Movies Like Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931)

Tabu: A Story of the South Seas is a 1931 adventure, drama, romance film from F. W. Murnau with a MovieMagicScore of 7.1/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Hurricane and Pacifiction.

Adventure Drama Romance

The Hurricane

1937

A Polynesian sailor is separated from his wife when he's unjustly imprisoned for defending himself against a colonial bully. Members of the community petition the governor for clemency but all pretense of law and order are soon shattered by an incoming tropical storm.

6.7

MagicScore

Pacifiction

2022

Island of Tahiti. French government official De Roller is a calculating man with impeccable manners, capable of dealing with both high society and the locals he frequents in shady joints.

6.3

MagicScore

Mysterious Island

1961

During the US Civil War, Union POWs escape in a balloon and end up stranded on a South Pacific island, inhabited by giant plants and animals. They must use their ingenuity to survive the dangers, and to devise a way to return home. Sequel to '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' .

6.6

MagicScore

King Kong

1933

Adventurous filmmaker Carl Denham sets out to produce a motion picture unlike anything the world has seen before. Alongside his leading lady Ann Darrow and his first mate Jack Driscoll, they arrive on an island and discover a legendary creature said to be neither beast nor man. Denham captures the monster to be displayed on Broadway as King Kong, the eighth wonder of the world.

7.6

MagicScore

Moana

1926

Robert J. Flaherty’s follow-up to Nanook of the North shifts from the Arctic to the South Seas, portraying Samoan village life with a painterly eye. Blending ethnographic detail with a romanticized “Gauguin idyll,” the film celebrates daily rituals, communal traditions, and the passage into adulthood, suffused with what Flaherty called “pride of beauty, pride of strength.”

6.6

MagicScore

Mutiny on the Bounty

1962

The Bounty leaves Portsmouth in 1787. Its destination: to sail to Tahiti and load bread-fruit. Captain Bligh will do anything to get there as fast as possible, using any means to keep up a strict discipline. When they arrive at Tahiti, it is like a paradise for the crew, something completely different than the living hell aboard the ship. On the way back to England, officer Fletcher Christian becomes the leader of a mutiny.

7.0

MagicScore

The Bounty

1984

The familiar story of Lieutenant Bligh, whose cruelty leads to a mutiny on his ship. This version follows both the efforts of Fletcher Christian to get his men beyond the reach of British retribution, and the epic voyage of Lieutenant Bligh to get his loyalists safely to East Timor in a tiny lifeboat.

6.7

MagicScore

She Gods of Shark Reef

1958

Two brothers, one wanted for murder, are shipwrecked on an island inhabited by nubile young women who have amassed a valuable cache of pearls.

3.0

MagicScore

The Flying Deuces

1939

Ollie falls in love with a woman. When he discovers she's already married, he unsuccessfully attempts suicide but he and Stan then decide to join the Foreign Legion to get away from their troubles. When they’re arrested for soon trying to desert the Legion—they escape a firing squad by stealing an aircraft.

6.4

MagicScore

#10

Freaks

1932

A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.

7.8

MagicScore

#11

Koyaanisqatsi

1983

Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

7.9

MagicScore

#12

The Beach

2000

Twenty-something Richard travels to Thailand and finds himself in possession of a strange map. Rumours state that it leads to a solitary beach paradise, a tropical bliss - excited and intrigued, he sets out to find it.

6.5

MagicScore

#13

Kon-Tiki

1950

"Kon-Tiki" was the name of a wooden raft used by six Scandinavian scientists, led by Thor Heyerdahl, to make a 101-day journey from South America to the Polynesian Islands. The purpose of the expedition was to prove Heyerdal's theory that the Polynesian Islands were populated from the east- specifically Peru- rather than from the west (Asia) as had been the theory for hundreds of years. Heyerdahl made a study of the winds and tides in the Pacific, and by simulating conditions as closely as possible to those he theorized the Peruvians encountered, set out on the voyage.

7.4

MagicScore

#14

Mississippi Mermaid

1969

A tobacco planter on Réunion island in the Indian Ocean becomes engaged through correspondence to a French woman he does not know. The woman that arrives does not look like the picture he received, but he marries her anyway.

6.6

MagicScore

#15

Bird of Paradise

1932

When a young South Seas sailor falls overboard, the beautiful daughter of a Polynesian king dives in and saves his life. Thus begins the romance of Johnny and Luana. Though Luana is promised to another man, Johnny whisks her away, and for a brief time the lovers live very happily together. But, when a local volcano threatens their lives, Luana knows that she must sacrifice herself to the volcanic gods in order to save her island.

4.8

MagicScore

#16

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

2007

Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann join forces with the revived Captain Barbossa to free Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' locker. The group must navigate dangerous waters, confront many foes and, ultimately, choose sides in a battle wherein piracy itself hangs in the balance.

7.3

MagicScore

#17

Minuscule 2: Mandibles from Far Away

2019

When the first snow falls in the valley, it is urgent to prepare its reserves for the winter. Alas, during the operation, a small ladybug is trapped in a box - to the Caribbean. One solution: reform the shock team.

7.0

MagicScore

#18

Safe in Hell

1931

To avoid the rigors of the law, Gilda flees New Orleans and hides on a Caribbean island where the worst criminals can ask for asylum. Besieged by the scum of the earth, Gilda will soon find out that she has found refuge in hell.

6.7

MagicScore

#19

Island of Lost Souls

1932

An obsessed scientist conducts profane experiments in evolution, eventually establishing himself as the self-styled demigod to a race of mutated, half-human abominations.

6.9

MagicScore

#20

Deep Blue

2003

Deep Blue is a major documentary feature film shot by the BBC Natural History Unit. An epic cinematic rollercoaster ride for all ages, Deep Blue uses amazing footage to tell us the story of our oceans and the life they support.

6.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Tabu: A Story of the South Seas?

The top films similar to Tabu: A Story of the South Seas by MovieMagicScore are The Hurricane (6.7), Pacifiction (6.3), Mysterious Island (6.6). Each shares adventure/drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Tabu: A Story of the South Seas worth watching?

Tabu: A Story of the South Seas holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.1/10 from 176 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Tabu: A Story of the South Seas?

Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931) is a adventure, drama, romance film directed by F. W. Murnau, starring Matahi, Anne Chevalier, Bill Bambridge.

Where can I find more recommendations like Tabu: A Story of the South Seas?

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 The Hurricane Movies like Pacifiction Movies like Mysterious Island Movies like King Kong Movies like Moana Movies like Mutiny on the Bounty

About movies like Tabu: A Story of the South Seas

This ranked list pairs Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931), a adventure and drama and romance film from F. W. Murnau, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Matahi 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.

← Back to Tabu: A Story of the South Seas