Best movies like Searching for the Elephant
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A freelance photographer Hyun-woo seems to live an enviable life with a successful career. But his inside is torn apart from the sorrow of being deserted by his ex-girlfriend Mari. He even gets unclear about what’s really happening in reality and what’s delusion. One of Hyun-woo’s friend and a riding-high plastic surgeon, Min-seok is married to Soo-yeon, a sister of Hyun-woo. But he is always having affairs with the girls around him and doubts himself if he’s addicted to sex. Jin-hyuk, their longtime friend, is a financing specialist. And he is having a secret affair with Min-seok’s wife. He is willing to leave everything behind for the love. Three men, who look like the winners in life, are in fact struggling with their own sufferings that they desperately strive to keep undisclosed. The harder they try to get out of the agony, the more complicated and puzzled it gets.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 399
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 144 min
Plot tags: psychological, touching, serious, realistic, erotic, dark, mind bending, contemplative, gloomy, weird
Best tv shows and movies like Searching for the Elephant (2009):
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Tale of Cinema (2005)
Plot Summary:
In Seoul, the paths of two men and one woman intersect and move apart from one another, centering around their love for cinema. A suicidal student meets a young woman who decides to follow him in his fatal gesture. Coming out of a cinema, Tongsu, an unsuccessful filmmaker, spots a beautiful young woman, and recognizes her : she is the main actress in the film he has just seen. The life of this wavering and distressed young man strangely echoes the one of the young man from the beginning.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: France, South Korea
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, stylized, independent film, gloomy
Similar in 77%
Cafe Seoul (2009)
Plot Summary:
Jun, a Japanese freelance reporter, discovers hidden gem of Korean traditional bakery "Moran-dang" by chance in the middle of the city of Seoul, while covering stories of the city. Moran-dang takes him back to his memory of childhood and urges him to stay there for more stories. One day, Moran-dang is vandalized by construction villains in town who maliciously try to take the spot of the bakery and the owner and chef, Sang-Woo gets hands injured. When Moran-dang is in danger of closing, little brother Sang-Hyuk returns home after drifting apart. As Jun inspires Sang-Hyuk to restore his family tie and the secret recipes, Sang-Hyuk and Jun are connected in friendship to save Moran-dang.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 58
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan, South Korea
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, captivating, psychological, sentimental, uplifting, serious
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The Light Shines Only There (2014)
Plot Summary:
A man has thrown away love and a woman has given up on love. The two souls meet in a brief summer in the northern city of Hakodate.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 663
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: rough, touching, serious, realistic, romantic, anthology, bleak
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Orphans and Angels (2003)
Plot Summary:
The needy and traumatized Theresa, who was raped when she was fourteen year-old, meets the handsome John on the street after an accident during a performance on the stage of her friend Kim asking for a low-budget hotel. She offers a ride to a nearby hostel, they date and she brings him home, where he offers Ecstasy with wine to her. Kim advises her that John is a dangerous drug-dealer that has been missing for five years after the death of his girlfriend also called Theresa, but Theresa stays with him, practicing mutual masturbation, sharing her fears and fantasies and being permanently drugged. When John's friend Billy visits Theresa, he reveals dark secrets about her boyfriend, leading to a tragic end.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 63
Genere: Drama
Country: New Zealand
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, realistic, suspense, sexual, sexy
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Beastie Boys (2008)
Plot Summary:
Two friends are involved in the male escort business. One starts an honest relationship with one of his clients. The other cheats on his girlfriend and has his many scams catch up to him.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 249
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, captivating, touching, bleak, sexual
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On the Edge (2006)
Plot Summary:
Three flatmates in Mexico City face uncertainties: Lucía who has a great job as an art director for TV commercials is abusing alcohol and cocaine. She risks losing her job, going to prison for assault, and she's woefully in love with a bullfighter who may be two-timing her. Carmen, an artist without income, can be manic - snorting lots of cocaine and hanging out with a gay man and a transvestite. What's her future? Hanna contemplates divorce from Abraham, a wealthy momma's boy, and she's disoriented by feelings of attraction to Sandra, a customer at her jewelry store. Can any of these poor little rich girls sort things out in a world of excess?.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 803
Genere: Drama
Country: Mexico
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, sexy, sexual
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Another Woman's Husband (2000)
Plot Summary:
When Laurel signs up for swimming lessons, she becomes best friends with her teacher Susan - until they realize Laurel’s boyfriend and Susan’s husband are the same man.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 501
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, ridiculous
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Knifer (2010)
Plot Summary:
After his father death, Nikos moves from Ptolemaida to Athens. His uncle offers him food and shelter while he starts taking care of his dogs. Alone in an isolated suburb, he's wearing down into his misery routine, till the moment his relationship with his aunt changes everything.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Cyprus, Greece
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, serious, psychological, captivating, disturbing, bleak, realistic, stylized, gloomy, weird
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Charlie Says (2006)
Plot Summary:
The seemingly separate lives of a group of men intersect entwining the fates of each of them over the course of a week.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 555
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, realistic
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Les corps impatients (2003)
Plot Summary:
Paul and Charlotte are in love. Charlotte discovers she has a grave malady and Paul supports her. But Paul is also attracted to Ninon, another girl. Charlotte accepts Paul to have an affair with her, and the three start a difficult and ambiguous relationship.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 613
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, sincere, emotional, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, sexual, sexy
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Breath (2007)
Plot Summary:
A love story involving a convicted prisoner who "slowly falls for a woman who decorates his prison cell".
