Movies like Moon and Thunder

If you like "Moon and Thunder" you are looking for melancholic, psychological and touching movies about / with absent mother, orphan, mother daughter relationship, family secret, character study, forbidden love and unrequited love themes of Drama genre shot in Japan.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps: 1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below). 2. Look for them in the presented list.
Moon and Thunder (2017)
 6.9
 59
Moon and Thunder (2017)
Original name: 月と雷
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min.
Story: When Yasuko (Eriko Hatsune) was a child, her mother left their home. She grew up not knowing what an ordinary family is. Satoshi's (Kengo Kora) mother was the girlfriend of Yasuko's late father. One day, Satoshi appears in front of Yasuko. Since that moment, Yasuko's monotonous life begins to change.
Style: melancholic, psychological, touching, serious, emotional, reflective, realistic, independent film, ambiguous ending
Plot: absent mother, orphan, mother daughter relationship, family secret, character study, forbidden love, unrequited love, romantic relationship, love and romance, love affair, love story, love interest, loneliness, grief, loss, abandonment, identity, intimate, minimalism, memory, slice of life, bittersweet, reconciliation, household, slow burn ...
Time: contemporary

Most similar movies to Moon and Thunder

The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out melancholic, psychological, emotional and realistic films with plots about intimate, character study, bittersweet, minimalism, slice of life, loss and identity mostly in Drama and Romance genres. Some movies like Moon and Thunder: Gyeongju (2014), The Portuguese House (2025), Hand (2022), The Other (2020), The Shadowless Tower (2023). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
 6.8
 534
Gyeongju (2014)
Genre: Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 145 min.
Story: A Beijing professor returns to his stomping grounds for a friend's funeral. Reflecting on the past, he meets a tea shop owner who sparks feelings of love in a time of pain.
Style: thrilling, captivating, psychological, melancholic, reflective ...
Plot: mourning, memory, nostalgia, past, love and romance, love affair, couple relations, romantic relationship, troubled past, male female relationship, couples, love story ...
Similarity:
95%
The Portuguese House (2025)
Genre: Drama
Country: Portugal, Spain
Duration: 114 min.
Story: The disappearance of his wife leaves Fernando, a quiet geography teacher, completely devastated. Aimless, he impersonates another man as a gardener at a Portuguese country house, where he forms an unexpected friendship with the owner.
Style: melancholic, emotional, psychological, atmospheric, existential ...
Plot: grief, loss, character study, loneliness, identity, intimate, country house, memory, minimalism, friendship, impostor, gardener ...
Similarity:
92%
 6.4
 265
Hand (2022)
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 99 min.
Story: Sawako enjoys taking photos of older men and making scrapbooks with them. Although the men she has dated have always been older than her, she has been unable to speak well with her father and they have grown apart.
Style: romantic drama, psychological, captivating, thrilling, romantic ...
Plot: self discovery, sexual awakening, problem, relationships, romantic relationship, love story, couple relations, love interest, love, relationship problems, love affair, love and romance ...
Similarity:
90%
 6.1
 71
The Other (2020)
Genre: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 77 min.
Story: An intimate portrait of a woman's mental confrontation and drifting between dream and reality after experiencing loss.
Style: psychological, melancholic, contemplative, emotional, art house ...
Plot: mental health, grief, character study, intimate, female protagonist, loss, loneliness, memory, isolation, confrontation, identity, minimalism ...
Similarity:
89%
Movie in collections
The Shadowless Tower (2023)
Genre: Drama
Country: China
Duration: 144 min.
Story: Gu Wentong, a middle-aged food critic, is drifting through the local eateries of vibrant Beijing with his younger photographer colleague Oyang. A divorcé with a 6-year-old daughter and estranged from his father for decades, he is looking for a new ...
Style: psychological, thrilling, captivating, reflective, realistic ...
Plot: father son relationship, estrangement, father, family relations, search for father, family drama, father son reunion, absent father, relationships, estranged father, relationship problems, family reunited ...
