Best movies like Shadow Magic
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Beijing, 1902: an enterprising young portrait photographer named Liu Jinglun, keen on new technology, befriends a newly-arrived Englishman who's brought projector, camera, and Lumière-brothers' shorts to open the Shadow Magic theater. Liu's work with Wallace brings him conflict with tradition and his father's authority, complicated by his falling in love with Ling, daughter of Lord Tan, star of Beijing's traditional opera. Liu sees movies as his chance to become wealthy and worthy of Ling. When the Shadow Magic pair are invited to show the films to the Empress Dowager, things look good. But, is disaster in the script? And, can movies preserve tradition even as they bring change?.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 795
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: China, Germany, Taiwan, USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, emotional, fairy tale, funny, light, romantic, feel good, unusual plot structure
Best tv shows and movies like Shadow Magic (2000):
Similar in 79%
The Maias: Story of a Portuguese Family (2014)
Plot Summary:
The tragedy and comedy in Carlos' life begins, grows and ends like the tragedy and comedy of Portugal. In the company of his close friend, João da Ega, allegedly a brilliant writer, Carlos, with his idle existence as an aristocratic doctor, spends his time to enjoying friends and lovers. Until he falls in love. She is a new character in this revolutionary novel. It's a vertiginous passion that goes beyond that past gloominess to reach a new and darker abyss, incest.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 885
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Portugal, Brazil
Duration: 139 min
Plot tags: stylized, atmospheric, serious, emotional, realistic, romantic, saga, gloomy
Similar in 78%
In the Heat of the Sun (1994)
Plot Summary:
The film is set in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution. It is told from the perspective of Ma Xiaojun nicknamed Monkey, a teenage boy. Monkey and his friends are free to roam the streets of Beijing day and night because the Cultural Revolution has caused their parents and most adults to be either busy or away. The story revolves around Monkey's dalliances with his roguish male friends and his subsequent angst-filled crush with Mi Lan.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: sincere, epic, serious, captivating, emotional, realistic, contemplative, sexual, semi autobiographical, freeze frame
Similar in 75%
Savannah (2013)
Plot Summary:
Savannah is the true story of Ward Allen, a romantic and bombastic character who rejects his plantation heritage for the freedom of life on a river. Ward navigates the change of early 20th century America on the wrong side of the law and society, his long-time friend, a freed slave named Christmas Moultrie, at his side. Master of Shakespeare, and the shotgun that provides Savannah's markets with fowl, Ward fights for his rights as a hunter. His charisma and eloquent rhetoric win the heart of a society woman who defies her father to marry him. An elderly Moultrie tells the story of life on the river with his friend to a little boy, who passes the legendary Ward Allen down to the next generation.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Family, History, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, realistic, serious, stylized, crying
Similar in 85%
Springtime in a Small Town (2002)
Plot Summary:
In a mansion decimated during World War II, a frustrated, bored housewife, Yuwen, is torn between caring for her ailing husband and her longing for a former sweetheart, a doctor who has come to treat her husband.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: China, Hong Kong, France, Netherlands
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: sentimental, thought provoking, serious, emotional, realistic, stylized, touching, contemplative, gloomy, crying
Similar in 89%
Golden Door (2006)
Plot Summary:
The story is set at the beginning of the 20th century in Sicily. Salvatore, a very poor farmer, and a widower, decides to emigrate to the US with all his family, including his old mother. Before they embark, they meet Lucy. She is supposed to be a British lady and wants to come back to the States. Lucy, or Luce as Salvatore calls her, for unknown reasons wants to marry someone before to arrive to Ellis Island in New York. Salvatore accepts the proposal. Once they arrive in Ellis Island they spend the quarantine period trying to pass the examinations to be admitted to the States. Tests are not so simple for poor farmers coming from Sicily. Their destiny is in the hands of the custom officers.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, sincere, serious, captivating, colorful, realistic, gloomy, weird, period drama
Similar in 78%
Daughters of the Dust (1991)
Plot Summary:
Languid look at the Gullah culture of the sea islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia where African folk-ways were maintained well into the 20th Century and was one of the last bastion of these mores in America.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: independent film, gothic, mysterious, mystic, southern gothic, aesthetic, sentimental, atmospheric, uplifting, touching
Similar in 86%
The Magnificent Ambersons (2002)
Plot Summary:
The spoiled rotten and utterly unlikable rich kid George Amberson becomes horrified when his recently widowed mother rekindles her relationship with the wealthy Eugene Morgan, who she left decades earlier in order to marry George's father. As George struggles to sabotage his mother's new romance, he must deal with his own romantic feelings for Morgan's daughter and the consequences of his meddling as his once great family falls into ruin due to his machinations.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 911
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, touching, captivating, emotional, serious, realistic, tension, suspense, period drama
Similar in 89%
A Brief Vacation (1973)
Plot Summary:
Vittorio De Sica's A Brief Vacation (Una Breva Vacanza) stars Florinda Bolkan as a downtrodden working woman. Forced to support herself, her children, her physically incapacitated husband and her obtrusive brother and mother, Bolkan contracts tuberculosis. She is granted a brief vacation at a health spa, where a whole new world--and potential new life--is opened up to her.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 964
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Italy, Spain
