Movies like The Girl from the Other Side (2023)
The best movies like The Girl from the Other Side (2023) are Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2022), Summer Ghost (2021) and Brave Story (2006). If The Girl from the Other Side hooked you with its animation and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSpirited Away (2001)8.5/10 from 19,212 votes
- NewestPrincess Principal Crown Handler: Chapter 4 (2025)Released 2025
- In JapaneseLonely Castle in the Mirror (2022)Also in Japanese
Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2022)
Shy outcast Kokoro has been avoiding school for weeks when she discovers a portal in her bedroom mirror. She reaches through and finds herself transported to an enchanting castle where she is joined by six other students. When a girl in a wolf mask explains that they have been invited to play a game, the teens must work together to uncover the mysterious connection that unites them. However, anyone who breaks the rules will be eaten by a wolf.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSummer Ghost (2021)
An urban legend says that lighting fireworks at an abandoned airfield will beckon the "summer ghost," a spirit that can answer any question. Three teenagers, Tomoya, Aoi, and Ryo, each have their own reason to show up one day. When a ghost named Ayane appears, she reveals she is only visible to those "who are about to touch their death." Compelled by the ghost and her message, Tomoya begins regularly visiting the airfield to uncover the true purpose of her visits.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBrave Story (2006)
Jr. High School Student Wataru and his friends like playing in an abandond building and looking for ghosts. However it seems he is not the only one. Another mysterious student Mitsuru shows Wataru that there is a magical door to another world where one can go and get the Goddess of Fortune to grant one wish! When tragedy strikes Wataru's family he decides to open the door for himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChild of Kamiari Month (2021)
A year after losing her mother, a young girl learns that she must journey across Japan to the annual gathering of gods in the sacred land of Izumo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMononoke the Movie: The Phantom in the Rain (2024)
In the chambers of the Edo harem, two newcomers uncover political intrigue, rivalry and a vengeful spirit only one traveling medicine seller can vanquish.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOkko's Inn (2018)
12-year-old Oriko Seki, who lost her parents in a car accident, ended up living in her grandmother's Onsen Ryokan "Haru no Ya." With the ghost "Uribou" cohabitating with her and all the other odds, she ended up training to be a young female innkeeper. At first, she didn't like the training, but gradually felt her admiration for her title and began to train seriously. Thus, the growth of the young warrior Oriko begins.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies 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 animation & drama
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 animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Boy and the Heron (2023)
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChildren of the Sea (2019)
Ruka is a young girl whose parents are separated and whose father works in an aquarium. When two boys, Umi and Sora, who were raised in the sea by dugongs, are brought to the aquarium, Ruka feels drawn to them and begins to realize that she has the same sort of supernatural connection to the ocean that they do. Umi and Sora's special power seems to be connected to strange events that have been occurring more and more frequently, such as the appearance of sea creatures far from their home territory and the disappearance of aquarium animals around the world. However, the exact nature of the boys' power and of the abnormal events is unknown, and Ruka gets drawn into investigating the mystery that surrounds her new friends.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Deer King (2021)
Following a brutal war, former soldier Van toils in a mine controlled by the ruling empire. One day, his solitary existence is upended when a pack of wild dogs carrying a deadly and incurable disease attack, leaving only Van and a young girl named Yuna as survivors. Finally free, the pair seek out a simple existence in the countryside but are pursued by nefarious forces. Intent on protecting Yuna at all costs, Van must uncover the true cause of the plague ravaging the kingdom—and its possible cure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 1 (2022)
Tristan, the son of Meliodas and Elizabeth, inherits the power of the Goddess Clan and can heal people’s wounds and injuries, but he often ends up hurting others due to his inability to control his Demon Clan power. To protect his family, Tristan heads to Edinburgh Castle and meets a host of new friends along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChildren Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)
The film centers on Asuna, a young girl who spends her solitary days listening to the mysterious music emanating from the crystal radio she received from her late father as a memento. One day while walking home she is attacked by a fearsome monster and saved by a mysterious boy named Shun. However, Shun disappears and Asuna embarks on a journey of adventure to the land of Agartha with her teacher Mr. Morisaki to meet a Shun again. Through her journey she comes to know the cruelty and beauty of the world, as well as loss.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMary and The Witch's Flower (2017)
Mary Smith, a young girl who lives with her great-aunt in the countryside, follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest where she finds a strange flower and an old broom, none of which is as ordinary as it seems.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- (2024)
Tanjiro undergoes rigorous training with the Stone Hashira, Himejima, in his quest to become a Hashira. Meanwhile, Muzan continues to search for Nezuko and Ubuyashiki. A recap of Kimetsu no Yaiba episodes 55–56, with new footage and special end credits.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpirited Away (2001)
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisPuella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part I: Beginnings (2012)
