Best movies like A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The touching and dramatic tale of the relationship between a Japanese family, their dog and her three puppies, set against the backdrop of a devastating earthquake and the ensuing chaos, rescues and heroism.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 318
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: sincere, captivating, realistic, disturbing, sad
Best tv shows and movies like A Tale of Mari and Three Puppies (2007):
Similar in 75%
A Christmas Stray (2021)
Plot Summary:
A man finds himself hopelessly stranded in a small town on Christmas Eve, unable to shake the stray dog who ran him off the road, and irresistibly drawn to the free-spirited, local veterinarian.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 337
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: sincere, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 77%
Hero Dog: The Journey Home (2021)
Plot Summary:
Chinook the Alaskan Malamute must lead a shipwrecked blind man out of the wilderness, while the man's children launch a rescue mission of their own.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 406
Genere: Adventure, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: captivating, disturbing, entertaining
Similar in 82%
777 Charlie (2022)
Plot Summary:
Dharma is stuck in a rut with his negative and lonely lifestyle and spends each day in the comfort of his loneliness. A pup named Charlie who is naughty and energetic which is a complete contrast with the Dharma’s character enters his life and gives him a new perspective towards it.
IMDB Rating: 8.8
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Country: India
Duration: 164 min
Plot tags: kannada, psychological, captivating, entertaining, disturbing, road movie, extraordinary
Similar in 80%
Waffle the Wonder Dog (2018)
Plot Summary:
Evie's mum, Jess, has just married Doug's dad, Simon. They arrive home to find a puppy hiding in their wedding gifts. This magical talking dog will change their lives forever.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 209
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: UK
Duration: 11 min
Plot tags: sincere, captivating, entertaining, disturbing
Similar in 88%
The Merry Bus (2001)
Plot Summary:
Focuses on a woman and child after the 1988 earthquake that rocked the Soviet state of Armenia. They find themselves listening to telephone wires and call it music. They became close and the little boy decides that he has found the basis for the making of his new family. The woman then adopts him, however, he believes that they family needs a father as well.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 69
Genere: Drama
Country: Armenia
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, captivating
Similar in 82%
Druid Peak (2014)
Plot Summary:
A troubled teen is sent to live with his estranged father, a park ranger. During his time there, he develops an unusual affinity with and passion for the wolves in a local pack.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 534
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing, sad
Similar in 81%
Adeline (2022)
Plot Summary:
When a mysterious doctor arrives in a small Midwestern town, her therapy horse, Adeline, quickly gains a reputation for ‘healing’ those with special needs. Not used to this alternative form of healing, some begin to question the authenticity of Adeline’s methods and tensions arise. But one day during an equine therapy session, a destructive tornado descends upon the barn. Adeline leaps into action and corrals her students, pushing them against the founding wall of the stable. Although Adeline saves the lives of 12 people, she takes the brunt of the storm’s destructive force and suffers a shattered leg. With the town’s people now convinced of Adeline’s amazing spirit, they band together to raise the funds necessary to fix her leg and save her life. Based on an inspirational true story, Adeline teaches all those she encounters the same powerful lesson: miracles happen when you let go of the reins.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 234
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: sincere, captivating, disturbing, spiritual
Similar in 79%
Silence in Dreamland (2013)
Plot Summary:
After the death of her husband, silence and loneliness reign in this old lady's house. She made routine her best friend and faith her shelter. Only in her dreams she runs away from those four walls to a timeless magic land where the sea speaks without using words. Her days go by like this; between the real life and dreams… until a street dog comes to her door.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 47
Genere: Drama
Country: Ecuador, Germany
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, captivating, realistic, slow cinema
Similar in 81%
Tornado and the Kalahari Horse Whisperer (2009)
Plot Summary:
Tornado is a true life story of patience, endurance and passion. The picture tells the story of two damaged souls: Pierre, a depressed and damaged young man and Tornado, an emotionally tormented horse. Sensing Tornado’s potential, Pierre travels to Noenieput, in the Groen Kalahari, to find Barrie Burger, a horse whisperer. With Barrie’s advice, Pierre and Tornado embark on a journey of healing.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 117
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: South Africa
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 76%
Seven Days of Himawari and Her Puppies (2012)
Plot Summary:
