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Ran poster

Movies that feel likeRan (1985)

Shakespeare's King Lear is reimagined as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan where an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons.

If you loved Ran, the closest films we have are Shogun Assassin (1980), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and Harakiri (1962). All three share Ran's kinetic and epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Lady Snowblood (1973).

🍅 96% Rotten Tomatoes★ 8.2 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Akira Kurosawakineticcontemplativeepicrelentless
12 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max · Amazon Prime Video · Paramount Plus Premium

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If Ran hit the spot, these will too

Shogun Assassin poster
Shogun Assassin
1980 · dir. Robert Houston
🍅 82%★ 7.3action · adventure

One thread runs through both: revenge

The difference: Easier on the stillness than Ran

A Shogun who grew paranoid as he became senile sent his ninjas to kill his samurai. They failed but did kill the samurai’s wife. The samurai swore to avenge the death of his wife and roams the countryside with his toddler son in search of vengeance.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon poster
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2000 · dir. Ang Lee
🍅 96%★ 7.8adventure · drama · actionPrime Video

Common ground: revenge

The difference: Leans harder into adventure than Ran does

Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman's daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life.

Harakiri poster
Harakiri
1962 · dir. Masaki Kobayashi
🍅 100%★ 8.6action · drama · history

Both are built on the same subject: seppuku

The difference: Made in the 1960s, in a different era of the craft

Down-on-his-luck veteran Tsugumo Hanshirō enters the courtyard of the prosperous House of Iyi. Unemployed, and with no family, he hopes to find a place to commit seppuku—and a worthy second to deliver the coup de grâce in his suicide ritual. The senior counselor for the Iyi clan questions the ronin’s resolve and integrity, suspecting Hanshirō of seeking charity rather than an honorable end. What follows is a pair of interlocking stories which lay bare the difference between honor and respect, and promises to examine the legendary foundations of the Samurai code.

The Mask of Zorro poster
The Mask of Zorro
1998 · dir. Martin Campbell
🍅 86%★ 6.8action · adventure

Kinetic and epic in the same breath

It has been twenty years since Don Diego de la Vega fought Spanish oppression in Alta California as the legendary romantic hero, Zorro. Having escaped from prison he transforms troubled bandit Alejandro into his successor, in order to foil the plans of the tyrannical Don Rafael Montero who robbed him of his freedom, his wife and his precious daughter.

A Better Tomorrow poster
A Better Tomorrow
1986 · dir. John Woo
🍅 95%★ 7.4action · crime · drama

Both land stillness and relentlessness at once

A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.

Gladiator poster
Gladiator
2000 · dir. Ridley Scott
🍅 80%★ 8.5action · drama · adventureParamount+

Action built on momentum, twice over

After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred. Eventually, Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and battle to the death against other men for the amusement of paying audiences.

Never Back Down poster
Never Back Down
2008 · dir. Jeff Wadlow
🍅 21%★ 6.6drama · action

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

The difference: The scrappier of the two with critics

Jake, full of anger after his father's death, is just starting to find a place for himself at his new Orlando high school - until Ryan, head of an underground MMA fight club, picks Jake out as a prime opponent. After being trounced by Ryan in front of the entire school, Jake begins training under the firm, moral guidance of a MMA master, where he learns how to fight... and how to avoid a fight. But it becomes obvious that a rematch will be inevitable if Jake wants to stop Ryan and his bullying, once and for all.

Lady Snowblood poster
Lady Snowblood
1973 · dir. Toshiya Fujita
🍅 100%★ 7.6action · crime · dramaMax

History with a pulse of relentlessness, in both cases

A strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.

The Virgin Spring poster
The Virgin Spring
1960 · dir. Ingmar Bergman
🍅 88%★ 8drama · history

Both lean on scale more than on drama

Devout Christians Töre and Märeta send their only daughter, the virginal Karin, and their foster daughter, the unrepentant Ingeri, to deliver candles to a distant church. On their way through the woods, the girls encounter a group of savage goat herders who brutally rape and murder Karin as Ingeri remains hidden. When the killers unwittingly seek refuge in the farmhouse of Töre and Märeta, Töre plots a fitting revenge.

Fist of Fury poster
Fist of Fury
1972 · dir. Lo Wei
★ 7.2drama · action · thriller

Kinetic action in both cases

During the Japanese occupation of Shanghai, Chen Zhen, the star pupil of a recently-deceased martial arts teacher battles a Japanese dojo which seeks the demise of his fighting school.

Game of Death poster
Game of Death
1978 · dir. Robert Clouse
🍅 38%★ 5.9drama · action · thriller

Contemplative history, and it commits to that

A martial arts movie star must fake his death to find the people who are trying to kill him.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance poster
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
2002 · dir. Park Chan-wook
🍅 53%★ 7.5action · drama · thriller

Relentless action in both cases

A deaf man and his girlfriend resort to desperate measures in order to fund a kidney transplant for his sister. Things go horribly wrong, and the situation spirals rapidly into a cycle of violence and revenge.

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The best-reviewed films that share Ran’s defining feeling.