Movies like Breakthrough for Change (2015)
The best movies like Breakthrough for Change (2015) are The Yellow Handkerchief (1977), Kikujiro (1999) and Madadayo (1993). If Breakthrough for Change hooked you with its drama and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedLook Back (2024)8.2/10 from 715 votes
- NewestMy Mother's Wedding (2025)Released 2025
- In JapaneseThe Yellow Handkerchief (1977)Also in Japanese
The Yellow Handkerchief (1977)
A convict, newly released from prison for murder, joins two strangers on a road trip through Hokkaido to visit his ex-wife, whom he hasn't seen in four years, knowing that if she puts a yellow handkerchief on the window, it would mean that she wants him back at home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKikujiro (1999)
Brash, loudmouthed and opportunistic, Kikujiro is the unlikely companion for Masao who is determined to see the mother he has never met. The two begin a series of adventures which soon turns out to be a whimsical journey of laughter and tears with a wide array of surprises and unique characters along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMadadayo (1993)
In postwar Tokyo, beloved writer-professor Hyakken Uchida retires and is buoyed through hardship by the fierce devotion of his former students, who honor him each year with a raucous “Not yet!” birthday toast. Told in warm, gently comic vignettes, Kurosawa’s farewell celebrates aging, friendship, and the sustaining ritual of teacher and pupils refusing to say goodbye.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like this10 Years (2012)
A group of friends reunite ten years after their high-school graduation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisIndian Summer (1993)
A group of childhood friends, now in their thirties, reunite at Camp Tamakwa. Only a few of the original campers show up, but they still have a good time reminiscing. The people share experiences and grow while at the camp. They are dismayed to discover that the camp's owner, Unca Lou, is going to close the camp down.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAbout Alex (2014)
When a group of old college friends reunite over a long weekend after one of them attempts suicide, old crushes and resentments shine light on their life decisions, and ultimately push friendships and relationships to the brink.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Mother's Wedding (2025)
Three sisters return to their home for the third wedding of their twice-widowed mother. But the mother and daughters are forced to revisit the past and confront the future, with help from a colorful group of unexpected wedding guests.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHouse of D (2004)
In the present, artist Tom Warshaw recalls his traumatic coming of age. As a 13-year-old growing up in New York City in 1973, Tom hangs out with Pappass, a mentally disabled man. With Tom's mother battling depression after the death of her husband, the young boy is left to his own devices. When Tom develops a crush on schoolmate Melissa, Pappass feels abandoned and begins behaving erratically.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Clique (2008)
A young girl tries to fit in with a clique of popular middle school girls after moving into the guest house of one of their homes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisAna (2020)
Ana meets Rafa in a chance encounter and they embark on a road trip to try and save him from bankruptcy, or worse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKamikaze Girls (2004)
Momoko, a strange and seemingly emotionless girl obsessed with 18th century France, befriends a Yanki biker and the two experience the ups and downs of their unusual lives in a rural Japanese town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe End of Summer (1961)
The family of an older man who runs a small sake brewery become concerned with his finances and his health after they discover him visiting an old mistress from his youth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisanohana: The Flower We Saw That Day - The Movie (2013)
A year has passed since Menma's ghostly return to the Super Peace Busters. Although the time they spent together during that summer was short, the five members reminisce about what happened as they each write a letter to their lost friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisiCarly: iGo to Japan (2008)
Carly, Sam and Freddie kick off their adventure in Japan on a tin can of a plane packed with caged possums and piloted by Spencer's odd acquaintance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBiker Boyz (2003)
A mythic motorcycle tale of father and son, this is the story of Manuel Galloway, also known as "the King of Cali", the president of a motorcycle club whose members are all African-American men, mostly white-collar workers who exchange their suits and ties at night and on weekends for leather outfits and motorcycle helmets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLook Back (2024)
Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a competitive fervor in Fujino. What starts as jealousy transforms when Fujino realizes their shared passion for drawing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisKids Return (1996)
Shinji and Masaru spend most of their school days harassing fellow classmates and playing pranks. They drop out and Shinji becomes a small-time boxer, while Masaru joins up with a local yakuza gang. However, the world is a tough place.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrayon Shinchan the Movie: The Storm Called: The Adult Empire Strikes Back (2001)
