Movies like While They Were Sleeping (2025)
The best movies like While They Were Sleeping (2025) are Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Very Foul Play (2019), Gourmet Detective: A Healthy Place to Die (2015) and Riddled with Deceit: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (2020). If While They Were Sleeping hooked you with its thriller and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMemento (2000)8.2/10 from 17,022 votes
- NewestIslands (2025)Released 2025
Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Very Foul Play (2019)
At a gathering of mystery and true crime fans, Aurora Teagarden’s nephew, Phillip, is accused of murder when an unplanned onstage blackout during the play in which he is performing ends, revealing Phillip holding the bloody knife that has just killed one of the other performers. 12th installment in Aurora Teagarden Mysteries
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGourmet Detective: A Healthy Place to Die (2015)
When Henry is invited as a guest speaker at a luxury resort spa, he quickly finds himself at the center of another murder. With Maggie at his side, our favorite duo must not only find the killer but be careful they don't become his latest victim.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCrossword Mysteries: Proposing Murder (2019)
When an old friend of New York Sentinel Crosswords editor Tess Harper is found murdered on the very day her puzzle includes his proposal of marriage, Tess unofficially teams up with Detective Logan O’Connor to find the killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMiss Marple: They Do It with Mirrors (1992)
At the insistence of Ruth Van Rydock, an old schoolfriend who is convinced that there is something wrong, Miss Marple agrees to visit 'Stonygates', the country house of Ruth's sister.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAurora Teagarden Mysteries: Reunited and It Feels So Deadly (2020)
Aurora's high school reunion turns deadly when a body is found in the hotel pool. Aurora and her Real Murders Club help investigate which classmate was most likely to kill.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAurora Teagarden Mysteries: Heist and Seek (2020)
When a priceless crown is stolen during a benefit gala held by the Lawrenceton library, Aurora and the Real Murders Club must investigate who would kill to get their hands on it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Seven-Ups (1973)
A tough detective who is part of an elite New York City unit is trying to find out who killed his partner, but uncovers a plot to kidnap mobsters for money.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShe Made Them Do It (2012)
"She Made Them Do It" follows the twisted life of Sarah Pender, a charismatic, intelligent young woman who would become one of the country’s most sought after fugitives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisAurora Teagarden Mysteries: How to Con A Con (2021)
When Aida Teagarden's real estate client is found murdered, her sleuthing daughter Aurora sets out with her fiancé Nick and the Real Murders Club to solve the murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWoman on the Run (1950)
Frank Johnson, a sole witness to a gangland murder, goes into hiding and is trailed by Police Inspector Ferris, on the theory that Frank is trying to escape from possible retaliation. Frank's wife, Eleanor, suspects he is actually running away from their unsuccessful marriage. Aided by a newspaperman, Danny Leggett, Eleanor sets out to locate her husband. The killer is also looking for him, and keeps close tabs on Eleanor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPsych 3: This Is Gus (2021)
In preparation for a shotgun wedding before the birth of Baby Guster, Shawn and Gus go rogue in an attempt to track down Selene’s estranged husband, as Lassiter grapples with the future of his career.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisAurora Teagarden Mysteries: An Inheritance to Die For (2019)
A matriarch is poisoned during a family wedding reception and Aurora Teagarden vows to get to the bottom of the crime, especially when her mother, a friend of the dead woman, stands to inherit the bulk of the massive estate. 11th installment in Aurora Teagarden Mysteries.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPsych: The Movie (2017)
The ambitious friends come together during the holidays after a mystery assailant targets one of their own. A comedic thrill-ride follows, as the wild and unpredictable Psych team pursues the bad guys, justice … and, of course, food!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThree Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (2016)
While Aurora "Roe" Teagarden searches for her piece of the American dream, she decides to test the waters of the family business - real estate sales. Only thing is there's a dead body in the first house she shows. When a second body shows up in another home, Roe realizes there's more to real estate than she thought.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Game of Cat and Mouse (2019)
Someone begins taunting Aurora Teagarden with cryptic clues left at crime scenes, so the librarian-turned-crime buff attempts to figure out who is behind the creepy “game.” But when the people closest to Aurora become targets, the game takes on a much more dangerous edge as it points to a planned murder. The 10th installment in Aurora Teagarden Mysteries.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLimbo (2023)