Madoka Kaname, an ordinary middle-schooler, along with her best friend Sayaka Miki, are offered the chance to have any wish they want granted by the mysterious Kyubey, and become magical girls and fight witches. However, fellow magical girl Homura Akemi seems intent on stopping Madoka from becoming a magical girl at any cost. Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part I: Beginnings is a retelling of the first half of the TV anime series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Wonderland (2019)
The story follows Akane, a girl with no self-confidence. On the day before her birthday, she meets a mysterious alchemist, Hippocrates, and his student, Pipo, who both tell her they're on a mission to save the world. Together, they set out from the basement for "Wonderland," and Akane finds herself labelled Wonderland's savior.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)
Yuta Okkotsu is a nervous high school student who is suffering from a serious problem—his childhood friend Rika has turned into a curse and won't leave him alone. Since Rika is no ordinary curse, his plight is noticed by Satoru Gojo, a teacher at Jujutsu High, a school where fledgling exorcists learn how to combat curses. Gojo convinces Yuta to enroll, but can he learn enough in time to confront the curse that haunts him?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCardcaptor Sakura: The Movie (1999)
Sakura Kinomoto, a Card Captor, wins a game of chance and is awarded a trip to Hong Kong, along with her best friend Tomoyo and her rival, Syaoran Li. It turns out that the ancient rival of Clow Reed, the creator of the mysterious and powerful Clow Cards, summoned them, and she's out for revenge. A battle ensues, and secrets are revealed about Clow Reed's shady past and Sakura's connection to him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPrincess Principal Crown Handler: Chapter 4 (2025)
After a failed attempt to defect Princess Mary, Team White Pigeon is captured by the Kingdom's Home Office. When the Duke of Normandy discovers that the girls are spies for the Commonwealth, he orders them to become double agents for the Kingdom. Princesses is placed under the control of the Duke of Normandy, and the other four spies are temporarily released while remaining under constant surveillance. Meanwhile on Control's side, this incident leads to suspicions that the members of Team White Pigeon have become double agents for the Kingdom. In order to investigate the matter, Control assigns the team a new mission.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & drama
Pokémon: The First Movie (1998)
Determined to prove its superiority, a bio-engineered Pokémon called Mewtwo lures Ash, Pikachu and others into a Pokémon match like none before.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPeter Pan (1953)
Leaving the safety of their nursery behind, Wendy, Michael and John follow Peter Pan to a magical world where childhood lasts forever. But while in Neverland, the kids must face Captain Hook and foil his attempts to get rid of Peter for good.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Haunted Mansion (2003)
Workaholic Jim Evers and his wife/business partner Sara get a call one night from a mansion owner, Edward Gracey, who wants to sell his house. Once the Evers family arrive at the mansion, a torrential thunderstorm of mysterious origin strands them with the brooding, eccentric Gracey, his mysterious butler, and a variety of residents both seen and unseen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisFoxes of Chironup (1987)
Foxes Ken and Chin become the proud parents of cubs, Koro and Kan, who enjoy a carefree life on the northern Japanese island of Chironup. They befriend a fisherman and his wife but are forced to run for their lives when soldiers on a military exercise decide to take home some fox pelts as souvenirs. A sweet little film that obliquely symbolizes the plight of Japan's aboriginal Ainu people and the northern islands that have been contested with Russia since they were occupied by Stalin's soldiers in 1945.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & drama
Fallen (1998)
Homicide detective John Hobbes witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese. Soon after the execution the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese's style.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVampire Hunter D (1985)
In a far-future time ruled by the supernatural, a young girl requests the help of a vampire hunter to kill the vampire who has bitten her and thus prevent her from becoming a vampire herself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Black Cauldron (1985)
Taran is an assistant pigkeeper with boyish dreams of becoming a great warrior. However, he has to put the daydreaming aside when his charge, an oracular pig named Hen Wen, is kidnapped by an evil lord known as the Horned King. The villain hopes Hen will show him the way to The Black Cauldron, which has the power to create a giant army of unstoppable soldiers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYu-Gi-Oh! The Movie (2004)
After the conclusion of the Battle City Tournament, deep below the sands of Egypt, an ancient evil has awakened. Anubis, who was defeated centuries ago by Yugi’s mysterious alter ego – the ancient Pharaoh – has returned for revenge. Wielding the power of the Eighth Millennium Item, Anubis is determined to destroy Yugi and take over the world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCinderella (1950)
Cinderella has faith her dreams of a better life will come true. With help from her loyal mice friends and a wave of her Fairy Godmother's wand, Cinderella's rags are magically turned into a glorious gown and off she goes to the Royal Ball. But when the clock strikes midnight, the spell is broken, leaving a single glass slipper... the only key to the ultimate fairy-tale ending!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Girl from the Other Side?
The closest matches to The Girl from the Other Side are Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2022), Summer Ghost (2021) and Brave Story (2006). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Girl from the Other Side?
Start with Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2022), the closest match to The Girl from the Other Side.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Girl from the Other Side?
Spirited Away (2001), rated 8.5/10 by 19,212 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Girl from the Other Side?
Princess Principal Crown Handler: Chapter 4 (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The Girl from the Other Side?
Yes: Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2022), Summer Ghost (2021) and Brave Story (2006).
How are movies similar to The Girl from the Other Side chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Girl from the Other Side, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.