Movies like May 18

If you like "May 18" you are looking for serious, realistic and suspenseful movies about / with soldier, korean history, heroes, vigilantism, losing-it hero, politics and revolution themes of Drama and History genre shot in South Korea.
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.
May 18 (2007)
 6.9
 1K
May 18 (2007)
Original name: 화려한 휴가
Genre: Drama, History
Country: South Korea
Duration: 120 min.
Story: The citizens of Gwangju lead a relatively peaceful life, until one day the military takes over the city, accusing the residents of conspiracy and claiming that they are communist sympathisers preparing a revolution against the current government. Seeing as the soldiers beat defenceless people, mainly students, to death, the citizens are in for retaliation and form a militia.
Style: serious, realistic, suspenseful, touching, disturbing
Plot: soldier, korean history, heroes, vigilantism, losing-it hero, politics, revolution, rivalry, danger, redemption, political unrest, assassination, state affairs, escapades, siblings relations, wooing, catastrophe, military, korean war, disaster, vengeance, historical event, massacre, vampire, forces of nature ...
Time: 80s, year 1980, 21st century, contemporary
Place: korea, south korea
Keyword: korean

Movie in categories

Most similar movies to May 18

The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out serious, realistic, captivating and suspenseful films with plots about state affairs, danger, political unrest, politics, heroes, military and society mostly in Drama, History and Action genres. Some movies like May 18: The King and the Clown (2005), Beyond Friendship (2006), No God, No Master (2013), The Founding of a Republic (2009), The Rainbow Warrior (1993). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie
The King and the Clown (2005)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: South Korea
Duration: 119 min.
Story: Set in the late 15th century during the reign of King Yeonsan, two male street clowns and tightrope walkers, Jangsaeng (Gam Wu-seong) and Gong-gil (Lee Joon-gi), are part of an entertainer troupe. Their manager prostitutes the beautiful Gong-gil to ...
Style: serious, atmospheric, touching, sincere, sageuk ...
Plot: jester, gay, rich and poor, gay asian, gays and lesbians, fighting the system, king, joseon dynasty, state affairs, lifestyle, royal court, society ...
Time: middle ages, 16th century
Place: asia, south korea, korea, bolivia, seoul
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Beyond Friendship (2006)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: France, UK, Italy, Greece, Israel, USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story: A tale of friendship between two men, one Jewish and the other Arab, as the state of Israel is being created.
Style: captivating, disturbing, serious, realistic, inspirational ...
Plot: rebellion, friendship, military, battles, rivalry, danger, state affairs, rebelliousness, politics, political unrest, wartime life, conflict ...
Time: 1940s
Place: israel, palestine, jerusalem, middle east, greece ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
51%
No God, No Master (2013)
Genre: Crime, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story: A plot to overthrow the United States government is uncovered in New York City in the summer of 1919 when William Flynn, a field agent for the Bureau of Investigation, is sent to investigate a bomb threat that has targeted some of America's ...
Style: serious, realistic, suspenseful, independent film, art film
Plot: politics, investigation, state affairs, terrorism, society, danger, assassination, law enforcement, political unrest, assassination attempt, war on terror, anarchism ...
Time: 20th century, 1920s, year 1919
Place: usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
50%
The Founding of a Republic (2009)
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: China
Duration: 138 min.
Story: The Founding of a Republic is a Chinese historical film commissioned by China's film regulator and made by the state-owned China Film Group (CFG) to mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The film retells the tale of ...
Style: serious, captivating, realistic, disturbing, rough ...
Plot: politics, medieval, communist party, military, assassination, state affairs, revolution, political unrest, chinese history, ambition, heroes, battles ...
Time: year 1947, year 1949, year 1948, year 1945
Place: china, taiwan, shanghai, beijing china
⇓ similarity ⇓
47%
Movie in collections
The Rainbow Warrior (1993)
Genre: Drama
Country: New Zealand, USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story: Peter Wilcox (Voight), as skipper of the 'Rainbow Warrior', a Greenpeace ship, docks in Auckland, July 1985, preparing for a protest against French nuclear testing in the south pacific. When a bomb rips open the vessel, killing a crew ...
Style: independent film, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Plot: terrorist attack, international law, environmental, spy, environmental issue, disaster, conspiracy, special agent, rebellion, terrorism, investigation, society ...
Time: 80s
Place: new zealand
⇓ similarity ⇓
42%
 6.1
 677
Afterburn (1992)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story: Based on a true story, one woman takes on the U.S. military and General Dynamics; maker of the F-16, thought to be the very best tactical fighter in the world. Air Force Captain Theodore T. Harduvel was one of the best F-16 pilots the U.S. had to ...
