Movies Like Lan Yu (2001)

Lan Yu is a 2001 drama, romance film from Stanley Kwan Kam-Pang with a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Beach Rats and No Touching at All.

Drama Romance

Beach Rats

2017

On the outskirts of Brooklyn, Frankie, an aimless teenager, suffocates under the oppressive glare cast by his family and a toxic group of delinquent friends. Struggling with his own identity, Frankie begins to scour hookup sites for older men.

6.0

MagicScore

No Touching at All

2014

Toshiaki is a young gay man. On the first day of work, he meets Yosuke in the elevator. Yosuke is Toshiaki's new boss. Toshiaki is attracted to Yosuke. Toshiaki can't be honest with his feelings about it due to a traumatic incident from his past.

5.7

MagicScore

Your Name Engraved Herein

2020

In 1987, as martial law ends in Taiwan, Jia-han and Birdy fall in love amid family pressure, homophobia and social stigma.

7.8

MagicScore

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

2023

Two teenage Mexican-American loners in 1987 El Paso explore a new, unusual friendship and the difficult road to self-discovery.

7.5

MagicScore

Summer of 85

2020

What do you dream of when you're 16-years-old and in a seaside resort in Normandy in the 1980s? A best friend? A lifelong teen pact? Scooting off on adventures on a boat or a motorbike? Living life at breakneck speed? No. You dream of death. Because you can't get a bigger kick than dying. And that's why you save it till the very end. The summer holidays are just beginning, and this story recounts how Alexis grew into himself.

7.4

MagicScore

East Palace, West Palace

1996

A young gay man, identified as a writer, encounters a local policeman, who arrests him for public cruising in a park. The policeman is more than professionally curious about the young man, who seems to have the cop's number and suddenly kisses him.

6.2

MagicScore

Farewell My Concubine

1993

In an epic tale of theater, gender, love and class, two Beijing opera actors navigate political turmoil as their friendship evolves over decades.

7.9

MagicScore

The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros

2005

Maxi, a boy on the cusp of his teens, is already comfortable with his homosexual feelings, with acceptance from his family. When Maxi is assaulted one evening, Victor, a police officer, comes to his aid. Maxi soon develops a crush on Victor, who shows a platonic affection for the young lad.

7.0

MagicScore

Sorry Angel

2018

At once an intimate chronicle of a romance and a sprawling portrait of life in early 1990s France following the intertwining journeys of Jacques, a worldly Parisian writer, and Arthur, a curious, carefree and much-younger university student who is just beginning to live. Brought together by chance, the two men find themselves navigating a casual fling that gradually deepens into a tender, transformative bond.

6.8

MagicScore

#10

The Third One

2014

After meeting in a chat room, Fede (22) arrives at a downtown building to have an intimate encounter with a gay couple older than him. As the night unfolds, Fede has an intense and telling experience. The next morning finds him different, as if suddenly he had found a new possible way to love.

6.7

MagicScore

#11

Mulligans

2008

When Tyler Davidson brings his college buddy Chase home for the summer holidays a secret is revealed that threatens to tear his perfect family apart.

6.1

MagicScore

#12

Bad Boy Street

2012

Two men embark on an unconventional romance in Todd Verow's sexy Parisian-set drama. Claude finds a young man passed out in the street and, taking pity on him, decides to take him to his apartment to safely sleep. Awakening the next morning, the sexy stranger soon makes a play for his forty-something host, kick-starting a passionate romance. But will the chance meeting develop into more than just lust or will the pair's differences drive them apart? An accomplished, serious and very modern gay romance .

5.4

MagicScore

#13

For a Lost Soldier

1992

In the occupied Netherlands near the end of WWII, a young teenager, Jeroen Boman (Maarten Smit) is sent to the Dutch countryside to avoid the war in Amsterdam. While living with his adopted family, Jeroen meets and becomes friends with a Canadian soldier named Walt Cook, who is stationed at the same town he is staying at. Joroen and Walt spend a lot of time playing around and eventually a romantic relationship develops between them. The boy’s sexual curiosity leads him to have a sexual experience with Walt, an encounter that is shown with some vague detail but without actually showing any nudity, even though sexual intimacy between the two of them is implied. Overall, the movie handles this difficult subject with an elegant style and feeling, without having the adult-child relationship overwhelm the viewer and thus allowing the movie to be seen as just a wartime relationship between two people that marks an important time in a young boy’s life.

6.7

MagicScore

#14

Sunday Bloody Sunday

1971

Recently divorced career woman Alex Greville begins a romantic relationship with glamorous mod artist Bob Elkin, fully aware that he's also intimately involved with middle-aged doctor Daniel Hirsh. For both Alex and Daniel, the younger man represents a break with their repressive pasts, and though both know that Bob is seeing both of them, neither is willing to let go of the youth and vitality he brings to their otherwise stable lives.

6.6

MagicScore

#15

Sebastian

2024

Max is a 25-year-old freelance writer and aspiring novelist who seems well on his way to success in London’s cultural spheres. Yet by night, he finds a different kind of exhilaration as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, meeting men via an escorting platform. Max uses his experiences as Sebastian to fuel his stories and the worthy debut novel that he has been longing to write, finally seems within reach.

6.4

MagicScore

#16

BearCity 2: The Proposal

2012

Following the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York, Roger proposes to his boyfriend Tyler , and the gang embarks on a road trip to Provincetown, Massachusetts for Bear Week.

5.6

MagicScore

#17

Whole New Thing

2005

Socially isolated by his parents, an androgynous teen enrolls in high school and develops a crush on his male teacher.

5.5

MagicScore

#18

BearCity

2010

Set in New York's gay "bear" scene and taking a cue from the popular HBO franchise "Sex and the City," BearCity follows a tight-knit pack of friends experiencing comical mishaps, emotionally sweet yet lusty romantic encounters and a cast of colorful, diverse characters as they gear up for a big party weekend

5.5

MagicScore

#19

Young Hearts

2024

14-year-old Elias increasingly feels like an outsider in his village. When he meets his new neighbour of the same age, Alexander, Elias is confronted with his burgeoning sexuality.

8.6

MagicScore

#20

Love, Simon

2018

Everyone deserves a great love story, but for 17-year-old Simon Spier, it's a little more complicated. He hasn't told his family or friends that he's gay, and he doesn't know the identity of the anonymous classmate that he's fallen for online.

8.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Lan Yu?

The top films similar to Lan Yu by MovieMagicScore are Beach Rats (6.0), No Touching at All (5.7), Your Name Engraved Herein (7.8). Each shares drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Lan Yu worth watching?

Lan Yu holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10 from 55 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Lan Yu?

Lan Yu (2001) is a drama, romance film directed by Stanley Kwan Kam-Pang, starring Hu Jun, Liu Ye, Li Shuang.

Where can I find more recommendations like Lan Yu?

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 Beach Rats Movies like No Touching at All Movies like Your Name Engraved Herein Movies like Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Movies like Summer of 85 Movies like East Palace, West Palace

About movies like Lan Yu

This ranked list pairs Lan Yu (2001), a drama and romance film from Stanley Kwan Kam-Pang, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Hu Jun 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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