Movies Like The Horse Thief (1986)

The Horse Thief is a 1986 drama film from Tian Zhuangzhuang with a MovieMagicScore of 6.6/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Seven Years in Tibet and Lost Horizon.

Drama

Seven Years in Tibet

1997

Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer journeys to the Himalayas without his family to head an expedition in 1939. But when World War II breaks out, the arrogant Harrer falls into Allied forces' hands as a prisoner of war. He escapes with a fellow detainee and makes his way to Lhasa, Tibet, where he meets the 14-year-old Dalai Lama, whose friendship ultimately transforms his outlook on life.

7.2

MagicScore

Lost Horizon

1937

British diplomat Robert Conway and a small group of civilians crash-land in the Himalayas, where they are rescued by the inhabitants of the hidden, idyllic valley of Shangri-La. Protected by the mountains from the world outside, where the clouds of World War II are gathering, Shangri-La provides a seductive escape for the world-weary Conway.

7.0

MagicScore

The Touch

2002

A sister and brother, the last heirs of a family of acrobats, are called upon by a Buddhist monk sect to retrieve an artifact that their ancestors have protected throughout the ages.

5.0

MagicScore

The Gypsy Camp Vanishes Into the Blue

1976

This colourful, music-filled and sensual melodrama based on early stories by Maxim Gorky tells the fatal love story between the beautiful and rebellious girl Rada and the handsome horse thief Zobar. The story is set in early 20th century Bessarabia, now part of Moldova, then belonging to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

6.2

MagicScore

The Cup

1999

While the World Cup is being played in France, two young Tibetan refugees arrive at a monastery in India. The atmosphere of serene contemplation is soon disrupted by soccer fever, as the two students desperately seek a TV to watch the final.

6.5

MagicScore

Jinpa

2019

Stoic truck driver Jinpa picks up a silver dagger wearing hitchhiker in the desolate Kekexili plateau. The stranger suddenly reveals he’s going to kill the man who murdered his father.

6.8

MagicScore

Kundun

1997

The Tibetans refer to the Dalai Lama as 'Kundun', which means 'The Presence'. He was forced to escape from his native home, Tibet, when communist China invaded and enforced an oppressive regime upon the peaceful nation. The Dalai Lama escaped to India in 1959 and has been living in exile in Dharamsala ever since.

6.8

MagicScore

Paths of the Soul

2015

Eleven Tibetans prostrate themselves every few steps during a 1,200-mile pilgrimage that lasts for seven months.

6.6

MagicScore

Little Buddha

1993

After the death of Lama Dorje, Tibetan Buddhist monks find three children — one American and two Nepalese — who may be the rebirth of their great teacher.

6.3

MagicScore

#10

Doctor Strange

2007

Dr. Stephen Strange embarks on a wondrous journey to the heights of a Tibetan mountain, where he seeks healing at the feet of the mysterious Ancient One.

6.8

MagicScore

#11

Wheel of Time

2003

Wheel of Time is Werner Herzog's photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India.

6.4

MagicScore

#12

The Golden Child

1986

After a Tibetan boy, the mystical Golden Child, is kidnapped by the evil Sardo Numspa, humankind's fate hangs in the balance. On the other side of the world in Los Angeles, the priestess Kee Nang seeks the Chosen One, who will save the boy from death. When Nang sees social worker Chandler Jarrell on television discussing his ability to find missing children, she solicits his expertise, despite his skepticism over being "chosen."

5.9

MagicScore

#13

The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer

1961

After the Japanese defeat to the Russians, Kaji leads the last remaining men through Manchuria. Intent on returning to his dear wife and his old life, Kaji faces great odds in a variety of different harrowing circumstances as he and his fellow men sneak behind enemy lines.

8.4

MagicScore

#14

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love

1959

After handing in a report on the treatment of Chinese colonial labor, Kaji is offered the post of labor chief at a large mining operation in Manchuria, which also grants him exemption from military service. He accepts, and moves to Manchuria with his newly-wed wife Michiko, but when he tries to put his ideas of more humane treatment into practice, he finds himself at odds with scheming officials, cruel foremen, and the military police.

8.1

MagicScore

#15

Empire of the Sun

1987

Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirit, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him.

7.5

MagicScore

#16

Ip Man 4: The Finale

2019

Following the death of his wife, Ip Man travels to San Francisco to ease tensions between the local kung fu masters and his star student, Bruce Lee, while searching for a better future for his son.

7.3

MagicScore

#17

Biutiful

2010

This is a story of a man in free fall. On the road to redemption, darkness lights his way. Connected with the afterlife, Uxbal is a tragic hero and father of two who's sensing the danger of death. He struggles with a tainted reality and a fate that works against him in order to forgive, for love, and forever.

7.2

MagicScore

#18

Fist of Fury

1972

Chen Chen returns to his former school in Shanghai when he learns that his beloved instructor has been murdered. While investigating the man's death, Chen discovers that a rival Japanese school is operating a drug smuggling ring. To avenge his master’s death, Chen takes on both Chinese and Japanese assassins… and even a towering Russian.

7.2

MagicScore

#19

The Sand Pebbles

1966

Engineer Jake Holman arrives aboard the gunboat USS San Pablo, assigned to patrol a tributary of the Yangtze in the middle of exploited and revolution-torn 1926 China. His iconoclasm and cynical nature soon clash with the 'rice-bowl' system which runs the ship and the uneasy symbiosis between Chinese and foreigner on the river. Hostility towards the gunboat's presence reaches a climax when the boat must crash through a river-boom and rescue missionaries upriver at China Light Mission.

7.2

MagicScore

#20

The Little Prince(ss)

2021

When Gabriel, a 7-year-old Chinese kid who loves ballet, becomes friends with Rob, another Chinese kid from school, Rob’s dad gets suspicious about Gabriel's feminine behavior and decides to intervene.

7.1

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Horse Thief?

The top films similar to The Horse Thief by MovieMagicScore are Seven Years in Tibet (7.2), Lost Horizon (7.0), The Touch (5.0). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Horse Thief worth watching?

The Horse Thief holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.6/10 from 50 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is The Horse Thief?

The Horse Thief (1986) is a drama film directed by Tian Zhuangzhuang, starring Rigzin Tseshang, Jiji Dan, Jamco Jayang.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Horse Thief?

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 Seven Years in Tibet Movies like Lost Horizon Movies like The Touch Movies like The Gypsy Camp Vanishes Into the Blue Movies like The Cup Movies like Jinpa

About movies like The Horse Thief

This ranked list pairs The Horse Thief (1986), a drama film from Tian Zhuangzhuang, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Rigzin Tseshang 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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