Best movies like The Love Suicides at Sonezaki
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Suicide has long been used as a form of social protest in Japan. In this film, set in 1703, samurai culture is being transformed by the emergence of a new merchant class. Elements of the social contract are beginning to unravel, and some unscrupulous people took undue advantage of these changes before the social order was re-created. In this story, a rich merchant gives his clerk an I.O.U. instead of wages. When the impoverished clerk presents the paper to the merchant at the agreed upon time asking for payment, the man flies into a rage and pretends he never wrote it and claims the clerk is trying to defraud him. Then he sets his henchmen on the clerk to administer a beating.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 185
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: cult film
Best tv shows and movies like The Love Suicides at Sonezaki (1978):
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The Blue Light (2003)
Plot Summary:
Shuichi Kushimori is a 17 year old high school student who lives happily with his mother and stepsister. One day, without warning, his estranged stepfather returns home from a long absence. He quickly falls into a circle of drinking and starts abusing his ex-wife and daughter. When he begins making sexual advances towards Shuichi’s stepsister, Shuichi is compelled to take matters into his own hands.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Crime, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 78%
The Assistant (1997)
Plot Summary:
Daniel Petrie scripted and directed this Canadian-British film, an adaptation of the memorable 1957 Brooklyn-based novel by Brooklyn-born Bernard Malamud, author of The Natural. During the Depression, drifter Frank Alpine (Gil Bellows) and hobo Ward Minogue (Jaimz Woolvett) rob the small Bober family grocery. Minogue attacks frail Morris Bober (Armin Mueller-Stahl) because he has little money. Later, guilt sends Alpine back to the store, where he goes unrecognized and is hired by Bober as an assistant, despite the objections of Ida Bober (Joan Plowright). While Frank works the store, receiving miniscule wages, he falls for Bober's daughter, Helen (Kate Greenhouse), and Morris eventually learns who Frank really is.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 182
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Canada, UK
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: independent film, detective
Similar in 79%
Half Past Ten (2008)
Plot Summary:
An alcoholic married man discovers he has fallen out of love with his moody wife.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 59
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Germany, UK
Duration: 55 min
Plot tags: erotic, homoerotic, romantic, captivating, contemplative, talky, independent film
Similar in 86%
Veneno Cura (2008)
Plot Summary:
In oPorto there is a club, Imperatriz, where everything is permitted. A moment in which all intersect in the dark night.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 104
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Portugal, Spain
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 84%
Under the Skin (1996)
Plot Summary:
Passion, criminal instincts and traditions melt together in this film that shakes our understanding of crime.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 349
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Peru, Spain, Germany
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 77%
Sex Hunter: Wet Target (1972)
Plot Summary:
While rotting away in jail, Okamoto learns of the death of his beloved sister, Natsuko. Violently assaulted by a group of U.S. military men during a drunken joyride, she was found dead by local authorities. Haunted by the tragedy, Okamoto escapes from jail to hunt down and kill those who destroyed the life of his sister. What he uncovers during his investigation is much more horrifying than he could ever imagine! Fueled by rage, he meets the killers one by one as the film explodes into an unbelievable climax of bloodshed.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 54
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 69 min
Plot tags: disturbing
Similar in 82%
Christmas in August (2005)
Plot Summary:
A japanese remake of the South Korean film of the same name.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 40
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
Lullaby of the Earth (1976)
Plot Summary:
The story of an orphan girl, brought up in naive, rustic innocence by an elderly relative, who is suddenly exposed to the brutality, greed and deceptiveness of the outside world when her grandmother dies. Notwithstanding her healthy distrust of all strangers, which her upbringing instilled in her, it is not long before a cunning racketeer finds her weak point, that temptation which she cannot resist, that weakness, different as it may be, that each of us has, and brings her into his power. What follows is a depiction of her cruel descent into the depths of moral decay, as she becomes a collaborator in a system of exploitation, unbridled lust, vanity, and greed, in which she and other victims are always the losers.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 244
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: erotic
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Inn of Evil (1971)
Plot Summary:
The story takes place in feudal Japan, when any commerce with the rest of the world was strictly prohibited. An idealist suddenly appears in an isolated inn (the one that the title refers to), the head-quarters of a group of smugglers, with stolen money intended to ransom his loved one who is forced to work in a brothel.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: jidai geki
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The Equation of Love and Death (2008)
Plot Summary:
When a mysterious death occurs, the lives of five unexpected strangers are suddenly intertwined together. A drug trafficking crime is unveiled, and through the twist and turns of the investigation, their stories unravel, and a bizarre connection is gradually discovered between them.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: China, Hong Kong
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspense, anthology
Similar in 76%
The Bloody Child (1996)
Plot Summary:
This film was inspired by a real event—a young US Marine, recently back from the Gulf War, was found digging a grave for his murdered wife in the middle of the California Mojave.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 179
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: experimental
Similar in 82%
The Petrified Forest (1973)
Plot Summary:
Follows a young med student's relationships with two women: a dangerous affair with a childhood friend and his mother's struggle to rebuild their estranged relationship.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 251
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
The Lost Man (1969)
Plot Summary:
A gang of black militants plots to rob a factory to finance their "revolutionary struggle.".
