Movies like Tokyo Arirang (1990)
The best movies like Tokyo Arirang (1990) are Hands of Stone (2016), The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well (1996) and Salomé (2013). If Tokyo Arirang hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedTokyo Godfathers (2003)7.9/10 from 1,594 votes
- NewestStardom in Korakuen 2026 Feb. (2026)Released 2026
- In KoreanThe Day a Pig Fell Into the Well (1996)Also in Korean
Hands of Stone (2016)
The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other's lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Day a Pig Fell Into the Well (1996)
The lives of 4 interconnected South Koreans – a married couple, a novelist the wife is having an affair with, and a second woman the novelist is simultaneously involved with.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSalomé (2013)
After the lewd and frenetic Dance of the Seven Veils, and with the solemn pledge from the very lips of Herod himself that she could have whatever her heart desires up to half his kingdom, wanton and proud young Salomé comes before her king with an unreasonable demand. Beguiled by John the Baptist, and then scorned for the sake of his god, lascivious Salomé—encouraged by her mother, the vindictive, Herodias—commands that John be executed and his head delivered on a silver platter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHounddog (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 thisThe 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 thisAbove the Rim (1994)
Story of a promising high school basketball star and his relationships with two brothers, one a drug dealer and the other a former basketball star fallen on hard times and now employed as a security guard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Visit (1964)
Carla Zachanassian had a child by Serge Miller as a teenager. When Serge refused to marry her, she was driven out of town. By her own wit and cunning, she has returned as a multi-millionaire for a visit. The town lays out the red carpet expecting big things from Carla, only to learn that her sole purpose is to see Serge Miller killed...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAll Day and a Night (2020)
While serving life in prison, a young man looks back at the people, the circumstances and the system that set him on the path toward his crime.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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 thisHome Run (2013)
A pro ball player with a substance abuse problem is forced into rehab in his hometown, finding new hope when he gets honest about his checkered past, and takes on coaching duties for a misfit Little League team
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHungry Hearts (2015)
The relationship of a couple who meet by chance in New York City is put to the test when they encounter a life or death circumstance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmateur (2018)
14-year-old basketball phenom Terron Forte has to navigate the under-the-table world of amateur athletics when he is recruited to an elite NCAA prep school.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKisses (2008)
Two kids, Dylan and Kylie, run away from home on Christmas Day and spend a night of magic and terror on the streets of inner-city Dublin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBattle of the Year (2013)
A down-on-his-luck coach is hired to prepare a team of the best American dancers for an international tournament that attracts all the best crews from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBurning Sands (2017)
Deep into Hell Week, a favored pledgee is torn between honoring his code of silence or standing up against the intensifying violence of underground hazing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisBusting (1974)
Defying orders to lay-off the case, two Los Angeles vice-squad cops go after a local mobster and use unorthodox methods to achieve results.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEl Chicano (2019)
A pair of twin brothers from East L.A. choose to live their lives differently and end up on opposite sides of the law.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmbattled (2020)
The eldest son of a ruthlessly tough MMA champion must fight his way out of the abusive cycle his father has continued.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Cut (2025)
A retired boxer intends to return to the ring for one last shot at the title, but first he must make the weight. Holed up in a room in Las Vegas with an unscrupulous trainer, he embarks on an intensive and illegal weight-cutting program.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisTJPW The 6th "Futari wa Princess" Max Heart Tournament ~ Day 2 (2026)
The 6th "Futari wa Princess" Max Heart Tournament ~ Day 2 was a professional wrestling event promoted by Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling (TJPW). It was held on January 25, 2026 at Ryōgoku KFC Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Miss Hokusai (2015)
A daughter is constantly overshadowed by her famous father, but she is determined to make her own mark in the world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTokyo Cowboy (2024)
Brash businessman Hideki (Arata Iura) convinces his Tokyo bosses he can turn a profitless Montana cattle ranch into a premiere-performing asset. However, when his Japanese Wagyu-beef expert fails him, Hideki is poised to fail unless he identifies a missing element that's key to the transformation: himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
On Christmas Eve, three homeless people living on the streets of Tokyo discover a newborn baby among the trash and set out to find its parents.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisStardom in Korakuen 2026 Feb. (2026)
Stardom in Korakuen 2026 Feb. was a professional wrestling event promoted by World Wonder Ring Stardom, held on February 28, 2026 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. In the main event, Konami defended the Wonder of Stardom Championship against Hina.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Izo (2004)
Izo is an assassin in the service of a Tosa lord and Imperial supporter. After killing dozens of the Shogun's men, Izo is captured and crucified. Instead of being extinguished, his rage propels him through the space-time continuum to present-day Tokyo. Here Izo transforms himself into a new, improved killing machine.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlways - Sunset on Third Street (2005)
In 1958 postwar Tokyo, the residents of a humble Third Street neighbourhood struggle, dream, and grow together as rapid modernisation transforms their lives beneath the shadow of the newly rising Tokyo Tower.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBabel (2006)
Tragedy strikes a married couple vacationing in the Moroccan desert, which jumpstarts an interlocking story involving four different families.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMarigold New Years Golden Garden 2026 ~ Day 4: Mayu Iwatani's 15th Anniversary ~ICON Forever~ (2026)
Marigold New Years Golden Garden 2026 ~ Day 4: Mayu Iwatani's 15th Anniversary ~ICON Forever~ was a professional wrestling event promoted by Dream Star★Fighting Marigold, commemorating the 15th anniversary of Mayu Iwatani's pro-wrestling debut in 2011. It took place on January 24, 2026 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, and was main evented by Iwatani defending her newly won GHC Women's Championship against Utami Hayashishita.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Marigold Summer Gold Shine 2024 ~ Day 11 (2024)
Marigold Summer Gold Shine 2024 ~ Day 11 was a professional wrestling event promoted by Dream Star★Fighting Marigold, held on August 24, 2024 at Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like Tokyo Arirang and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Tokyo Arirang?
The closest matches to Tokyo Arirang are Hands of Stone (2016), The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well (1996) and Salomé (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Tokyo Arirang?
Start with Hands of Stone (2016), the closest match to Tokyo Arirang.
What is the highest-rated movie like Tokyo Arirang?
Tokyo Godfathers (2003), rated 7.9/10 by 1,594 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Tokyo Arirang?
Stardom in Korakuen 2026 Feb. (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Korean movies like Tokyo Arirang?
Yes: The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well (1996).
How are movies similar to Tokyo Arirang chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Tokyo Arirang, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.