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: neorealism, psychological, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, contemplative, crying
Similar in 77%
Lola and Billy the Kid (1999)
Plot Summary:
When young Turkish talent Kutlug Ataman wanted to make a film about transvestites, the first location he had in mind was Istanbul. As he developed the script, his thought was to place these marginal characters, who are subject to societal prejudices in an environment where there is already discrimination, would add dramatic effect. Supported by funding from German sources, Ataman set his story in Berlin, inside the community of "guest workers" where Turkish transvestites are shunned not only by Germans, but by their own kind as well. The result is a strong film with moments of tenderness, emotion and laughter juxtaposed with the harsh realities of life for those who dare to be different. 16 year old Murat (Baki Davrak) is a Turk who is curious about gay life and eventually submerges himself in the gay hustler and transvestite subculture.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Germany, Turkey
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, realistic, psychological, sexual, crying, sexy, queer cinema
Similar in 90%
Now & Forever (2002)
Plot Summary:
Against a backdrop of clashing cultures, John Myron and Angela Wilson find each other and over the years form a powerful bond. One tragic night, John rescues Angela from a wicked act of betrayal. Faced with its aftermath, Angela flees town, unaware that she has put into motion a dramatic and intense string of events that will forever change the course of their lives. Harboring a secret, John guides Angela to a shocking realization that will uncover the past. A dramatic contemporary love story combining elements of spirituality, heart and integrity.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 482
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, emotional, independent film, realistic, gloomy, crying
Similar in 88%
Late August, Early September (1998)
Plot Summary:
A story about the transition from late youth to early maturity, the film follows several friends and lovers as they come to make decisions on how to live their lives--getting a job more in harmony with ones ideals, committing to a lover, giving up a lover that no longer loves you: a film about grown-ups growing up.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: emotional, talky, melancholic, ironic, meditative, lyrical, psychological, serious, depressing, tense
Similar in 81%
Washington Square (1997)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1870's New York, a spinster heiress is courted by a much younger, penniless man, much to the chagrin of her over-protective father, and must decide whether to spend the rest of her life alone, or marry a man who is interested in her only because of her inheritence.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: costume drama, romantic, stylized, sex comedy, romantic drama, historical drama, psychological, serious, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 87%
Sunday (1997)
Plot Summary:
This film concerns two mysterious characters who meet on a Sunday in Queens. Madeleine the most unsettling creature of that name since "Vertigo" is a middle-aged, moderately successful actress. Oliver/Matthew is either a homeless man or a famous film director or both. Madeleine hails him on the street as the latter, launching a bizarre chain of events that includes a conversation in a diner, a very unromantic sexual encounter, the arrival of Madeleine's odd husband and unsuspecting daughter, and a child's birthday party. The film also compassionately tracks the daily rounds of Oliver/Matthew's fellow denizens of the homeless shelter, some of whom will be recognizable to New York audiences.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 696
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: independent film, psychological, thought provoking, touching, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 76%
The White Countess (2005)
Plot Summary:
The last movie from the team of Ismail Merchant, James Ivory, and Kazuo Ishiguro. Set in 1930s Shanghai, "The White Countess" is both Sofia (Natasha Richardson), a fallen member of the Russian aristocracy, and a nightclub created by a blind American diplomat named Jackson (Ralph Fiennes), who asks Sofia to be the centerpiece of the world he wants to create.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: UK, Germany, China, USA
Duration: 135 min
Plot tags: romantic, sentimental, emotional, atmospheric, period piece, costume drama, touching, lyrical, romantic drama, sincere
Similar in 77%
Pavilion of Women (2001)
Plot Summary:
With World War 2 looming, a prominent family in China must confront the contrasting ideas of traditionalism, communism and Western thinking, while dealing with the most important ideal of all: love and its meaning in society.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance, War
Country: China, USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: emotional, serious, realistic, tense, crying, intercultural
Similar in 90%
Guinevere (1999)
Plot Summary:
A young girl from an affluent family rebels and becomes involved with a much older photographer.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: disturbing, independent film, sentimental, touching, romantic, emotional, romantic drama, dark, arthurian, erotic
Similar in 83%
Hester Street (1975)
Plot Summary:
Steven Keats plays a Russian emigre who prides himself on the way he's molded himself into a real Yankee in the USA, though the world he lives in, New York's Lower East Side in the late 19th century, is almost exclusively populated by other Jewish immigrants. When his wife (Carol Kane) finally arrives in the New World, however, she has a lot of assimilating to do. This causes the tension which drives the movie along, though it maintains a fairly light atmosphere most of the time.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: black and white, romantic, historically accurate, aesthetic, independent film, sentimental, touching, serious, captivating, emotional
Similar in 77%
No Looking Back (1998)
Plot Summary:
Charlie returns to his old town where he meets his ex-girlfriend again and tries to get her back.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: emotional, disturbing, sentimental, sincere, touching, serious, realistic, gloomy, scary, light
Similar in 89%
Baran (2001)
Plot Summary:
