Best movies like Return to Dust
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Humble, unassuming Ma and timid Cao have been cast off by their families and forced into an arranged marriage. They have to combine their strength and build a home to survive. In the face of much adversity, an unexpected bond begins to blossom, as both Ma and Cao, uniting with Earth’s cycles, create a haven for themselves in which they can thrive.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 131 min
Plot tags:
Best tv shows and movies like Return to Dust (2022):
Similar in 84%
The Family (2015)
Plot Summary:
Liu and Deng are a couple both in their 70s who have been married for nearly half a century and lived in a small inland city of China. The family of Liu and Deng is a typical ordinary family of China. The eldest daughter Liqin, divorced with a teenage son, lives with them. The second daughter Xiaomin and youngest son Xujun live in far away cities, married and with their own families. They are also too busy to visit the parents, therefore the old couple decide to travel a long way to visit them. It will be a special journey where they will do everything they can to keep the family tied together despite the distance, being the family their sole purpose in life.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 62
Genere: Drama
Country: Australia, China
Duration: 280 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 75%
Fujian Blue (2007)
Plot Summary:
In the wake of China's open-door policy in the early 1980's, Fujian was one of the first Chinese coastal provinces to be opened to the outside world. Many of the male residents opted to go abroad for work, leaving behind their wives and families. Two decades later, Fujian is a microcosm of Chinese modernity: there are palatial suburbs populated by lonely "remittance widows"; neon-lit discotheques frequented by karaoke kids; coastal villages inhabited by impoverished fishermen and city centers dominated by gangs, snakeheads and language schools acting as fronts for organized human trafficking.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 63
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 79%
All U Need Is Love (2021)
Plot Summary:
Initiated by the Hong Kong Performing Artists Association and the Hong Kong Film Workers Association, ten film companies in Hong Kong (China Star, Anle Film, Emperor Films, Oriental Films, Media Asia Films, Meiya Films, World Films, Shaw Brothers, Sun Entertainment Culture , Huanyu Film) and the Hong Kong Film Development Council’s "Film Production Financing Project". It tells about a quiet afternoon when the Gurney Hotel suddenly detected a suspected case. The epidemic prevention center ordered a total blockade. All guests staying in the hotel must accept Mandatory quarantine for 14 days. Everyone is isolated in the hotel, and the relationship between people is getting closer unconsciously. Everyone has lived through difficult times together, and learned to cherish what may be the last time to get along with each other.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 150
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 79%
Still Human (2018)
Plot Summary:
A paralysed and hopeless Hong Kong man meets his new Filipino carer, who has put her dream on hold and come to the city to earn a living. These two strangers live under the same roof through different seasons. As they learn more about each other, they also learn more about themselves. Together, they learn about how to face the different seasons of life.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 79%
Better Life (2010)
Plot Summary:
Inspired by the drowning of 23 Chinese undocumented cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay (northwest England). Mazu, goddess of the sea, floats over the tragedy.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 72
Genere: Drama
Country: China, UK
Duration: 55 min
Plot tags: unusual plot structure, captivating, contemplative
Similar in 83%
Beauties in the Closet (2018)
Plot Summary:
A yellow weasel and a nine-tailed fox take on human forms as beautiful ladies in order to seduce the king and persuade him to stop the killings against their kind. Towards the end of the Tang Dynasty, the imperial family's love for hunting has disrupted the lives of the fox spirit tribe that resides at the foot of Ma Li Mountain. Unwilling to bear it any longer, the tribe sends Qing Feng and Fei Yuan as envoys of peace. Unbeknownst to everyone, Qing Feng has received a secret mission to assassinate the emperor.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 5
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
The Festival of Troubadours (2022)
Plot Summary:
An unexpected reunion between a traveling musician and his son opens old wounds as the two set out on a long journey to a troubadour festival.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: Turkey
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: road movie
Similar in 75%
Shadow Days (2014)
Plot Summary:
A quasi-ghost story about a young urban Chinese couple returning to their dusty rural roots interrogates one child policy and authoritarianism.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 53
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
The Girl from Hunan (1987)
Plot Summary:
The heartbreaking tale of a young girl sold into an arranged marriage with a 2 year old boy who she must raise as his nanny until he is old enough to marry her. She is expected to honour tradition and to toe the line so far as social proprieties are concerned, but the young girl rebels against the edicts of her elders until at 16, she falls in love with another man... Though set in turn-of-the-century China, The Girl from Hunan deliberately parallel the state of affairs in the China of the late 1980s.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 219
