Movies Like Goodbye to Our Kindergarten
If you liked Goodbye to Our Kindergarten (2011), a drama and family movie directed by Nobuo Mizuta, 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
Monster (2023)
★ 7.9/10Also dramaAfter an outburst at school involving her son, a concerned single mother demands answers, triggering a sequence of deepening suspicion and turmoil.
- 2
Skater Girl (2021)
★ 7.2/10Also drama and familyPrerna, a teenager growing up in rural India, comes of age when she’s introduced to the sport of skateboarding. As a result, she has to fight the odds to follow her dreams and compete in the national championship.
- 3
Heidi (2005)
★ 7.8/10Also drama and familySwiss girl Adelheid 'Heidi' is orphaned young. Aunt Detie brings her to grandpa Alp and his wife, who live isolated in the Alps since his murder charge. Heidi soon takes to the wild country, especially accompanying…
- 4
A Little Princess (1995)
★ 7.6/10Also drama and familyWhen her father enlists to fight for the British in WWI, young Sara Crewe goes to New York to attend the same boarding school her late mother attended. She soon clashes with the severe headmistress, Miss Minchin, who…
- 5
Flicka (2006)
★ 6.9/10Also family and dramaKaty McLaughlin desires to work on her family's mountainside horse ranch, although her father insists she finish boarding school. Katy finds a mustang in the hills near her ranch. The headstrong 16 year old then sets…
- 6
Look Back (2024)
★ 8.2/10Also dramaPopular, 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…
- 7
Won't Back Down (2012)
★ 6.2/10Also dramaJamie Fitzpatrick and Nona Alberts are two women from opposites sides of the social and economic track, but they have one thing in common: a mission to fix their community's broken school and ensure a bright future for…
- 8
Once Upon a Forest (1993)
★ 6.5/10Also familyA young mouse, mole and hedgehog risk their lives to find a cure for their badger friend, who's been poisoned by men.
- 9
Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window (2023)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and familyThis engaging series of childhood recollections tells of an unconventional school in Tokyo during World War II that combined learning with fun, freedom, and love. The school had old railroad cars for classrooms and was…
- 10
Girl in the Box (2016)
★ 6.7/10Also dramaThe true story of 20-year-old Colleen Stan, a hitchhiking woman abducted by a young couple and held captive for seven years, during which time she's tortured and forced to live as a slave to her captors.
- 11
Where the Red Fern Grows (2003)
★ 6.6/10Also drama and familySet in the Ozark Mountains during the Great Depression, Billy Coleman works hard and saves his earnings for 2 years to achieve his dream of buying two coonhound pups. He develops a new trust in God as he faces…
- 12
The Deep End of the Ocean (1999)
★ 6.6/10Also dramaA three-year-old boy disappears during his mother's high school reunion. Nine years later, by chance, he turns up in the town in which the family has just relocated.
- 13
Freedom Writers (2007)
★ 7.9/10Also dramaA young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.
- 14
Mr. Church (2016)
★ 7.4/10Also dramaA unique friendship develops when a little girl and her dying mother inherit a cook - Mr. Church. What begins as an arrangement that should only last six months, instead spans fifteen years.
- 15
The Truth About Emanuel (2013)
★ 6/10Also dramaA troubled young woman becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl's dead mother.
- 16
Heaven (2019)
★ 6.2/10Also dramaHeaven Leigh Casteel, gifted and intelligent, is the eldest of five dirt-poor children struggling to survive in a mountain shack. As she endures neglect and abuse, Heaven discovers a dark secret that changes everything…
- 17
Where the Red Fern Grows (1974)
★ 6.9/10Also drama and familyBilly Coleman works hard and saves his earnings for two years to achieve his dream of buying two red-bone coonhound pups. He develops a new trust in life as he faces overwhelming challenges in adventure and tragedy…
- 18
Wonder (2017)
★ 8.1/10Also family and dramaThe story of August Pullman – a boy with facial differences – who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
- 19
Skin (2009)
★ 6.4/10Also dramaBased on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era.
- 20
Not Without Hope (2025)
★ 6.6/10Also dramaA group of friends' fishing boat capsizes off the coast of Mexico and they're left alone stranded at sea and struggling for survival.