Movies Like Why a Cuckoo Cries

If you liked Why a Cuckoo Cries (1967), a horror and drama movie directed by Lee Kyu-woong, 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
The Surrender (2025)
★ 5.9/10Also drama and horror
A fraught mother-daughter relationship is put to a terrifying test when the family patriarch dies, and the grieving mother hires a mysterious stranger to bring her husband back from the dead.
2
Horns (2013)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
In the aftermath of his girlfriend's mysterious death, a young man awakens to strange horns sprouting from his temples.
3
Caged (2021)
★ 6.2/10Also horror and drama
An African American male is imprisoned and placed in solitary confinement after being found guilty of murdering his wife, as he's haunted by internal demons and his dead wife, and pushed to the breaking point by an…
4
The Cat (2011)
★ 6.7/10Also horror
So-yeon suffers from claustrophobia and inherits a Persian cat when its owner dies. She begins having nightmares and people around her begin dying as she searches for the truth.
5
Run (1991)
★ 6/10Also drama
When a law student accidentally kills the son of a mob boss in a fight, he finds himself relentlessly pursued by the mob and the police.
6
Noise (2025)
★ 6.7/10Also horror
Ju-young is a young woman with a hearing impediment who decides to investigate her sister's inexplicable disappearance, last seen in her apartment. Feeling more and more cornered, Ju-young begins to hear strange sounds…
7
Monster (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also drama
Bok-Soon runs a street stall, cares for her younger sister, and is feared by many because of her quick temper. When Tae-Soo murders her sister, rage consumes her completely as she stalks the killer.
8
Everyone Is There (2020)
★ 8.1/10Also drama
Soo Yeon decides to commit suicide to end the bullying she goes through at school, when a savior appears. A woman punishes the bullies on behalf of Soo Yeon and saves her from the reality of hell.
9
Intruders (2015)
★ 5.9/10Also drama and horror
Anna suffers from agoraphobia so crippling that when a trio of criminals break into her house, she cannot bring herself to flee. But what the intruders don't realize is that agoraphobia is not her only psychosis.
10
Nocebo (2022)
★ 6/10Also horror
A fashion designer suffers from a mysterious illness that puzzles her doctors and frustrates her husband until help arrives in the form of a Filipino caregiver who uses traditional folk healing to reveal a horrifying…
11
The Last Thing Mary Saw (2021)
★ 6/10Also horror and drama
Winter, 1843. A young woman is under investigation following the mysterious death of her family's matriarch. Her recollection of the events sheds new light on the ageless forces behind the tragedy.
12
The House on Carroll Street (1988)
★ 5.9/10Also drama
A reporter, fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. While working she overhears a noisy argument in the neighboring house…
13
The Truth About Emanuel (2013)
★ 6/10Also drama
A troubled young woman becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl's dead mother.
14
Hello (2022)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
An emotionally unavailable flight attendant meets a potential love interest and later finds out that her "perfect guy" has ulterior motives. As the clock ticks down on New Year's Eve, she must fight to keep her…
15
Girl in the Box (2016)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
The 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.
16
The Caveman's Valentine (2001)
★ 5.9/10Also drama
Romulus, a misunderstood musician turned recluse hiding from personal demons in a New York City cave, finds the frozen body of a young drifter in a tree. The authorities, including his police officer daughter, claim…
17
SAS: Red Notice (2021)
★ 5.8/10Also drama
An off-duty SAS soldier, Tom Buckingham, must thwart a terror attack on a train running through the Channel Tunnel. As the action escalates on the train, events transpire in the corridors of power that may make the…
18
Quicksand (2023)
★ 6.1/10Also horror and drama
A married couple on the brink of divorce becomes trapped in quicksand while hiking through a Colombian rainforest. It’s a struggle for survival as they battle the elements of the jungle and must work together in order…
19
Guimoon: The Lightless Door (2021)
★ 6.7/10Also horror
In 1990, at a secluded community center, the custodian murders all the guest lodgers and kills himself. Ever since, on every Old Year's Night, paranormal events begin to take place within the building. Eventually, the…
20
A Crooked Somebody (2018)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
An attention-seeking psychic is kidnapped and tries to use the situation to boost his popularity.