Set within an animal shelter, where if the owner of an animal doesn't claim their pet in 7 days, the animal is put to sleep. Himawari, is a female dog and a mother. She tries to desperately save her baby dogs.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 144
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, captivating, suspense
Similar in 84%
The Stray (2017)
Plot Summary:
A young father takes his nine year old son, the family dog, and two of his son's friends backpacking in the mountains of Colorado only for all five of them to be struck by lightning.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: sincere, psychological, captivating
Similar in 89%
Bitch (2017)
Plot Summary:
A stray dog, found in the alleys in New Delhi, is brought to Sweden.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 14
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Thriller
Country: Sweden, Denmark, India, Ukraine
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: sincere, humorous, captivating, entertaining
Similar in 84%
Mr. Pig (2016)
Plot Summary:
On a mission to sell his last remaining prize hog and reunite with old friends, an aging farmer abandons his foreclosed farm and journeys to Mexico. After smuggling in the hog, his estranged daughter shows up, forcing them to face their past and embark on an adventurous road trip together.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: road movie, psychological, sincere, captivating, disturbing, independent film
Similar in 86%
Smuggling Hendrix (2018)
Plot Summary:
Caught between the mob and border patrol, washed-up musician Yiannis must put his plans to leave Cyprus on hold when his beloved dog escapes across the wall to the island's Turkish side.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Cyprus, Germany, Greece
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, satirical, disturbing, semi serious
Similar in 75%
Accidental Friendship (2008)
Plot Summary:
Homeless woman Yvonne Caldwell is a woman with good reason to be bitter: she has lost everything except her two beloved dogs, Bebe and Man-Man. With her one friend, Wes, Caldwell lives the daily struggle of being homeless in Los Angeles until a chance encounter caused by her dogs leads to a friendship with LAPD officer Tami Baumann, and hope for a better life begins in earnest for Yvonne.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 400
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 86%
Benji (2018)
Plot Summary:
Two school kids strike up a friendship with an orphaned puppy named Benji. When danger befalls them and they end up kidnapped by robbers who are in over their heads, Benji and his scruffy sidekick come to the rescue.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Family
Country: United Arab Emirates, USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: touching, sweet, emotional, sincere, captivating, semi serious
Similar in 77%
Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog (2004)
Plot Summary:
As a Labrador puppy, Quill is sent to live with a couple, Isamu and Mitsuko Nii, who work as volunteers, training guide dogs (seeing eye dogs). When he grows to an adult dog, he is taken to a guide dog school, by a friendly, yet firm trainer Satoru Tawada. Although Quill is a little slower than the other dogs at the school, he seems to have an unusual 'empathy' and remarkable patience with his trainers. Tawada decides that Quill would be the ideal guide dog for Mitsuru Watanabe, but Wanatabe, a lonely and ill-tempered middle aged man, isn't as enthusiastic - he would "would rather sleep than be dragged around by a dog.". From here, the story is narrated by Wanatabe's daughter, Mitsuko, and slowly, Wantanbe is rehabilitated, venturing into the outside world, and learning, not only to trust other humans, but the animal at his side who guides him.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: touching, uplifting, sentimental, emotional, sincere, captivating, tear jerker, serious, realistic, tearjerker
Similar in 84%
Farewell, Kuro (2003)
Plot Summary:
Based on a true story set in Matsumoto city, Nagano, during 1960s. A stray dog wanders into a high school's grounds. The dog, named Kuro, stays at the school and becomes a special friend to everyone.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 100
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: tear jerker, tearjerker
Similar in 83%
Little Q (2019)
Plot Summary:
Little Q is an aspiring guide dog, training to be a guide for the blind. Soon Little Q is partnered with Bo-ting, a renowned pastry chef who’s losing his sight. But Bo-ting is irritable and reluctant, constantly losing his temper at those around him and rejecting Little Q. Eventually, dog and owner bond as Little Q wins Bo-ting over with its unwavering loyalty. However, as Little Q gets older and Bo-ting’s health suffers, the two of them face an unwilling separation.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 242
Genere: Drama
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: psychological, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 80%
Goodbye to Our Kindergarten (2011)
Plot Summary:
One day, five kindergarten children suddenly disappear from a kindergarten in Tokyo, sending their teachers and parents into a panic. The five of them are connecting on trains and headed to an unfamiliar place for some purpose. Before their journey, they had made a promise to each other “not to cry no matter what happens”.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 267
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 135 min
Plot tags: captivating, disturbing
Similar in 78%
Star Watching Dog (2011)
Plot Summary:
