Movies Like Kwaidan (1965)

Kwaidan is a 1965 drama, fantasy, horror film from Masaki Kobayashi with a MovieMagicScore of 7.7/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Uninvited and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.

Drama Fantasy Horror

The Uninvited

1944

A brother and sister move into an old seaside house that has been abandoned for many years on the Cornwellian coast. They soon discover that it is haunted by the ghost of the mother of their neighbor's granddaughter, with whom the brother has fallen in love.

6.9

MagicScore

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

2003

After an abrupt and violent encounter with a French warship inflicts severe damage upon his ship, a captain of the British Royal Navy begins a chase over two oceans to capture or destroy the enemy, though he must weigh his commitment to duty and ferocious pursuit of glory against the safety of his devoted crew, including the ship's thoughtful surgeon, his best friend.

7.2

MagicScore

A Chinese Ghost Story

1987

A naïve young tax collector for the imperial government winds up spending the night in a haunted temple. There he falls in love with a beautiful woman who, unfortunately, is dead. With the aid of a powerful Daoist Swordsman, he must defeat undead hordes, overcome a sinister Tree Demoness, and descend to the pits of hell, to fight for the spirit he loves.

7.3

MagicScore

The Ghost of Yotsuya

1959

This horror tale adapts the Japanese legend which tells of a man who faces the consequences of betraying his wife in order to acquire wealth and power.

6.4

MagicScore

The House Where Evil Dwells

1982

At the prompting of his diplomat friend, Alex, writer Ted Fletcher takes his wife, Laura, and daughter, Amy, on an extended working holiday. Alex finds a house for them in Kyoto, Japan, and the Fletchers move in, laughing off rumors that the place is haunted. But the ghost of 19th-century samurai Shigero turns out to be very real, and is intent on making the family re-enact an ancient murder-suicide.

4.0

MagicScore

Patient Seven

2016

Dr. Marcus, a renowned psychiatrist, has selected 6 severe mentally ill and dangerous patients from the Spring Valley Mental Hospital to interview as part of research for his new book. As Dr. Marcus interviews each patient, one by one the horrors they have committed begin to unfold. However, Dr. Marcus soon learns that there is one patient who ties them all together - Patient Seven.

5.2

MagicScore

In Which We Serve

1942

The story of the HMS Torrin, from its construction to its sinking in the Mediterranean during action in World War II. The ship's first and only commanding officer is Captain E.V. Kinross, who trains his men not only to be loyal to him and the country, but—most importantly—to themselves.

6.8

MagicScore

Midway

1976

This war drama depicts the U.S. and Japanese forces in the naval Battle of Midway, which became a turning point for Americans during World War II.

6.6

MagicScore

Empire of Passion

1978

In a small Japanese village at the end of the 19th century, a rickshaw driver's wife takes on a much younger lover and the two conspire to murder him.

6.9

MagicScore

#10

Anandabhadram

2005

To honour his mother's final wish, Ananthan returns to his ancestral village from America and attempts to light a lamp at the family temple. However, his quest is thwarted by an evil magician named Digambaran who seeks to harness the temple's hidden powers.

7.4

MagicScore

#11

Double Walker

2021

A young woman's ghost investigates the mysterious events that led to her own murder.

5.9

MagicScore

#12

A Christmas Carol

1938

Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

7.0

MagicScore

#13

Ugetsu

1953

In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.

8.0

MagicScore

#14

Ju-on: The Grudge 2

2003

When the cast and crew of a paranormal TV reality program decide to shoot in the house of the original Saeki hauntings, a series of strange events unfold at the location.

6.4

MagicScore

#15

The Snow Woman

1968

A master sculptor and his apprentice are trapped in a bad snow storm after finding a special tree for carving a statue for the local temple. Finding refuge in an abandoned hut they celebrate their luck in finding the tree but soon they are visited by the Snow Witch who freezes the sculptor to death but takes pity on the apprentice. He must promise to never speak of this or she'll return and kill him.

6.9

MagicScore

#16

Krampus

2015

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

6.2

MagicScore

#17

Throne of Blood

1957

Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa's resetting of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" in feudal Japan is one of his most acclaimed films.

7.9

MagicScore

#18

Togo

2019

The untold true story set in the winter of 1925 that takes you across the treacherous terrain of the Alaskan tundra for an exhilarating and uplifting adventure that will test the strength, courage and determination of one man, Leonhard Seppala, and his lead sled dog, Togo.

8.1

MagicScore

#19

Scott of the Antarctic

1948

The true story of the British explorer Robert Falcon Scott and his ill-fated expedition to try to be the first man to discover the South Pole - only to find that the murderously cold weather and a rival team of Norwegian explorers conspire against him

7.2

MagicScore

#20

Everest

2015

Inspired by the incredible events surrounding a treacherous attempt to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain, "Everest" documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind. Their mettle tested by the harshest of elements found on the planet, the climbers will face nearly impossible obstacles as a lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival.

6.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Kwaidan?

The top films similar to Kwaidan by MovieMagicScore are The Uninvited (6.9), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (7.2), A Chinese Ghost Story (7.3). Each shares drama/fantasy/horror themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Kwaidan worth watching?

Kwaidan holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.7/10 from 453 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Kwaidan?

Kwaidan (1965) is a drama, fantasy, horror film directed by Masaki Kobayashi, starring Michiyo Aratama, Rentaro Mikuni, Misako Watanabe.

Where can I find more recommendations like Kwaidan?

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 The Uninvited Movies like Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Movies like A Chinese Ghost Story Movies like The Ghost of Yotsuya Movies like The House Where Evil Dwells Movies like Patient Seven

About movies like Kwaidan

This ranked list pairs Kwaidan (1965), a drama and fantasy and horror film from Masaki Kobayashi, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Michiyo Aratama 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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