Movies like Poison River (1975)
The best movies like Poison River (1975) are A River Runs Through It (1992), Inventing the Abbotts (1997) and Close My Eyes (1991). If Poison River hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedA Simple Plan (1998)7.2/10 from 1,166 votes
- NewestWhat We Hide (2025)Released 2025
A River Runs Through It (1992)
The Maclean brothers, Paul and Norman, live a relatively idyllic life in rural Montana, spending much of their time fly fishing. The sons of a minister, the boys eventually part company when Norman moves east to attend college, leaving his rebellious brother to find trouble back home. When Norman finally returns, the siblings resume their fishing outings, and assess where they've been and where they're going.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInventing the Abbotts (1997)
In the 1950s, brothers Jacey and Doug Holt, who come from the poorer side of their sleepy Midwestern town, vie for the affections of the wealthy, lovely Abbott sisters. Lady-killer Jacey alternates between Eleanor and Alice, wanting simply to break the hearts of rich young women. But sensitive Doug has a real romance with Pamela, which Jacey and the Abbott patriarch, Lloyd, both frown upon.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisClose My Eyes (1991)
After some years of tension, Richard begins a sexual relationship with his sister Natalie. Now married, the relationship proves dangerously obsessional.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like this12 Feet Deep (2018)
Two sisters are trapped under the fiberglass cover of an Olympic sized public pool and must brave the cold and each other to survive the harrowing night.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSalmon Fishing in the Yemen (2012)
A fisheries expert is approached by a consultant to help realize a sheik's vision of bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the desert and embarks on an upstream journey of faith and fish to prove the impossible possible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe River Wild (1994)
Gail and Tom Hartman are struggling to stay together and decide to take a white-water rafting holiday adventure in Montana for their son Roarke's 10th birthday, only to meet up with a pair of mysterious men whose desperation grows, turning their vacation into a nightmare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMud (2013)
Two teenage boys find a fugitive hiding out on an island in the Mississippi River and help him reunite with his lover and escape an avenging family and their armed posse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBraven (2018)
A logger defends his family from a group of dangerous drug runners.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHome from the Hill (1960)
The wealthiest man in a Texas town decides to teach his teenage son how to hunt to make a man out of him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMan's Favorite Sport? (1964)
Roger Willoughby is a renowned fishing expert, who, unbeknownst to his friends, co-workers, or boss, has never cast a line in his life. One day, he crosses paths with Abigail Paige, a sweetly annoying girl who has just badgered his boss into signing Roger up for an annual fishing tournament.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMaximum Risk (1996)
Alain Moreau's investigation into the death of his identical twin brother leads him from the beauty of the south of France to the mean streets of New York City and into the arms of his brother's beautiful girlfriend. Pursued by ruthless Russian mobsters and renegade FBI agents, the duo race against time to solve his brother's murder and expose an international conspiracy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisTrue Confessions (1981)
A cop clashes with his priest brother while investigating the brutal murder of a young prostitute.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Simple Plan (1998)
Captivated by the lure of sudden wealth, the quiet rural lives of two brothers erupt into conflicts of greed, paranoia and distrust when over $4 million in cash is discovered at the remote site of a downed small airplane. Their simple plan to retain the money while avoiding detection opens a Pandora's box when the fear of getting caught triggers panicked behavior and leads to virulent consequences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Adults (2023)
Eric returns home for a short visit and finds himself caught between reuniting with his sisters and chasing a victory with his old poker group. As the trip extends, Eric finds it increasingly difficult to avoid confrontations and revelations as his carefully constructed façade of his adulthood gives way to old childhood conflicts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhere the Red Fern Grows (1974)
Billy Coleman works hard and saves his earnings for two years to achieve his dream of buying two red-bone coonhound pups. He develops a new trust in life as he faces overwhelming challenges in adventure and tragedy roaming the river bottoms of Cherokee country with his dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Power of the Dog (2021)
A domineering but charismatic rancher wages a war of intimidation on his brother's new wife and her teen son, until long-hidden secrets come to light.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOndine (2010)
On the coast of Cork, Syracuse is a divorced fisherman who has stopped drinking. His precocious daughter Annie has failing kidneys. One day, he finds a nearly-drowned young woman in his net; she calls herself Ondine and wants no one to see her. He puts her up in an isolated cottage that was his mother's. Annie discovers Ondine's presence and believes she is a selkie, a seal that turns human while on land. Syracuse is afraid to hope again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Sisters Brothers (2018)
Oregon, 1851. Hermann Kermit Warm, a chemist and aspiring gold prospector, keeps a profitable secret that the Commodore wants to know, so he sends the Sisters brothers, two notorious assassins, to capture him on his way to California.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGrumpier Old Men (1995)
A family wedding reignites the ancient feud between next-door neighbors and fishing buddies John and Max. Meanwhile, a sultry Italian divorcée opens a restaurant at the local bait shop, alarming the locals who worry she'll scare the fish away. But she's less interested in seafood than she is in cooking up a hot time with Max.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhat We Hide (2025)
After their mother dies of an overdose, two sisters hide her body to avoid being separated by the foster system, but as their secret threatens to unravel, they must confront the consequences of their desperate choice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Poison River?
The closest matches to Poison River are A River Runs Through It (1992), Inventing the Abbotts (1997) and Close My Eyes (1991). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Poison River?
Start with A River Runs Through It (1992), the closest match to Poison River.
What is the highest-rated movie like Poison River?
A Simple Plan (1998), rated 7.2/10 by 1,166 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Poison River?
What We Hide (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Poison River chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Poison River, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.