Skip to content

Movies like Bestiary (2025)

The best movies like Bestiary (2025) are The Caveman's Valentine (2001), Brand Upon the Brain! (2007) and Doctor Who: Dark Water / Death in Heaven (2014). If Bestiary hooked you with its drama and mystery, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Caveman's Valentine (2001)

    Romulus, a misunderstood musician turned recluse hiding from personal demons in a New York City cave, finds the frozen body of a young drifter in a tree. The authorities, including his police officer daughter, claim the death is accidental. Romulus is convinced the man was murdered by a prominent art photographer but how can he prove he's right when everyone thinks he's insane?

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

  2. Brand Upon the Brain! (2007)

    After returning home to his long-estranged mother upon a request from her deathbed, a man raised by his parents in an orphanage has to confront the childhood memories that have long haunted him.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Doctor Who: Dark Water / Death in Heaven (2014)

    In this epic two-part finale, the Doctor comes face to face with the mysterious Missy, and an impossible choice is looming. With Cybermen on the streets of London, old friends unite against old enemies, and the Doctor takes to the air in a startling new role.

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

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  4. The Adversary (2002)

    Based on the 2000 book of the same name by Emmanuel Carrère, it is inspired by the real-life story of Jean-Claude Romand. L'Adversaire's protagonist Jean-Marc Faure (Auteuil) pursues an imaginary career as a doctor of medicine in a plot more closely based on Romand's life and Carrère's book than was Laurent Cantet's 2001 film L'Emploi du Temps. The film was nominated for a Palme d'Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Remember (2015)

    With the aid of a fellow Auschwitz survivor and a hand-written letter, an elderly man with dementia goes in search of the person responsible for the death of his family.

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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. Greta (2019)

    A young woman returns a lonely widow’s lost purse, leading to an unlikely relationship between the two — until the young woman discovers the widow might not be all that she seems.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. The Ritual Killer (2023)

    Unable to process the death of his daughter, Detective Boyd embarks on a hunt for a serial killer who murders according to a brutal tribal ritual: Muti. The only person who can help Boyd is Professor Mackles, an anthropologist who hides an unspeakable secret. The line between sanity and madness thins as Boyd goes deeper into the killer’s world.

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

  8. The 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 drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Tuesday (2024)

    A mother and her teenage daughter must confront Death when it arrives in the form of an astonishing talking bird.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. 2073 (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 drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Road to Paloma (2014)

    While Native American Wolf is being pursued by the FBI for having taken the law into his own hands, when his mother was raped and killed on their reservation he crosses paths with Cash, a down and out musician who is coping with the end of his marriage. An unlikely friendship develops, as they ride together towards the Teton mountain range, where Wolf will spread his mothers ashes.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  12. Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)

    Nancy Drew, a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set out to solve the mystery, make new friends, and establish their place in the community

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Magpie (2024)

    A couple's lives are thrown into disarray when their daughter is cast opposite a controversial major star.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. Petite Maman (2021)

    After the death of her beloved grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly meets a strangely familiar girl her own age in the woods. Instantly forming a connection with this mysterious new friend, Nelly embarks on a fantastical journey of discovery which helps her come to terms with this newfound loss.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. Horns (2013)

    In the aftermath of his girlfriend's mysterious death, a young man awakens to strange horns sprouting from his temples.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

    Set in South Carolina in 1964, this is the tale of Lily Owens a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother. To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father, Lily flees with Rosaleen, her caregiver and only friend, to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. 6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain (2017)

    An adrenaline seeking snowboarder gets lost in a massive winter storm in the back country of the High Sierras where he is pushed to the limits of human endurance and forced to battle his own personal demons as he fights for survival....

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  18. The 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 · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. A Dry White Season (1989)

    During the 1976 Soweto uprising, a white school teacher's life and values are threatened when he asks questions about the death of a young black boy who died in police custody.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. The Translators (2019)

    Nine translators, hired to translate the eagerly awaited final book of a bestselling trilogy, are confined in a luxurious bunker.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. Secrets of a Soul (2012)

    Secrets of a Soul: Margarethe, Creator of bizarre sculptures! Night club dancer? Mad woman? Victim of an occult conspiracy?! Dark menaces steal her soul and organs. Though dead they keep her alive...

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

  22. The Cry of the Owl (2009)

    Fleeing New York City, a failed marriage and a fragile mental history, artist Robert Forrester moves to small-town Pennsylvania. There he becomes fascinated with the simple domesticity of a beautiful neighbor, watching her through the windows of her home --- until she invites him in for coffee. He is drawn into a relationship with the young woman whose boyfriend goes missing; Robert becomes a murder suspect, gradually sensing he is the target of a larger plot.

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

  23. Rorschach (2024)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery

  24. BIGFEET (2023)

    We're all searching for something! Explorer Reed Randle goes deep into the woods on an adventure looking for the "Bigfoot" creature. Lost within himself, can he find meaning again?

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  25. Without a Paddle (2004)

    Three friends, whose lives have been drifting apart, reunite for the funeral of a fourth childhood friend. When looking through their childhood belongings, they discover a trunk which contained details on a quest their friend was attempting. It revealed that he was hot on the trail of the $200,000 that went missing with airplane hijacker D.B. Cooper in 1971. They decide to continue his journey, but do not understand the dangers they will soon encounter.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery

  26. Colors of Wind (2018)

    Yuri leaves Ryo with mysterious words. Ryo goes to Hokkaido knowing that his doppelganger magician is missing. Ryo realizes Yuri was also the magician’s lover and he learns magic. The story that crosses over two identities, illusion and magic.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  27. Wekufe: The Origin of Evil (2016)

    A student travels with her boyfriend to Chiloé, remote Patagonia island in southern Chile, to investigate the link that exists between the high number of sexual related crimes and the myths 'n' legends that surround this mysterious place.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery

  28. Among Ravens (2014)

    The story of a group of friends who reunite for their annual 4th of July weekend only to be confronted by Chad, a strange and beautiful nature photographer who begins to change their lives one by one.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  29. The Shade (2024)

    Twenty-year-old Ryan struggles with a debilitating anxiety disorder following his father's death. Together with his two brothers, he must fight to break the destructive cycle threatening their family as ancient darkness closes in on them.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  30. Rainy Summer Days (2026)

    It's summer. Three friends meet. They will spend a few days in the mountains, camping, walking, chatting. As the days go by, so do their relationships, their misgivings, their affections. And when they return, nothing will be the same.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

Like Bestiary and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Bestiary?

The closest matches to Bestiary are The Caveman's Valentine (2001), Brand Upon the Brain! (2007) and Doctor Who: Dark Water / Death in Heaven (2014). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Bestiary?

Start with The Caveman's Valentine (2001), the closest match to Bestiary.

What is the highest-rated movie like Bestiary?

The Secret Life of Bees (2008), rated 7.5/10 by 603 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Bestiary?

Rainy Summer Days (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there French movies like Bestiary?

Yes: The Adversary (2002), Petite Maman (2021) and The Translators (2019).

How are movies similar to Bestiary chosen?

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

↑ ↓ to move · Enter to open · Full search page