Movies like Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone (1995)
The best movies like Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone (1995) are Canola (2016), Smugglers (2023) and Architecture 101 (2012). If Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedCastaway on the Moon (2009)7.9/10 from 762 votes
- NewestLone Samurai (2025)Released 2025
- In KoreanCanola (2016)Also in Korean
Canola (2016)
A girl who went missing after an accident returns 10 years later and reunites with her grandmother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSmugglers (2023)
During the 1970s, in Kunchon, there were women divers who were able to dive without equipment, including two best friends Choon-ja and Jin-sook, Jin-sook's brother and Hammer. They always collected seafood under water for living. But, as fewer factories started to be built near the beach, the women divers started to have trouble with what they were doing for living. Without any choice, the ship crews decided to join the smuggling business in the water to seek a way for their living. But the smuggling business in their village got too big for Jin-sook's family to handle and the peaceful village was gradually broken.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisArchitecture 101 (2012)
When Seung-min was on his first year at the Academy of Architecture, he met Seo-yeon. She was a musician student, and Seung-min totally fell in love with her. Years have passed, and now he meets Seo-yeon again - she asks him to rebuild her father's old house.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNight in Paradise (2020)
An assassin named Tae-goo is offered a chance to switch sides with his rival Bukseong gang, headed by Chairman Doh. Tae-goo rejects the offer that results in the murder of his sister and niece. In revenge, Tae-goo brutally kills Chairman Doh and his men and flees to Jeju Island where he meets Jae-yeon, a terminally ill woman. Though, the henchman of the Bukseong gang, Executive Ma is mercilessly hunting Tae-goo to take revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFailan (2001)
After losing both her parents, Failan emmigrates to Korea to seek her only remaining relatives. Once she reaches Korea, she finds out that her relatives have moved to Canada well over a year ago. Desperate to stay and make a living in Korea, Failan is forced to have an arranged marriage through a match-making agency.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisProject Silence (2024)
Due to sudden deteriorating weather conditions, visibility on the Airport Bridge is severely impaired, leaving people stranded and at risk of the bridge collapsing due to a series of chain collisions and explosions. Amidst the chaos, the canine subjects "Echo" from the military experiment "Project Silence," who were being transported in secret, break free, and all human survivors become targets of relentless attacks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Book of Fish (2021)
When the scholar Jeong Yak-jeon is exiled to Heuksando Island during the Catholic Persecution of 1801, he decides to write a fish-based encyclopaedia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCastaway on the Moon (2009)
Mr. Kim is jobless, lost in debt and has been dumped by his girlfriend. He decides to end it all by jumping into the Han River – only to find himself washed up on a small, mid-river island. He soon abandons thoughts of suicide or rescue and begins a new life as a castaway. His antics catch the attention of a young woman whose apartment overlooks the river. Her discovery changes both their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisTidal Wave (2009)
On Haeundae Beach, a guilt-ridden fisherman takes care of a woman whose father accidentally got killed. A scientist reunites with his ex-wife and a daughter who doesn't even remember his face. And a poor rescue worker falls in love with a rich city girl. When they all find out a gigantic tsunami will hit the beach, they realize they only have 10 minutes to escape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHill of Freedom (2014)
Kwon returns to Seoul from a restorative stay in the mountains. She is given a packet of letters left by Mori, who has come back from Japan to propose to her. Kwon drops and scatters the letters, all of which are undated. When she reads them, she has to make sense of the chronology.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Pirates (2014)
At the cusp of the founding of Joseon Dynasty, an envoy from China is delivering Emperor’s Ming’s Royal Seal. But nature in the form of a giant whale intervenes and swallows the royal seal. When a generous reward is offered to whomever can retrieve the royal seal from the belly of the whale, the race is on. A group of mountain bandits led by Jang Sa Jung and a group of pirates led by Yeo Wol go after the lost treasure, but who will get to to it first?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTake Care of My Cat (2001)
When one girl from five close school friends moves to Seoul after school is over, the other four try and deal with the loss of her moving and them drifting apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLone Samurai (2025)
A violent and reckless samurai is shipwrecked on a remote island left without an avenue for his rage. After undertaking a spiritual journey to appease his aggressive thoughts, he finds himself abducted by external demons taking the form of cannibals, putting his sense of reality and deadly talents to the test.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisServe the People (2022)