Place: china
Similarity:
88%
 5.9
 377
Barrage (2017)
Genre: Drama
Country: Luxembourg, Belgium, France
Duration: 112 min.
Story: After ten years abroad, Catherine returns to Luxembourg, to catch up with her daughter Alba, brought up by Catherine’s mother Elisabeth. Alba is cold and distant with this stranger showing up unexpectedly in her life, so is Elisabeth, keen to keep ...
Style: art house, thought provoking, enigmatic, suspense, touching ...
Plot: mother daughter reunion, mother daughter relationship, grandmother granddaughter relationship, runaway, escapades, female protagonist, character study, introspection, regret, trauma, alienation, moral ambiguity ...
Similarity:
88%
Chasing the Wind (2013)
Genre: Drama
Country: Norway
Duration: 91 min.
Story: Anna hasn’t seen her family for a decade. When her grandmother dies, she returns home to take care of her grandfather. In the week leading up to the funeral, nothing goes as expected, and Anna is forced to reconsider how she lives her life.
Style: melancholic, contemplative, realistic
Plot: grief, grandfather, funeral, getting home, family conflict, family drama, loss, intimate, character study, small town, mourning, confrontation ...
Time: 2010s
Place: berlin germany
Similarity:
88%
 4.2
 221
Broken Windows (2008)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story: Four Women, Four Dreams, Four Realities
Style: realistic, independent film, emotional, reflective, melancholic ...
Plot: self discovery, grief, friendship, loss, intimate, relationships, introspection, identity crisis, slice of life, party, mourning, slow burn ...
Time: 21st century
Similarity:
87%
Movie in collections
 6.0
 228
A Perfect Day (2005)
Genre: Drama
Country: France, Lebanon, Germany
Duration: 88 min.
Story: A day in the life of Malek, a young man who suffers from sleep disorders and is obsessed with thoughts of his ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile, his overprotective mother struggles with the disappearance of her husband, who was kidnapped more than 15 years ...
Style: art house, psychological, melancholic, emotional, existential ...
Plot: insomnia, family drama, character study, longing, slice of life, loss, grief, mother son relationship, memories, intimate, loneliness, regret ...
Time: 2000s
Place: lebanon, middle east
Similarity:
86%
 4.4
 40
Happy Baby (2016)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story: An abused, former orphan living in San Francisco returns to New York to reconnect with the love of his life and understand how his past has shaped his future. It's a semi-autobiographical work based on the book of the same name originally ...
Style: emotional, psychological, realistic, independent film, semi autobiographical ...
Plot: character study, trauma, foster home, male protagonist, lost love, introspection, identity, literary, memory, urban, intimate, self discovery ...
Place: new york, san francisco
Similarity:
86%
Migratory Birds (2018)
Genre: Drama
Country: Chile
Duration: 83 min.
Story: Diego is hosting a farewell party in his house before he leaves on a trip that no one knows about.
Style: reflective, emotional, melancholic, realistic, tension ...
Plot: secrets, house party, introspection, intimate, relationships, bittersweet, friendship, regret, single, identity, character study, slice of life ...
Similarity:
86%
 7.6
 35
Footnotes (2023)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story: Harkening back to the apartment movies of the 1970s, "Footnotes" is the story of neighbors and near total strangers, Will and Apurna. When they begin spending lock-down together in the wake of the 2020 pandemic, what starts as a platonic ...
Style: realistic, bleak, psychological, serious, captivating ...
Plot: longing, isolation, quarantine, intimate, character study, neighbor, relationships, social relations, romantic relationship, male female relationship, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, love affair ...
Place: new england
Similarity:
86%
Eszter's Inheritance (2008)
Genre: Drama
Country: Hungary
Duration: 90 min.
Story: The aging Eszter clarify outstanding relationship.
Style: realistic, serious, emotional, psychological, touching ...
Plot: haunted by the past, love and romance, life turned upside down, hopes, society, estrangement, destiny, misfit, estate, female protagonist, lost love, heartbreak ...
Time: 20th century, 1930s
Place: hungary, central europe, europe
Similarity:
86%
Mothers Child (2020)
Genre: Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 127 min.
