Movies like The Dream Machine (2023)
The best movies like The Dream Machine (2023) are Cosmos (2019), Frequencies (2013) and Code 8 Part II (2024). If The Dream Machine hooked you with its science fiction and mystery, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDoctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010)8.0/10 from 251 votes
- NewestSecond Skin (2025)Released 2025
Cosmos (2019)
Three astronomers accidentally intercept what they believe to be a signal from a distant alien civilization, but the truth is even more incredible than any of them could have imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFrequencies (2013)
The story of the forbidden relationship between a 'low born' boy and a 'high born' girl in an alternate reality where every person's relationships and life worth are determined by their innate 'frequencies'.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCode 8 Part II (2024)
In a world where superpowered people are heavily policed by robots, an ex-con teams up with a drug lord he despises to protect a teen from a corrupt cop.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBabylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers - To Live and Die in Starlight (2002)
After being punished for retreat from combat, Ranger David Martel is given command of the Liandra, a haunted 20-year old Minbari fighting ship. He's escorting ambassadors to a secret archaeological site, the oldest city on record and a clue to a dangerous ancient race.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTimescape (1992)
Before they can complete renovations on their new country inn, a widowed father and his young daughter are visited by a strange group of tourists. He soon makes a chilling discovery: they are disaster junkies from the future who visit the past to witness history's greatest catastrophes—and his small town is their next stop.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpectral (2016)
A special-ops team is dispatched to fight supernatural beings that have taken over a European city.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBabylon 5: A Call to Arms (1999)
Allies of the Shadows seek revenge against humanity. This movie sets up the series, "Crusade," the sequel to "Babylon 5."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like this2149: The Aftermath (2016)
In an oppressive future, where everyone's only contact is their computer, one lonely young man is forced to venture forth in search of human contact.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDoctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio (2016)
When brain-swapping aliens attack New York, the Doctor and Nardole link up with an investigative reporter and a mysterious masked superhero known only as the Ghost. Can the Doctor save Manhattan? And what will be revealed when we see behind the mask?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMonsters of Man (2020)
A robotics company vying to win a lucrative military contract team up with a corrupt CIA agent to conduct an illegal live field test. They deploy four weaponized prototype robots into a suspected drug manufacturing camp in the Golden Triangle, assuming they'd be killing drug runners that no one would miss. Six doctors on a humanitarian mission witness the brutal slaughter and become prime targets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisF.R.E.D.I. (2018)
An intelligent, lovable robot known as "F.R.E.D.I." is stolen from a secret research facility by the project's lead scientist. The robot is found by a 15 year old teenager, James. Soon the two begin to communicate and create a bond in which F.R.E.D.I. learns about teenage life and James learns about some new values.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisSpace/Time (2025)
After a fatal test shuts down their project, a disgraced team of scientists enters the criminal underworld to rebuild a forbidden space-bending engine that could rescue humanity or annihilate it entirely.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like this2073 (2024)
Inspired by Chris Marker's iconic 1962 featurette La Jetée; the year is 2073—a not-so-distant dystopian future—and the setting is New San Francisco, the scorched-earth tech-dominant police state where democracy and personal freedom have been well and truly obliterated.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDoctor Who: The Runaway Bride (2006)
A young bride in the midst of her wedding finds herself mysteriously transported to the TARDIS. The Doctor must discover what her connection is with the Empress of the Racnoss's plan to destroy the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMonster Hunters (2020)
When an alien prison ship crash lands and unleashes creature after creature in the California desert, they make quick work of the army that tries to stop them. Now, the only hope of stopping the aliens rests with a secret branch of the government specializing in alien weaponry. But with the team untested in actual combat, the battle for Earth will be brutal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDoctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010)
Amy Pond and Rory Williams are trapped on a crashing space liner, and the only way the Eleventh Doctor can rescue them is to save the soul of a lonely old miser. But is Kazran Sardick, the richest man in Sardicktown, beyond redemption? And what is lurking in the fogs of Christmas Eve?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSlash/Back (2022)
In a remote Arctic community, a group of Inuit girls fight off an alien invasion, all while trying to make it to the coolest party in town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAfterburn (2025)
