Movies like Yearning: 20 to watch next
If you loved Yearning (1964) — a drama and romance film directed by Mikio Naruse — these 20 movies are the closest matches.
The first picks are what fans of Yearning most often go on to watch; the rest share its genres and themes like widow, family relationships and unrequited love. 4 of them are streaming in India right now — each entry shows where.
Where to watch Yearning →·Get picks for your whole taste →
- 1
Floating Clouds 1955★ 7.7
Shares: Drama, Romance
A married Japanese forester during WWII is sent to Indochina to manage forests. He meets a young Japanese typist and promises to leave his wife. He doesn't and after the war, she turns up and the affair resumes.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 2
One Wonderful Sunday 1947★ 7.2
Shares: Drama, Romance
Two broke sweethearts wander war-scarred Tokyo on a single Sunday, stretching 35 yen as they chase housing, small pleasures, and a little hope.
Stream in India on Plex
- 3
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
- 4
My Happy Marriage 2023★ 7.4
Shares: Drama, Romance
An unhappy young woman from an abusive family is married off to a fearsome and chilly army commander. But the two learn more about each other, love may have a chance.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 5
In the Realm of the Senses 1976★ 6.6
Shares: Drama, Romance
A passionate telling of the story of Sada Abe, a woman whose affair with her master led to an obsessive and ultimately destructive sexual relationship.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 6
Not Easily Broken 2009★ 6.3
Shares: Drama, Romance
A car accident and shifting affections test the bond between a married couple.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 7
Blind 2017★ 6.1
Shares: Drama, Romance
A novelist is blinded in a car crash that killed his wife and several years later rediscovers his passion for life and writing when he embarks on an affair with the neglected wife of an indicted businessman.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 8
The Makioka Sisters 1983★ 7.4
Shares: Drama, Romance
This sensuously beautiful film chronicles the activities of four sisters who gather in Kyoto every year to view the cherry blossoms. It paints a vivid portrait of the pre-war lifestyle of the wealthy Makioka family from Osaka, and draws a parallel between their activities and the seasonal variations in Japan.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 9
Stanley & Iris 1990★ 6.5
Shares: Drama, Romance
An illiterate cook at a company cafeteria tries for the attention of a newly widowed woman. As they get to know one another, she discovers his inability to read. When he is fired, she takes on trying to teach him to read in her kitchen each night.
Stream in India on MGM Plus Amazon Channel
- 10
Maria's Lovers 1984★ 6.0
Shares: Drama, Romance
A World War II prisoner returns home to his childhood sweetheart. However, back home, he discovers that he has to compete to win her love.
Stream in India on Plex
- 11
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
- 12
The Secret: Dare to Dream 2020★ 7.4
Shares: Drama, Romance
A widow with three children hires a handyman to fix her house during a major storm. When not doing home repairs, he shares his philosophy of believing in the power of the universe to deliver what we want.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 13
The Sleeping Dictionary 2003★ 6.6
Shares: Drama, Romance
In the 1930s, British officer John Truscott journeys to a remote village in colonial Malaysia to educate and Westernize the local Iban population. There, he's introduced to the lovely Selima. In keeping with tradition, Selima is assigned to sleep with Truscott and teach him the native language and customs. But when they fall in love, both colonists and natives object to their plans to marry.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 14
It Feels So Good 2019★ 6.6
Shares: Drama, Romance
When it rains it pours. Kenji divorced his wife, lost his job and his old squeeze Naoko is getting married back home in the north of Japan, specifically in Akita. He returns there in order to attend her wedding. Naoko surprises him by proposing that they have sex again. The one night stand is the new beginning.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 15
Miss Oyu 1951★ 7.3
Shares: Drama, Romance
Shinnosuke is introduced to Shizu as a prospective marriage partner, but he falls in love with her widowed sister Oyu. Convention forbids Oyu to marry because she has to raise her son as the head of her husband's family. Oyu convinces Shinnosuke and Shizu to marry so that she can remain close to Shinnosuke.
Stream in India on Plex
- 16
Maborosi 1995★ 7.5
Shares: Drama
A tragedy strikes a young woman's life without warning or reason. She continues living while searching for meaning in a lonely world.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 17
The Face of Love 2013★ 6.1
Shares: Drama, Romance
A widow falls for a guy who bears a striking resemblance to her late husband.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 18
The Magic of Ordinary Days 2005★ 7.5
Shares: Drama, Romance
Pregnant out of wedlock, an educated young woman is pressured by her father into an arranged marriage with a lonely farmer in this drama set during WWII.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 19
All That Heaven Allows 1955★ 7.3
Shares: Drama, Romance
Two different social classes collide when Cary Scott, a wealthy upper-class widow, falls in love with her much younger and down-to-earth gardener, prompting disapproval and criticism from her children and country club friends.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now
- 20
Gabriel's Redemption: Part I 2023★ 7.3
Shares: Drama, Romance
After leaving his prestigious post at the University of Toronto, Gabriel embarks on a new journey with Julia, and he is eager to become a father. However, Gabriel's idyllic vision is jeopardized when Julia's intensive program becomes all consuming. When Julia is granted a prestigious opportunity to deliver an academic lecture at Oxford, Gabriel challenges her about the subject of her presentation, which clashes with his own research. In Oxford, their past resurfaces, including an old nemesis determined to humiliate Julia and expose one of Gabriel's well-guarded secrets. Emotions run high, alliances are tested, and the couple must confront the shadows of their shared history in a battle for love, truth, and redemption.
Not on subscription streaming in India right now