Movies Like Barren Illusion

If you liked Barren Illusion (1999), a science fiction and drama movie directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Winter's Tale (2014)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and romance
A burglar falls for an heiress as she dies in his arms. When he learns that he has the gift of reincarnation, he sets out to save her.
2
2073 (2024)
★ 6.7/10Also science fiction and drama
Inspired by Chris Marker's iconic 1962 featurette La Jetée; the year is 2073—a not-so-distant dystopian future—and the setting is New San Francisco, the scorched-earth tech-dominant police state where democracy and…
3
Doctor Who: Last Christmas (2014)
★ 7.7/10Also science fiction and drama
The Doctor and Clara face their Last Christmas. Trapped on an Arctic base, under attack from terrifying creatures, who are you going to call? Santa Claus!
4
Equals (2015)
★ 6.1/10Also drama and romance
A futuristic love story set in a world where emotions have been eradicated.
5
Mr. Nobody (2009)
★ 7.8/10Also science fiction and drama
Nemo Nobody leads an ordinary existence with his wife and 3 children; one day, he wakes up as a mortal centenarian in the year 2092.
6
Starman (1984)
★ 6.9/10Also science fiction and drama
When an alien takes the form of a young widow's husband and asks her to drive him from Wisconsin to Arizona, the government tries to stop them.
7
Steins;Gate: The Movie - Load Region of Déjà Vu (2013)
★ 7.6/10Also science fiction and drama
One year after the events of the anime, Rintarou begins to feel the repercussions of extensive time travel, and eventually completely fades from reality. Kurisu, being the only companion to remember him, now must find…
8
The Last Mimzy (2007)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and science fiction
Two siblings begin to develop special talents after they find a mysterious box of toys, and soon their parents and even their teacher are drawn into a strange new world – and find a task ahead of them that is far more…
9
Light of My Life (2019)
★ 6.5/10Also science fiction and drama
Years after a pandemic wipes out most of the female population, a father struggles to shield his daughter from a dangerous and predatory world.
10
Radiance (2017)
★ 6.5/10Also romance and drama
The story follows the social intercourse between a cameraman, Masaya, with a visual impairment, and Misako who disconnects from the world.
11
Purple Hearts (2022)
★ 8/10Also romance and drama
An aspiring musician agrees to a marriage of convenience with a soon-to-deploy Marine, but a tragedy soon turns their fake relationship all too real.
12
Sahara (1983)
★ 5.9/10Also drama and romance
Intent on winning a competition in place of her distinguished late father, beautiful young heiress Dale takes on the guise of a man and competes in his spot, embarking on a car race that crosses the unforgiving Sahara…
13
An Autumn Romance (2021)
★ 7/10Also romance and drama
When librarian Taylor Harris suddenly loses her job, she decides to visit her brother in a small town in Montana. There, she gets involved in the fight to help save her brother's hotel from tycoon Joel Sheenan, who…
14
Possession (2002)
★ 6/10Also drama and romance
Maud Bailey, a brilliant English academic, is researching the life and work of poet Christabel La Motte. Roland Michell is an American scholar in London to study Randolph Henry Ash, now best-known for a collection of…
15
Love Everlasting (2016)
★ 7.4/10Also romance and drama
Bridger is a young outsider who's always wanted more. He and his mother flee an abusive home, eventually finding a small town in the middle of nowhere. Once there, Bridger finds true acceptance with another misfit.
16
Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between (2022)
★ 6.1/10Also romance and drama
Clare and Aidan make a pact to break up before college — no regrets, no broken hearts. But will one epic goodbye date offer them a last chance at love?
17
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
★ 7/10Also drama and romance
Due to a genetic disorder, handsome librarian Henry DeTamble involuntarily zips through time, appearing at various moments in the life of his true love, the beautiful artist Clare Abshire.
18
Journey to the Shore (2015)
★ 6.5/10Also drama and romance
Mizuki's husband Yusuke has been missing for three years. He suddenly comes back home as a ghost and asks Mizuki to go on a trip with him. Their trip consists of visiting the people that helped Yusuke on his previous…
19
The Magic of Ordinary Days (2005)
★ 7.5/10Also drama and romance
Pregnant out of wedlock, an educated young woman is pressured by her father into an arranged marriage with a lonely farmer in this drama set during WWII.
20
Drawing Closer (2024)
★ 8.4/10Also romance and drama
With only a year left to live, 17-year-old Akito finds new meaning in life by bringing joy to a terminally ill girl who has just six months remaining.