Movies Like The Cyclist (1989)

The Cyclist is a 1989 drama film from Mohsen Makhmalbaf with a MovieMagicScore of 6.7/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Fremont and The Breadwinner.

Drama

Fremont

2023

Donya, a lonely Afghan refugee and former translator, spends her twenties drifting through a meager existence in Fremont, California. Shuttling between her job writing fortunes for a fortune cookie factory and sessions with her eccentric therapist, Donya suffers from insomnia and survivor's guilt over those still left behind in Kabul as she desperately searches for love.

6.2

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

Baran

2001

On a building site in present-day Tehran, Lateef, a 17-year-old Turkish worker is irresistibly drawn to Rahmat, a young Afghan worker. The revelation of Rahmat's secret changes both their lives.

7.5

MagicScore

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

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

Max

2015

A dog that helped soldiers in Afghanistan returns to the U.S. and is adopted by his handler's family after suffering a traumatic experience.

7.1

MagicScore

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

Padmaavat

2018

Rajputana, India, 13th century. The tyrannical usurper Alauddin Khilji, sultan of Delhi, becomes obsessed with Queen Padmavati, wife of King Ratan Singh of Mewar, and goes to great lengths to satisfy his greed for her.

6.9

MagicScore

#10

The Outpost

2020

A small unit of U.S. soldiers, alone at the remote Combat Outpost Keating, located deep in the valley of three mountains in Afghanistan, battles to defend against an overwhelming force of Taliban fighters in a coordinated attack. The Battle of Kamdesh, as it was known, was the bloodiest American engagement of the Afghan War in 2009 and Bravo Troop 3-61 CAV became one of the most decorated units of the 19-year conflict.

6.9

MagicScore

#11

Cargo 200

2007

While returning to Leningrad from a visit to his brother, Professor Artyom's car breaks down and he finds assistance at an isolated farmhouse occupied by Alexey, his wife, a Vietnamese laborer, and a stranger who wanders around the farm. When his car is repaired, Artyom leaves, drunk on moonshine, and students Valera and Angelika arrive. After Valera gets drunk, the stranger abducts Angelika.

6.9

MagicScore

#12

Brothers

2004

A Danish officer, Michael, is sent away to the International Security Assistance Force operation in Afghanistan for three months. His first mission there is to find a young radar technician who had been separated from his squad some days earlier. While on the search, his helicopter is shot down and he is taken as a prisoner of war, but is reported dead to the family.

6.7

MagicScore

#13

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

#14

Kajaki

2014

British soldiers guarding the Kajaki Dam set out to rescue a three-man team after one of them loses a leg to a landmine.

6.6

MagicScore

#15

A War

2015

Company commander Claus Michael Pedersen and his men are stationed in Helmand, Afghanistan. Meanwhile back in Denmark, with a husband at war and three children missing their father, everyday life is a struggle for Claus' wife Maria. During a routine mission, the soldiers are caught in heavy Taliban crossfire. In order to save his men, Claus makes a decision that ultimately sees him return to Denmark accused of a war crime.

6.6

MagicScore

#16

Walk with Me

2016

Deployed on mission in Helmand, Afghanistan, 25-year old Thomas steps on a landmine and loses both his legs. At the local rehabilitation center, he meets Sofie, an ascending ballerina from the Royal Danish Ballet, who is helping a relative to regain strength after a long term sickness. Thomas desperately wants back in the field and gets impatient as progress does not emerge as fast as he wants to. When Sofie offers to help him with a more intense rehabilitation plan, he accepts. Despite their differences, they develop a special bond and a mutual affection.

6.4

MagicScore

#17

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

#18

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

#19

The Horsemen

1971

In Afghanistan, the ruthless sport of buzkashi is a game of great pride. When Uraz breaks his leg and loses a spirited match, he brings shame to his village, especially his father. After losing his leg below the knee, Uraz, to regain his honor, must learn to ride again and win with a special, one-of-a-kind horse.

6.3

MagicScore

#20

Kandahar

2001

After an Afghanistan-born woman who lives in Canada receives a letter from her suicidal sister, she takes a perilous journey through Afghanistan to try to find her.

6.2

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Cyclist?

The top films similar to The Cyclist by MovieMagicScore are Fremont (6.2), The Breadwinner (7.8), Baran (7.5). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Cyclist worth watching?

The Cyclist holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.7/10 from 31 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is The Cyclist?

The Cyclist (1989) is a drama film directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, starring Mahshid Afsharzadeh, Firouz Kiani, Samira Makhmalbaf.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Cyclist?

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 Fremont Movies like The Breadwinner Movies like Baran Movies like Lone Survivor Movies like The Kite Runner Movies like Warhorse One

About movies like The Cyclist

This ranked list pairs The Cyclist (1989), a drama film from Mohsen Makhmalbaf, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Mahshid Afsharzadeh 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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