Movies Like Secret Sunshine (2007)

Secret Sunshine is a 2007 drama film from Lee Chang-dong with a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with 21 Grams and Macabre.

Drama

21 Grams

2003

Paul Rivers, an ailing mathematician lovelessly married to an English émigré; Christina Peck, an upper-middle-class suburban housewife and mother of two girls; and Jack Jordan, a born-again ex-con, are brought together by a terrible accident that changes their lives.

7.3

MagicScore

Macabre

1958

After his wife and her blind sister have died under his care, a doctor's young daughter is kidnapped and reported as buried alive, leaving him with mere hours to find and rescue her.

6.0

MagicScore

Léon Morin, Priest

1961

Barny, although a Marxist, is intrigued by the mysteries of religion. In confession, she teases a priest, Léon Morin, but he is a young and intelligent man and ready to discuss anything.

7.0

MagicScore

Z for Zachariah

2015

In the wake of a nuclear war, a young woman survives on her own, fearing she may actually be the proverbial last woman on earth, until she discovers the most astonishing sight of her life: another human being. A distraught scientist, he’s nearly been driven mad by radiation exposure and his desperate search for others. A fragile, imperative strand of trust connects them. But when a stranger enters the valley, their precarious bond begins to unravel.

5.7

MagicScore

Doctor Zhivago

1965

The life of a Russian physician and poet who, although married to another, falls in love with a political activist's wife and experiences hardship during World War I and then the October Revolution.

7.5

MagicScore

Stolen by Their Father

2022

The story of a mother whose two young daughters are kidnapped by her abusive ex-husband—and her all-consuming fight to get them back.

7.8

MagicScore

25 Years of Innocence

2020

Tomasz Komenda was 23 years old when his normal life was brutally interrupted. Overnight he was arrested, thrown into prison and charged with murder. Subsequent expert opinions confirmed his participation in the crime, and any evidence was against him. For nearly two decades in prison, he was beaten, intimidated, humiliated and on his own. Finally, after 18 years of imprisonment, prosecutors and a policeman appeared on his way, who decided to discover the truth behind the mysterious case of the detainee.

7.7

MagicScore

The Runner

2026

Maia Marten, a brilliant London lawyer, has her life shattered by a single call on her morning run: her son has been taken. To get him back, she must keep running, obey every ruthless command, and trust no one-each second a test of how far a mother will go to save her child.

6.8

MagicScore

Courageous

2011

Law enforcement officers Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, and their partners stand up to the worst the streets have to offer with confidence and focus. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood. They know that God desires to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, but their children are beginning to drift further and further away from them. When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God... and to their children?

7.6

MagicScore

#10

Breaking the Waves

1996

In a small, conservative Scottish village, an oilman is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when he urges her to have sex with another.

7.5

MagicScore

#11

Adam's Apples

2005

A neo-nazi sentenced to community service at a church clashes with the blindly devotional priest.

7.4

MagicScore

#12

First Reformed

2018

A pastor of a small church in upstate New York starts to spiral out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife.

7.0

MagicScore

#13

Corpo Celeste

2011

After growing up in Switzerland, 13-year-old Marta returns to a city in southern Italy with her mother and older sister. Independent and inquisitive, she joins a catechism class at a local church. However, the games and religious pop songs she encounters there do not nearly satisfy her interest in faith. Struggling to find her place, Marta pushes the boundaries of the class, the priest, and the church.

6.8

MagicScore

#14

Diary of a Mad Black Woman

2005

Charles, an attorney, and Helen, his devoted wife, seem to have everything – money, a beautiful mansion – the American Dream. However, as Helen prepares to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary, her life takes an unexpected twist when she comes home to find her clothes packed up in a U-Haul van parked in the driveway. Charles is divorcing her and kicks her out. Helen moves in with her grandmother Madea, an old woman who doesn't take any lip from anyone. Madea helps Helen through these tough times by showing her what is really important in life. Helen is forced to rediscover love, life, and religion in her pursuit for happiness.

6.5

MagicScore

#15

Priest

1995

The deeply held religious convictions of an idealistic young priest are challenged when he must face extraordinary events within his own congregation.

6.3

MagicScore

#16

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

2008

Georgia Nicolson is fourteen, lives with nosey parents who don't understand her, an annoying three year old sister and has to wear a beret to school. She would, however, rather be blonde, have a smaller nose and a boyfriend. Revolving around her hilarious journal entries, prepare to be engulfed in the world of the soaring joys and bottomless angst of being a teenager.

6.5

MagicScore

#17

Agnes

2021

Rumors of demonic possession at a religious convent prompts a church investigation into the strange goings-on among its nuns. A disaffected priest and his neophyte are confronted with temptation, bloodshed and a crisis of faith.

4.2

MagicScore

#18

End of Days

1999

On 28 December 1999, the citizens of New York City are getting ready for the turn of the millennium. However, Satan decides to crash the party by coming to the city and searching for his chosen bride — a 20-year-old woman named Christine York. The world will end, and the only hope lies within an atheist named Jericho Cane.

6.1

MagicScore

#19

Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist

2005

Father Merrin takes a sabbatical from the Church to devote himself to history and archaeology as he struggles with his shattered faith.

5.3

MagicScore

#20

Hamlet

1996

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother now marrying the murderer... his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing.

7.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Secret Sunshine?

The top films similar to Secret Sunshine by MovieMagicScore are 21 Grams (7.3), Macabre (6.0), Léon Morin, Priest (7.0). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Secret Sunshine worth watching?

Secret Sunshine holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10 from 221 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Secret Sunshine?

Secret Sunshine (2007) is a drama film directed by Lee Chang-dong, starring Jeon Do-yeon, Song Kang-ho, Jo Young-jin.

Where can I find more recommendations like Secret Sunshine?

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 21 Grams Movies like Macabre Movies like Léon Morin, Priest Movies like Z for Zachariah Movies like Doctor Zhivago Movies like Stolen by Their Father

About movies like Secret Sunshine

This ranked list pairs Secret Sunshine (2007), a drama film from Lee Chang-dong, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jeon Do-yeon 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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