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: contemplative, atmospheric, realistic, psychological, captivating, art house, mesmerizing, serious, stylized
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Dance Town (2010)
Plot Summary:
A North Korean refugee, Jung-Nim, is trying to find a new life in South Korea, with people suspecting that she is a spy.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 83
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, touching, sincere, thought provoking, bleak, contemplative, gloomy
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Night Flight (2014)
Plot Summary:
Three teenage boys who were once close friends grow apart when they reach high school: Yong-ju lives hiding his true gender identity, Gi-woong becomes the leader of the school gang, and Gi-taek an obsessive manga fan. Tired of the constant malicious bullying by Gi-woong’s gang, Gi-taek betrays them by disclosing that Yong-ju has loved Gi-woong for years. Surrounded by an insecure boundary of the school and wounded by betrayals, the boys are driven into catastrophe.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: psychological, touching, serious, realistic, romantic, lgbt cinema, tense, bleak, queer cinema
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Angel's Fall (2004)
Plot Summary:
Zeynep, Tülin Özen works in a hotel as a housekeeper. But she suffers hell on earth because of her father's behavior. She only talks to Mustafa, 'Engin Dogan' who works in the same hotel and he is interested in Zeynep. She is not interested in Mustafa who is younger than Zeynep, but she is not indifferent to him. While Zeynep is trying to make a bonfire of bad situation, Selçuk, Budak Akalin who lives on the other side of city is a voice technician. He feels guilty after his wife's death. The suitcase which has his wife's dresses changes the Zeynep's destiny.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Greece, Turkey
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, atmospheric, touching, tense, bleak, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
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This Beautiful City (2007)
Plot Summary:
Friday night in Toronto’s lower west end. Chatter from a dinner party in Harry and Carol’s nouveau riche condo drifts through an open balcony door, as two freebase cokeheads, Pretty and Johnny, have a party on their own in the alley below. As the dinner guests leave, the hostess is nowhere to be found. Until, a wet thud and a sharp scream rise up to the balcony. Pretty stares in horror at Carol’s body, splayed on the alley floor, as Harry screams for help from above. The sharp burst of police sirens sends the cokeheads running as Peter, a middle aged police officer, sprints from his cruiser to check Carol’s vitals. Rocket forward three months and these five disparate lives begin to cataclysmically intersect through weaving multi-narrative story arcs that release spurts and geysers of long-suppressed sexuality and aggression. Beautiful things can happen when you hit rock bottom.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 247
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, psychological, suspense, erotic, independent film, gloomy, tragic ending
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Webdultery (2010)
Plot Summary:
A couple in a failing marriage begin to cheat on each other using the power of the internet.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 111
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: sexy, emotional, realistic, psychological, captivating, sincere, touching, serious, gloomy
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Like You Know It All (2009)
Plot Summary:
Delightfully comic exploration of the emotional and social geography of an art-house film director.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 836
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: touching, captivating, realistic, uplifting, emotional, semi serious, offbeat, humorous
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Woman Is the Future of Man (2004)
Plot Summary:
As the first snow falls in Seoul, two old friends reunite; one is a successful college professor, and the other, a struggling filmmaker recently returned from the United States. After their reminiscences, they finally decide to go in search of the young woman each had romanced years earlier.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea, France
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: psychological, sentimental, touching, emotional, romantic comedy, serious, realistic, gloomy
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Hard Times (2005)
Plot Summary:
When the troubled son of an NGO worker refuses to take a test and announces that he is not leaving his room, his concerned mother asks one of her clients, a Cuban exile, for help in setting the boy straight. Gonzalo has decided to drop out of school, and his mother Ana isn't sure how to convince the boy that he's making a crucial mistake. Ana's client Carlos is a Cuban exile who makes his living selling cigars and artwork on the black market. When Carlos learns of Ana's dilemma, he calls on recently released convict Mikel to teach the boy how to play chess. Perhaps is young Gonzalo can master the game, he can learn to start living again. As the lessons get underway, each of these characters learns that in order to truly move on with their lives they much first break free of the bonds that prevent them from being who they really are.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 333
Genere: Drama
Country: Spain
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, realistic, touching, sentimental
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Boutique (2004)
Plot Summary:
A clothing store worker (Jahan) meets a poor girl named Eti. Jahan tries to help the girl and solve her problems, but….
