Movies Like Rules of Living

If you liked Rules of Living (2025), a drama and comedy movie directed by Greg Dale, 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
Rental Family (2025)
★ 7.7/10Also comedy and drama
An American actor in Tokyo struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese 'rental family' agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients' worlds, he…
2
The Case of Hana & Alice (2015)
★ 7.3/10Also comedy
After transferring to Ishinomori Middle School, Tetsuko "Alice" Arisugawa overhears her classmates discussing a strange rumor. The previous occupant of her seat, a nondescript "Judas," is missing and presumed murdered…
3
Leo (2023)
★ 7.3/10Also comedy
Jaded 74-year-old reptile Leo has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle. When he learns he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the…
4
Maborosi (1995)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
A tragedy strikes a young woman's life without warning or reason. She continues living while searching for meaning in a lonely world.
5
anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day - The Movie (2013)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
A year has passed since Menma's ghostly return to the Super Peace Busters. Although the time they spent together during that summer was short, the five members reminisce about what happened as they each write a letter…
6
Madadayo (1993)
★ 7.3/10Also drama and comedy
In postwar Tokyo, beloved writer-professor Hyakken Uchida retires and is buoyed through hardship by the fierce devotion of his former students, who honor him each year with a raucous “Not yet!” birthday toast. Told in…
7
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off…
8
The Magic of Belle Isle (2012)
★ 7/10Also drama and comedy
In an effort to tap into his original talent, a wheelchair-bound author moves to a rural town, where he befriends a single mother and her three kids, who help reignite his passion for writing.
9
Black★Rock Shooter (2010)
★ 6/10Also drama
The story of two girls bound in friendship, as well as Black Rock Star's struggle unfolding in another world. But when the two worlds come together... what will happen?
10
Orange (2015)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
A girl mysteriously receives advice from her future self and as a result her group of friends, along with a newly arrived, troubled classmate, learn how to be better friends and a better community.
11
iCarly: iGo to Japan (2008)
★ 6.8/10Also comedy
Carly, Sam and Freddie kick off their adventure in Japan on a tin can of a plane packed with caged possums and piloted by Spencer's odd acquaintance.
12
All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001)
★ 7.5/10Also drama
Charts the troubled teenage years of students Yūichi Hasumi and Shūsuke Hoshino, exploring the shifting and complex power dynamics of their relationship against the backdrop of Yūichi's love for the dreamy and abstract…
13
Beaches (1988)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy and drama
A privileged rich debutante and a cynical struggling entertainer share a turbulent, but strong childhood friendship over the years.
14
Always - Sunset on Third Street (2005)
★ 7.7/10Also comedy and drama
In 1958 postwar Tokyo, the residents of a humble Third Street neighbourhood struggle, dream, and grow together as rapid modernisation transforms their lives beneath the shadow of the newly rising Tokyo Tower.
15
Look Back (2024)
★ 8.2/10Also drama
Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher asks her to share the space with Kyomoto, a truant recluse whose beautiful artwork sparks a…
16
The Healer (2017)
★ 7.1/10Also drama and comedy
The film follows a man with an unwanted gift for healing who meets a teenager with cancer who helps him to find himself.
17
Roujin Z (1991)
★ 6.6/10Also drama
Mr. Takazawa, an elderly invalid who is cared for at his home by Haruko, a young nursing student, is chosen by the Japanese Ministry of Public Welfare to test the Z-001, a computerized hospital bed with robotic…
18
Grown Ups (2010)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy
After their high school basketball coach passes away, five good friends and former teammates reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend.
19
My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
★ 7/10Also comedy
The Yamadas are a typical middle class Japanese family in urban Tokyo and this film shows us a variety of episodes of their lives. With tales that range from the humorous to the heartbreaking, we see this family cope…
20
Kikujiro (1999)
★ 7.5/10Also comedy and drama
Brash, loudmouthed and opportunistic, Kikujiro is the unlikely companion for Masao who is determined to see the mother he has never met. The two begin a series of adventures which soon turns out to be a whimsical…