Movies like Love Affair in Purgatory (1973)
The best movies like Love Affair in Purgatory (1973) are Female Yakuza Tale (1973), Lupin the Third: Operation: Return the Treasure (2003) and Sex and Fury (1973). If Love Affair in Purgatory hooked you with its crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBlue Story (2019)7.3/10 from 254 votes
- NewestOne Mile: Chapter Two (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseFemale Yakuza Tale (1973)Also in Japanese
Female Yakuza Tale (1973)
Ocho is accidentally captured by a drug trafficking cartel who use Chinese women to smuggle drugs into Japan by hiding it in their vaginas. She is tortured, and manages to escape, fighting both the male yakuzas and a gang of female thieves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLupin the Third: Operation: Return the Treasure (2003)
After robbing a Moscow casino right under Zenigata's nose, Lupin is given a job to return 6 treasures to their original areas for an old friend of his, so Lupin can receive an even better treasure to gain.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSex and Fury (1973)
Sex & Fury chronicles Ocho's exploits as she searches for her father's killers, each identified by unique tattoos on their backs (a deer, a boar, and a butterfly). Along the way, she also crosses paths with Shunosuke, a radical set on murdering prominent politician Kurokawa, and Christina, an American spy posing as a gambler.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisK-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces (2008)
In an alternate version of 1949 Japan in which World War II never happened, the Japanese capital of Teito is home to both an ultra rich upper class and the dirt poor masses. The city is thrown into a state of panic when a phantom thief called “The Kaijin (Fiend) with 20 Faces” (K-20 for short) begins to use his mysterious abilities to steal from the rich and give to the poor. One day a circus acrobat named Heikichi Endo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is framed for K-20’s crimes and becomes determined to clear his name. He teams up with K-20’s next target, a wealthy duchess named Yoko Hashiba (Takako Matsu) and her detective fiancé (Toru Nakamura), to take K-20 down once and for all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Machine Girl (2008)
The life of a young, Japanese schoolgirl is destroyed when her family is killed by a Ninja-Yakuza family. Her hand cut off, she replaces it with various machines-of-death, and seeks revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Garden of Sinners: A Study in Murder - Part 2 (2009)
In February 1999, a string of murders has Shiki Ryougi and Mikiya Kokutou on edge. These crimes share a disturbing resemblance to a similar set of homicides from 1995, when Shiki and Mikiya first met, and awaken a dark, murderous desire that has laid dormant within Shiki's soul ever since then.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLupin the Third: Angel Tactics (2005)
Stolen from the famous "secret" Air Force base, Area 51, Lupin's most recently stolen treasure holds a secret. Four "Bloody Angels," the toughest women Lupin has ever faced, want the treasure for their own terrorist purposes. Meanwhile Zenigata teams up with a female police officer to hunt Lupin and the terrorists down.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)
Nancy Drew, a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set out to solve the mystery, make new friends, and establish their place in the community
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSplit (2016)
When Inanna, a young actress, becomes obsessed with a mask maker, she sacrifices parts of her life in order to win his love. At the same time she enters a mythic journey in the theater that blurs her performance, her dreams and her real life and results in a provocative and powerful confrontation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisFudoh: The New Generation (1996)
In order to settle a business dispute, a mob leader murders one of his own teenage sons. The surviving son vows to avenge his brother's death, and organizes his own gang of teenage killers to destroy his father's organization.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCry of the City (1948)
Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check Niles' allegation; a friend of the Rome family, he walks a tightrope between sentiment and cynicism. When Martin fears Candella will implicate his girlfriend Teena, he'll do anything to protect her. How many others will he drag down to disaster with him?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Garden of Sinners: Overlooking View (2007)
The story starts following an incident: a young girl jumps from the top of a building. The image provokes a certain dread, as the girl appears to have been a corpse even before she jumped. The case is dismissed, yet more and more of these suicides occur, and all from the same building. Thus began the rumour, that a ghost inhabited the rooftop of the building.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBatman: Gotham Knight (2008)
Six interlocking stories reveal Bruce Wayne's earliest adventures as Batman and the steps he took to become the grim avenger of Gotham City.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlack Caesar (1973)
Raised in Harlem, Tommy Gibbs becomes a successful mob boss but he clashes with the rival Mafia and his old enemy, dirty cop McKinney.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisBlack Butler (2014)
Set in the year 2020, following her supposed death, a young woman returns as the son of her noble family to precede the family's prestigious company, with a demon at her side to avenge her parent's murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKing Cobra (2016)
It’s 2006, YouTube is in its infancy, and internet porn is still behind a paywall. Taking the stage name Brent Corrigan, a fresh-faced, wannabe adult video performer is molded into a star by Stephen, a closeted gay porn mogul who runs the skin flick empire Cobra Video from his seemingly ordinary suburban home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisRiding Bean (1989)
Bean Bandit and his partner Rally Vincent are couriers for hire - transporting clients and delivering goods in his custom sports car "Roadbuster" for a hefty price. But when they are hired to escort a kidnapped girl named Chelsea to her home, they don't realize they're being framed for kidnapping as their former clients Semmerling and Carrie plan their escape with Chelsea's father and the ransom money.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLupin the Third: The Fuma Conspiracy (1987)