Story: A couple mutually decide to give their baby up for adoption to go back to living their separate lives.
Style: emotional, realistic, independent film, sincere, melancholic
Plot: adoption, parenthood, intimate, character study, separation, loss, bonding, ethical dilemma, bittersweet, introspection, slice of life, grief ...
Similarity:
86%
Whatever Happens (2017)
Genre: Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 100 min.
Story: Hannah and Julian have separated and meet for a last time to empty out their shared apartment. But nothing goes as planned, and their last night together becomes a turbulent roller-coaster ride.
Style: psychological, emotional, captivating, thrilling, romantic ...
Plot: breakup, relationship problems, relationships, couples, love and romance, love interest, love story, love affair, male female relationship, couple relations, romantic relationship, in love ...
Similarity:
85%
 6.7
 78
14 Days (2021)
Genre: Drama
Country: Italy
Duration: 100 min.
Story: A love story between a husband and wife who got lost, and not just because of a betrayal.
Style: psychological, thrilling, captivating, emotional, intense ...
Plot: infidelity, domestic drama, marriage, love story, love affair, couple relations, family problems, relationships, male female relationship, relationship problems, couples, love and romance ...
Time: 2020s
Place: italy
Similarity:
85%
The Branches (2016)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 58 min.
Story: A melodic, emotional exploration of one family falling apart in a sleepy Midwestern city, The Branches follows Claire (Kelly Brumbach) as she attempts to reconnect with the hometown life she left behind.
Style: emotional, melancholic, contemplative, realistic, atmospheric
Plot: family drama, hometown, family conflict, intimate, estrangement, getting home, character study, relationships, small town, introspection, homecoming, grief ...
Time: 2010s
Place: ohio, midwest
Similarity:
85%
Allen Sunshine (2024)
Genre: Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min.
Story: A former music industry mogul grieving the death of his wife at an isolated lake-side home finds subtle redemption in the youthful spirit of friendship cultivated with two young boys.
Style: melancholic, emotional, reflective, psychological, ambiguous ending
Plot: character study, mourning, loss, solitude, grief, introspection, friendship, isolation, redemption, healing, loneliness, slow burn ...
Similarity:
85%
Movie in collections
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7378
emotional movies
15358
grief movies
5437
loss movies
3447
 6.3
 468
Tracey (2018)
Genre: Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Duration: 114 min.
Story: Tai-hung, in his 50s, lives happily with his wife. Informed of the death of his high school friend, Tai-hung’s secret past resurfaces. The feature debut from promising new Hong Kong talent Jun Li.
Style: captivating, thrilling, psychological, melancholic, emotional ...
Plot: transgender, grief, lgbt, transgender woman, character study, identity, gender issues, problem, changing lives, family relations, lifestyle change, couple relations ...
Time: 2010s
Place: china
Similarity:
84%
 7.5
 6K
A Long Story (2012)
Genre: Drama
Country: Turkey
Duration: 125 min.
Story: A long story that started and ended at the station.
Style: captivating, psychological, disturbing, emotional, reflective ...
Plot: love story, forbidden love, social relations, male female relationship, immigrant, lifestyle, immigration, love affair, husband wife relationship, parents and children, society, journey ...
Similarity:
84%
A Blue Automobile (2004)
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 90 min.
Story: Richio, a young DJ, is as emotionally non-existent as no other man on the planet. He uses his tough exterior to avoid attachments to people and society.
Style: psychological, captivating, disturbing, melancholic, art house ...
Plot: love triangle, trauma, character study, relationships, romantic relationship, love affair, love story, physical appearance, male female relationship, relationship problems, social problems, love interest ...
Similarity:
84%
Say Hello for Me (2007)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 114 min.
Story: "Say Hello for Me" is a love story and talks about three people's childhood friendship and their reunion after 15 years of separation.
Style: romantic, romantic drama, psychological, disturbing, captivating ...
Plot: relationships, lovers apart, love triangle, ex boyfriend ex girlfriend reunion, love story, couple relations, lovers reunited, male female relationship, romantic relationship, reunited friends, romantic friendship, couples ...