Travis, a jaded detective, arrives in the remote outback town of Limbo to investigate the cold case murder of local Indigenous girl Charlotte Hayes 20 years ago. As truths about the murder begin to unfold, the detective gains a new insight into the unsolved case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSwept Under (2015)
Meet Morgan. At first glance, she's just your average cleaning lady. She has no problem getting her hands dirty, which is a good thing considering it's not fancy houses she cleans for a living - it's gruesome crime scenes. It's at one of these scenes that Morgan discovers a key piece of evidence overlooked by the forensics team. This, and her knack for reading blood splatter, catch Nick's attention, a newbie detective working the case. The pair soon become unofficial partners on what's become a stream of related murders and the closer they get to solving the mystery the closer they get to each other. But while they succeed in getting a confession from their primary suspect, their feelings for each other risk blinding them to the truth and they find themselves dangerously close to the real killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisIslands (2025)
In this twisty thriller, a tennis coach at a tropical resort finds himself at the center of a missing persons mystery. Tom teaches tennis during the day and parties at night. When an enigmatic tourist arrives, Tom is unable to shake the feeling he has met her before. Tension and attraction grow, until her husband disappears, and the police suspect Tom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Interpreter (2005)
After Silvia Broome, an interpreter at United Nations headquarters, overhears plans of an assassination, an American Secret Service agent is sent to investigate.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLucky Number Slevin (2006)
Slevin is mistakenly put in the middle of a personal war between the city’s biggest criminal bosses. Under constant watch, Slevin must try not to get killed by an infamous assassin and come up with an idea of how to get out of his current dilemma.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)
Some of Sin City's most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with a few of its more reviled inhabitants.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCochin Express (1967)
Rajan, a police officer, is in charge of the investigation regarding a murder that took place on a train. He tries by hook or by crook to find the culprit as he has only one witness.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller
The Girl From Hong Kong (1973)
Frank Boyd comes to Hong Kong to visit a friend, but unfortunately he was murdered a few days ago. The father of his fiancee puts $ 10,000 reward for the capture of the murderer and Frank wants to earn this money.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller
The Actress (2011)
The banker Vagif Fataliyev is found murdered in his own house. During the investigation, two more murders occur one after the other.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller
The Wrong Babysitter (2017)
A recent kidnapping has single mom Susan worried about leaving her daughter Christy at home for an out-of-town trip - until neighbor Teri offers to "babysit," looking in on Christy and spending the night. But Susan rushes home when Christy goes missing, under circumstances reminiscent of her police detective husband's death. Susan will have to open the past wound of her husband's death in order to rescue the only family she has left.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
The Good German (2006)
An American journalist arrives in Berlin just after the end of World War Two. He becomes involved in a murder mystery surrounding a dead GI who washes up at a lakeside mansion during the Potsdam negotiations between the Allied powers. Soon his investigation connects with his search for his married pre-war German lover.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisMemento (2000)
Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe 39 Steps (1935)
Richard Hanney has a rude awakening when a glamorous female spy falls into his bed - with a knife in her back. Having a bit of trouble explaining it all to Scotland Yard, he heads for the hills of Scotland to try to clear his name by locating the spy ring known as The 39 Steps.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like While They Were Sleeping?
The closest matches to While They Were Sleeping are Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Very Foul Play (2019), Gourmet Detective: A Healthy Place to Die (2015) and Riddled with Deceit: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after While They Were Sleeping?
Start with Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Very Foul Play (2019), the closest match to While They Were Sleeping.
What is the highest-rated movie like While They Were Sleeping?
Memento (2000), rated 8.2/10 by 17,022 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like While They Were Sleeping?
Islands (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like While They Were Sleeping?
Yes: Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Very Foul Play (2019), Gourmet Detective: A Healthy Place to Die (2015) and Riddled with Deceit: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (2020).
How are movies similar to While They Were Sleeping chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside While They Were Sleeping, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.