Style: captivating, disturbing, thought provoking, serious, suspenseful ...
Plot: aviation, heroes, hopes, politics, law enforcement, state affairs, righting the wronged, military, rivalry, danger, legal, fighting the system ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
37%
The Divine Weapon (2008)
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 134 min.
Story: During the reign of King Sejong in the 15th century, the Joseon Dynasty was the embodiment of the perfect state. To the Ming China, the aspiring imperial power, Joseon presented an obstacle to territorial expansion. To protect themselves from war, ...
Style: epic, captivating, tense, suspense, suspenseful ...
Plot: joseon dynasty, medieval, political unrest, battles, soldier, military, inventions and discoveries, weapon system, danger, korean history, state affairs, rivalry ...
Time: 15th century
Place: china, asia, korea
⇓ similarity ⇓
37%
 6.9
 3K
Rebellion (2011)
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Country: France
Duration: 136 min.
Story: Dissidents in a French colony attack a police station and take hostages.
Style: serious, tense, sincere, realistic, thought provoking ...
Plot: military, hostage, politics, political unrest, culture clash, injustice, disorder, moral dilemma, life is a bitch, state affairs, confined, society ...
Time: 20th century, 80s
⇓ similarity ⇓
36%
Movie in collections
Pompeii: The Last Day (2003)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: UK, USA, Germany, France
Duration: 120 min.
Story: In 79 AD, one of the infamous natural disasters in human history occurred when Mount Vesuvius erupted. With speculative dramatizations of various inhabitants' final hours along with detailed documentation of the known facts concerning the ...
Style: captivating, bleak, suspenseful, rough, realistic ...
Plot: ancient rome, roman empire, disaster, ancient history, heroes, on the run, life is a bitch, escapades, danger, legends and myths, society, forces of nature ...
Time: 1st century, 70s, 18th century
Place: mediterranean sea, pompeii
⇓ similarity ⇓
36%
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: UK
Duration: 139 min.
Story: A chronicle of events that led to the British involvement in the Crimean War against Russia and which led to the siege of Sevastopol and the fierce Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854 which climaxed with the heroic, but near-disastrous calvary ...
Style: epic, factual, harsh, serious, exciting ...
Plot: british history, politics, british army, military, british soldier, visceral, battles, assassination, wartime, justice, anti war, tragic hero ...
Time: 19th century, 1850s, victorian era
Place: england, crimea, europe, turkey, istanbul turkey ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
36%
Beginning of the Great Revival (2011)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: China
Duration: 140 min.
Story: A chronicle of the events that led to the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.
Style: captivating, realistic, serious, factual, banned
Plot: politics, revolution, society, state affairs, social differences, head of state, rebellion, chinese history, communist party, patriotism, rivalry, chinese civil war ...
Time: 20th century, 1920s, 1910s
Place: china, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
35%
The Soldier's Star (2006)
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: France, Germany, Afghanistan
Duration: 100 min.
Story: A Russian guitarist was enlisted in 1984 in the Afghan war. Imprisoned, he will meet an Afghan musician and a French journalist.
Style: realistic, serious, disturbing, exciting, captivating
Plot: heroes, military, fight, freedom fighter, journalism, danger, state affairs, soldier, hostage, war, prisoners of war, soviet afghanistan war ...
Time: september 11 2001
Place: afghanistan, middle east
⇓ similarity ⇓
34%
Path to Paradise: The Untold Story of the World Trade Center Bombing. (1997)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story: The incredible story of the events leading up to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York and the capture of the terrorists.
Style: contemplative, thought provoking, serious, realistic, rough ...
Plot: terrorism, world trade center manhattan new york city, disaster, politics, undercover, witnessing a crime, state affairs, leadership, chases and races, law enforcement, incompetent official, failed attempt ...
Time: 90s
Place: new york, usa, manhattan new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
34%
The Guillotines (2012)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: China, Haiti, Hong Kong
Duration: 112 min.
Story: During the Manchurian-ruled Qing Dynasty, Emperor Yong Zheng established a secret assassination squad known as the Guillotines to eliminate all who opposed him. Once heavily favored by the Emperor, the Guillotines are deemed expendable once Emperor ...
Style: exciting, realistic, suspenseful, serious, captivating
Audience: boys' night
Plot: political unrest, hitman, wuxia, danger, assassination, military, soldier, flying guillotine, qing dynasty, save the day, martial arts, fight club ...
Time: 18th century
Place: china, ancient china, hong kong, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
33%
Sometimes in April (2005)
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: France, Rwanda, USA
Duration: 140 min.
Story: Debra Winger, Oris Erhuero and Idris Elba star in this drama framed by the Rwandan genocide.
