Movies Like The River: Flow of Life

If you liked The River: Flow of Life (2021), a movie directed by Yoko Michizuki, 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
Son of Rambow (2007)
★ 6.7/10
Will is looking for an escape from his family when he encounters Lee, the school bully. Armed with a video camera and a copy of Rambo, Lee plans to make his own action-packed video epic.
2
Megazone 23 (1985)
★ 6.9/10
A young biker stumbles onto a prototype motorcycle with a hidden function that has a link to the true nature of his world.
3
One Mile: Chapter One (2026)
★ 6.6/10
After being released from special forces, a father tries to reconnect with his daughter by taking her on a tour of college, but they soon find themselves fighting for more than their lost relationship when a murderous…
4
Call Me Chihiro (2023)
★ 7.2/10
An unapologetic former sex worker starts working at a bento stand in a small seaside town, bringing comfort to the lonely souls who come her way.
5
Solo Mio (2026)
★ 7.5/10
After Matt's dreams of a picturesque Italian wedding are shattered when his fiancée leaves him at the altar, he embarks on his planned honeymoon across Italy alone, immersing himself in the country's vibrant culture…
6
Armitage: Dual Matrix (2002)
★ 6.4/10
Naomi Armitage and Ross Sylibus have changed their names and live with their daughter Yoko as a happy and normal family on Mars — until an android riot breaks out at an anti-matter plant on Earth.
7
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (2026)
★ 7.1/10
A 'Man from the Future' arrives at an LA diner where he must recruit the precise combination of disgruntled patrons to join him on a one-night quest to save the world from the terminal threat of a rogue artificial…
8
Altered Carbon: Resleeved (2020)
★ 6.6/10
On the planet Latimer, Takeshi Kovacs must protect a tattooist while investigating the death of a yakuza boss alongside a no-nonsense CTAC.
9
Code 8 (2019)
★ 6.3/10
In Lincoln City, some inhabitants have extraordinary abilities. Most live below the poverty line, under the close surveillance of a heavily militarized police force. Connor, a construction worker with powers, involves…
10
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (2023)
★ 5.9/10
Following the death of their patriarch Gus, the Portokalos family travels to Greece for a family reunion, and to deliver Gus' journal to his old friends.
11
Paycheck (2003)
★ 6.2/10
Michael Jennings is a genius who's hired – and paid handsomely – by high-tech firms to work on highly sensitive projects, after which his short-term memory is erased so he's incapable of breaching security. But at the…
12
Stand by Me Doraemon 2 (2020)
★ 7.8/10
Nobita travels to the future to show his beloved grandma his bride, but adult Nobita has fled his own wedding.
13
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021)
★ 8.2/10
In the aftermath of the Fourth Impact, stranded without their Evangelions, Shinji, Asuka and Rei find refuge in one of the rare pockets of humanity that still exist on the ruined planet Earth. There, each lives a life…
14
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
★ 7.8/10
A quirky, dysfunctional family's road trip is upended when they find themselves in the middle of the robot apocalypse and suddenly become humanity's unlikeliest last hope.
15
Surrogates (2009)
★ 6.2/10
Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others' surrogates.
16
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012)
★ 7.2/10
Fourteen years after Third Impact, Shinji Ikari awakens to a world he does not remember. He hasn't aged. Much of Earth is laid in ruins, NERV has been dismantled, and people who he once protected have turned against…
17
The Yellow Handkerchief (1977)
★ 7/10
A convict, newly released from prison for murder, joins two strangers on a road trip through Hokkaido to visit his ex-wife, whom he hasn't seen in four years, knowing that if she puts a yellow handkerchief on the…
18
Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (2026)
★ 8.1/10
Iroha's life gets knocked off its orbit when Kaguya, a carefree runaway from the Moon, moves in and convinces her to perform in a virtual world together.
19
The Last Song (2010)
★ 7.2/10
A drama centered on a rebellious girl who is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect.
20
The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie (2022)
★ 8.3/10
When five lovely young girls who hate studying hire part-time tutor Futaro, he guides not only their education but also their hearts. Time spent has brought them all closer, with feelings growing within the girls and…