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Movies like Shadows Unseen (1972)

The best movies like Shadows Unseen (1972) are What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974), Nostalgia (2022) and The Day of the Owl (1968). If Shadows Unseen hooked you with its horror and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974)

    An unidentified fifteen year-old girl is found hanged after an anonymous tip-off. The girl, Silvia Polvesi, is soon discovered to have been murdered. A peeping tom is caught with photos of her having sex with a teenage drop-out but he is later released due to lack of evidence. The investigation, conducted by Inspector Silvestri and the assistant public prosecutor Vittoria Stori, focuses on the girl's parents. Conspiracies and horrors pile up, as do the body parts.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & horror

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. Nostalgia (2022)

    Felice returns to his native Rione Sanità in Naples to look after his dying mother, having lived abroad for the last forty years. Here he discovers that his old friend Oreste has become a notorious crimeboss.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. The Day of the Owl (1968)

    Set in Sicily, this violent crime drama tells the tale of an Italian cop who heads to a small island town to look into the death of a construction supplier. Once there he is shocked by the influence the Mafia has over the people and even himself.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime

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  4. Confessions of a Police Captain (1971)

    A police captain arranges the release of a criminally insane prisoner, who soon winds up dead. When the District Attorney takes on the case, he uncovers corruption in the department and vows to take down the man who's responsible.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

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  5. One Hundred Days in Palermo (1984)

    In the late 1970s and early 80s, assassinations in Sicily get the attention of Communist deputy, Pio La Torre, who appeals to General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa to become prefect in Palermo and take on the Mafia. Dalla Chiesa approaches the job with the same focus and methods he used in hunting down the Red Brigade.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime

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  6. Winged Creatures (2009)

    A psychotic man opens fire in a diner, murdering numerous people before killing himself. The survivors struggle in different ways following this horrendous event: a doctor doubts his own instincts and elects to use an experimental medical procedure on his wife, while a gambler believes he's on a lucky streak. A waitress begins engaging in promiscuous sex, and a young girl whose father is among the dead gains unexpected fame.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

  7. Blindfire (2020)

    A police officer who while responding to a violent hostage call, kills the African American suspect only to later learn of his innocence. Sensing this was a set-up, and facing repercussions, he must track down the person responsible while examining his own accountability and the ingrained racism which brought him to this point.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. The Quiller Memorandum (1966)

    After two British Secret Intelligence Service agents are murdered at the hands of a cryptic neo-Nazi group known as Phoenix, the suave agent Quiller is sent to Berlin to investigate.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime

  9. Suburbicon (2017)

    In the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and murder.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

  10. San Babila-8 P.M. (1976)

    A quartet of young neo-Fascists terrorise the Milanise locals while the Police mostly look the other way.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Piranhas (2019)

    A gang of teenage boys stalk the streets of Naples armed with hand guns and AK-47s to do their mob bosses' bidding – until they decide to be the bosses themselves.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. I'm Not a Killer (2019)

    One livid dawn, a cold and damp wind blows as a man walks alone through the darkness. Deputy Police Superintendent Francesco Prencipe is on his way to meet his best friend, Judge Giovanni Mastropaolo whom he hasn't seen for almost two years. The men drive for two hours and exchange but a few words. Later that morning, the Judge is found dead, a single gunshot wound to his head. Francesco is the last person who saw him and his fingerprints are the only ones found in the house. But is he the murderer?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

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  13. Frank and Penelope (2022)

    A tale of love and violence when a man on his emotional last legs finds a savior seductively dancing in a run-down strip club. And a life most certainly headed off a cliff suddenly becomes redirected - as everything is now worth dying for.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & crime

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. American Skin (2019)

    A Marine veteran working as a school janitor tries to mend his relationship with his son after a divorce. When his son is killed by a police officer found innocent without standing trial, he takes matters into his own hands.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. Shimmer Lake (2017)

    Shot in reverse day-by-day through a week—a local sheriff embarks on a quest to unlock the mystery of three small-town criminals and a bank heist gone wrong.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Boys Cry (2018)

    Mirko and Manolo are best friends and live in the suburbs of Rome. They both live in poor conditions with their single parents, are still in school and struggle with occasional odd jobs to make ends meet. Together they share dreams of women, of sex and money, of a better life to come. Then, after killing a man in a hit-and-run one night, they get involved with the local mafia and their lives change dramatically.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. True Believer (1989)