Style: rough, realistic, serious, bleak, sad ...
Plot: genocide, massacre, against humanity, murder, civil war, racism, rwandan genocide, mass murder, coup, battles, politics, political unrest ...
Time: year 2005, year 1994, 90s
Place: africa, rwanda, washington d.c.
⇓ similarity ⇓
33%
Sword in the Moon (2003)
Genre: Action, Drama, Adventure
Country: South Korea
Duration: 102 min.
Story: A series of high-ranking officials are being systematically eliminated by a sleek assassin and his female assistant, and arrogant master swordsman General Choi (Jo Jae-Hyeon) is charged with putting an end to the carnage. During a previous time of ...
Style: serious, rough, suspenseful, realistic, bleak
Plot: coup d'etat, martial arts, ancient korea, vigilantism, vengeance, usurper, friendship between men, danger, redemption, betrayal, rivalry, political unrest ...
Time: medieval times, 17th century, 16th century
Place: ancient china, asia, korea
⇓ similarity ⇓
33%
The President's Last Bang (2005)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Duration: 102 min.
Story: On October 26, 1979, President Park Chung-hee, who had ruled South Korea since 1961, was assassinated by his director of intelligence. The film depicts the events of that night…
Style: dark comedy, realistic, serious, captivating, black comedy ...
Plot: politics, assassination, president, undercover, dark humor, political conspiracy, political intrigue, political corruption, assassination attempt, state affairs, terrorism, revolution ...
Time: 70s
Place: south korea, seoul
⇓ similarity ⇓
33%
Blades of Blood (2010)
Genre: Action, Drama
Country: South Korea
Duration: 111 min.
Story: In the 16th century in Chosun dynasty, HWANG Jung-hak and LEE Mong-hak create the “Grand Alliance” with the united dream of a better world. While the new leader LEE dreams of eradicating this world of all its corruption and becoming king ...
Style: captivating, exciting, serious, tense, stylized ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: martial arts, rivalry, political unrest, danger, sword fight, medieval, vengeance, assassination attempt, politics, dishonesty, escapades, sword ...
Time: 16th century
Place: korea, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
33%
Movie in collections
Operation Thunderbolt (1977)
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Country: Israel
Duration: 124 min.
Story: In July 1976, an Air France flight from Tel-Aviv to Paris via Athens was hijacked and forced to land in Entebbe, Uganda. The Jewish passengers were separated and held hostage in demand to release many terrorists held in Israeli prisons. After much ...
Style: serious, realistic, suspenseful, rough
Audience: boys' night
Plot: israeli, war on terror, machine gun, judaism, secret mission, aviation, dictator, dictatorship, conservative, struggle, conflict, raf ...
Time: 70s
Place: israel, middle east, uganda, paris france, africa ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
32%
 6.2
 3K
Endgame (2009)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: UK, South Africa
Duration: 109 min.
Story: The time is the late '80s, a crucial period in the history of South Africa. President P.W. Botha is hanging on to power by a thread as the African National Congress (ANC) takes up arms against apartheid and the country tumbles toward ...
Style: captivating, tense, serious, sincere, exciting ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: bomb, politics, rebellion, danger, hopes, revolution, siege, unlikely partners, folk hero, leadership, life is a bitch, state affairs ...
Time: 20th century, 80s, 90s
Place: south africa, africa, england, europe, cape town south africa
⇓ similarity ⇓
31%
 7.1
 720
Press (2010)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: Turkey
Duration: 100 min.
Story: The story of a Kurdish newspaper whose journalists are under the constant threat of being abducted and killed by the state security forces.
Style: captivating, realistic, thought provoking, serious, political thriller
Plot: kurd, journalism, media, politics, political unrest, workplace, realism, society, rivalry, oppression, investigative journalism, state affairs ...
Time: 20th century, 90s
Place: middle east, turkey
⇓ similarity ⇓
31%
Operation Sunflower (2014)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: Israel, France
Duration: 105 min.
Story: Through the eyes of the scientist in charge of the operation, we see the events leading to Israel developing her nuclear option in the 1960's.
Style: serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, tense
Plot: undercover, politics, political intrigue, danger, government facility, government agency, state affairs, international crisis, mossad, nuclear, terrorism, spy ...
Time: 60s, 20th century, 50s
Place: israel, middle east, lebanon, jerusalem, paris france ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
30%
23rd March 1931: Shaheed (2002)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: India
Duration: 188 min.
Story: Bhagat Singh, a freedom fighter, is arrested for killing the British official responsible for the death of his mentor Lala Lajpatrai. He is ultimately hanged for his misdeed.
