Movies Like Raise the Red Lantern (1991)

Raise the Red Lantern is a 1991 drama film from Zhang Yimou with a MovieMagicScore of 7.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Monsieur Verdoux and Fat Slags.

Drama

Monsieur Verdoux

1947

The film is about an unemployed banker, Henri Verdoux, and his sociopathic methods of attaining income. While being both loyal and competent in his work, Verdoux has been laid-off. To make money for his wife and child, he marries wealthy widows and then murders them. His crime spree eventually works against him when two particular widows break his normal routine.

7.7

MagicScore

Fat Slags

2004

Leaving their hometown of Fulchester in the North of England, Sandra and Tracey head for the bright lights of London, shagging and boozing their way to fame and fortune.

3.0

MagicScore

Prophet's Prey

2015

Filmmaker Amy Berg sheds light on the sexual, financial and spiritual abuses heaped upon members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by their former leader, Warren Jeffs.

7.4

MagicScore

The Razor's Edge

1946

An adventurous young man goes off to find himself and loses his socialite fiancée in the process. But when he returns 10 years later, she will stop at nothing to get him back, even though she is already married.

6.9

MagicScore

Has Anybody Seen My Gal?

1952

When a 1920s millionaire tests the fiber of his Vermont family, a young lady and her boyfriend feel the repercussions.

6.7

MagicScore

Bridesmaids

2011

Annie's life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lillian's maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she’ll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you’ll go for someone you love.

6.5

MagicScore

The Heiress

1949

In 1840s New York, the uneventful and boring days of the daughter of a wealthy doctor come to an end when she meets a dashing poorer man — who may or may not be after her inheritance.

7.8

MagicScore

Close My Eyes

1991

After some years of tension, Richard begins a sexual relationship with his sister Natalie. Now married, the relationship proves dangerously obsessional.

5.8

MagicScore

Ready or Not

2019

A young bride's wedding night turns into her worst nightmare when her ridiculously rich in-laws force her to play a gruesome game of hide-and-seek.

7.1

MagicScore

#10

The Light Between Oceans

2016

A lighthouse keeper and his wife living off the coast of Western Australia raise a baby they rescue from an adrift rowboat.

7.1

MagicScore

#11

The Power of the Dog

2021

A domineering but charismatic rancher wages a war of intimidation on his brother's new wife and her teen son, until long-hidden secrets come to light.

6.8

MagicScore

#12

Serena

2014

North Carolina mountains at the end of the 1920s – George and Serena Pemberton, love-struck newly-weds, begin to build a timber empire. Serena soon proves herself to be equal to any man: overseeing loggers, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving a man’s life in the wilderness. With power and influence now in their hands, the Pembertons refuse to let anyone stand in the way of their inflated love and ambitions. However, once Serena discovers George’s hidden past and faces an unchangeable fate of her own, the Pemberton’s passionate marriage begins to unravel leading toward a dramatic reckoning.

5.6

MagicScore

#13

The Life of Oharu

1952

In Edo Period Japan, a noblewoman's banishment for her love affair with a lowly page signals the beginning of her inexorable fall.

7.7

MagicScore

#14

The Emperor and the Assassin

1998

In pre-unified China, the King of Qin sends his concubine to a rival kingdom to produce an assassin for a political plot, but as the king's cruelty mounts she finds her loyalty faltering.

7.0

MagicScore

#15

Empire of Lust

2015

In the turbulent Joseon dynasty, army commander Min-jae watches ambitious Prince Yi Bang-won while becoming entwined with Ga-hee, a vengeful gisaeng. Fate collides as power shifts.

6.9

MagicScore

#16

Princess Yang Kwei-fei

1955

In eighth century China, the Emperor is grieving over the death of his wife. The Yang family wants to provide the Emperor with a consort so that they may consolidate their influence over the court. General An Lushan finds a distant relative working in their kitchen whom they groom to present to the Emperor. The Emperor falls in love with her and she becomes the Princess Yang Kwei-fei. The Yangs are then appointed important ministers, though An Lushan is not given the court position he covets. The ministers misuse their power so much that there is a popular revolt against the Yangs, fueled by An Lushan.

6.7

MagicScore

#17

Flying Swords of Dragon Gate

2011

Three years after the infamous Dragon Inn was burnt down in the desert when its innkeeper Jade vanished. A new gang of marauders had taken over - innkeepers by day and treasure hunters by night. The inn is the rumoured location of a lost city buried under the desert, and its hidden treasure would only be revealed by a gigantic storm every 60 years. The gang used the inn as a front to locate the lost treasure.

6.2

MagicScore

#18

The Concubine

2012

Living a torturous life of poverty and barely able to survive, Hwa-yeon decides to offer herself as one of the king’s concubines. Once inside the royal palace, two men are immediately seized by the woman - the Grand Prince Seong-won, a megalomaniacal ruler drunk with power and lust, and Kwon-yoo, who has everything to lose if his desire for Hwa-yeon is exposed.

5.9

MagicScore

#19

The Forbidden Legend: Sex & Chopsticks

2008

Simon is a scion of a wealthy family who struggles to have a stable relationship because of his womanizing ways. When he finds a wife, Moon, he spots another woman and conspires to marry her.

5.8

MagicScore

#20

Pavilion of Women

2001

With World War II looming, a prominent family in China must confront the contrasting ideas of traditionalism, communism and Western thinking, while dealing with the most important ideal of all: love and its meaning in society.

5.4

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Raise the Red Lantern?

The top films similar to Raise the Red Lantern by MovieMagicScore are Monsieur Verdoux (7.7), Fat Slags (3.0), Prophet's Prey (7.4). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Raise the Red Lantern worth watching?

Raise the Red Lantern holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.9/10 from 798 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Raise the Red Lantern?

Raise the Red Lantern (1991) is a drama film directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Gong Li, He Saifei, Cao Cuifen.

Where can I find more recommendations like Raise the Red Lantern?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Monsieur Verdoux Movies like Fat Slags Movies like Prophet's Prey Movies like The Razor's Edge Movies like Has Anybody Seen My Gal?Movies like Bridesmaids

About movies like Raise the Red Lantern

This ranked list pairs Raise the Red Lantern (1991), a drama film from Zhang Yimou, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Gong Li take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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