An abandoned car is discovered near a camping ground and inside it is the body of an identified middle-aged man and a dog who seems to have died months later. This is the story of the life of the loving and faithful dog and his owner told from the dog's point of view. City hall employee Kyousuke Okutsu is assigned to uncover the man's identity for a proper funeral. As he investigates the situation, he remembers his late family and his own dog's unfailing loyalty.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 247
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: depressing, sad, tear jerker, tearjerker
Similar in 90%
Dog × Police: The K-9 Force (2011)
Plot Summary:
Yusaku Hayakawa dreams of becoming a detective, but works as a trainer for police dogs. When Yusaku gets an albino shepherd named Shiro, he forms a special bond with him. Everyone says that Shiro does not have the abilities to become a police dog, but Yusaku believes in him and trains him. When a terrorist act occurs, Shiro gets the chance to show what he has learned.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 130
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 79%
Cold Water (2015)
Plot Summary:
This is the story of Alice Fuller (Amy Shelton-White) struggling to come to terms with her past in order to embrace her future. Shot almost entirely in and around Estes Park, Colorado, the film follows Alice as she is forced to spend one final week at the family cabin with her hedonistic mother (Elizabeth White) and underachieving brother (Lee Shelton). Plagued with repressed memories, anger and guilt, Alice finds it impossible to connect with those around her, including her boyfriend, Jake (David Zelina) who is looking to start a family of their own. Only after summoning the courage to look within herself, accept her own role in the family dynamic and face the past head on, can Alice hope for a loving and functional future.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 20
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: scenic, psychological, sincere, serious, captivating, realistic, independent film
Similar in 82%
Sivas (2014)
Plot Summary:
Establishing a bleak village in Eastern Turkey as its setting, Sivas features the story of Aslan, an eleven-year-old boy, and Sivas, a weathered fighting dog who develop a strong relationship after Aslan finds Sivas wounded in a ditch, left to die.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: Germany, Turkey
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, touching, captivating, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 85%
Our Homeland (2012)
Plot Summary:
From the late 1950s through the '70s, more than 90,000 of the ethnic Koreans in Japan emigrated to North Korea, a country that promised them affluence, justice, and an end to discrimination. KAZOKU NO KUNI tells the story of one of their number, who returns for just a short period. For the first time in 25 years, Sonho is reunited with his family in Tokyo after being allowed to undergo an operation there. Sonho’s younger sister Rie is at the centre of the film, and is not hard to recognise as the director’s alter-ego. In her documentaries DEAR PYONGYANG and SONA, THE OTHER MYSELF, Yang Yonghi told the story of her own life, and how, at age six, she experienced the departure of her three older brothers, who left their family for Pyongyang.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 285
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 76%
Tokyo Noir (2004)
Plot Summary:
In this excursion into Tokyo's dark side, a sexually repressed woman finds liberation by turning tricks at night a sex worker is taken by surprise when her ex drops by and a sex blogger finds strange kinship with a loner.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 32
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 78%
Rescued by Ruby (2022)
Plot Summary:
Chasing his dream to join an elite K-9 unit, a state trooper partners with a fellow underdog: clever but naughty shelter pup Ruby. Based on a true story.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Family
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: entertaining, sincere, feel good, captivating
Similar in 85%
Seventeen (2019)
Plot Summary:
To find his therapy dog, a 17-year-old escapes from juvie and embarks on a journey of reconnection with his brother and grandmother through Cantabria.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: Spain
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 77%
Kabei: Our Mother (2008)
Plot Summary:
Set in Tokyo in 1940, the peaceful life of the Nogami Family suddenly changes when the father, Shigeru, is arrested and accused of being a Communist. His wife Kayo works frantically from morning to night to maintain the household and bring up her two daughters with the support of Shigeru's sister Hisako and Shigeru's ex-student Yamazaki, but her husband does not return. WWII breaks out and casts dark shadows on the entire country, but Kayo still tries to keep her cheerful determination, and sustain the family with her love. This is an emotional drama of a mother and an eternal message for peace.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 78%
Like Father, Like Son (2013)
Plot Summary:
Ryota Nonomiya is a successful businessman driven by money. He learns that his biological son was switched with another child after birth. He must make a life-changing decision and choose his true son or the boy he raised as his own.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, disturbing, psychological, sincere, intense, poignant, realistic, sad, slow cinema