Movies Like Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997)

Smilla's Sense of Snow is a 1997 drama, thriller film from Bille August with a MovieMagicScore of 6.3/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Never Cry Wolf and The Savage Innocents.

Drama Thriller

Never Cry Wolf

1983

A scientific researcher, sent on a government study: The Lupus Project, must investigate the possible "menace" of wolves in the north. To do so, he must survive in the wilderness for six months on his own. In the course of these events, he learns about the true beneficial and positive nature of the wolf species.

7.0

MagicScore

The Savage Innocents

1960

An Eskimo who has had little contact with white men goes to a trading post where he accidentally kills a missionary and finds himself being pursued by the police.

6.7

MagicScore

Varg Veum - Sleeping Beauty

2008

After extricating 17-year-old Lisa Halle from a life of prostitution in Copenhagen, private investigator Varg Veum becomes ensnared in a tangle of parental neglect and bad love when he is hired to locate Lisa's boyfriend, Peter Werner.

6.4

MagicScore

The Snow Walker

2003

A bush pilot in nothern Canada who with the aid of modernity thinks he can handle it all & knows it all. After reluctantly agreeing to transport a local indian girl to a medical facility his light plane crashes & they have to survive whilst finding their way back to civilization. Along the journey the man finds a new respect for the native ways as they battle to survive the elements.

6.9

MagicScore

King's Game

2004

Starting a new job as a political journalist at a leading newspaper, Ulrik Torp witnesses a brutal struggle for power in the Midparty's ranks -- a struggle that coincides with the charismatic party leader's involvement in a near fatal car accident. A flurry of lies and media speculation surrounds the incident. Gradually, Ulrik unearths a ruthless conspiracy involving the incumbent prime minister.

6.8

MagicScore

Bear Island

1979

A group of people converge on a barren Arctic island. They have their reasons for being there but when a series of mysterious accidents and murders take place, a whole lot of darker motives become apparent. Could the fortune in buried Nazi gold be the key to the mystery? Donald Sutherland and Vanessa Redgrave investigate

6.0

MagicScore

Nanook of the North

1922

This pioneering documentary film depicts the lives of the indigenous Inuit people of Canada's northern Quebec region. Although the production contains some fictional elements, it vividly shows how its resourceful subjects survive in such a harsh climate, revealing how they construct their igloo homes and find food by hunting and fishing. The film also captures the beautiful, if unforgiving, frozen landscape of the Great White North, far removed from conventional civilization.

7.1

MagicScore

Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner

2002

Based on a local legend and set in an unknown era, it deals with universal themes of love, possessiveness, family, jealousy and power. Beautifully shot, and acted by Inuit people, it portrays a time when people fought duels by taking turns to punch each other until one was unconscious, made love on the way to the caribou hunt, ate walrus meat and lit their igloos with seal-oil lamps.

6.9

MagicScore

Map of the Human Heart

1993

In an Arctic village in 1931, British mapmaker Walter Russell selects 12-year-old Eskimo Avik as his guide. When the boy contracts tuberculosis, Walter flies him to a Montreal hospital, where Avik meets Albertine and is infatuated. A decade later, a grown Avik encounters Albertine again in London, where he's serving as a British combat pilot. Despite her relationship with Walter, she and Avik begin an affair.

6.2

MagicScore

#10

Journey to Greenland

2016

Thomas and Thomas are going through a rough patch: they are both thirty-something actors living in Paris. They randomly decide to leave the city and fly away to Kullorsuaq, one of the most remote villages of Greenland, where Thomas' father Nathan lives. Among the Inuit community, they will discover the charms of the local customs and their friendship will be challenged.

6.1

MagicScore

#11

Pusher II

2004

Tonny is released from prison - again. This time he has his mind set on changing his broken down life, but that is easier said than done.

7.2

MagicScore

#12

Pusher

1996

A drug pusher grows increasingly desperate after a botched deal leaves him with a large debt to a ruthless drug lord.

7.0

MagicScore

#13

The Revenant

2015

In the 1820s, a frontiersman, Hugh Glass, sets out on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling.

7.5

MagicScore

#14

Die Hard 2

1990

One year after his heroics in Los Angeles, John McClane is an off-duty cop who is the wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. On a snowy Christmas Eve, as he waits for his wife's plane to land at Washington Dulles International Airport, terrorists take over the air traffic control system in a plot to free a South American army general and drug smuggler being flown into the US to face drug charges. It's now up to McClane to take on the terrorists, while coping with an inept airport police chief, an uncooperative anti-terrorist squad, and the life of his wife and everyone else trapped in planes circling overhead.

7.0

MagicScore

#15

Arctic

2018

A man stranded in the Arctic is finally about to receive his long awaited rescue. However, after a tragic accident, his opportunity is lost and he must then decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his camp or embark on a deadly trek through the unknown for potential salvation.

6.5

MagicScore

#16

Sailor Moon S the Movie: Hearts in Ice

1994

As Usagi and her friends enjoy Christmas vacation, an unusual and fierce snowstorm hits town... The evil Snow Queen Kaguya has returned to claim Earth as her own. Crucial to Queen Kaguya's plan is a magical crystal from outer space, approaching Earth disguised as a comet. Once she gets hold of the crystal, she will have the power to suck away all life energy and cover the Earth in ice. Will Sailor Moon find the crystal before Queen Kaguya? Will her powers be enough to save the Earth from permanent winter? All hope lies with the Legendary Ultimate Scout Power!

7.6

MagicScore

#17

The Batman

2022

In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.

7.7

MagicScore

#18

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

#19

Spotlight

2015

The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

7.8

MagicScore

#20

The Night of the Generals

1967

A German intelligence officer investigates a prostitute's killing in Warsaw during World War II. He lands on three major Nazi generals as suspects, two of whom are also involved in a plot to kill Adolf Hitler.

6.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Smilla's Sense of Snow?

The top films similar to Smilla's Sense of Snow by MovieMagicScore are Never Cry Wolf (7.0), The Savage Innocents (6.7), Varg Veum - Sleeping Beauty (6.4). Each shares drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Smilla's Sense of Snow worth watching?

Smilla's Sense of Snow holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.3/10 from 245 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Smilla's Sense of Snow?

Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997) is a drama, thriller film directed by Bille August, starring Julia Ormond, Gabriel Byrne, Richard Harris.

Where can I find more recommendations like Smilla's Sense of Snow?

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 Never Cry Wolf Movies like The Savage Innocents Movies like Varg Veum - Sleeping Beauty Movies like The Snow Walker Movies like King's Game Movies like Bear Island

About movies like Smilla's Sense of Snow

This ranked list pairs Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997), a drama and thriller film from Bille August, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Julia Ormond 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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