Movies like The Upstart (1921)
The best movies like The Upstart (1921) are The Brass Teapot (2012), Asakusa Kid (2021) and Batman Ninja (2018). If The Upstart hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
The Upstart
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSherlock Jr. (1924)8.0/10 from 1,237 votes
- NewestAsakusa Kid (2021)Released 2021
- In JapaneseAsakusa Kid (2021)Also in Japanese
The Brass Teapot (2012)
When a couple discovers that a brass teapot makes them money whenever they hurt themselves, they must come to terms with how far they are willing to go.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAsakusa Kid (2021)
Before he hit it big, Takeshi Kitano got his start apprenticing with comedy legend Fukami of Asakusa. But as his star rises, his mentor's declines.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBatman Ninja (2018)
Batman, along with many of his allies and adversaries, finds himself transported to feudal Japan by Gorilla Grodd's time displacement machine.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisDolemite Is My Name (2019)
The story of Rudy Ray Moore, who created the iconic big screen pimp character Dolemite in the 1970s.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Taxing Woman (1987)
Intrepid tax investigator Ryoko Itakura sets her sights on the mysterious and philandering Hideki Gondo, a suspected millionaire and proprietor of a thriving chain of seedy hourly hotels, who has for years succeeded at hiding the true extent of his assets from the Japanese authorities. Itakura and Gondo soon find themselves engaged in a complicated, satirical battle of wits.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFloating Clouds (1955)
A married Japanese forester during WWII is sent to Indochina to manage forests. He meets a young Japanese typist and promises to leave his wife. He doesn't and after the war, she turns up and the affair resumes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGintama: The Movie (2010)
Odd Jobs Gin has taken on a lot of odd work in the past, and when you're a Jack of All Trades agency based in a feudal Japan that's been conquered and colonized by aliens, the term "Odd Jobs" means REALLY ODD jobs. But when some more than slightly suspicious secrets from the shadows of Gintoki Sakata's somewhat shady former samurai past and a new pair of odd jobs collide, the action is bound to get so wild and demented that only a feature film will do it justice!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIntentions of Murder (1964)
The neglected common-law wife of a Japanese librarian is repeatedly harassed by a young man with a heart condition who seduces her with the prospect of a better life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGintama: The Very Final (2021)
The countdown to destruction has begun! Gintoki and the others set out to fulfill the wishes of their teacher Shoyo and thwart Utsuro's plans. Shinpachi, Kagura, the Shinsengumi, members of the Kabuki District, and even former enemies will join their fight. As Utsuro's power grows, Takasugi fights for his very life. Will Gintoki be able to put an end to all this?!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Debt Collector (2018)
A classically-trained martial artist goes to work as a debt collector for the mob. The job seems easy enough, until one “client” pulls him into a situation deeper than could ever be expected.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisCharlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)
Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOne Piece: Dead End Adventure (2003)
Desperate for cash, the Straw Hat Pirates enter a secret race between pirate crews known as the Dead End Competition. There, they must battle against powerful people, including the bounty hunter who wants to kill Gasparde and a climatic battle with Marine-turned-pirate Captain Gasparde.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOne Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005)
The Straw Hats visit a recreational island, run by Baron Omatsuri, who asks them to complete a series of ordeals if they wish to stay on the island. Luffy accepts and the Straw Hats work together to complete them, but as the island's mysteries unfold, their lives and friendships are put to the test. It's up to Luffy to stop the Baron's plot and keep his crew together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (1986)
The great King Gurumes is searching for the Dragon Balls in order to put a stop to his endless hunger. A young girl named Pansy who lives in the nearby village has had enough of the treachery and decides to seek Muten Rōshi for assistance. Can our heroes save the village and put a stop to the Gurumes Army?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSherlock Jr. (1924)
A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meager skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMy Rainy Days (2009)
A cold and calculating high school student falls in love for the first time with a professor, but he's dying of brain cancer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTropic Thunder (2008)
A group of self-absorbed actors set out to make the most expensive war film ever. When budgets skyrocket and schedules fall far behind, the director tries to save the production by leading his cast into the jungles of Southeast Asia, where they inadvertently encounter real danger.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGintama 2: Rules Are Made to Be Broken (2018)
The Yorozuya gang returns to protect the country's shogun when the Shinsengumi police force finds itself in a crisis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShanghaied (1915)
A shipowner intends to scuttle his ship on its last voyage to get the insurance money. Charlie, a tramp in love with the owner's daughter, is grabbed by the captain and promises to help him shanghai some seamen. The daughter stows away to follow Charlie. Charlie assists in the galley and attempts to serve food during a gale.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Upstart?
The closest matches to The Upstart are The Brass Teapot (2012), Asakusa Kid (2021) and Batman Ninja (2018). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Upstart?
Start with The Brass Teapot (2012), the closest match to The Upstart.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Upstart?
Sherlock Jr. (1924), rated 8.0/10 by 1,237 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Upstart?
Asakusa Kid (2021) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The Upstart?
Yes: Asakusa Kid (2021), Batman Ninja (2018) and A Taxing Woman (1987).
How are movies similar to The Upstart chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Upstart, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.



















