Movies like 1972
The best movies like 1972 are September 5 (2024), Munich (2005) and One Day in September (1999). If 1972 hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDirty Harry (1971)7.5/10 from 2,905 votes
- NewestSeptember 5 (2024)Released 2024
September 5 (2024)
During the 1972 Munich Olympics, an American sports broadcasting crew finds itself thrust into covering the hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMunich (2005)
During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOne Day in September (1999)
The full story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli revenge operation 'Wrath of God.' The 1972 Munich Olympics were interrupted by Palestinian terrorists taking Israeli athletes hostage. Besides footage taken at the time, we see interviews with the surviving terrorist, Jamal Al Gashey, and various officials detailing exactly how the police, lacking an anti-terrorist squad and turning down help from the Israelis, botched the operation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCopycat (1995)
An agoraphobic psychologist and a female detective must work together to take down a serial killer who copies serial killers from the past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVantage Point (2008)
During an historic counter-terrorism summit in Spain, the President of the United States is struck down by an assassin's bullet. Eight strangers have a perfect view of the kill, but what did they really see? As the minutes leading up to the fatal shot are replayed through the eyes of each eyewitness, the reality of the assassination takes shape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSudden Death (1995)
When a man's daughter is suddenly taken during a championship hockey game – with the captors demanding a billion dollars by game's end – he frantically sets a plan in motion to rescue her and abort an impending explosion before the final buzzer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMercy (2023)
An ex-military doctor finds herself in a deadly battle for survival when the Irish mafia seize control of the hospital at which she works. When her son is taken hostage, she is forced to rely upon her battle-hardened past and lethal skills after realizing there’s no one left to save the day but her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJohn Q (2002)
John Quincy Archibald is a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it. Therefore, he decides to take a hospital full of patients hostage until the hospital puts his son's name on the donor's list.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBlack Sunday (1977)
An Israeli anti-terrorist agent must stop a disgruntled Vietnam vet cooperating in a Black September PLO plot to commit a terrorist attack at the Super Bowl.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisResurrection (2022)
A woman's carefully constructed life is upended when an unwelcome shadow from her past returns, forcing her to confront the monster she's evaded for two decades.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisSplit (2017)
Though Kevin has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher, there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him — as well as everyone around him — as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSands of Iwo Jima (1950)
Haunted by personal demons, Marine Sgt. John Stryker is hated and feared by his men, who see him as a cold-hearted sadist. But when their boots hit the beaches, they begin to understand the reason for Stryker's rigid form of discipline.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisQuantum of Solace (2008)
Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M interrogate Mr. White, who reveals that the organization that blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisExecutive Decision (1996)
Terrorists hijack a 747 inbound to Washington D.C., demanding the release of their imprisoned leader. Intelligence expert David Grant suspects another reason and he is soon the reluctant member of a special assault team that is assigned to intercept the plane and hijackers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Experiment (2010)
20 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhite House Down (2013)
Capitol Policeman John Cale has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service protecting President James Sawyer. Not wanting to let down his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group. Now, with the nation's government falling into chaos and time running out, it's up to Cale to save the president, his daughter, and the country.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMad City (1997)
A misguided museum guard who loses his job and then tries to get it back at gunpoint is thrown into the fierce world of ratings-driven TV gone mad.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlong Came a Spider (2001)
After the harrowing death of his partner, forensic psychologist and best-selling author Alex Cross cannot forgive himself and has retreated to the peace of retirement. But when a brilliant criminal kidnaps a senator's young daughter, he is lured back into action as the kidnapper wants to deal with Alex personally. Teamed with Jezzie Flanigan, the Secret Service agent assigned to protect the missing girl, Alex follows a serpentine trail of clues that leads him to a stunning discovery - the kidnapper wants more than just ransom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDirty Harry (1971)
When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEscape from New York (1981)
In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam free. After the US president crash-lands inside, war hero Snake Plissken has 24 hours to bring him back.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this
Like 1972 and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like 1972?
The closest matches to 1972 are September 5 (2024), Munich (2005) and One Day in September (1999). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after 1972?
Start with September 5 (2024), the closest match to 1972.
What is the highest-rated movie like 1972?
Dirty Harry (1971), rated 7.5/10 by 2,905 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like 1972?
September 5 (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like 1972?
Yes: September 5 (2024), Munich (2005) and One Day in September (1999).
How are movies similar to 1972 chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside 1972, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.