Movies like The Man from the Sea (2018)
The best movies like The Man from the Sea (2018) are The Shepherd (2023), Donovan's Echo (2011) and Picnic (1996). If The Man from the Sea hooked you with its fantasy and drama, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSteins;Gate: The Movie - Load Region of Déjà Vu (2013)7.6/10 from 417 votes
- NewestCosmic Princess Kaguya! (2026)Released 2026
- In JapanesePicnic (1996)Also in Japanese
The Shepherd (2023)
On Christmas Eve, a fighter pilot on his way home becomes lost while flying over water and needs a miracle to land safely.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDonovan's Echo (2011)
A series of uncanny déjà vu events force a man to re-examine his tragic past, memory, instinct, and future.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPicnic (1996)
Believing that the world will end that very day, three mental patients Coco, Tsumuji, and Satoru set out upon a journey. Walking upon the tops of the walls of the city, they seek to find a picnic spot with the best vantage point to view the final event.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisModest Heroes (2018)
Two tiny, aquatic humanoids search for their missing father, a boy battles a lethal allergy to eggs, and an invisible salaryman tries to become a hero.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPinocchio (2009)
The enchanted story of Pinocchio.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPoupelle of Chimney Town (2020)
The story is about a young boy named Lubicchi and a trashman named Poupelle who meet on a Halloween night in a city that is full of tall chimneys. The chimneys pour out black smoke and the true sky cannot be seen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStrings (2004)
The story of Prince Hal who sets out to avenge his dead father against the city's rivals, the Zeriths, little knowing it was his wicked uncle Nezo who is the real killer, with his own designs on the throne.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIf Cats Disappeared from the World (2016)
A postman learns that he doesn't have much time left to live due to a terminal illness. A devil then appears in front of him and offers to extend his life if he picks something in the world that will disappear. The man thinks about his relationships with ex-friends, ex-lovers, relatives and colleagues who will be sincerely sad when he dies.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Girl from the Other Side (2023)
Once upon a time, in a far, faraway place, there were two lands. The world was divided into an inner land and an outer land. People feared the outer land, inhabited by eerie beings, the carriers of curse. One day, on the border to the inner land inhabited by humans, one such being finds a girl on heaps of abandoned dead bodies. The girl says her name is Shiva and shows affection to the "being" who found her, calling him "Teacher." This is a story of two people—one human, one inhuman—who linger in the hazy twilight that separates night from day.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisK: Missing Kings (2014)
The "Academy Island Incident" in which four "kings" cross paths... Since then, Silver Clansmen Kuroh Yatogami and Neko have been searching for their master, Shiro. Without finding any clues to Shiro's whereabouts, the two became disheartened. However, one day, they see HOMRA members Rikio Kamamoto and Anna Kushina being chased by someone.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSteins;Gate: The Movie - Load Region of Déjà Vu (2013)
One year after the events of the anime, Rintarou begins to feel the repercussions of extensive time travel, and eventually completely fades from reality. Kurisu, being the only companion to remember him, now must find a way to bring him back.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBleach the Movie: Memories of Nobody (2006)
In Karakura Town, unidentifiable spirits begin appearing en mases. While attempting to deal with these strange souls, Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki meet Senna, a mysterious shinigami who wipes out most of them. Senna refuses to answer any questions, so Ichigo is forced to follow her while Rukia tries to find out what's going on.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
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 thisYu Yu Hakusho: The Movie - Poltergeist Report (1994)
When the Spirit World is flooded due to an unusual rainfall which overflows the River Sanzu (aka the River Styx), Lord Koenma senses an extremely powerful enemy. He entrusts Death God Botan, to deliver to Spirit Detective Yusuke, a mysterious item which must be protected from the invading enemy. However, by the time Botan finds Yusuke, she's too weak to explain the situation. Yusuke and his friends are left in the dark about the new enemy, but not for long. Soon it is a battle for Earth between mere Spirit Detectives and the almighty king of the Netherworld.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLittle Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989)
A little boy whose dreams transcend reality is sucked into his own fantasy, which is everything he has dreamed of, until he unleashes an old secret that may not only destroy this perfect dream world but reality itself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCosmic Princess Kaguya! (2026)
Iroha's life gets knocked off its orbit when Kaguya, a carefree runaway from the Moon, moves in and convinces her to perform in a virtual world together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBaywatch: Hawaiian Wedding (2003)
Mitch Buchannon, believed to have died in a boating accident survived and only has amnesia, he has been recovering in a Los Angeles hospital. His new fiancée, Allison Ford, resembles his old lover, Lt. Stephanie Holden who died years ago.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisRemember (2015)
With the aid of a fellow Auschwitz survivor and a hand-written letter, an elderly man with dementia goes in search of the person responsible for the death of his family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWelcome to Smelliville (2021)
The Oggly family arrive at the municipal rubbish dump of Smelliville and must look for a new home, but they never feel really welcome anywhere. They stink and are for most humans just a tad too oggly. When Firebottom, the family dragon, crash-lands on the run-down rubbish tip of the small town of Smelliville, the Ogglies at once feel at home. And it's here they want to stay.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Man from the Sea?
The closest matches to The Man from the Sea are The Shepherd (2023), Donovan's Echo (2011) and Picnic (1996). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Man from the Sea?
Start with The Shepherd (2023), the closest match to The Man from the Sea.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Man from the Sea?
Steins;Gate: The Movie - Load Region of Déjà Vu (2013), rated 7.6/10 by 417 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Man from the Sea?
Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The Man from the Sea?
Yes: Picnic (1996), Modest Heroes (2018) and Poupelle of Chimney Town (2020).
How are movies similar to The Man from the Sea chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Man from the Sea, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.