Time: 2000s
Similarity:
84%
 4.9
 121
Uprise (2008)
Genre: Drama
Country: Portugal
Duration: 99 min.
Story: In this evocative story told ingeniously with minimal dialogue, men and women from various backgrounds and places each deal with the loss of a loved one.
Style: poignant, melancholic, emotional, art house, contemplative ...
Plot: grief, loss, loneliness, solitude, mourning, minimal dialogue, empathy, bereavement, memory, healing, intimate, soul searching ...
Similarity:
84%
Movie in collections
 5.5
 450
The Last Fall (2012)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story: An NFL journeyman struggles to deal with life's complexities after his professional career is over.
Style: realistic, sincere, touching, captivating, psychological ...
Plot: nfl, starting over, self discovery, introspection, love affair, hopes, homecoming, unfulfillment, football, male protagonist, father son relationship, financial difficulty ...
Time: 21st century
Place: usa
Similarity:
84%
The Reconquest (2016)
Genre: Drama
Country: Spain
Duration: 108 min.
Story: Manuela and Olmo meet in a future as they had promised fifteen years earlier as teenagers, when they lived their first love. Based on this romantic situation, La Reconquista is in fact a film on a quest for time; or about the awareness of time: of ...
Style: romantic drama, thrilling, captivating, romantic, psychological ...
Plot: relationships, love, love story, male female relationship, romantic relationship, love affair, love interest, love and romance, couples, lovers reunited, couple relations, memory ...
Time: 2010s, future
Similarity:
84%
 6.7
 103
Their Distance (2015)
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 106 min.
Story: Leon, a young bootmaker tends not to have relation with others for some reason. But when he meets Sona, a drunken Korean lady at his favorite park, everything around him starts to change.
Style: art house, emotional, melancholic, realistic, intercultural ...
Plot: loneliness, isolation, intimate, character study, unrequited love, slice of life, minimalism, obsession, love triangle, personal growth, apprentice, identity ...
Place: tokyo
Similarity:
84%
Finding Jenua (2011)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 70 min.
Story: The film is about a young woman (Gayle James) running away from her past and moves in with a woman (Leigh Rose) who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and she believes is her grand-daughter.
Style: realistic, touching, atmospheric, serious, reflective ...
Plot: small town, small town life, connection, loss, memory loss, bittersweet, character study, healing, identity, love, female protagonist, self discovery ...
Time: 21st century
Similarity:
84%
 6.0
 299
My Night (2021)
Genre: Drama
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 87 min.
Story: Marion faces Paris at night with a feeling of vulnerability linked to the loss of her sister. She crosses paths with Alex. Their encounter will evolve at the rhythm of their wanderings through the city, like a journey through the night.
Style: realistic, psychological, social, serious, suspenseful ...
Plot: teenager, night, journey, mourning, grief, loss, male female relationship, sister sister relationship, family relations, wandering, death of sister, death ...
Place: paris france
Similarity:
84%
 6.2
 839
Drift (2023)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA, Greece, France, UK, China, Singapore
Duration: 93 min.
Story: Jacqueline, a young refugee, lands alone and penniless on a Greek island where she tries to survive, then to cope with her past. While gathering her strength, she begins a friendship with a rootless tour guide and together they find the resilience ...
Style: psychological, captivating, thrilling, realistic, melancholic ...
Plot: hopes, friendship, refugee, connection, character study, love story, male female relationship, lifestyle change, changing lives, relationships, love interest, couples ...
Place: greece, liberia
Similarity:
84%
 7.0
 1K
Violent (2014)
Genre: Drama
Country: Canada, Norway
Duration: 102 min.
Story: A young woman, and her last memories of the five people who loved her most, recalled while experiencing a catastrophic event.
Style: psychological, thrilling, captivating, emotional, art house ...
Plot: memories, female protagonist, death, memory, relationships, love story, male female relationship, love affair, lifestyle, trauma, loss, grief ...
Similarity:
84%