Movies Like Early Summer (1951)

Early Summer is a 1951 drama film from Yasujirō Ozu with a MovieMagicScore of 7.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Mona Lisa Smile and White Christmas.

Drama

Mona Lisa Smile

2003

Katherine Watson is a recent UCLA graduate hired to teach art history at the prestigious all-female Wellesley College, in 1953. Determined to confront the outdated mores of society and the institution that embraces them, Katherine inspires her traditional students, including Betty and Joan, to challenge the lives they are expected to lead.

6.9

MagicScore

White Christmas

1954

Two talented song-and-dance men team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business. In time they befriend and become romantically involved with the beautiful Haynes sisters who comprise a sister act.

7.2

MagicScore

Tokyo Twilight

1957

Two sisters find out the existence of their long-lost mother, but the younger cannot accept the fact that she was abandoned as a child.

7.7

MagicScore

Street of Shame

1956

The lives of five sex workers employed at a Japanese brothel while the nation is debating the passage of an anti-prostitution law.

7.7

MagicScore

Stray Dog

1949

A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded bus. Desperate to right the wrong, he goes undercover, scavenging Tokyo’s sweltering streets for the stray dog whose desperation has led him to a life of crime. With each step, cop and criminal’s lives become more intertwined and the investigation becomes an examination of Murakami’s own dark side.

7.5

MagicScore

Early Spring

1956

A young Tokyo salary man and his wife struggle within the confines of their passionless relationship while he has an extramarital affair.

7.5

MagicScore

One Wonderful Sunday

1947

Two broke sweethearts wander war-scarred Tokyo on a single Sunday, stretching 35 yen as they chase housing, small pleasures, and a little hope.

7.2

MagicScore

Record of a Tenement Gentleman

1947

An errant salaryman's son gets lost until a man from the Tokyo tenements brings him to vendor Tane, who's reluctant to let the kid board.

7.2

MagicScore

Gate of Flesh

1988

Prostitutes in burnt out Tokyo ghetto of post-WWII Japan peddle their flesh and save one-third of their money for a proposed dancehall to be named Paradise. The hookers live in a bombed-out building, but they accept the precarious situation with typical resolve.

6.0

MagicScore

#10

Black Rain

1989

Shigematsu Shizuma, who lives with his family in a village near Fukuyama, was in Hiroshima with his wife and niece just after the devastating atomic bombing, a tragedy that cruelly took the lives of thousands of people and forever marked the harsh existence of the survivors.

7.5

MagicScore

#11

Love the Coopers

2015

When four generations of the Cooper clan come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.

6.0

MagicScore

#12

Godzilla

1954

Japan is thrown into a panic after several ships are sunk near Odo Island. An expedition to the island led by Dr. Kyohei Yamane soon discover something far more devastating than imagined in the form of a 50 meter tall monster whom the natives call Gojira. Now the monster begins a rampage that threatens to destroy not only Japan, but the rest of the world as well.

7.6

MagicScore

#13

The Big Sick

2017

Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family's expectations, and his true feelings.

7.3

MagicScore

#14

Summer '03

2018

16-year-old Jamie Winkle and her extended family are left reeling after her calculating grandmother unveils an array of secrets on her deathbed. As her family deals with her grandmother's surprising dying messages, Jamie sets out to make the most of her summer and explores her sexuality.

5.8

MagicScore

#15

Sandra

1965

Sandra returns to her childhood village to take care of family business, but childhood memories and secrets soon overcome her.

7.0

MagicScore

#16

Moonstruck

1987

37-year-old Italian-American widow Loretta Castorini believes she is unlucky in love, and so accepts a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Johnny, even though she doesn't love him. When she meets his estranged younger brother Ronny, an emotional and passionate man, she finds herself drawn to him. She tries to resist, but Ronny, who blames his brother for the loss of his hand, has no scruples about aggressively pursuing her while Johnny is out of the country. As Loretta falls for Ronny, she learns that she's not the only one in her family with a secret romance.

6.8

MagicScore

#17

The Family Stone

2005

An uptight, conservative businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his eccentric and outgoing family's annual Christmas celebration and finds that she's a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.

6.3

MagicScore

#18

Tokyo Story

1953

The elderly Shukishi and his wife, Tomi, take the long journey from their small seaside village to visit their adult children in Tokyo. Their elder son, Koichi, a doctor, and their daughter, Shige, a hairdresser, don't have much time to spend with their aged parents, and so it falls to Noriko, the widow of their younger son who was killed in the war, to keep her in-laws company.

8.1

MagicScore

#19

Nobody Knows

2004

In a small Tokyo apartment, twelve-year-old Akira must care for his younger siblings after their mother leaves them and shows no sign of returning.

8.0

MagicScore

#20

Shoplifters

2018

In the outskirts of Tokyo, a poor but close-knit group living on the fringes of society survives through shoplifting and odd jobs. When Osamu and his son take in a neglected young girl, their already fragile existence begins to unravel. As the family grows attached to her, buried secrets surface, forcing them to confront the true meaning of love, belonging, and what makes a family.

7.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Early Summer?

The top films similar to Early Summer by MovieMagicScore are Mona Lisa Smile (6.9), White Christmas (7.2), Tokyo Twilight (7.7). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Early Summer worth watching?

Early Summer holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.9/10 from 197 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Early Summer?

Early Summer (1951) is a drama film directed by Yasujirō Ozu, starring Setsuko Hara, Chishū Ryū, Chikage Awashima.

Where can I find more recommendations like Early Summer?

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 Mona Lisa Smile Movies like White Christmas Movies like Tokyo Twilight Movies like Street of Shame Movies like Stray Dog Movies like Early Spring

About movies like Early Summer

This ranked list pairs Early Summer (1951), a drama film from Yasujirō Ozu, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Setsuko Hara 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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