Mu-kwang volunteers to be a kitchen police of Sa-taek, the divisional commander, dreaming of success. One day, Mu-kwang meets Su-ryeon by chance, who is a young and beautiful wife of the commander. Soon, he feels a strong attraction by her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDecision to Leave (2022)
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSweetheart (2019)
Jenn has washed ashore a small tropical island and it doesn’t take her long to realize she’s completely alone. She must spend her days not only surviving the elements, but must also fend off the malevolent force that comes out each night.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSilmido (2003)
On 31 January 1968, 31 North Korean commandos infiltrated South Korea in a failed mission to assassinate President Park Chung-hee. In revenge, the South Korean military assembled a team of 31 criminals on the island of Silmido to kill Kim Il-sung for a suicide mission to redeem their honor, but was cancelled, leaving them frustrated. It is loosely based on a military uprising in the 1970s.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIsle of Dogs (2018)
In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island used as a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Tiger (2015)
In 1925 Korea, Japanese rulers demand the last remaining tiger be killed. The tiger easily defeats his pursuers until a legendary hunter takes him on.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Duelist (2005)
Detective Nam-soon goes undercover with her partner Detective Ahn to investigate the counterfeit money. She discovers that one loyal henchman, Sad Eyes, a beautiful swordsman with a pale, blank face, is related to the truth. Nam-soon and Sad Eyes confront each other in a series of duels and become confused between love and obligation to duty.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Poet and the Boy (2017)
Trapped in routine, a Jeju poet finds himself drawn to a boy—and to emotions he’s never dared name.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
In Water (2023)
A director, a cinematographer, and an actress spend the days leading up to a movie shoot together on-location, waiting for the director to come up with an idea for what the film will be about.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Map without Island (2021)
The film shows demonstrations against building the second airport in Jeju Island the performances of environmentalists very closely and in detail, by which it develops a desperate love story.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Time to Be Strong (2024)
Three retired K-pop idols take a trip to Jeju Island. After failed careers and missed school trips, they finally have the time to go on a trip on their own. On their first day on the island, things start to go awry.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Desperate Chase (2024)
A desperate hunt by a detective and a scammer who team up to uncover the truth of their own.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Mira Story (2015)
It's been 4 years graduating college. What am I doing? I am unemployed. With a hope of being healed, I've decided to getaway to Jeju Island and am on board SeWol ship. Once I arrive at the island after 13 hours of traveling, my heart was broken by witnessing painful seizure of local people's hearts due to the brutal governmental policy on the construction of Naval base. This film follows vividly the fate of fragile persons and nature suppressed by the government's ridiculous decisions. The story is told by Mira.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Eomung (2019)
This is the story of Sook-ja (Moon Hee-kyung), a female diver in the beautiful Jeju Islands who has lived a tough life, and her childish son Yool (Yeon Joon). Young man Yool dreams of becoming a writer. One day he discovers his mother, Sook-ja, has terminal cancer, but she refuses to get treated and continues diving in the water. Yool gives up his dreams as a writer and goes to his brother-in-law to ask for a job just so he can change his mother's mind. One evening, Yool comes home drunk and upset. Sook-ja can't bear the sudden pain and wakes up her drunken son.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Ppong ddol (2011)
Seong-pil, an actor, is traveling through Jeju Island when he sees an ad looking for actors. He follows the ad that leads him to Pong-ddol. The film captures their sincerity without losing the humor. What does film and life mean to you?
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Sumbisori (2025)
Hae-jin, 29, struggles to adapt to life in Seoul and returns to her hometown of Jeju. There, she reunites with her mother, Ok-ran, and her grandmother, Kang-ja, who has spent her life as a haenyeo. Hae-jin decides to become a haenyeo, but Ok-ran strongly opposes it. The conflict between them intensifies, while Kang-ja is diagnosed with dementia.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone?
The closest matches to Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone are Canola (2016), Smugglers (2023) and Architecture 101 (2012). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone?
Start with Canola (2016), the closest match to Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone.
What is the highest-rated movie like Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone?
Castaway on the Moon (2009), rated 7.9/10 by 762 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone?
Lone Samurai (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Korean movies like Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone?
Yes: Canola (2016), Smugglers (2023) and Architecture 101 (2012).
How are movies similar to Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Mom, the Star, and the Sea Anemone, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.