Movies like The Bad Son (2007)
The best movies like The Bad Son (2007) are Dead Man's Folly (1986), The Locksmith (2023) and Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012). If The Bad Son hooked you with its action and thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedOne Night in Bangkok (2020)6.6/10 from 210 votes
- NewestKidnapped in a Small Town (2025)Released 2025
Dead Man's Folly (1986)
During a murder hunt game at a country house, to which Hercule Poirot is invited as an "expert", a real murder occurs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Locksmith (2023)
A thief fresh out of prison, tries to work his way back into the life of his daughter and ex-fiancé. Determined, he is forced to use the skills he has as a gifted locksmith. Things take a tumultuous turn after an unexpected disappearance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisJesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012)
Jesse finds himself struggling to get his job back as the Paradise police chief, and he is forced to rely on his cop intuition to sort through a maze of misleading clues and hidden meanings as he attempts to solve a shocking and horrifying mob-related double homicide.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRed Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1983 (2009)
Detective Chief Superintendent Maurice Jobson is forced to remember the very similar disappearance of Clare Kemplay, who was found dead in 1974, and the subsequent imprisonment of local boy Michael Myshkin. Washed-up local solicitor John Piggott becomes convinced of Myshkin's innocence and begins to fight on his behalf, unwittingly providing a catalyst for Jobson to start to right some wrongs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDesert Dawn (2025)
A newly appointed small-town sheriff and his begrudging deputy get tangled up in a web of lies and corruption involving shady businessmen and the cartel while investigating the murder of a mysterious woman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWalker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005)
Walker investigates a murder connected with a missing government weapon. In addition, he tries to track down a teen on the run from a crime syndicate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSexting in Suburbia (2012)
moody daughters, Rachel and Dina have a close relationship. Dina tells her everything... or so Rachel thinks. When Dina suddenly commits suicide, Rachel is devastated and confused. Her search for answers as to what happened in her daughter's final days leads her to some painful discoveries about the secrets that Dina was trying to keep and the bullying that was tearing her apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisJesse Stone: Thin Ice (2009)
Jesse Stone and Captain Healy are shot during an unauthorized stake-out in Boston. Meanwhile, a cryptic letter sent from Paradise leads the mother of a kidnapped child to Stone. Though her son was declared dead, she hopes he will reopen the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOne Night in Bangkok (2020)
A hit man named Kai flies into Bangkok, gets a gun, and orders a cab. He offers a professional female driver big money to be his all-night driver. But when she realizes Kai is committing brutal murders at each stop, it's too late to walk away. Meanwhile, an offbeat police detective races to decode the string of slayings before more blood is spilled.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJesse Stone: Death in Paradise (2006)
When Jesse Stone looks into the murder of a teen-age girl whose body is found floating in a local lake, it brings him up against the Boston mob and into the affluent world of a bestselling writer who exploits troubled teens.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJesse Stone: Sea Change (2007)
Police Chief Jesse Stone's relationship with his ex-wife worsens, and he fears he's relapsing into alcoholism. To get his mind off his problems, Jesse begins working on the unsolved murder of a bank teller shot during a robbery. Also, his investigation of an alleged rape draws him into conflict with the town council — which hopes to preserve Paradise's reputation as an ideal seaside resort.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Neighbor in the Window (2020)
A suburban wife finds herself and the security of her family threatened by another seemingly friendly neighborhood mom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShimmer 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 thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarron's Cove (2025)
When his young son is viciously murdered by a classmate, a grieving father with a history of violence kidnaps the child responsible, igniting a frenzied manhunt fueled by a powerful politician -- the father of the kidnapped boy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Devil You Know (2022)
Once-incarcerated Marcus Cowans is trying to turn over a new leaf with the support of his loving family. Upon discovering that one of his brothers may have been involved in a horrific crime, Marcus grapples with the limits of brotherhood and loyalty. He and his family, increasingly weary of the justice system’s failings, end up in the crosshairs of a seasoned but jaded detective.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSuburbicon (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 thriller & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe 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 thriller & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisStriking Distance (1993)
Demoted Pittsburgh cop Tom Hardy works river patrol while a serial killer targets women from his past, forcing him to conduct an unauthorized investigation to prove his innocence and expose a dirty cop.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisRiddled with Deceit: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (2020)
Former detective Jeff Jackson teams up with Dr. Zee Madieras to track down their friend's missing emerald brooch, a thief, and also... a murderer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAurora Teagarden Mysteries: Til Death Do Us Part (2021)
Just days before Aurora’s wedding, a body is discovered, and she fears her father may be a suspect. She and Nick race to solve the cold case before they walk down the aisle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Girl Who Escaped: The Kara Robinson Story (2023)
Based on a true story. 15-year-old Kara Robinson was kidnapped, assaulted and held captive for 18 hours. With her survival instincts kicking in, she plots a daring escape from the serial killer and leads police to his apartment.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBury the Past (2021)
Alice was married to a deranged, abusive man–a police officer who was regarded as a pillar of the community, but was secretly a monster. After Alice killed him in self-defense, and fearing her story would never be believed, she fled and went into hiding. But now an old police buddy of her dead husband is on her porch. He has tracked her down and wants money to keep silent
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & crime
Accused at 17 (2009)
A teenager is accused of murdering a classmate and claims that she was framed by her best friend. Her mother must try to find the truth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & thriller
I Am Your Biggest Fan (2025)
An obsessive fan kidnaps a former child star to live out the fantasy of having her character as a best friend.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & drama
A Mother Knows Worst (2020)
Tragedy strikes when Olivia and Harry Davis’ newborn baby doesn’t survive the birth. 6 months later the young couple have come to terms with their loss and are rebuilding their lives, they may even be ready to try again for a family soon. But when Olivia meets glamourous Brooke Marsden and her baby girl, she is overwhelmed by a feeling of love and longing. She quickly becomes obsessed with Brooke and her baby, which worries Harry. Is Olivia going crazy’ Or is a mother’s instinct always right’ Katie Leclerc and Jeff Schine star.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & drama
Abduction Runs in the Family (2022)
Alyssa Manning was abducted as a small child and spent seven years living with her kidnapper before she was returned safely to her parents.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & drama
Black Girl Missing (2023)
Cheryl's daughter goes missing and is nowhere to be found. The authorities and the media dismiss her as a runaway while focusing on another missing girl, who is white.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama
Broken Ties (2023)
Selma killed her husband, a crooked cop, in self-defense. She takes refuge with her estranged sister Madison without telling her the whole truth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Kidnapped in a Small Town (2025)
On a road trip to drop her daughter Ruby off at college, Sarah's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. A passing driver, Allie, offers a ride into town for help, and though hesitant, Sarah lets Ruby go while she waits for a tow truck. But when Sarah arrives at a nearby diner to meet them, Ruby is missing, and Allie claims they've never met.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
At Risk (2010)
Detective Win Garano is asked to reopen a twenty-year-old murder case, and soon finds himself endangered by the political ambitions of a district attorney.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Like The Bad Son and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Bad Son?
The closest matches to The Bad Son are Dead Man's Folly (1986), The Locksmith (2023) and Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Bad Son?
Start with Dead Man's Folly (1986), the closest match to The Bad Son.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Bad Son?
One Night in Bangkok (2020), rated 6.6/10 by 210 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Bad Son?
Kidnapped in a Small Town (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Bad Son?
Yes: Dead Man's Folly (1986), The Locksmith (2023) and Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt (2012).
How are movies similar to The Bad Son chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Bad Son, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.