Movies Like Samsara (2002)

Samsara is a 2002 adventure, drama, romance film from Pan Nalin with a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Seven Years in Tibet and TINA.

Adventure Drama Romance

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

TINA

2021

Tina Turner overcame impossible odds to become one of the first female Black artists to reach a mainstream international audience. Her road to superstardom is an undeniable story of triumph over adversity. It’s the ultimate story of survival – and an inspirational story of our times.

7.8

MagicScore

The Burmese Harp

1956

In Burma during the closing days of WWII, a Japanese soldier separated from his unit disguises himself as a Buddhist monk to escape imprisonment as a POW.

7.9

MagicScore

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

2003

An isolated lake, where an old monk lives in a small floating temple. The monk has a young boy living with him, learning to become a monk. We watch as seasons and years pass by.

7.8

MagicScore

Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?

1989

About three monks in a remote monastery; an aging master, a small orphan and a young man who left his city life to seek Enlightenment.

7.3

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

The Venerable W.

2017

A view of the religious tensions between Muslims and Buddhist through the portrait of the Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu, leader of anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar.

6.6

MagicScore

Walk with Me

2017

Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, Walk With Me is a cinematic journey into the world of a monastic community who practice the art of mindfulness with Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh.

5.8

MagicScore

Harold and Maude

1971

The young Harold lives in his own world of suicide-attempts and funeral visits to avoid the misery of his current family and home environment. Harold meets an 80-year-old woman named Maude who also lives in her own world yet one in which she is having the time of her life. When the two opposites meet they realize that their differences don’t matter and they become best friends and love each other.

7.6

MagicScore

#10

Bed and Board

1970

Parisian everyman Antoine Doinel has married his sweetheart Christine Darbon, and the newlyweds have set up a cozy domestic life of selling flowers and giving violin lessons while Antoine fitfully works on his long-gestating novel. As Christine becomes pregnant with the couple's first child, Antoine finds himself enraptured with a young Japanese beauty. The complications change the course of their relationship forever.

7.1

MagicScore

#11

Gate of Hell

1953

Japan, 1159. Moritō, a brave samurai, performs a heroic act by rescuing the lovely Kesa during a violent uprising. Moritō falls in love with her, but becomes distraught when he finds out that she is married.

7.1

MagicScore

#12

Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl

1919

The love story of an abused English girl and a Chinese Buddhist in a time when London was a brutal and harsh place to live.

6.9

MagicScore

#13

Lisbon Story

1994

Wim Wenders' homage to Lisbon and films. A sound engineer obtains a mysterious postcard from a friend who at the moment is filming a film in Lisbon. He sets out across Europe to find him and help him.

7.1

MagicScore

#14

Effi Briest

1974

When 17-year-old Effi Briest marries the elderly Baron von Instetten, she moves to a small, isolated Baltic town and a house that she fears is haunted. Starved for companionship, Effi begins a friendship with Major Crampas, a charismatic womanizer.

6.6

MagicScore

#15

Chaotic Ana

2007

Ana, a teenager artist, is raised in Ibiza by her German father Klaus in a naturalist lifestyle. She meets Justine, who invites her to move to Madrid and get an artistic education and financial support. Ana befriends Linda, meets the problematic Said, a Saharawi youngster, and later she is hypnotized by Anglo, who opens a door to her memories and past lives.

6.0

MagicScore

#16

The Dead Don't Hurt

2024

In the 1860s, fiercely independent French-Canadian Vivienne Le Coudy embarks on a journey with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen, attempting to forge a life together in the dusty town of Elk Flats, Nevada. When Holger decides to go fight for the Union in the burgeoning Civil War, Vivienne must fend for herself, which isn't easy in a town controlled by a corrupt mayor.

6.5

MagicScore

#17

Hope Floats

1998

Birdee Pruitt has been humiliated on live television by her best friend, Connie, who's been sleeping with Birdee's husband, Bill. Birdee tries starting over with her daughter, Bernice, by returning to her small Texas hometown, but she's faced with petty old acquaintances who are thrilled to see Birdee unhappy -- except for her friend Justin. As he helps Birdee get back on her feet, love begins to blossom.

6.4

MagicScore

#18

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

#19

After This Our Exile

2006

After his mother flees the family home, a son turns to thieving in order to support his father, an abusive sort who is addicted to gambling.

5.6

MagicScore

#20

The Next Karate Kid

1994

Mr. Miyagi decides to take Julie, a troubled teenager, under his wing after he learns that she blames herself for her parents' demise and struggles to adjust with her grandmother and fellow pupils.

5.4

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Samsara?

The top films similar to Samsara by MovieMagicScore are Seven Years in Tibet (7.2), TINA (7.8), The Burmese Harp (7.9). Each shares adventure/drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Samsara worth watching?

Samsara holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10 from 124 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Samsara?

Samsara (2002) is a adventure, drama, romance film directed by Pan Nalin, starring Shawn Ku, Christy Chung Lai-Tai, Neelesha Barthel.

Where can I find more recommendations like Samsara?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more adventure recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Seven Years in Tibet Movies like TINA Movies like The Burmese Harp Movies like Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring Movies like Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?Movies like Kundun

About movies like Samsara

This ranked list pairs Samsara (2002), a adventure and drama and romance film from Pan Nalin, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Shawn Ku 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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