Movies like Street of Shame: 20 to watch next
If you loved Street of Shame (1956) — a drama film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi — these 20 movies are the closest matches.
The first picks are what fans of Street of Shame most often go on to watch; the rest share its genres and themes like prostitute, based on novel or book and despair. 4 of them are streaming in India right now — each entry shows where.
Where to watch Street of Shame →·Get picks for your whole taste →
- 1
Gate of Flesh 1988★ 6.2
Shares: Drama
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.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 2
Gate of Flesh 1964★ 6.6
Shares: Drama
In the shady black markets and bombed-out hovels of post–World War II Tokyo, a tough band of prostitutes eke out a dog-eat-dog existence, maintaining tenuous friendships and a semblance of order in a world of chaos. But when a renegade ex-soldier stumbles into their midst, lusts and loyalties clash, with tragic results. With Gate of Flesh, visionary director Seijun Suzuki delivers a whirlwind of social critique and pulp drama, shot through with brilliant colors and raw emotions.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 3
Tokyo Decadence 1992★ 6.0
Shares: Drama
A submissive hooker goes about her trade, suffering abuse at the hands of Japanese salarymen and Yakuza types. She's unhappy about her work, and is apparently trying to find some sort of appeasement for the fact that her lover has married.
Stream in India on Bloodstream
- 4
Sakuran 2006★ 6.5
Shares: Drama
Kiyoha rises from the lowly courtesan ranks to the high class position of Oiran in the steamy red-light district of Yoshiwara. She is determined to stand on her own two feet and live life as she pleased.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 5
The Life of Oharu 1952★ 7.8
Shares: Drama
During the Edo Period, a noblewoman's banishment for her love affair with a lowly page signals the beginning of her inexorable fall.
Stream in India on Plex
- 6
The Insect Woman 1963★ 7.2
Shares: Drama
A woman, Tome, is born to a lower class family in Japan in 1918. The title refers to an insect, repeating its mistakes, as in an infinite circle. Imamura, with this metaphor, introduces the life of Tome, who keeps trying to change her poor life.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 7
Pigs and Battleships 1961★ 7.2
Shares: Drama
In the city of Yokosuka, Kinta and his lover Haruko, both involved with yakuza, brave the post-occupation period with a goal to be together.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 8
Last Exit to Brooklyn 1989★ 6.4
Shares: Drama
A gallery of characters in Brooklyn in the 1950s are crushed by their surroundings and selves: a union strike leader discovers he is gay; a prostitute falls in love with one of her clients; a family cannot cope with the fact that their daughter is illegitimately pregnant.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 9
Repast 1951★ 7.6
Shares: Drama
In post-WWII Osaka, a middle-aged woman is forced to examine her dreary life and marriage when her husband's young and flirtatious cousin arrives for a brief stay to escape an arranged marriage.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 10
Shoplifters 2018★ 7.8
Shares: Drama
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.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 11
Call Boy 2018★ 6.5
Shares: Drama
Ryo Morinaka is a university student and works part-time at a bar. He is bored with his daily life and exists in a state of torpor. One day, his friend Shinya Tajima brings the owner of a host bar over to the place where Ryo Morinaka works. Shizuka Mido is the owner of the host bar. Soon, Ryo Morinaka begins to work for Shizuka Mido at the members only host bar. He feels embarrassment initially, but he fulfills the desires of women and develops a sense of purpose.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 12
The Woman in the Rumor 1954★ 7.3
Shares: Drama
After living a traumatic experience in Tokyo, Yukiko returns to Kyoto, where Hatsuko, her mother, runs a brothel, which upsets Yukiko very much.
Stream in India on Plex
- 13
Intentions of Murder 1964★ 7.1
Shares: Drama
The neglected common-law wife of a Japanese librarian is repeatedly harassed by a young man with a heart condition who seduces her with the prospect of a better life.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 14
Under the Open Sky 2021★ 7.5
Shares: Drama
Mikami, an ex-yakuza of middle age with most of his life in prison, gets released after serving 13 years of sentence for murder. Hoping to find his long lost mother, from whom he was separated as a child, he applies for a TV show and meets a young TV director Tsunoda. Meanwhile, he struggles to get a proper job and fit into society. His impulsive, adamant nature and ingrained beliefs cause friction in his relationship with Tsunoda and those who want to help him.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 15
High and Low 1963★ 8.4
Shares: Drama
A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 16
Aristocrats 2021★ 7.0
Shares: Drama
Hanako is looking for stability with her man. She gets dumped instead. She begins dating. Miki studied and worked hard to get to where she is and is holding down a job. They are introduced through an intermediary man.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 17
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs 1960★ 8.0
Shares: Drama
Keiko, whom everyone calls Mama, narrates her story: she's a hostess on the Ginza, 30, a widow. She describes life's vicious cycle: acting cheerful around drunks, dressing and living well to convey confidence, needing money for these expenses and for her demanding mother and brother, and knowing she's growing older.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 18
Angel Guts: Red Classroom 1979★ 6.4
Shares: Drama
A porn magazine editor stumbles upon an amateur gang rape film and, struck by the girl's acting, decides to find her.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 19
Antiporno 2017★ 6.6
Shares: Drama
Kyôko, a traumatized young Japanese girl, finds herself struggling with her self-confidence in her adult life. Growing up in a family without her mother and her sister, she constantly questions the rationale of sex and the notion of liberty in modern Japanese society.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 20
Asakusa Kid 2021★ 7.0
Shares: Drama
Before he hit it big, Takeshi Kitano got his start apprenticing with comedy legend Fukami of Asakusa. But as his star rises, his mentor's declines.
Stream in India on Netflix