Goemon's wedding to Murasaki Suminawa, daughter of a samurai clan's leader, is interrupted when the Fuma ninjas attack, kidnapping the bride-to-be and demanding her family's ancient treasure as ransom. Lupin, Jigen, Goemon and Fujiko work together once again to try to save Murasaki and get to the treasure before the Fuma can steal it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOne Mile: Chapter Two (2026)
Former special forces operative Danny is forced back onto a remote island when a violent, secretive community takes revenge by abducting his daughter Alex, launching a relentless hunt against enemies prepared for his every move.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlue Story (2019)
Blue Story is a tragic tale of a friendship between Timmy and Marco, two young boys from opposing postcodes. Timmy, a shy, smart, naive and timid young boy from Deptford, goes to school in Peckham where he strikes up a friendship with Marco, a charismatic, streetwise kid from the local area. Although from warring postcodes, the two quickly form a firm friendship until it is tested and they wind up on rival sides of a street war. Blue Story depicts elements of Rapman's own personal experiences and aspects of his childhood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHakuchū no onna gari (2012)
Three men in camouflage uniforms armed with machine guns attack women one after the other as if it were a game. Due to its extreme content, the film was withheld from public release and remained a phantom work for a long time. After 28 years, it was screened for the first time as part of the Nikkatsu 100th anniversary special "Living on Roman Porno" on May 13, 2012.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Boss Girl Mafia: Flesh Punishment (Lynch) (1980)
Two young delinquent girls survive on the streets by selling themselves as high school students. But the local girl gang catches them working their territory and brings them to their boss. After they witness a girl getting brutally punished for not obeying their rules the two are given a choice. Join or suffer the consequences. Thus begins a battle of wills and razors as two headstrong women clash.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Bad Detective: Missing (2019)
Mi-ri's friends, who work in a private detective office, leave on a trip to South East Asia. But suddenly, Mi-ri loses contact with her friends, and their whereabouts are unknown. Mi-ri is sure they have been abducted and asks a detective for help... The detective looks into the case, but where will he find Mi-ri's friends?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Bad Detective: Food Chain (2020)
Jeong-mi, a pickpocket ex-convict, ends up pickpocketing again to repay Dae-sik off of her father's debt. One day, Hae-joo, who is secretly meeting a detective, has been kidnapped and turned into Dae-sik's prey. The detective then went on a search to find Hae-joo's whereabouts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
MR★Lady Assassin Group (1991)
A mysterious transgender murder group wearing black dresses appears. It is a brutal method in which the targeted man are raped and then killed. Ohara is asked to investigate and discovers the existence of a gay man named Shimizu. However, Ohara, who has always been interested in relationships between men, ends up having an affair with Shimizu...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Rose rosse per una squillo (1993)
An intricate story of crimes, blackmail and torrid passions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Irezumi (1966)
Otsuya, the daughter of a rich merchant, elopes with her lover Shinsuke, an employee of her father's. During their flight, Otsuya's beauty attracts the gaze of Seikichi, a mysterious master tattooist who sees her pristine white skin as the perfect canvas for his art. The image of the large demonic spider that he emblazons across Otsuya's back marks her as the property of another man, radically altering her relationships with all around her as her personality seems to transform under its influence.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGolden Jail (1976)
A notorious gang leader named Mr. Winter who specialized in extreme forms of prostitution is forced out of Hong Kong due to increasing gang warfare. He settles down in Paris and starts to kidnap and coerce women into prostitution to rebuild his empire, but his extreme behavior threatens to quickly undo his work.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Detective Shouroku's Case Files: Beautiful Prey (1991)
Shoroku, who is said to be Naniwa's great detective, and his assistant Wato-kun are a gay couple. He has solved many difficult cases and is highly regarded by the Osaka Prefectural Police. One day, a case is brought to Shouroku. His younger brother, who used to work at a place called the Osawa Entertainment Agency, has gone missing, and this is a request from his older sister to find him. Seeing that Osawa, the president of the office, is suspicious, Shoroku begins an investigation, but...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Rape Ceremony (1980)
In a rural town, ex-members of a motorcycle gang become sporadic victims of vigilante attacks. A group of high school boys are responsible for the various assaults because they're upset that the motorcycle gang had disbanded. The boys idolized the rebel gang and harbored dreams of joining them after graduation. A female student happens to see one of the assaults and is threatened by the high school thugs. But she turns out to tougher than she looks.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Love Affair in Purgatory?
The closest matches to Love Affair in Purgatory are Female Yakuza Tale (1973), Lupin the Third: Operation: Return the Treasure (2003) and Sex and Fury (1973). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Love Affair in Purgatory?
Start with Female Yakuza Tale (1973), the closest match to Love Affair in Purgatory.
What is the highest-rated movie like Love Affair in Purgatory?
Blue Story (2019), rated 7.3/10 by 254 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Love Affair in Purgatory?
One Mile: Chapter Two (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Love Affair in Purgatory?
Yes: Female Yakuza Tale (1973), Lupin the Third: Operation: Return the Treasure (2003) and Sex and Fury (1973).
How are movies similar to Love Affair in Purgatory chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Love Affair in Purgatory, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.