In a building site in present-day Tehran, Lateef, a 17-year-old Kurdish worker is irresistibly drawn to Rahmat, a young Afghan worker. When Lateef is given heavier tasks to compensate for new Afghan worker Rahmat, he resents his displacement and treats Rahmat cruelly. After one of his pranks, however, Lateef discovers Rahmat's secret--he is a girl named Baran. Latif's heart softens towards Baran and he shows his new affection for her by doing what he can to ease the hardships she suffers at work. revelation of Rahmat's secret changes both their lives.Baran is a 2001 Iranian film directed by Majid Majidi, based on an original script by Majid Majidi. The movie is set during recent times in which there are a large number of Afghan refugees living on the outskirts of Tehran. Almost a silent movie, Baran won a number of awards both nationally and internationally for the director and writer Majid Majidi.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Iran
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, stylized, lyrical, serious, realistic, inspirational, compassionate, crying, islamic
Similar in 78%
Basil (1998)
Plot Summary:
A lonely young aristocrat in turn-of the century England struggles to meet the approval of his over-bearing, class-conscious father while trying to please the selfish woman he loves.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: sentimental, serious, realistic, light, sincere, period piece, gothic, crying, independent film, period drama
Similar in 85%
The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
Plot Summary:
The life inside a farm in Italy at the beginning of the century. Many poor country families live there, and the owner pays them by their productivity. One of the families has a very clever child. They decide to send him to school instead of make him help them, although this represents a great sacrifice. The boy has to wake up very early and walk several miles to get to the school. One day the boy's shoes break when returning home, but they do not have money to buy other. What can they do?.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: Italy
Duration: 186 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, realistic, touching, serious, contemplative, spiritual, family saga, saga, slow cinema, period drama
Similar in 75%
Beloved Sisters (2014)
Plot Summary:
A love triangle forms between post-Enlightenment writer Friedrich Schiller and two sisters -- one who became his wife, and the other, his biographer.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Duration: 138 min
Plot tags: romantic, emotional, realistic, touching, serious, captivating, sexy, period piece, costume drama, gloomy
Similar in 80%
Great Expectations (1998)
Plot Summary:
Loosely based on the Charles Dickens' classic novel, "Great Expectations" is a sensual tale of a young man's unforgettable passage into manhood, and the three individuals who will undeniably change his life forever. Through the surprising interactions of these vivid characters, "Great Expectations" takes a unique and contemporary look at life's great coincidences.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 56000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: romantic, heartbreaking, emotional, sexy, touching, light, melancholic, serious, realistic, erotic
Similar in 84%
Chinese Box (1997)
Plot Summary:
The story of Hong Kong, from New Year's Day to June 30th, 1997, when the British left their colony and turned it over to the People's Republic of China.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France, Japan, USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, independent film, sentimental, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, philosophical, sexy, thought provoking
Similar in 77%
Talk of Angels (1998)
Plot Summary:
This is the story of a young Irish woman who comes to Spain to escape from the pressures she feels about her impending marriage to a political activist in Ireland. But in Spain in the 1930's, taking a job of governess in a wealthy family, she finds the same kinds of political unrest. In fact, it isn't long before she finds herself attracted to a married man who is similarly involved in the struggle against fascism and Franco. This awakens her to her nature that brings her to such men and resolves for her what she must do about the life she left in Ireland.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 893
Genere: Drama, Romance, War
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, sentimental, disturbing, independent film
Similar in 90%
Face (2002)
Plot Summary:
Genie, a Chinese-American teenager, develops feelings for a charming African-American DJ, but her grandmother forbids their romance forcing Genie to choose between family and love.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 350
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, emotional, sentimental, serious, realistic, contemplative
Similar in 81%
The Heart of Me (2002)
Plot Summary:
Drama set in 1930s London with two sisters, Madeleine married to Rickie, and Dinah, who falls in love with him. Rickie and Dinah begin an affair which is to have repercussions throughout all their lives.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: UK, Germany
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, emotional, romantic drama, clever, erotic, romantic, spiritual, cult classic
Similar in 77%
Picture Bride (1994)
Plot Summary:
Riyo, an orphaned 17-year old, sails from Yokohama to Hawaii in 1918 to marry Matsuji, a man she has never met. Hoping to escape a troubled past and start anew, Riyo is bitterly disappointed upon her arrival: her husband is twice her age. The miserable girl finds solace with her new friend Kana, a young mother who helps Riyo accept her new life.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan, USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, melancholic, serious, independent film, realistic, contemplative, sentimental, inspirational, romantic
Similar in 85%
Miss Potter (2006)
Plot Summary:
The story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness and success.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, period piece, costume drama, serious, realistic, sweet, romantic drama, motivational, intellectual
Similar in 80%
Anna and the King (1999)
Plot Summary:
The story of the romance between the King of Siam (now Thailand) and the widowed British school teacher Anna Leonowens during the 1860s. Anna teaches the children and becomes romanced by the King. She convinces him that a man can be loved by just one woman.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 39000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 148 min
Plot tags: romantic, epic, serious, emotional, captivating, period piece, stylized, sentimental, factual, sweet