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 90%
Milk and Fashion (2007)
Plot Summary:
Milk and Fashion centers on a young foreigner, Tyler Ralstin, as he travels from rural Yunnan to Shanghai to live with his uncle Jack. As caretaker for Tyler, Jack must balance his life between the high demand of his profession and the role of a mentor as he guides his nephew through the tough life-decisions that come with growing up. Jack is the president of a cultural investment company that is sponsoring an international fashion contest, and one of the competing designers is Yao Yao, a former ballerina who has decided to pursue her dream of becoming a professional designer. The stories of Tyler and Yao Yao intertwine in Tyler's coming-of-age tale and Yao Yao's journey as she strives to accomplish her dreams. Though her journey at times seems complicated and even hopeless, Yao Yao finds a friend and mentor in Anna, an international fashion magazine editor who helps Yao Yao stay true to her goals.
IMDB Rating: 3.5
IMDB Votes: 52
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: China
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 79%
My Country, My Parents (2021)
Plot Summary:
Actress Zhang Ziyi, actor-and-director Wu Jing, comedian Shen Teng, and actor-and-director Xu Zheng come together to direct four short films as part of a new anthology drama paying tribute to China’s families.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 526
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 157 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 79%
Cloudy Mountain (2021)
Plot Summary:
The opening of the new tunnel, which took ten years to build, coincided with a series of serious cataclysms. The lives of 160,000 people depend on the actions of two people, a father and a son.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 927
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: China
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 82%
Chinese Wine (2016)
Plot Summary:
The relationship of two maotai liquor-producing families, between 1915, when the drink first won international fame, and the end of the Chinese civil war, after which it was named China's official national liquor.
IMDB Rating:
IMDB Votes:
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: unusual plot structure, suspense, suspenseful, contemplative
Similar in 85%
The Savage Land (1981)
Plot Summary:
Winner of the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Film in 1988.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 33
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration:
Plot tags:
Similar in 77%
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (1995)
Plot Summary:
Two very different people become friends and partners in this nautical drama. Nikos (Stephen Rea) is a radio man working on a Greek freighter when he finds himself stranded in Hong Kong after the firm that owned his ship suddenly goes out of business. Nikos is already depressed over his recent breakup with his girlfriend, and this latest turn of events hardly makes him feel any better; he develops a dependence on opium as he works a variety of odd jobs trying to keep himself together while waiting for his ship to return to the sea. Li (Ling Chu) is a ten-year-old Chinese girl, cut off from her mother and father, who has a sampan and asks Nikos to help her get the boat ready for the water. Nikos doesn't much care for Li at first, but her youthful optimism and determination to succeed make an impression on him, and in time he leads her on a voyage to find the family she left behind years before.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 523
Genere: Drama
Country: Belgium, France, UK
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 85%
Little Moth (2007)
Plot Summary:
A couple purchases an eleven-year old girl who cannot walk, with the intention of using her to earn money through begging.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 138
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 77%
Bright Future (2022)
Plot Summary:
Bright Future tells the story of county party secretary Mei Xiaoge (played by Hu Ge) and the reforms he and his colleagues introduce to bring about much needed change and development to the lives of the people of Guangming county. Given the subject, it does appear to be a more serious themed show. The series is a key project by China’s National Radio and Television Administration.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 27
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 45 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 78%
Fantasia (2014)
Plot Summary:
Father got leukaemia. Mother was laid off long ago. She had to borrow money for her husband everywhere. Sister went to a night club to be a waitress secretly and soon became a “call girl”. Lin was cold-shouldered at school because of father’s illness. He became disgusted of school. One day, at the riverside, he found a dilapidated ship and knew the strange “father and daughter”. Lin made friends with that girl and helped them to steal iron stone. Because of Lin’s frequent absences the teacher came to see mother. He was sympathy for her. One day, Lin discovered his teacher was at his home with mother together…Lin went to see father. He could not help emerging out such a fantasy: He pinched father’s transfusion tube…Lin came to the riverside once again, but that ship disappeared….