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 215
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: political, neo noir, black cinema
Similar in 81%
Swastika (1964)
Plot Summary:
The four principles in a love affair collide when jealousy, blackmail and suicide enter the picture.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: sexy, lgbt cinema, queer cinema, hot
Similar in 83%
A Helpless Love Song (2018)
Plot Summary:
After experiencing failure in business and his marriage, Mitsutoshi Yashiro (Shinsuke Kato) walks around looking for a place to die. He decides to stop at a red light district shop to have sex for one last time. He meets Hina (Rina Fujisaki) who changes his life. - AsianWiki.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 8
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 86%
Cholera Street (1997)
Plot Summary:
The film is set in a rundown, crime ridden neighborhood of Istanbul dubbed "Cholera Street" (Kolera Sokağı). Salih is a mechanic and son of a respected barber Ali. A woman Tina arrives at Cholera street where she takes up residence and works as a prostitute. Deniz is a ganster who gives himself the nickname "Reiss" ("Chief"), tries to take control of the neighbourhood through intidimation.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Turkey, Hungary, France
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: lgbt cinema, art house, serious, realistic, suspenseful, black comedy, dark comedy
Similar in 83%
Ash Is Purest White (2018)
Plot Summary:
Set in China's underworld, this tale of love and betrayal follows a dancer who fired a gun to protect her mobster boyfriend during a fight. On release from prison 5 years later, she sets out to find him.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: China, France, Japan
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: touching, captivating, psychological, exciting, suspenseful, social, art film, detective, tragic
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May (2008)
Plot Summary:
After success of Kytice, which is based on the famous collection of poems of K.J.Erben, one of the most well-known character of classic Czech literature, Mr. Brabec went for even more famous poem Máj of K.H. Mácha, which is considered the peak of Czech romanticism.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 234
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Czech Republic
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: psychotronic, campy
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Blues Harp (1998)
Plot Summary:
Ambitious yakuza Kenji befriends harmonica-playing bartender Chuji, who moonlights as a part-time drug-dealer for the opposing gang. Their friendship is threatened by Kenji's plans for advancement, as well as by his bodyguards growing jealousy of Chuji.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, bleak, serious, realistic
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The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 2: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima (1973)
Plot Summary:
Repeatedly beat to a pulp by gamblers, cops, and gangsters, lone wolf Shoji Yamanaka (Kinya Kitaoji) finally finds a home as a Muraoka family hit man and falls in love with boss Muraoka's niece. Meanwhile, the ambitions of mad dog Katsutoshi Otomo (Sonny Chiba) draws our series' hero, Shozo Hirono (Bunta Sugawara) into a new round of bloodshed, culminating with the tragic demise of the young Yamanaka.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, History
Country: Japan
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: cult film
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Love the Hard Way (2001)
Plot Summary:
Claire, a brilliant student, seeks answers to the meaning of life in the calm of her biology laboratory. One day, she meets a mysterious young man, Jack, at the cinema, and is intrigued by his style, assurance and audacity. Apart from his artistic activities, Jack has a regular scam going, ripping off foreign businessmen with his loyal mate Charlie and two actresses. But his tough guy exterior conceals a secret passion for old books, and he dreams of writing a novel one day. Jack falls hard for Claire's purity and curiosity. An unusual romance develops between them. But Jack is scared of their growing intimacy and rejects Claire, withdrawing into his shell. Abandoned and confused, Claire gradually begins to neglect her studies and embarks on a spiraling course of self-destruction, whilst Jack, who tries to ignore her, concentrates on his criminal activities. However, a sharp detective, named Linda Fox, is following his dodgy tracks.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Crime, Romance
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: neo noir, bleak, serious, realistic, romantic, romantic drama, independent film, gloomy, detective
Similar in 77%
Lila Says (2004)
Plot Summary:
