Dynamic Watchlist Hub: May 17, 2026

10 Best Movies Like Once Upon a Time in Shanghai

If you loved Once Upon a Time in Shanghai, we've curated the perfect watchlist for you based on shared genres, themes, and directorial style.

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Expert Review & Ratings

See our full critical analysis and audience score for Once Upon a Time in Shanghai.

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#1
Hounddog

Hounddog

2008★ 6.4

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Once Upon a Time in Shanghai for fans of Drama. It captures a similar emotionally gripping atmosphere.

A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley....

#2
The Safety of Objects

The Safety of Objects

2002★ 6.5

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Once Upon a Time in Shanghai for fans of Drama. It captures a similar emotionally gripping atmosphere.

In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, an...

#3
Radium Girls

Radium Girls

2020★ 6.7

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Once Upon a Time in Shanghai for fans of Drama & History. It captures a similar emotionally gripping atmosphere.

Young women toiling in a factory are exposed to hazardous material which takes a disastrous toll on their health....

#4
A City of Sadness

A City of Sadness

1989★ 7.5

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Once Upon a Time in Shanghai for fans of Drama & History. It captures a similar emotionally gripping atmosphere.

The story of a family embroiled in the "White Terror," the Kuomintang government's anti-communist political repression that was wrought on the Taiwanese people from 1947-1987....

#5
Buddha Mountain

Buddha Mountain

2011★ 6.9

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Once Upon a Time in Shanghai for fans of Drama. It captures a similar emotionally gripping atmosphere.

In Chengdu, China, a retired female opera singer named Master Chang takes in a trio of young tenants into her boarding home. The tenants include a rock singer and a college student...

#6
Confucius

Confucius

2010★ 5.9

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Once Upon a Time in Shanghai for fans of Drama & History. It captures a similar emotionally gripping atmosphere.

In 500 B.C., during Chinas famed 'Spring and Autumn Period', Kong Ze (Confucius), a commoner reverred for his outstanding wisdom, is made Minister of Law in the ancient Kingdom of ...

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