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 51
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 77%
Desert Dream (2007)
Plot Summary:
This film takes place in a remote area, a desert region situated somewhere between the Mongolia and Chinese border. The town has become nearly void of all inhabitants except for Hangai, who works obsessively to plant trees in the desert area. Hangai’s own wife has recently left him, as their daughter became increasingly ill. While Hangai wallows in solitude, a North Korean refugee arrives at his doorstep with her son. They ask for shelter and Hanghai obliges. Although the trio can’t even speak a common language, they are able to communicate nonethless and work together to plant trees. It seems Hanghai is attracted to Soon Hee, but she doesn’t feel quite the same way. Then a Mongolian soldier stationed at a nearby camp, befriends the trio and the dynamics of their relationship start to change.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 243
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea, France, Mongolia
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: realistic, captivating, psychological, atmospheric, touching, serious
Similar in 88%
Pickpocket (1997)
Plot Summary:
Little pocket thief Wu never got away from the streets like his friends did. He realises that he is alone, as his old buddy doesn't invite him for his wedding. When he falls in love with a hooker he is forced to think about his future. Can he break with his criminal past?.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: contemplative, neo noir, independent film, psychological, serious, captivating, realistic, biting, suspense
Similar in 84%
My People, My Homeland (2020)
Plot Summary:
In different parts of rural China, various people explore what makes their communities unique.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 153 min
Plot tags: social, psychological, thought provoking, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 77%
1921 (2021)
Plot Summary:
Tells the story of a Communist Party's early history during the turbulent era, examining the remarkable Chinese revolutionary leaders' zeal and contrition for the ascension of the Chinese people.
IMDB Rating: 4.4
IMDB Votes: 375
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 138 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 84%
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 84%
The Ordinary World (2015)
Plot Summary:
A TV serialization of the classic Chinese novel 'Ordinary World'.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 15
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 40 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, captivating
Similar in 84%
Nelly (2004)
Plot Summary:
The four days following the death of a small town doctor, seen through the eyes of Nelly, his wife, a nurse.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 176
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic
Similar in 80%
Postmen in the Mountains (1999)
Plot Summary:
An old postman has spent his whole life delivering mail to the mountain of Hunan and is about to retire. His only son is due to take over his duties. As father and son journey through the mountains, the son begins to appreciate the toil and burden his father has to bear as postman for the villagers, and the old postman is also deeply moved as his son relates his mother's anxiety as she waits for him to return home from every trip.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 87%
Fly with the Crane (2012)
Plot Summary:
Serenely resigned to his impending death but deeply afraid at the prospect of being cremated, an elderly carpenter seeks to have his last wishes carried out in this gentle, beautifully realized drama from director Li Ruijin. (TIFF).
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 106
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 80%
Caught in the Web (2012)
Plot Summary:
The story of three women whose worlds collide - a social commentary about the 'sound bite' society we are becoming, where perception becomes reality and judgments based on limited facts quickly spread, without regard for the truth or the damage they could cause.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, psychological, captivating, offbeat, biting, fast, suspense
Similar in 84%
The Blue Kite (1993)
Plot Summary:
The lives of a Beijing family throughout the 1950s and 1960s, as they experience the impact of the Hundred Flowers Campaign, the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: depressing, political, realistic, controversial, sincere, thought provoking, serious, contemplative, gloomy, tense
Similar in 78%
Back to 1942 (2012)
Plot Summary:
In 1942, Henan Province was devastated by the most tragic famine in modern Chinese history, resulting in the deaths of at least three million men, women and children. Although the primary cause of the famine was a severe drought, it was exacerbated by locusts, windstorms, earthquakes, epidemic disease and the corruption of the ruling Kuomintang government.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 145 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, captivating, bleak, realistic, intense