    Eddie Dodd is a burnt out former civil rights lawyer who now specializes in defending drug dealers. Roger Baron, newly graduated from law school, has followed Eddie's great cases and now wants to learn at his feet. With Roger's idealistic prodding, Eddie reluctantly takes on a case of a young Korean man who, according to his mother, has been in jail for eight years for a murder he didn't commit.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

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  18. The Public Eye (1992)

    A crime photographer gets involved in a conspiracy.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. The Enforcer (2022)

    A noir thriller set in Miami, the film follows an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss has branched out into cyber sex trafficking, putting a young runaway he’s befriended at risk. He sacrifices everything to save the young girl from the deadly organization he’s spent his life building.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. Belly (1998)

    Tommy Bundy and Sincere are best friends as well as infamous and ruthless criminals and shot-callers in the hood. Respected by many but feared by all. As the police are closing in on them and new players are looking for a come up, will their reign last?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. Colt 38 Special Squad (1976)

    The city of Turin is in the grip of a brutal crime boss known as "Il Marsigliese" and plenty of cops have good cause to want him dead — none more than Inspector Vanni, whose wife was murdered by the ruthless gangster. Having exhausted every other avenue, Vanni forms a crack squad of motorcycle-riding, Colt .38-toting elite officers, tasked with meting out justice on the margins of the law. But when "Il Marsigliese" launches a bombing campaign designed to extort a vast ransom from the city's authorities, Vanni finds himself in a race against time to exact his revenge and avert disaster.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & crime

  22. Redneck (1973)

    Franco Nero and Telly Savalas star in the story of a trio of jewel thieves on the lam after a heist goes very wrong. Wrecking their car they take another unaware that there is a teenager hiding in the back. As the flight becomes more frantic, the young man is discovered, upsetting the balance of the thieves.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & crime

  23. Crime on a Summer Morning (1965)

    An ill-assorted group of international criminals executes a tightly-planned ransom sting in Spain. Things go along swimmingly until various tensions within the group come to the fore.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama

  24. One Man Against the Organization (1975)

    An airport employee switches a pack of drugs for baking soda and absconds to Barcelona, meanwhile the drug-runners are on his trail.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & crime

  25. The Blue-Eyed Bandit (1980)

    An office employee, pretending to be weak and crippled, reveals himself as a ruthless criminal.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama

  26. Cross Shot (1976)

    A mobster kills a cop during a robbery and then finds himself pursued by the police, his gang, and the media.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama

  27. Killer Cop (1975)

    In a crowded hotel in the center of Milan a bomb has been planted. The time device on its detonator has only minutes to run. A young detective discovers the bomb by accident and is drawn into a terrifying nightmare of intrigue, brutality and ruthless killing. This is a world where human life is sold or sacrificed for twisted ideals. A world of international terrorism. The time is now.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama

  28. Special Killers (1973)

    Sandro, a detective, finds his wife strangled. His girl-friend Tiffany, who works as photographer, makes a "Blow up" from a photo, what Sandro finds beside the victim. Sandro and Tiffany are looking for the woman on the photo, Laura. They finds her in a Night Club in Rome...

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime

  29. Gang War in Milan (1973)

    A Milan pimp faces off against a ruthless and greedy French gangster whom wants to unite organized crime in Italy.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime

  30. Mad Dog Killer (1977)

    Sadistic no-count killer Nanni Vitali and three other equally brutish hoodlums escape from prison. The foul foursome embark on a savage rape, murder, and robbery spree. Vitali even abducts and defiles frightened hapless lass Giuliana Caroli. Meanwhile, rugged police inspector Giulio Santini is determined to bag the despicable Vitali.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime

Like Shadows Unseen and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Shadows Unseen?

The closest matches to Shadows Unseen are What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974), Nostalgia (2022) and The Day of the Owl (1968). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Shadows Unseen?

Start with What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974), the closest match to Shadows Unseen.

What is the highest-rated movie like Shadows Unseen?

The Enforcer (2022), rated 7.0/10 by 533 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Shadows Unseen?

The Enforcer (2022) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there Italian movies like Shadows Unseen?

Yes: What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974), Nostalgia (2022) and The Day of the Owl (1968).

How are movies similar to Shadows Unseen chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Shadows Unseen, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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