokémon the Movie: Black - Victini and Reshiram (2011)
The Kingdom of the People of the Earth once ruled over the land, but now all that remains is the Sword of the Earth. in the city of Eindoak. Satoshi, Iris, and Dent arrive in Eindoak during a harvest festival's Pokémon Tournament and meet the legendary Pokémon Victini who wishes to share its powers of victory to someone. Elsewhere in the city, a descendant of the People of the Earth named Dred Grangil has arrived who seeks to revive the kingdom's power with the Sword of the Earth, bringing them back into power over the land, and Satoshi and his friends must stop him before he destroys the land along with Victini.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMai Mai Miracle (2009)
Inspired by her grandfather's stories, young Shinko embarks on wild flights of fancy about the history of the little town she lives in. But dreams can't fend off the realities of growing up.
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 thisCloak and Dagger (1946)
Italian partisans help a professor sent by the OSS to find an atomic scientist held by Nazis.
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 thisStardom in Toyama 2024 (2024)
Stardom in Toyama 2024 was a professional wrestling event promoted by World Wonder Ring Stardom, held on June 9, 2024, at Wohlfahrt Toyama 2F Multipurpose Hall in Toyama, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Marigold Spring Victory Series 2026 ~ Day 9 (2026)
Marigold Spring Victory Series 2026 ~ Day 9 was a professional wrestling event promoted by Dream Star★Fighting Marigold. It took place on April 5, 2026 at Wohlfahrt Toyama 2F Multipurpose Hall in Toyama, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Stardom in Toyama 2024 Oct. (2024)
Stardom in Toyama 2024 Oct. was a professional wrestling event promoted by World Wonder Ring Stardom, held on October 14, 2024, at Wohlfahrt Toyama 2F Multipurpose Hall in Toyama, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Stardom in Toyama (2022)
Stardom in Toyama was a professional wrestling event promoted by World Wonder Ring Stardom, held on October 8, 2022 at Wohlfahrt Toyama 2F Multipurpose Hall in Toyama, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Stardom in Toyama 2026 Jun. (2026)
Stardom in Toyama 2026 Jun. was a professional wrestling event produced by World Wonder Ring Stardom, held on June 28, 2026, at the Toyama Industrial Exhibition Hall Techno Hall East Building in Toyama, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Stardom in Toyama (2023)
Stardom in Toyama was a professional wrestling event promoted by World Wonder Ring Stardom, held on May 21, 2023 at Toyama Industry Exhibition Hall Techno Hall in Toyama, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Stardom 13th Goddesses of Stardom Tag League in Toyama (2023)
13th Goddesses of Stardom Tag League in Toyama was a professional wrestling event promoted by World Wonder Ring Stardom, held on November 3, 2023 at Wohlfahrt Toyama 2F Multipurpose Hall in Toyama, Japan. It served as the fifth event for the company's annual round-robin tag team tournament.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Kitokito! (2007)
Coming of age story about a boy and his mother.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Summit: A Chronicle Of Stones to Serenity (2009)
In 1907, a group of men climb an unconquered peak in the last unmapped region of Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Crossroads (2011)
Domestic drama focusing on a soon to be retired train driver and his wife.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Sands of Kurobe?
The closest matches to The Sands of Kurobe are Tokyo Family (2013), Hardball (2001) and Come Sunday (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Sands of Kurobe?
Start with Tokyo Family (2013), the closest match to The Sands of Kurobe.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Sands of Kurobe?
The Ballad of Narayama (1983), rated 7.5/10 by 213 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Sands of Kurobe?
Stardom in Toyama 2026 Jun. (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The Sands of Kurobe?
Yes: Tokyo Family (2013), The Ballad of Narayama (1983) and Pastoral: To Die in the Country (1974).
How are movies similar to The Sands of Kurobe chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Sands of Kurobe, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.