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: Iran
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: touching, sincere, serious, realistic, neo noir, islamic, emotional, gloomy
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Five Senses of Eros (2009)
Plot Summary:
In this anthology film centered around the theme of "Eros," five seperate stories are presented by five top Korean directors. The main characters from each segment are connected with each other in one way or another.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 469
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, atmospheric, realistic, stylized, anthology, sexy, erotic, sexual
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Nelly & Monsieur Arnaud (1995)
Plot Summary:
Nelly leaves her lazy, unemployed husband to work for retired judge Mr Arnaud, forty years her senior, after he offers to clear her bills for her. While she types his memoirs the two develop a close friendship, but Arnaud becomes jealous when Nelly begins dating his good-looking young publisher.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama
Country: France, Italy, Germany
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: psychological, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, sexual, light, atmospheric, sexy
Similar in 77%
Belonging (2004)
Plot Summary:
Jess (Brenda Blethyn) and town handyman Jacob (Kevin Whately) have been happily married 20 years, recently taking in a trio of Jacob's elderly relatives, including his mother (Rosemary Harris). Though the relations are demanding, kindhearted Jess -- who selflessly quit her job -- enjoys looking after them. But when Jacob disappears one day, Jess' life falls apart, and she must learn to cope with things on her own in this touching drama.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 299
Genere: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, realistic, touching
Similar in 86%
Samaritan Girl (2004)
Plot Summary:
Yeo-jin and Jae-yeong are two teenage girls who are trying to earn money for a trip to Europe. To reach this end, Jae-yeong is prostituting herself while Yeo-jin acts as her pimp, setting her up with the clients and staying on guard for the police. Things take a turn for the worse when Yeo-jin gets distracted from her duty and the police raid the motel where Jae-yeong is meeting with a client. To avoid getting caught, Jae-yeong jumps out of a window, fatally injuring herself.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, captivating, realistic, erotic, psychological, sincere, romantic, depressing, spiritual
Similar in 90%
Two Is a Happy Number (1972)
Plot Summary:
A young woman has difficulty understanding why her husband walks out on her. Alone for the first time, she finds life difficult to cope with and for a time lives with the hope that her husband will come back to her. After uncovering disturbing new information about her husbands infidelity, she finally comes to realize her marriage is truly over. And it is only then that she discovers what is truly important in life.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 429
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
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Diary of a Sex Addict (2001)
Plot Summary:
A restaurant owner leads a double life.
IMDB Rating: 3.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: erotic, serious, contemplative, realistic, talky, sexy, independent film, sexual, sensual, biting
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Balancing Act (2012)
Plot Summary:
Having cheated on his wife, Giulio, a municipal employee, moves out, but has to find a solution on how to still support his family, and himself.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 823
Genere: Drama
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, serious, psychological, tense, captivating, sincere, gloomy
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Amnesty (2011)
Plot Summary:
Amnesty is a 2011 Albanian movie directed by Buyar Alimani. It’s a story about two people who meet up in jail when they come for monthly visits of their spouses. They fall in love after becoming witnesses to a wedding in jail but relationship has to end because both their spouses get amnesty from the government. What happens next is shown in usual east european movie style.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 223
Genere: Drama
Country: Albania, Greece, France
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, touching, serious, realistic, erotic, contemplative, gloomy
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Guilty Hearts (2006)
Plot Summary:
Over the course of this drama's six separate stories, a variety of couples struggle with the infidelity, dishonesty and heartbreak that plagues their varied pasts. In overcoming their challenges, these diverse individuals embrace a brighter future.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 818
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, realistic
Similar in 75%
Take Care of My Cat (2001)
Plot Summary:
The fashionable Hye-joo is focused on her career at a brokerage house. She's making a decent living, but her co-workers look down on her. Tae-hee is sick of living under the thumb of her domineering father. She spends her time doing volunteer work for a poet with cerebral palsy. Sullen Ji-young lives in poverty with her grandparents and struggles to find work. The girls, close friends in high school, find themselves drifting apart as their adult lives begin to take shape.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: lyrical, psychological, sentimental, sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, erotic, atmospheric