Movies Like Little Buddha (1993)

Little Buddha is a 1993 drama, history film from Bernardo Bertolucci with a MovieMagicScore of 6.3/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Kundun and A Royal Affair.

Drama History

Kundun

1997

The Tibetans refer to the Dalai Lama as 'Kundun', which means 'The Presence'. He was forced to escape from his native home, Tibet, when communist China invaded and enforced an oppressive regime upon the peaceful nation. The Dalai Lama escaped to India in 1959 and has been living in exile in Dharamsala ever since.

6.8

MagicScore

A Royal Affair

2012

A young queen falls in love with her physician, and they start a revolution that changes their nation forever.

7.4

MagicScore

Gate of Hell

1953

Japan, 1159. Moritō, a brave samurai, performs a heroic act by rescuing the lovely Kesa during a violent uprising. Moritō falls in love with her, but becomes distraught when he finds out that she is married.

7.1

MagicScore

Leopardi

2014

In 19th-century Italy, Giacomo Leopardi channels his debilitating illness and isolation into poetry.

6.8

MagicScore

The King and I

1956

Widowed Welsh mother Anna Loenowens becomes a governess and English tutor to the wives and many children of the stubborn King Mongkut of Siam. Anna and the King have a clash of personalities as she works to teach the royal family about the English language, customs and etiquette, and rushes to prepare a party for a group of European diplomats who must change their opinions about the King.

7.1

MagicScore

Seven Years in Tibet

1997

Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer journeys to the Himalayas without his family to head an expedition in 1939. But when World War II breaks out, the arrogant Harrer falls into Allied forces' hands as a prisoner of war. He escapes with a fellow detainee and makes his way to Lhasa, Tibet, where he meets the 14-year-old Dalai Lama, whose friendship ultimately transforms his outlook on life.

7.2

MagicScore

The Holy Mountain

1973

The Alchemist assembles together a group of people from all walks of life to represent the planets in the solar system. The occult adept's intention is to put his recruits through strange mystical rites and divest them of their worldly baggage before embarking on a trip to Lotus Island. There they ascend the Holy Mountain to displace the immortal gods who secretly rule the universe.

7.5

MagicScore

Samsara

2002

A love story situated in the Himalayas. A Buddhist monk can't choose between life and the way of the Buddha.

7.4

MagicScore

Saint☆Young Men

2013

Jesus Christ and Gautama Buddha, the founders of Christianity and Buddhism, are living together as roommates in a Tokyo apartment while taking a vacation on Earth. The comedy often involves jokes about Christianity, Buddhism, and all things related, as well as the main characters' attempts to hide their identities and understand modern society in Japan.

7.7

MagicScore

#10

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

#11

Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl

1919

The love story of an abused English girl and a Chinese Buddhist in a time when London was a brutal and harsh place to live.

6.9

MagicScore

#12

The Razor's Edge

1984

An American WWI veteran undertakes a spiritual quest that takes him from Paris to Nepal to the Himalayas and back to his hometown. Upon his return, he discovers he is not the only one who has changed.

6.3

MagicScore

#13

The 8th Night

2021

With prayer beads in one hand and an ax in the other, a monk hunts down a millennia-old spirit that's possessing humans and unleashing hell on Earth.

6.1

MagicScore

#14

Alien Nation: Millennium

1996

It's 1999, and as the end of the millenium approaches, people are attempting to find spiritual enlightenment. But a few people want to skip all the work that entails, and a holy Tenktonese relic in the hands of a heretic is giving them a shortcut. But it's not quite as easily controlled as she says.

4.8

MagicScore

#15

Lost Horizon

1937

British diplomat Robert Conway and a small group of civilians crash-land in the Himalayas, where they are rescued by the inhabitants of the hidden, idyllic valley of Shangri-La. Protected by the mountains from the world outside, where the clouds of World War II are gathering, Shangri-La provides a seductive escape for the world-weary Conway.

7.0

MagicScore

#16

Jinpa

2019

Stoic truck driver Jinpa picks up a silver dagger wearing hitchhiker in the desolate Kekexili plateau. The stranger suddenly reveals he’s going to kill the man who murdered his father.

6.8

MagicScore

#17

Paths of the Soul

2015

Eleven Tibetans prostrate themselves every few steps during a 1,200-mile pilgrimage that lasts for seven months.

6.6

MagicScore

#18

The Horse Thief

1986

Devout Buddhists, Norbu and Dolma live with their young son Tashi in a clan in Tibet. Norbu is a highwayman. After Norbu is charged with stealing from the temple, he and his family are banished. Impoverished and marginalized, they can do little when their beloved son becomes ill. Tashi dies of a fever. After a second son is born, Norbu focuses his every action on keeping this child alive, seeking re-admission to the clan for his wife and child, then risking all to save them from isolation and starvation in winter.

6.6

MagicScore

#19

TINA

2021

Tina Turner overcame impossible odds to become one of the first female Black artists to reach a mainstream international audience. Her road to superstardom is an undeniable story of triumph over adversity. It’s the ultimate story of survival – and an inspirational story of our times.

7.8

MagicScore

#20

Shaolin Wooden Men

1976

Little Mute is an orphan traumatized into silence by the death of his father at the hands of a vicious fighting master. Living at the Shaolin monastery, he befriends a dangerous prisoner who teaches him a secret form of deadly kung fu. Seeing his intense determination, other masters share the wisdom of the Gliding Snake and Drunken Master techniques. In one of the most exciting fight scenes ever filmed, Little Mute must run the gauntlet of the famous 108 wooden men in an extreme test of skill and endurance. But if he becomes a master, will he use his unmatched force for redemption or revenge?

6.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Little Buddha?

The top films similar to Little Buddha by MovieMagicScore are Kundun (6.8), A Royal Affair (7.4), Gate of Hell (7.1). Each shares drama/history themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Little Buddha worth watching?

Little Buddha holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.3/10 from 431 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Little Buddha?

Little Buddha (1993) is a drama, history film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Keanu Reeves, Bridget Fonda, Chris Isaak.

Where can I find more recommendations like Little Buddha?

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 Kundun Movies like A Royal Affair Movies like Gate of Hell Movies like Leopardi Movies like The King and I Movies like Seven Years in Tibet

About movies like Little Buddha

This ranked list pairs Little Buddha (1993), a drama and history film from Bernardo Bertolucci, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Keanu Reeves 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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