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Home/The Lower Depths/Similar Movies

The Lower Depths

Movies Like The Lower Depths (1957)

The Lower Depths is a 1957 drama film from Akira Kurosawa with a MovieMagicScore of 7.1/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Harakiri and The Sword of Doom.

Harakiri poster

Harakiri

1962

Down-on-his-luck veteran Tsugumo Hanshirō enters the courtyard of the prosperous House of Iyi. Unemployed, and with no family, he hopes to find a place to commit seppuku—and a worthy second to deliver the coup de grâce in his suicide ritual. The senior counselor for the Iyi clan questions the ronin’s resolve and integrity, suspecting Hanshirō of seeking charity rather than an honorable end. What follows is a pair of interlocking stories which lay bare the difference between honor and respect, and promises to examine the legendary foundations of the Samurai code.

The Sword of Doom poster

The Sword of Doom

1966

Ryunosuke, a gifted swordsman plying his trade during the turbulent final days of Shogunate rule, has no moral code and kills without remorse. It’s a way of life that leads to madness.

When the Last Sword Is Drawn poster

When the Last Sword Is Drawn

2003

Kanichiro Yoshimura is a Samurai and Family man who can no longer support his wife and children on the the low pay he receives from his small town clan, he is forced by the love for his family to leave for the city in search of higher pay to support them.

The Hidden Blade poster

The Hidden Blade

2004

Set in 19th Century Japan a young samurai who finds himself in love with a farm girl leaves his home to begin a new life. He has to take stock of his new life when he is put to the test and ordered to kill a traitor who just happens to be his dearest friend.

Samurai Assassin poster

Samurai Assassin

1965

Japan, 1860. The men of the Mito clan, victims of the Ansei purge, anxiously prowl around the Sakurada Gate of Edo Castle with the intention of assassinating Naosuke Ii of Hikone, tairō of the Tokugawa shogunate and responsible for their misfortune.

Samurai Marathon poster

Samurai Marathon

2019

When feudal lord Itakura Katsuakira decides to prepare his samurai troops for the onslaught of modernization by having them compete in a marathon, his independent-minded daughter Yuki secretly joins the race.

Hana poster

Hana

2006

In a poor district of Edo lives a young samurai named Soza. He has been sent by his clan to avenge the death of his father. He isn't an accomplished swordsman however, and he prefers sharing the life of the residents, teaching the kids how to write etc. When he finally finds the man he is looking for, he will have to decide whether he follows the way of the samurai or chooses peace and reconciliation.

Sanjuro poster

Sanjuro

1962

Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Kurosawa's tightly paced, beautifully composed "Sanjuro." In this companion piece and sequel to "Yojimbo," jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan's evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a proper samurai on its ear.

13 Assassins poster

13 Assassins

2010

A bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future.

Killing poster

Killing

2018

In Edo period Japan, a lone ronin lives in a village helping the farmers tend to their land. One day, a group of outlaw swordsmen enter the village.

Tenchu! poster

Tenchu!

1969

A ronin desperately seeks a way out of financial straits; he allies with the Tosa clan under the ruthless leader Takechi, who quickly takes advantage.

Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor poster

Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor

1969

Near the end of the nineteenth century, as the balance of power shifts from Shogunate towards the Emperor, Japan restlessly awaits the dawning of a new age. But not all are content...The Shinsengumi, a small army of samurai, farmers and peasants, band together to do battle against the tide of history. Their leader, Isami Kondo is a man who rises from farmer to fighter to head the fierce Shinsengumi brigade. Using a stern hand and a heart of gold, he rallies his men in defense of the tottering Shogunate. But bloodshed and treachery lurk around every corner.

A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era poster

A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era

1957

Saheji, a man-about-town, gets stuck at a high-class brothel when he can’t pay the bill. He makes the best of his situation by performing various tasks amidst the tumult of the end of the shogunate—but always by making sure to get a “commission” for his troubles.

Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island poster

Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island

1956

A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful Sasaki Kojiro. Takezo agrees to fight Kojiro in a year's time but rejects Shogun's patronage, choosing instead to live on the edge of a village, raising vegetables. He's followed there by Otsu and later by Akemi, both in love with him. The year ends as Takezo assists the villagers against a band of brigands. He seeks Otsu's forgiveness and accepts her love, then sets off across the water to Ganryu Island for his final contest.

The Miracle Woman poster

The Miracle Woman

1931

After an unappreciated minister dies, his daughter loses her faith in God, prompting her to open a phony temple with a con man. Can the love of a blind former aviator restore her faith and happiness?

The Star Boarder poster

The Star Boarder

1914

A fun-loving little boy's magic lantern show exposes some indiscreet moments between his landlady mother and her star boarder.

The Twilight Samurai poster

The Twilight Samurai

2002

Seibei Iguchi leads a difficult life as a low ranking samurai at the turn of the nineteenth century. A widower with a meager income, Seibei struggles to take care of his two daughters and senile mother. New prospects seem to open up when the beautiful Tomoe, a childhood friend, comes back into he and his daughters' life, but as the Japanese feudal system unravels, Seibei is still bound by the code of honor of the samurai and by his own sense of social precedence. How can he find a way to do what is best for those he loves?

Love and Honor poster

Love and Honor

2006

A look at the relationship between a young blind samurai and his wife, who will make a sacrifice in order to defend her husband's honor.

Capernaum poster

Capernaum

2018

After running away from his negligent parents, committing a violent crime and being sentenced to five years in jail, a hardened, streetwise 12-year-old Lebanese boy sues his parents in protest of the life they have given him.

The Lower Depths poster

The Lower Depths

1936

Inhabitants of a flophouse struggle to survive under the harsh treatment imposed by the landlord, Kostyleva. One resident, young thief Wasska Pepel, ends his affair with the landlord's wife, Vassilissa, and takes up with her sister, Natacha. Pepel also befriends the baron, a former nobleman fallen on hard times, but Pepel's attempts at happiness are complicated when he's accused of murder by a spiteful Vassilissa.

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Lower Depths?

The top films similar to The Lower Depths by MovieMagicScore are Harakiri (8.5), The Sword of Doom (7.7), When the Last Sword Is Drawn (7.5). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Lower Depths worth watching?

The Lower Depths holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.1/10 from 136 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is The Lower Depths?

The Lower Depths (1957) is a drama film directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshirō Mifune, Isuzu Yamada, Kyōko Kagawa.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Lower Depths?

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 Harakiri Movies like The Sword of Doom Movies like When the Last Sword Is Drawn Movies like The Hidden Blade Movies like Samurai Assassin Movies like Samurai Marathon

About movies like The Lower Depths

This ranked list pairs The Lower Depths (1957), a drama film from Akira Kurosawa, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Toshirō Mifune 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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