Movies like Just Barely (1960)
The best movies like Just Barely (1960) are Dragonslayer (1981), Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005) and The Twilight Samurai (2002). If Just Barely hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedCardcaptor Sakura: The Sealed Card (2000)8.2/10 from 200 votes
- NewestFountain of Youth (2025)Released 2025
- In JapaneseShinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005)Also in Japanese
Dragonslayer (1981)
A sorcerer and his apprentice are on a mission to kill an evil dragon to save the King’s daughter from being sacrificed according to a pact that the King himself made with the dragon to protect his kingdom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005)
Even though Gennosuke and Oboro are from rival ninja villages, they are secretly in love. At an annual conference with the Lord, it is dictated that a competition--a fight to the death--will take place between the five best shinobi from each village. Gennosuke and Oboro's love is made even more impossible when they each got picked as the leader of the five to represent their respective villages.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Twilight Samurai (2002)
Seibei Iguchi leads a difficult life as a low ranking samurai at the turn of the nineteenth century. A widower with a meager income, Seibei struggles to take care of his two daughters and senile mother. New prospects seem to open up when the beautiful Tomoe, a childhood friend, comes back into he and his daughters' life, but as the Japanese feudal system unravels, Seibei is still bound by the code of honor of the samurai and by his own sense of social precedence. How can he find a way to do what is best for those he loves?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)
After retrieving the Crystal Skull in Utah, Flynn Carsen receives a map in the mail with the secret location of King Solomon's Mines. When the scroll is stolen, Judson explains the power of the Key of Solomon's book and assigns Flynn to retrieve the map. The map is useless without the legend piece to decipher it, which is located in Volubilis near the Roman ruins in Morocco. Flynn heads to Casablanca to the ruins where he is chased by a group of mercenaries leaded by General Samir. They too want to find the location of King Solomon's mines. Flynn teams-up with Professor Emily Davenport working in the dig and they escape from General Samir and his men. While traveling to Gedi, they save the local Jomo from death and the trio faces a dangerous journey through the wild Africa.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRecently, My Sister Is Unusual (2014)
Mitsuki and Yuya become stepsister and stepbrother because of their parents' marriage. Mitsuki can't get along with her new family and Yuya doesn't know how to approach his new stepsister. One day, Mitsuki becomes possessed by the spirit of Hiyori. Hiyori likes Yuya and believes Yuya can help her get to heaven. Hiyori places a leather chastity belt upon on Mitsuki and a plan takes place to help send Hiyori to heaven.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this13 Assassins (2010)
A bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCardcaptor Sakura: The Sealed Card (2000)
All of the Clow Cards have been captured, and Sakura Kinomoto, the new Master of the Cards, is preparing to play the lead in the play for the town festival. However, a new evil force is causing mysterious events all over Tomoeda, including the disappearance of Sakura's cards. With Syaoran's help, Sakura must figure out the cause of these events, and save her town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRanma 1/2 the Movie: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China (1991)
When Prince Kirin of the 7 Lucky Gods shows up at the Tendo dojo looking for his bride-to-be, guess who's accidentally holding the scroll that signifies his future mate? Why, Akane, of course, and the rest of the Ranma crew is forced to take a boat to China in order to save her from the horrors of marriage and a diet of pickled vegetables.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFountain of Youth (2025)
A treasure-hunting mastermind assembles a team for a life-changing adventure. But to outwit and outrun threats at every turn, he'll need someone even smarter than he is: his estranged sister.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021)
Before he was a protector, Kenshin was a fearsome assassin known as Battosai. But when he meets gentle Tomoe Yukishiro, a beautiful young woman who carries a huge burden in her heart, his life will change forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
When Clara’s mother leaves her a mysterious gift, she embarks on a journey to four secret realms—where she discovers her greatest strength could change the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSakuran (2006)
Kiyoha rises from the lowly courtesan ranks to the high class position of Oiran in the steamy red-light district of Yoshiwara. She is determined to stand on her own two feet and live life as she pleased.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWanted (2008)
Doormat Wesley Gibson is an office worker whose life is going nowhere. He meets an attractive woman named Fox and discovers that his recently murdered father - whom Wesley never knew - belonged to the Fraternity, a secret society of assassins which takes its orders from Fate itself. Fox and Sloan, the Fraternity's leader, teach Wesley, through intense training, to tap into dormant powers and hone his innate killing skills. Though he enjoys his newfound abilities, he begins to suspect that there is more to the Fraternity than meets the eye.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOne Piece Episode of East Blue (2017)
Experience the inspiring moments that launched Luffy and the first four members of his crew on their grand adventure to find the One Piece! It’s all here—from Shanks giving Luffy the straw hat, to Nami facing the Fish-Men at her hometown. Along the way, Zoro finds his swordsman’s zeal, Usopp pays for his pranks, and Sanji sizzles up the Baratie. Join the crew where it all began in the waters of East Blue.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSamurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful Sasaki Kojiro. Takezo agrees to fight Kojiro in a year's time but rejects Shogun's patronage, choosing instead to live on the edge of a village, raising vegetables. He's followed there by Otsu and later by Akemi, both in love with him. The year ends as Takezo assists the villagers against a band of brigands. He seeks Otsu's forgiveness and accepts her love, then sets off across the water to Ganryu Island for his final contest.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTake Me to the River (2015)
A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSolomon Kane (2009)
A nomadic 16th century warrior, condemned to hell for his brutal past, seeks redemption by renouncing violence, but finds some things are worth burning for as he fights to free a young Puritan woman from the grip of evil.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChina Seas (1935)
Captain Alan Gaskell sails the perilous waters between Hong Kong and Singapore with a secret cargo: a fortune in British gold. That's not the only risky cargo he carries; both his fiery mistress and his refined fiancee are aboard!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Princess Bride (1987)
In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Just Barely?
The closest matches to Just Barely are Dragonslayer (1981), Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005) and The Twilight Samurai (2002). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Just Barely?
Start with Dragonslayer (1981), the closest match to Just Barely.
What is the highest-rated movie like Just Barely?
Cardcaptor Sakura: The Sealed Card (2000), rated 8.2/10 by 200 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Just Barely?
Fountain of Youth (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Just Barely?
Yes: Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (2005), The Twilight Samurai (2002) and Recently, My Sister Is Unusual (2014).
How are movies similar to Just Barely chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Just Barely, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.