Shin-chan must rescue the adults of Kasukabe when they mysteriously abandon their responsibilities to relive their youth at the new 20th-century expo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Climb (2020)
Kyle and Mike are best friends who share a close bond — until Mike sleeps with Kyle’s fiancée. A stormy but enduring relationship ensues between Kyle, with limitless patience, and Mike, who only lives his life by sowing discord in that of others, across many years of laughter, heartbreak, and rage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBig Hero 6 (2014)
A special bond develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax, and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLa Grande Bouffe (1973)
Four friends gather at a villa with the intention of eating themselves to death.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNobody Famous (2018)
A weekend at a cottage takes a turn for the worst for a group of aspiring actors when one of them finds out they've booked a blockbuster role, and the rest of the group's jealously takes hold where there's no one else around.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
These Girls (2005)
Before heading off to college, a teenager and her two friends try to seduce a married man.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Hot Rod (2007)
For Rod Kimble, performing stunts is a way of life, even though he is rather accident-prone. Poor Rod cannot even get any respect from his stepfather, Frank, who beats him up in weekly sparring matches. When Frank falls ill, Rod devises his most outrageous stunt yet to raise money for Frank's operation -- and then Rod will kick Frank's butt.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeverly Hills Ninja (1997)
Haru, an orphaned American who washes ashore in Japan and is mistaken for the great White Ninja of legend. Raised among the finest Ninjas, Haru grows strong and big - very big. With the grace of all Three Stooges rolled into one body, Haru is an embarrassment to his clan. But when a beautiful blonde pleads for his help, Haru is given one dangerous, disastrously funny chance to prove himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Little Queen (2014)
Julie, star cyclist, is two races away from winning the World Cup. It is the culmination of years of effort. Julie loves the spotlight. Her entourage too. Encouraged by her coach and doctor, she has been doping since the age of 14. When her doctor denounces her, she manages to hush up the case, but the extent of the mess leads to abuse, lies, and treason. Caught in a gear that goes beyond her, will she succeed in finding a way out?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Tattoo (2002)
Marc Schrader, a rookie cop caught red-handed with drugs in a police raid of an illegal rave, joins a homicide investigation conducted by Chief Inspector Minks. The victim is a naked young woman with the skin stripped off her back, killed as she staggered into traffic. As Schrader and Minks investigate the murder, the case is complicated by a finger found in the stomach of the victim. Forensic examination proves the finger belongs to Nobert Günzel, who was previously convicted of rape and assault. The police raid Günzel’s residence, and discover a blood-stained table with restraints and bits of human flesh in his basement. They also find video equipment and preserved, tattooed skin from the victim’s back. Soon, they found dead bodies buried in the garden. Günzel then goes missing.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
It's the battle of wills, as Andie needs to prove she can dump a guy in 10 days, whereas Ben needs to prove he can win a girl in 10 days. Now, the clock is ticking—and the wildly entertaining comedy smash is off and running in this irresistible tale of sex, lies and outrageous romantic fireworks!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShe's All That (1999)
High school hotshot Zach Siler is the envy of his peers. But his popularity declines sharply when his cheerleader girlfriend, Taylor, leaves him for sleazy reality-television star Brock Hudson. Desperate to revive his fading reputation, Siler agrees to a seemingly impossible challenge. He has six weeks to gain the trust of nerdy outcast Laney Boggs -- and help her to become the school's next prom queen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSnow Falling on Cedars (1999)
In the 1950s, a Japanese-American fisherman is suspected of killing his neighbour at sea. For Ishmael, a local reporter, the trial strikes a deep emotional chord when he finds his ex-lover is linked to the case. As he investigates the killing, he uncovers some startling clues that lead him to a shocking discovery.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Breakthrough for Change?
The closest matches to Breakthrough for Change are The Yellow Handkerchief (1977), Kikujiro (1999) and Madadayo (1993). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Breakthrough for Change?
Start with The Yellow Handkerchief (1977), the closest match to Breakthrough for Change.
What is the highest-rated movie like Breakthrough for Change?
Look Back (2024), rated 8.2/10 by 715 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Breakthrough for Change?
My Mother's Wedding (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Breakthrough for Change?
Yes: The Yellow Handkerchief (1977), Kikujiro (1999) and Madadayo (1993).
How are movies similar to Breakthrough for Change chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Breakthrough for Change, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.