Movies Like Shanghai Strangers
If you liked Shanghai Strangers (2012), a romance and drama movie directed by Joan Chen, 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
Buddha Mountain (2011)
★ 6.7/10Also dramaIn Chengdu, China, a retired female opera singer named Master Chang takes in a trio of young tenants into her boarding home. The tenants include a rock singer and a college student who has run away from home.
- 2
Lucky Them (2013)
★ 6/10Also dramaMore interested in partying and flirting with young musicians than work, veteran rock journalist Ellie Klug has one last chance to prove her value to her magazine’s editor: a no-stone-unturned search to discover what…
- 3
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.
- 4
The Girl in the Book (2015)
★ 5.8/10Also dramaThe story of a young writer's transformation when her past invades her present.
- 5
Love Everlasting (2016)
★ 7.4/10Also romance and dramaBridger 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.
- 6
The Trials of Cate McCall (2013)
★ 6.4/10Also dramaIn order to be reinstated to the bar and recover custody of her daughter, a hotshot lawyer, now in recovery and on probation, must take on the appeal of a woman wrongfully convicted of murder.
- 7
Strange Weather (2016)
★ 5.9/10Also dramaYears after her son's suicide, a woman longs to confront both the past and a friend of his who took his business idea.
- 8
Doing Life (2026)
★ 7.8/10Also romance and dramaA single mother and an incarcerated man forge an unlikely bond through heartfelt letters, unlocking a door to redemption, hope and love against all odds.
- 9
Wander Darkly (2020)
★ 6/10Also romance and dramaNew parents Adrienne and Matteo are forced to reckon with trauma amidst their troubled relationship. They must revisit the memories of their past and unravel haunting truths in order to face their uncertain future.
- 10
Hollywood Dirt (2017)
★ 6.4/10Also drama and romanceHollywood arrives in force to Quincy, the small town where the secret Crown Cola billionaire's live. They want to film about the billionaire's and how they made their fortunes. Summer Jenkins, who was the town pariah…
- 11
Time Is Up (2021)
★ 6.5/10Also romance and dramaVivien, an accomplished student with a passion for physics, and Roy, a troubled young man, are involved in an accident that forces them to reclaim their lives one minute at the time.
- 12
Summer Palace (2007)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and romanceYu Hong leaves her home village and starts university in Beijing, where she develops a consuming and compulsive relationship with another student. The student riots from 1989 then ensue and take a toll on their lives.
- 13
The Golden Era (2014)
★ 6.7/10Also drama and romanceThe story of writer Xiao Hong comes alive through memories of her great love affair, literary influence and escape from China during World War II.
- 14
Newness (2017)
★ 6.1/10Also romance and dramaIn contemporary Los Angeles, two millennials navigating a social media–driven hookup culture begin a relationship that pushes both emotional and physical boundaries.
- 15
Hounddog (2008)
★ 6.5/10Also dramaA drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
- 16
The Secret: Dare to Dream (2020)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and romanceA widow with three children hires a handyman to fix her house during a major storm. When not doing home repairs, he shares his philosophy of believing in the power of the universe to deliver what we want.
- 17
I Can't Think Straight (2008)
★ 7.5/10Also drama and romanceTala, a London-based Palestinian, is preparing for her elaborate Middle Eastern wedding when she meets Leyla, a young British Indian woman who is dating her best friend. Spirited Christian Tala and shy Muslim Leyla…
- 18
Ashes in the Snow (2018)
★ 6.4/10Also drama and romanceThe coming-of-age tale of 16-year-old Lina Vilkas who is deported to Siberia amid Stalin's reign of terror in the Baltic region during WWII. An aspiring artist, she secretly documents her harrowing journey with her…
- 19
Under the Hawthorn Tree (2010)
★ 7.8/10Also drama and romanceThe daughter of a right-winger, schoolgirl Jing Qiu is sent to the countryside for reeducation, and tasked to help write a textbook. There she meets Lao San, a young soldier with a bright future ahead. Despite the…
- 20
Her Story (2024)
★ 7.6/10Also drama and romanceWang Tiemei, a single mother, loses her job and moves, befriending neighbor Xiaoye who appears cheerful but is depressed. Their bond grows as Tiemei navigates relationships with her ex-husband causing trouble.