Style: disturbing, rough, realistic, serious, captivating
Plot: prison, prison life, vengeance, politics, life sentence, legal, life is a bitch, rebelliousness, trial, police brutality, torture, police officer killed ...
Time: 1920s, 1930s, 20th century, year 1931
Place: india, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
30%
Movie in collections
military movies
3606
touching movies
11218
disturbing movies
14461
Assassin of the Tsar (1991)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: Soviet Union, UK
Duration: 104 min.
Story: A new doctor from Moscow arrives at a provincial mental institution. His interest is the peculiarities of the psyche of a patient who believes that he is Yakov Yurovsky, the man who assassinated the last Russian tsar. In the course of their ...
Style: mind bending, serious, realistic, psychological, disturbing ...
Plot: royal family, royalty, time travel, post soviet, psychiatry, world war one, time jump, russian empire, political intrigue, psychiatric hospital, biopic, assassination ...
Time: 1910s, 90s
Place: ussr, russia
⇓ similarity ⇓
30%
 6.5
 441
The Old Garden (2006)
Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Country: South Korea
Duration: 112 min.
Story: Activist Hyun-woo is released from prison after a 17-year stint. Journeying back to the village where he spent some time as a fugitive he recalls the time spent with Yoon-hee, a woman who gave him shelter and companionship.
Style: serious, realistic, touching, sincere
Plot: life sentence, tragic love, love affair, political unrest, couples, society, fall in love, love and romance, couple relations, state affairs, isolation, mountain ...
Time: 20th century, 80s
Place: korea, seoul, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
29%
White Vengeance (2011)
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Country: China
Duration: 135 min.
Story: White Vengeance tells the story of two brothers contending for supremacy during the fall of the Qin Dynasty, which ruled Imperial China from 221 to 206 BC. As rebels rose, the nation fell into chaos. Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, became leaders of the ...
Style: suspenseful, exciting, rough, realistic, serious ...
Plot: martial arts, kung fu, revolution, military, family relations, betrayal, rivalry, battles, state affairs, fight for supremacy, medieval, dishonesty ...
Time: ancient times
Place: china, seattle, asia, ancient china
⇓ similarity ⇓
29%
Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor (2003)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story: On the glorious battlefields of the American Revolution, two great generals distinguished themselves; George Washington and Benedict Arnold. Washington is remembered as America's founding father, Arnold as America's most notorious traitor. ...
Style: serious, captivating, realistic, thought provoking, emotional ...
Plot: american revolution, revolution, independence, treason, political unrest, political conspiracy, assassination, military, state affairs, rebellion, tragic hero, war ...
Time: 18th century, georgian era
Place: usa, america, quebec, philadelphia
⇓ similarity ⇓
28%
 5.9
 237
Texas '46 (2002)
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: USA, Italy
Duration: 96 min.
Story: Based on a true story its the untold story of Italian World War II POW"S in Jan 1946. Luca Zingaretti stars as one of over 50,000 Italian Prisoners of War detained at POW camps in the U.S. Roy Schneider stars as Colonel Gartner, the Commander ...
Style: suspenseful, rough, disturbing, realistic, exciting ...
Plot: fascism, world war two, military, military life, prison life, isolation, danger, wartime life, captivity, confined, genocide, prison ...
Time: 1940s
Place: usa, texas
⇓ similarity ⇓
28%
 7.2
 11K
The Warrior (2001)
Genre: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: South Korea, China
Duration: 158 min.
Story: In 1375, China was in chaos between Yuan Dynasty and Ming Dynasty. Coryo (an ancient kingdom of Korea then) sent a delegation of many diplomats, soldiers and a silent slave to make peace with the new Chinese government. However, this delegation got ...
Style: exciting, suspenseful, rough, stylized, epic ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: martial arts, medieval, war, desert, samurai, kung fu, battles, survival, master warrior, exile, fight, wuxia ...
Time: medieval times, year 2001, middle ages, 14th century
Place: china, hong kong, korea, mongolia, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
27%
The Assassins (2012)
Genre: Drama, History
Country: China
Duration: 107 min.
Story: In the year 198 BC, Cao Cao (Chow Yun Fat), Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, ventured to the east and defeated China's greatest warrior Lu Bu, terrifying every ambitious warlord across the country. Several years later, after taking the Han ...
Style: serious, exciting, epic, realistic, captivating ...
Plot: ancient history, political conspiracy, head of state, state affairs, assassination, medieval, battles, hidden identity, martial arts, wuxia, ancient, asian history ...
Time: ancient times
Place: east asia, seattle, china, ancient china, asia
⇓ similarity ⇓
27%
Watch Trailers From This List to Choose a Movie