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Movies like The Quiet Little Li River (1984)

The best movies like The Quiet Little Li River (1984) are Upstream (2024), The Young One (1960) and Hounddog (2008). If The Quiet Little Li River hooked you with its drama, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Upstream (2024)

    A moment of impulsiveness turns Gao Zhilei into a "stay-at-home" individual, but he never expected his life to take a turn in the opposite direction. A series of changes compel him to take on his responsibilities as the head of the family. When life's burdens hit hard, he must confront himself and start anew.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

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  2. The Young One (1960)

    A jazz musician seeks refuge from a lynch mob on a remote island, where he meets a hostile game warden and the young object of his attentions.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  3. Hounddog (2008)

    A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Pickpocket (1997)

    A small town pickpocket whose friends have moved on to higher trades finds himself bitter and unable to adapt.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (2020)

    In the Chinese town of Fuyang, four brothers go about their day-to-day lives, their destinies shaped by love and challenges.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl (1998)

    Young teen girl Xiu Xiu is sent away to a remote corner of the Sichuan steppes for manual labor in 1975 (sending young people to there was a part of Cultural Revolution in China). A year later, she agrees to go to even more remote spot with a Tibetan saddle tramp Lao Jin to learn horse herding.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  7. Come Sunday (2018)

    Evangelist Carlton Pearson is ostracized by his church for preaching that there is no Hell.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  8. One Second (2020)

    A movie fan escapes from a labour camp during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and strikes up a relationship with a homeless female vagabond.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. That Evening Sun (2009)

    An aging Tennessee farmer returns to his homestead and must confront a family betrayal, the reappearance of an old enemy, and the loss of his farm.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)

    A poor, struggling South Carolinian mother and daughter face painful choices with their resolve and pride. Bone, the eldest daughter, and Anney her tired mother, grow both closer and farther apart: Anney sees Glen as her last chance.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Holy Lands (2019)

    When lapsed Jew and former cardiologist Harry suddenly decides to spend his retirement as a pig farmer in Nazareth, Israel, the move deeply shocks his family and his new neighbours. Back in New York, Harry’s ex-wife Monica is trying to manage the lives of their adult children, Annabelle and David, as well as her own.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. The Good Neighbor (2022)

    A nightmarish evening unfolds for neighbors David and Robert when they accidentally hit a woman on her bike and flee the scene. While David is increasingly plagued by feelings of guilt, Robert shows no remorse and becomes overbearing and possessive.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Deep in the Heart (2015)

    An unrecognizable, charred corpse discovered in a remote mountain village in China connects three local stories.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Buddha Mountain (2011)

    In Chengdu, China, a retired female opera singer named Master Chang takes in a trio of young tenants into her boarding home. The tenants include a rock singer and a college student who has run away from home.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Tigertail (2020)

    A man reflects on the lost love of his youth and his long-ago journey from Taiwan to America as he begins to reconnect with his estranged daughter.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. The Rescue (2020)

    A rescue unit within the Chinese Coast Guard are forced to overcome their personal differences to resolve a crisis.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. The River (1984)

    Tom and Mae Garvey are a Tennessee farming couple battling violent floods to save their land. In addition to natural disasters, the Garveys fight to stop a selfish land developer and a local corporation from foreclosing on their farm. While Mae stays at home to care for their children and tend to the crops, Tom finds work as a scab at a steel mill to preserve his family's property.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Mr. Tree (2011)

    Teased by hallucinations, Shu, a slacker living in a rural village, struggles with an ever-loosening grip on reality. Yet when one of his visions manifests as real, his fellow villagers come to regard him as a clairvoyant. Can Shu genuinely see into the future? Is he actually just a basket case? Or is he perhaps more lucid than he seems, and pulling a fast one on everyone?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. The Nest (2020)

    Rory is an ambitious entrepreneur who brings his American wife and kids to his native country, England, to explore new business opportunities. After abandoning the sanctuary of their safe American suburban surroundings, the family is plunged into the despair of an archaic '80s Britain and their unaffordable new life in an English manor house threatens to destroy the family.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Most (2003)

    A poetic and powerful story of a father forced to choose between love and duty.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this

Like The Quiet Little Li River and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Quiet Little Li River?

The closest matches to The Quiet Little Li River are Upstream (2024), The Young One (1960) and Hounddog (2008). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Quiet Little Li River?

Start with Upstream (2024), the closest match to The Quiet Little Li River.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Quiet Little Li River?

The Good Neighbor (2022), rated 6.7/10 by 215 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Quiet Little Li River?

Upstream (2024) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there Chinese movies like The Quiet Little Li River?

Yes: Upstream (2024), Pickpocket (1997) and Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (2020).

How are movies similar to The Quiet Little Li River chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Quiet Little Li River, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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