Movies Like Kandahar (2001)

Kandahar is a 2001 drama film from Mohsen Makhmalbaf with a MovieMagicScore of 6.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Lone Survivor and 12 Strong.

Drama

Lone Survivor

2013

Four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative must make an impossible moral decision in the mountains of Afghanistan that leads them into an enemy ambush. As they confront unthinkable odds, the SEALs must find reserves of strength and resilience to fight to the finish.

7.4

MagicScore

12 Strong

2018

A team of special forces head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban.

6.3

MagicScore

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

2016

In 2002, cable news producer Kim Barker decides to shake up her routine by taking a daring new assignment in Kabul, Afghanistan. Dislodged from her comfortable American lifestyle, Barker finds herself in the middle of an out-of-control war zone. Luckily, she meets Tanya Vanderpoel, a fellow journalist who takes the shell-shocked reporter under her wing. Amid the militants, warlords and nighttime partying, Barker discovers the key to becoming a successful correspondent.

6.3

MagicScore

The Point Men

2023

A group of Korean tourists is taken hostage by an extremist Taliban group in Afghanistan. The Korean government dispatches Jae-ho, known as one of Korea's most skilled diplomats, in order to handle the situation. Once he arrives, he asks for the Afghan government's cooperation and uses every means possible to free the hostages. However, his efforts go in vain. Due to his failure, he's forced to work with Dae-sik, a special agent who is an expert on the Middle East. As they begin making their move to get to the Taliban, the first hostage death occurs. With nowhere else to turn, the two become unlikely allies in a race against time to save the rest of the hostages.

5.8

MagicScore

Rambo III

1988

Combat has taken its toll on Rambo, but he's finally begun to find inner peace in a monastery. When Rambo's friend and mentor Col. Trautman asks for his help on a top secret mission to Afghanistan, Rambo declines but must reconsider when Trautman is captured.

6.2

MagicScore

The Message

1976

In sixth-century Mecca, Prophet Muhammad receives his first revelation from God as a messenger. Three years later, he's not alone in his quest and publicly declares his prophecy. Muhammad is fought by Abu Sufian and his wife Hind, rulers of Mecca. Muhammad's followers are hunted and tortured but he continues his calling.

8.7

MagicScore

The Breadwinner

2017

A headstrong young girl in Afghanistan, ruled by the Taliban, disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family.

7.8

MagicScore

The Kite Runner

2007

After spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble.

7.3

MagicScore

Warhorse One

2023

A gunned down Navy SEAL Master Chief must guide a child to safety through a gauntlet of hostile Taliban insurgents and survive the brutal Afghanistan wilderness.

7.2

MagicScore

#10

The Message

1976

7.2

MagicScore

#11

Osama

2004

After the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the restriction of women in public life, a preteen girl is forced to masquerade as a boy in order to find work to support her mother and grandmother.

7.0

MagicScore

#12

Special Forces

2011

Afghanistan. War correspondent Elsa Casanova is taken hostage by the Taliban. Faced with her imminent execution, a Special Forces unit is dispatched to free her. In some of the world’s most breathtaking yet hostile landscapes, a relentless pursuit begins between her kidnappers who have no intention of letting their prey escape them and a group of soldiers who risk their lives in pursuit of their single aim – to bring her home alive. This strong, independent woman and these men of duty are thrown together and forced to confront situations of great danger that inextricably bind them – emotionally, violently and intimately.

6.7

MagicScore

#13

Kandahar

2010

A docudrama about the escape of Russian pilots after being taken hostage by the Taliban in 1996.

6.2

MagicScore

#14

Osombie

2012

Following the 9/11 attacks, the war on terror against Afghanistan continues. With the Taliban insurgents hiding out in the mountains however, they become increasingly difficult for the US military to engage. The solution is to try and flush them out by adding low level chemicals to the water supply. Little do the USA know however that enemy scientists have adapted the chemicals to make their own formula, one that can bring the dead back to life.

4.0

MagicScore

#15

Sand Serpents

2009

Jason Gedrick and a small group of Marines are stranded in the remote Afghan desert. But it ain't the Taliban that's worrying them, it's these giant refugees from Tremors. In fact the big worms prove to be an ally of sorts by doing better against the Taliban than themselves but battling these enemies is something not covered in their training.

3.9

MagicScore

#16

Westfront 1918

1930

A group of German infantrymen of the First World War live out their lives in the trenches of France. They find brief entertainment and relief in a village behind the lines, but primarily terror fills their lives as the attacks on and from the French army ebb and flow. One of the men, Karl, goes home on leave only to discover the degradation forced on his family by wartime poverty. He returns to the lines in time to face an enormous attack by French tanks.

6.6

MagicScore

#17

Afghan Star

2008

This documentary on the effect the talent competition "Afghan Star" has on the incredibly diverse inhabitants of Afghanistan affords a glimpse into a country rarely seen. Contestants risk their lives to appear on the television show that is a raging success with the public and also monitored closely by the government.

6.3

MagicScore

#18

Southland Tales

2007

Set in the futuristic landscape of Los Angeles on July 4, 2008, as it stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. Boxer Santaros is an action star who's stricken with amnesia. His life intertwines with Krysta Now, an adult film star developing her own reality television project, and Ronald Taverner, a Hermosa Beach police officer who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.

5.2

MagicScore

#19

Not Without My Daughter

1991

An American woman, trapped in Islamic Iran by her brutish husband, must find a way to escape with her daughter as well.

6.7

MagicScore

#20

Andrei Rublev

1966

An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.

8.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Kandahar?

The top films similar to Kandahar by MovieMagicScore are Lone Survivor (7.4), 12 Strong (6.3), Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (6.3). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Kandahar worth watching?

Kandahar holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.2/10 from 87 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Kandahar?

Kandahar (2001) is a drama film directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, starring Nelofer Pazira, Ike Ogut, Hassan Tantai.

Where can I find more recommendations like Kandahar?

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 Lone Survivor Movies like 12 Strong Movies like Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Movies like The Point Men Movies like Rambo III Movies like The Message

About movies like Kandahar

This ranked list pairs Kandahar (2001), a drama film from Mohsen Makhmalbaf, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Nelofer Pazira 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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