Based on a controversial French novel, Lila Says tells the story of a quiet young poet named Chimo who develops a crush on the pretty, blond Lila, a girl who recently moved into his Arab ghetto with her aunt. When the leader of a rival gang also falls for Lila, the ensuing love triangle initiates a journey of sexual discovery -- and sets off a chain of devastating events.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: France, UK
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: erotic, sexy, emotional, artsy, non-linear, heartbreaking, art house, multicultural, sexual, psychological
Similar in 82%
Double Suicide (1969)
Plot Summary:
Successful and married with children, paper-mill owner Jihei knows better than to contradict the strict social and moral codes of 18th-century Japan. But when he meets the lovely courtesan Koharu, he becomes a man obsessed. Koharu returns his love, even foregoing other customers while Jihei schemes to somehow buy her freedom. His efforts yield ruinous consequences for his business and his family life, and Koharu is meanwhile purchased by another client.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 142 min
Plot tags: surreal, romantic, mind bending, psychedelic, spiritual, serious, emotional, realistic, stylized, jidai geki
Similar in 77%
The Twilight Samurai (2002)
Plot Summary:
Seibei Iguchi leads a difficult life as a low ranking samurai at the turn of the nineteenth century. A widower with a meager income, Seibei struggles to take care of his two daughters and senile mother. New prospects seem to open up when the beautiful Tomoe, a childhood friend, comes back into he and his daughters' life, but as the Japanese feudal system unravels, Seibei is still bound by the code of honor of the samurai and by his own sense of social precedence. How can he find a way to do what is best for those he loves?.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: tense, emotional, sincere, atmospheric, realistic, touching, talky, lyrical, sentimental, jidai geki
Similar in 86%
Lady J (2018)
Plot Summary:
When a romance between a widow and a notorious libertine takes an unexpected turn, Mademoiselle de Joncquières becomes instrumental to one lover’s plans for revenge.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: costume drama, melancholic, sentimental, sincere, disturbing, stylized, period piece, sensitive, period drama
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Days of Being Wild (1990)
Plot Summary:
The movie is set in Hong Kong and the Philippines in 1960. Yuddy, or 'York' in English, is a playboy in Hong Kong and is well-known for stealing girls' hearts and breaking them. His first victim is Li Zhen who suffered emotional and mental depression as a result of Yuddy's wayward attitude. Li Zhen eventually seeks much-needed solace from a sympathetic policeman named Tide.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: surreal, artsy, atmospheric, contemplative, mind bending, psychedelic, depressing, sad, sexual, aesthetic
Similar in 79%
A Courtesan with Flowered Skin (2014)
Plot Summary:
Japan around 1860: popular courtesan Asagiri will be freed soon from her service, yet she cannot imagine any other existence. Until one day at a local festival, Asagiri meets the young artisan Hanjiro by chance – an encounter that changes her destiny. With a strong performance by leading actress Yumi ADACHI and exquisite camerawork and production design, A COURTESAN WITH FLOWERED SKIN succeeds in recalling the golden age of Japanese erotic film.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 173
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: disturbing, psychological, romantic, captivating, erotic, intense
Similar in 87%
Lady Snowblood (1973)
Plot Summary:
Yuki's family is nearly wiped out before she is born due to the machinations of a band of criminals. These criminals kidnap and brutalize her mother but leave her alive. Later her mother ends up in prison with only revenge to keep her alive. She creates an instrument for this revenge by purposefully getting pregnant. Yuki never knows the love of a family but only killing and revenge.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: grindhouse, suspenseful, bloody, exciting, melancholic, rough, visual, cult classic, stylized, slasher
Similar in 77%
The Sea Is Watching (2002)
Plot Summary:
Based on Akira Kurosawa's final unproduced script, this Edo-period drama takes place almost entirely inside an ocean-village brothel. O-Shin is a young brothel worker who one night helps a young samurai escape from his pursuers. Against the warnings of her fellow workers, particularly Kikuno and the brothel's owner, O-Shin falls in love with the samurai.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Romance, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: sentimental, serious, realistic, touching, captivating, contemplative, gloomy, jidai geki
Similar in 84%
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Plot Summary:
Jamal Malik is an impoverished Indian teen who becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ but, after he wins, he is suspected of cheating.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 869000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: touching, uplifting, realistic, motivational, feel good, heartbreaking, inspirational, emotional, serious, harsh