Movies like ESPIRAL (2024)
The best movies like ESPIRAL (2024) are Black Widow (1987), Maniac (1963) and Follow (2025). If ESPIRAL hooked you with its thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedPerfect Blue (1998)8.3/10 from 3,442 votes
- NewestPoppin-Play Kitchen (2026)Released 2026
- In SpanishFollow (2025)Also in Spanish
Black Widow (1987)
Federal agent Alexandra Barnes believes that Catherine Petersen is a serial killer who marries rich men and then murders them for their money. But since Catherine is seemingly a master of disguise and has multiple identities, Alexandra can't prove anything with conventional detective work. With no other option, she goes undercover, pursuing the same man as Catherine, and hoping that Catherine will slip up and reveal her true identity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisManiac (1963)
When a stranger enters a quiet, country town and is seduced by a sensuous married woman he unwittingly finds himself at the centre of a storm of sexual guilt and murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFollow (2025)
Sebastián, a charismatic con artist who seduces women to steal their money, puts his retirement plans on hold after the sudden appearance of Carolina, an enigmatic woman who will expose him to the greatest danger of his career.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe MacKintosh Man (1973)
A member of British Intelligence assumes a fictitious criminal identity and allows himself to be caught, imprisoned, and freed in order to infiltrate a spy organization and expose a traitor; only, someone finds him out and exposes him to the gang...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Glass Key (1942)
A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisConflict (1945)
Unhappily married Richard Mason concocts a meticulous scheme to kill his shrewish wife so that he'll be free to marry her sister.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Dark Mirror (1946)
A sister and her disturbed twin are implicated in a murder and a police detective must figure out which one's the killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIndemnity (2022)
An ex-fireman with PTSD goes on the run when accused of a crime he doesn't even remember committing, leading him down a rabbit hole of conspiracy to the highest degree.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRace with the Devil (1975)
Two couples vacationing together in an R.V. from Texas to Colorado are terrorized after they witness a murder during a Satanic ritual.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Truth About Emanuel (2013)
A troubled young woman becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl's dead mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Deadly Affair (1967)
Charles Dobbs is a British secret agent investigating the apparent suicide of Foreign Office official Samuel Fennan. Dobbs suspects that Fennan's wife, Elsa, a survivor of a Nazi Germany extermination camp, might have some clues, but other officials want Dobbs to drop the case. So Dobbs hires a retiring inspector, Mendel, to quietly make inquiries. Dobbs isn't at all sure as there are a number of anomalies that simply can't be explained away. Dobbs is also having trouble at home with his errant wife, whom he very much loves, having frequent affairs. He's also pleased to see an old friend, Dieter Frey, who he recruited after the war. With the assistance of a colleague and a retired policeman, Dobbs tries to piece together just who is the spy and who in fact assassinated Fennan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhat's the Matter with Helen? (1971)
Two middle-aged women move to Hollywood after their sons are convicted of a notorious murder and open a dance school for children eager to tap their way to stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisCornered (1945)
A World War II veteran hunts down the Nazi collaborators who killed his wife.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisQuicksand (2023)
A married couple on the brink of divorce becomes trapped in quicksand while hiking through a Colombian rainforest. It’s a struggle for survival as they battle the elements of the jungle and must work together in order to escape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStrange but True (2019)
A woman surprises the family of her deceased boyfriend by telling them she's pregnant with his child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTime Without Pity (1957)
Alec Graham is sentenced to death for the murder of his girlfriend Jennie, with whom he spent a weekend at the English country home of the parents of his friend Brian Stanford. Alec’s father, David Graham, a not-so-successful writer and alcoholic who has neglected his son in the past, flies in from Canada to visit his son on death row. David then goes on a quest to try and clear his son’s name while battling “the bottle.”
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Locket (1946)
A dark personal secret drives a young woman to use every man she encounters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNo Name on the Bullet (1959)
When hired killer John Gant rides into Lordsburg, the town's folk become paranoid as each leading citizen has enemies capable of using the services of a professional killer for personal revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEach Dawn I Die (1939)
A corrupt D.A. with governatorial ambitions is annoyed by an investigative reporter's criticism of his criminal activities and decides to frame the reporter for manslaughter in order to silence him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Night Stalker (1972)
Wisecracking reporter Carl Kolchak investigates a string of murders in Las Vegas and suspects the culprit is a vampire. His editor thinks he's crazy and the police think he's a nuisance, so Kolchak takes matters into his own hands.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFunny Games (2008)
When Ann, husband George, and son Georgie arrive at their holiday home they are visited by a pair of polite and seemingly pleasant young men. Armed with deceptively sweet smiles and some golf clubs, they proceed to terrorize and torture the tight-knit clan, giving them until the next day to survive.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMrigjal (2022)
Young ambitious man gets trapped in loop of his own greed
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Poppin-Play Kitchen (2026)
"Welcome back, Boys and Girls!" Step into the delightfully doll-like world of Poppin-Play Kitchen! Your adorable hosts, P-chan, C-chan and U-chan, are dead ready to give you a culinary adventure of a lifetime! Left at the mercy of larger-than-life Stage Hands, impossible recipes, and an invisible audience, can our lovely hosts survive this bizarre cooking show? …Or will they 'POP' under pressure? Only one way to find out. Let's Get Cooking!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Vertigo (1958)
A retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSweet Dreams (2023)
A good night’s rest turns into a fight for her life when an anxious girl comes face to face with a stranger like no other.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Dead Mail (2024)
An ominous help note finds its way to a 1980s post office, connecting a dead letter investigator to a kidnapped keyboard technician.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisClose Door (2025)
A man is left alone in his apartment for a month by his flatmates, not returning his calls or replying back to his messages. Much to his dismay, he is tasked to take care of their friend for a night.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Agontuk (2024)
A masked serial killer has been targeting girls named "Iti". The mysterious murders continue to unfold one by one. A vibrant young journalist Shraboni, while reporting on them delves deeper into the cases, as she unknowingly walks into the killer's trap.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Perfect Blue (1998)
Rising pop star Mima Kirigoe quits singing to pursue a career as an actress. After she takes up a role on a popular detective show, her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered. Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima's reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisFear (1996)
Nicole Walker always dreamed of being swept away by someone special — someone strong, sexy and sensitive who would care for her more than anything else in the world. David is all that and more: a modern-day knight who charms and seduces her, body and soul. But her perfect boyfriend is not all he seems to be. His sweet facade masks a savage, dark side that will soon transform Nicole's dream into a nightmare.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
Like ESPIRAL and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like ESPIRAL?
The closest matches to ESPIRAL are Black Widow (1987), Maniac (1963) and Follow (2025). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after ESPIRAL?
Start with Black Widow (1987), the closest match to ESPIRAL.
What is the highest-rated movie like ESPIRAL?
Perfect Blue (1998), rated 8.3/10 by 3,442 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like ESPIRAL?
Poppin-Play Kitchen (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like ESPIRAL?
Yes: Follow (2025).
How are movies similar to ESPIRAL chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside ESPIRAL, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.