Movies like The Shadow (1940)
The best movies like The Shadow (1940) are Batman (1943), Our Man Flint (1966) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). If The Shadow hooked you with its action and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)8.4/10 from 18,176 votes
- NewestSonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)Released 2024
Batman (1943)
Japanese master spy Daka operates a covert espionage-sabotage organization located in Gotham City's now-deserted Little Tokyo, which turns American scientists into pliable zombies. The great crime-fighters Batman and Robin, with the help of their allies, are in pursuit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOur Man Flint (1966)
When scientists use eco-terrorism to impose their will on the world by affecting extremes in the weather, Intelligence Chief Cramden calls in top agent Derek Flint.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Struggling to find his place in the world while juggling school and family, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales is unexpectedly bitten by a radioactive spider and develops unfathomable powers just like the one and only Spider-Man. While wrestling with the implications of his new abilities, Miles discovers a super collider created by the madman Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk, causing others from across the Spider-Verse to be inadvertently transported to his dimension.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMen in Black 3 (2012)
Agents J and K are back...in time. J has seen some inexplicable things in his 15 years with the Men in Black, but nothing, not even aliens, perplexes him as much as his wry, reticent partner. But when K's life and the fate of the planet are put at stake, Agent J will have to travel back in time to put things right. J discovers that there are secrets to the universe that K never told him - secrets that will reveal themselves as he teams up with the young Agent K to save his partner, the agency, and the future of humankind.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFutureworld (1976)
Two years after the Westworld tragedy in the Delos amusement park, the corporate owners have reopened the park following over $1 billion in safety and other improvements. For publicity purposes, reporters Chuck Browning and Tracy Ballard are invited to review the park. Just prior to arriving, however, Browning is given a clue by a dying man that something is amiss.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Meteor Man (1993)
One night Jefferson Reed gets hit in the chest by a souped-up chunk of meteor. So he can fly, but he's scared of heights. He can master the information in any book ... for about thirty seconds. Now his friends and family want him to protect their community from the dreaded Golden Lords.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady, to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFlash Gordon (1936)
Disaster seems imminent when scientists discover that the planet Mongo is about to crash into Earth. Luckily, heroic young Flash Gordon is on hand to lead an investigative mission into outer space and onto the speedily approaching planet. There, he and his best girl, Dale, who is along for the ride, learn that Ming, the devious ruler of Mongo, has purposely put the planet on a collision course with Earth, and only Flash can stop him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTitan A.E. (2000)
A young man finds out that he holds the key to restoring hope and ensuring survival for the human race, while an alien species called the Drej are bent on mankind's destruction.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)
Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStarchaser: The Legend of Orin (1985)
Set on the subterranean Mine-World, a band of human worker are treated like slaves under the power of the evil overlord Zygon until one, Orin, unearths the hilt of a mythical sword that only he can master. Escaping the planet, he runs into the rogue smuggler Dagg and a pair of helpful droids and the princess, who all team up to return to the Mine-World with a plan to defeat Zygon and free Orin's enslaved people.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpider-Man 2 (2004)
Peter Parker is going through a major identity crisis. Burned out from being Spider-Man, he decides to shelve his superhero alter ego, which leaves the city suffering in the wake of carnage left by the evil Doc Ock. In the meantime, Parker still can't act on his feelings for Mary Jane Watson, a girl he's loved since childhood. A certain anger begins to brew in his best friend Harry Osborn as well...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStar Kid (1997)
Shy seventh-grader Spencer Griffith's life changes when the meteor falls into local junkyard and he finds a Cybersuit - the wise and strong robot from another galaxy. Spencer puts Cybersuit on and becomes a different kind of guy
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mechanic (1972)
Arthur Bishop is a veteran hit man who, owing to his penchant for making his targets' deaths seem like accidents, thinks himself an artist. It's made him very rich, but as he hits middle age, he's so depressed and lonely that he takes on one of his victim's sons, Steve McKenna, as his apprentice. Arthur puts him through a rigorous training period and brings him on several hits. As Steven improves, Arthur worries that he'll discover who killed his father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBabylon 5: The Gathering (1993)