Set against the backdrop of a postapocalyptic Earth whose Eastern Hemisphere was destroyed by a massive solar flare, leaving what life remains mutated from radiation and fallout. The story revolves around a group of treasure hunters who extract such objects as the Mona Lisa, the Rosetta Stone and the Crown Jewels while facing rival hunters, mutants and pirates.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHarrison Bergeron (1995)
"All men are not created equal. It is the purpose of the Government to make them so." This is the premise of the Showtime film adaption of Kurt Vonnegut's futuristic short story Harrison Bergeron. The film centers around a young man (Harrison) who is smarter than his peers, and is not affected by the usual "Handicapping" which is used to train all Americans so everyone is of equal intelligence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpring (2014)
A young man in a personal tailspin flees the US to Italy, where he sparks up a romance with a woman harboring a dark, primordial secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBuying Time (2024)
It is the year 2028 and antibiotics are no longer effective. A corporation called Lifeline has invented a health chip which everyone can get for free via the NHS. You can buy an upgrade which is effective against more infections and diseases. In 2028 computing and processing power is restricted however for someone to have an upgrade some one has to die for the power to be transferred. People are dieing randomly. Lifeline are launching their 2nd upgrade which is expected to earn them billions along with their ministerial backer. Daniel Avery has lost his wife and daughter in such circumstances and recent nightmares and flashbacks have instigated him to investigate. He slowly uncovers the truth with the help of a rebel group of the pull for power and greed that goes right to the top.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery & science fiction
The Taxman (2021)
While checking on her taxes, Mia notices that she owes a lot more than expected. After scheduling an appointment with The Taxman, Mia soon finds herself in a sticky situation.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction & mystery
The 5th Kind (2017)
Three best friends try to get 'internet famous' by filming their own survival show out in the woods. A weekend trip to accomplish this project turns deadly when a mysterious and very foreign visitor ends up in their neck of the woods.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction & mystery
Driftwood (2024)
A woman enters an experimental treatment that creates a shared subconscious with her estranged husband. But when a mysterious and hostile presence sabotages the system, she must navigate a labyrinth of nightmares to save her husband and escape.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery & science fiction
Summers Day (2025)
After nearly getting hit by a car, Abigail Summers finds her reality is no longer as it seems
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
The Funeral Dancer (TBA)
“The Funeral Dancer" navigates the life of "Jazz," a skilled funeral entertainer thriving in a world where funerals symbolize social prestige. In this realm, these ceremonies are not only obligatory but also serve as platforms for entertainment, with Jazz responsible for captivating and engaging attendees during these poignant gatherings. Expectations are high, morals are low. While Jazz tries to entertain the mourners, she is forced to face severe problems of her own.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
A Universal Love Story (TBA)
"In a distant future dominated by self-absorption, 'A Universal Love Story' explores the quest for human connection. This sci-fi experimental drama in Esperanto delves into the challenge of finding love in an impersonal world. As the memory of love endures, hope arises for a chance at rekindling it, sometimes requiring a miraculous intervention from another universe to ignite a revolution."
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
The Sleep Society (2025)
After receiving an anonymous invitation, Hugo joins ‘The Sleep Society’, a discrete college society which promises an escape from collective stress and societal expectations.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Living In A Bubble (TBA)
In a bustling metropolis, two strangers discover that their boundless imagination grants them the freedom to escape the constraints of urban life, transcending obstacles to journey wherever their minds take them
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Second Skin (2025)
"Second Skin" follows a man who wakes in a dreamlike fantasy, everything he’s ever wanted, until a familiar girl appears and shatters the illusion, forcing him to confront the reality he tried to escape.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Dream Machine?
The closest matches to The Dream Machine are Cosmos (2019), Frequencies (2013) and Code 8 Part II (2024). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Dream Machine?
Start with Cosmos (2019), the closest match to The Dream Machine.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Dream Machine?
Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol (2010), rated 8.0/10 by 251 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Dream Machine?
Second Skin (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Dream Machine?
Yes: Cosmos (2019), Frequencies (2013) and Code 8 Part II (2024).
How are movies similar to The Dream Machine chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Dream Machine, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.