Movies Like The Upstart

If you liked The Upstart (1921), a movie directed by Kisaburō Kurihara, 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 Brass Teapot (2012)
★ 6.1/10
When a couple discovers that a brass teapot makes them money whenever they hurt themselves, they must come to terms with how far they are willing to go.
2
Asakusa Kid (2021)
★ 7/10
Before he hit it big, Takeshi Kitano got his start apprenticing with comedy legend Fukami of Asakusa. But as his star rises, his mentor's declines.
3
Batman Ninja (2018)
★ 5.9/10
Batman, along with many of his allies and adversaries, finds himself transported to feudal Japan by Gorilla Grodd's time displacement machine.
4
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
★ 7/10
The story of Rudy Ray Moore, who created the iconic big screen pimp character Dolemite in the 1970s.
5
Gintama: The Movie (2010)
★ 7.5/10
Odd Jobs Gin has taken on a lot of odd work in the past, and when you're a Jack of All Trades agency based in a feudal Japan that's been conquered and colonized by aliens, the term "Odd Jobs" means REALLY ODD jobs. But…
6
Hardball (2001)
★ 6.5/10
An aimless young man who is scalping tickets, gambling and drinking, agrees to coach a Little League team from the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago as a condition of getting a loan from a friend.
7
A Taxing Woman (1987)
★ 6.7/10
Intrepid tax investigator Ryoko Itakura sets her sights on the mysterious and philandering Hideki Gondo, a suspected millionaire and proprietor of a thriving chain of seedy hourly hotels, who has for years succeeded at…
8
Intentions of Murder (1964)
★ 7/10
The neglected common-law wife of a Japanese librarian is repeatedly harassed by a young man with a heart condition who seduces her with the prospect of a better life.
9
The Magic Hour (2008)
★ 7.5/10
A hustler who gets in trouble with a gang boss in the port town of Sukago agrees to make good with the don by putting him in contact with a mysterious hitman — an assassin the hustler has no idea how to contact…
10
One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005)
★ 7.2/10
The Straw Hats visit a recreational island, run by Baron Omatsuri, who asks them to complete a series of ordeals if they wish to stay on the island. Luffy accepts and the Straw Hats work together to complete them, but…
11
The Debt Collector (2018)
★ 5.8/10
A classically-trained martial artist goes to work as a debt collector for the mob. The job seems easy enough, until one “client” pulls him into a situation deeper than could ever be expected.
12
One Piece: Dead End Adventure (2003)
★ 7/10
Desperate for cash, the Straw Hat Pirates enter a secret race between pirate crews known as the Dead End Competition. There, they must battle against powerful people, including the bounty hunter who wants to kill…
13
Tropic Thunder (2008)
★ 6.7/10
A group of self-absorbed actors set out to make the most expensive war film ever. When budgets skyrocket and schedules fall far behind, the director tries to save the production by leading his cast into the jungles of…
14
Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (1986)
★ 6.9/10
The great King Gurumes is searching for the Dragon Balls in order to put a stop to his endless hunger. A young girl named Pansy who lives in the nearby village has had enough of the treachery and decides to seek Muten…
15
Gintama 2: Rules Are Made to Be Broken (2018)
★ 7.1/10
The Yorozuya gang returns to protect the country's shogun when the Shinsengumi police force finds itself in a crisis.
16
Gintama: The Very Final (2021)
★ 8.2/10
The countdown to destruction has begun! Gintoki and the others set out to fulfill the wishes of their teacher Shoyo and thwart Utsuro's plans. Shinpachi, Kagura, the Shinsengumi, members of the Kabuki District, and…
17
Moonwalkers (2015)
★ 6.1/10
What if Apollo 11 never actually made it? What if, in reality, Stanley Kubrick secretly shot the famous images of the moon landing in a studio, working for the US administration? This is the premise of a totally…
18
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
★ 8/10
A film projectionist longs to be a detective, and puts his meager skills to work when he is framed by a rival for stealing his girlfriend's father's pocketwatch.
19
Always - Sunset on Third Street (2005)
★ 7.7/10
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.
20
Blood and Bones (2004)
★ 6.6/10
In 1923, teenager Kim Shun-Pei moves from Cheju Island, in South Korea, to Osaka, in Japan. Along the years, he becomes a cruel, greedy and violent man and builds a factory of kamaboko, processed seafood products, in…