The feature-length pilot for this Emmy award-winning show. Babylon 5 is the latest in a series of space stations built by humans. The Vorlon ambassador, Kosh, has been poisoned. It is the new commanding officer, Jeffrey Sinclair, who has the responsibility of finding the culprit. Otherwise, the space station will fail in its role of bringing many alien races together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKrull (1983)
A prince and a fellowship of companions set out to rescue his bride from a fortress of alien invaders who have arrived on their home planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpider-Man 3 (2007)
The seemingly invincible Spider-Man goes up against an all-new crop of villains—including the shape-shifting Sandman. While Spider-Man’s superpowers are altered by an alien organism, his alter ego, Peter Parker, deals with nemesis Eddie Brock and also gets caught up in a love triangle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
When a kingpin threatens New York City, a group of mutated turtle warriors must emerge from the shadows to protect their home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisBionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (1989)
The Bionic Woman and the Six-Million-Dollar Man reunite--with a few younger bionic assistants--and try to catch a bionic spy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe New Adventures of Tarzan (1935)
A serial in 12 chapters. Tarzan goes to Guatemala to find his lost friend, D'Arnot. On the way he helps Major Matling search Mayan ruins for hidden jewels and an idol containing the formula for a powerful explosive. D'Arnot and the idol are rescued, but the idol falls into the clutches of the explorer Raglan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
The Shadow (1994)
Based on the 1930s comic strip, The Shadow is put up against his archenemy Shiwan Khan, who plans to take over the world by holding a city to ransom using an atom bomb. Using his powers of invisibility and "the power to cloud men's minds", The Shadow comes blazing to the rescue with explosive results.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAdventures of Captain Marvel (1941)
On a scientific expedition to Siam young Billy Batson is given the ability to change himself into the super-powered Captain Marvel by the wizard Shazam, who tells him his powers will last only as long as the Golden Scorpion idol is threatened. Finding the idol, the scientists realize it could be the most powerful weapon in the world and remove the lenses that energize it, distributing them among themselves so that no one would be able to use the idol by himself. Back in the US, Billy Batson, as Captain Marvel, wages a battle against an evil, hooded figure, the Scorpion, who hopes to accumulate all five lenses, thereby gaining control of the super-powerful weapon
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & science fiction
Pirates of the High Seas (1950)
For decades, pirates roamed the seas, searching for booty to plunder and coastal villages to terrorize. Who were these men and women? As you dig beneath the myth of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd and other legendary warriors of the waters in this docudrama, you'll discover who they were and what motivated them to wreak havoc wherever they sailed. Includes the movie Long John Silver's Return to Treasure Island.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
The Girl and the Game (1915)
Irrepressible Helen Rhinelander, the daughter of a railroad president. A dastardly villain, Segrue, however, desires not only Helen but also the plans for a new railroad. Happily, Helen's childhood sweetheart, Paul Storm, now an engineer, is right there to protect the damsel-in-distress through the serial's 15 exciting chapters.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Elmo the Fearless (1920)
Elmo finds himself in 18 different hair raising and dangerous adventures always escaping in the nick of time!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Elmo, the Mighty (1919)
Mr. Lincoln's tremendous physique fits him especially for serial work, where strength and daring are all important! An 18-episode adventure movie serial where Elmo saves the day through derring-do.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
The Fatal Ring (1917)
A silent movie serial directed by George B. Seitz.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
The Brass Bullet (1918)
Rosalind Joy is a constantly imperiled heiress to a fortune in gold. An 18 part adventure serial
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
G-men vs. the Black Dragon (1943)
Japanese spies attempt to subvert America's war effort; G-Men attempt to thwart their plot.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
Like The Shadow and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Shadow?
The closest matches to The Shadow are Batman (1943), Our Man Flint (1966) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Shadow?
Start with Batman (1943), the closest match to The Shadow.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Shadow?
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), rated 8.4/10 by 18,176 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Shadow?
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Shadow?
Yes: Batman (1943), Our Man Flint (1966) and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018).
How are movies similar to The Shadow chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Shadow, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.