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Movies like Mr. Bowling Ball

The best movies like Mr. Bowling Ball are The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950), Nightfall (1956) and Born to Kill (1947). If Mr. Bowling Ball hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)

    A veteran homicide detective who has witnessed his socialite girlfriend kill her husband sees his inexperienced brother assigned to the case.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  2. Nightfall (1956)

    An innocent man turns fugitive as he reconstructs events that implicate him for a murder and robbery he did not commit.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Born to Kill (1947)

    A calculating divorcée risks her chances at wealth and security with a man she doesn't love by getting involved with a hotheaded murderer.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

    In sleepy Santa Rosa, restless young Charlie’s world brightens when her sophisticated Uncle Charlie arrives for a long visit. But as his behavior grows increasingly strange, she begins to suspect that her beloved uncle may be hiding a terrible secret—and that danger has quietly entered her home.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. Woman 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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. The Killer Is Loose (1956)

    A savings-and-loan bank is robbed; later, a police wiretap identifies meek bank teller Leon Poole as the inside man. In capturing him, detective Sam Wagner accidentally kills Poole's young wife, and at his trial Poole swears vengeance against Wagner. Poole begins his plans to get revenge when he escapes his captors.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Mr. Arkadin (1955)

    Claiming that he doesn't know his own past, a rich man enlists an ex-con with an odd bit of detective work. Gregory Arkadin says he can't remember anything before the late 1920s, and convict Guy Van Stratten is happy to take the job of exploring his new acquaintance's life story. Guy's research turns up stunning details about his employer's past, and as his work seems linked to untimely deaths, the mystery surrounding Mr. Arkadin deepens.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. Black Angel (1946)

    A falsely convicted man's wife, Catherine, and an alcoholic composer and pianist, Martin, team up in an attempt to clear her husband of the murder of a blonde singer, who is Martin's wife.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. The Black Book (2023)

    After his son is wrongly accused of kidnapping, a deacon who has just lost his wife takes matters into his own hands and fights a crooked police gang to clear him.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Hider in the House (1989)

    A deranged man hides in the attic of a new house and becomes obsessed with the unsuspecting family that moves in.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. The Dark Corner (1946)

    Ex-con turned private investigator Bradford Galt suspects someone is following him and maybe even trying to kill him. With the assistance of his spunky secretary, Kathleen Stewart, he dives deep into a mystery in search of answers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Fear (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: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)

    Newspaper reporter Michael Ward plunges into a nightmare of guilt, fearing that his "evidence" has sentenced the wrong man to death.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. You Only Live Once (1937)

    Based partially on the story of Bonnie and Clyde, Eddie Taylor is an ex-convict who cannot get a break after being released from prison. When he is framed for murder, Taylor is forced to flee with his wife Joan Graham and baby. While escaping prison after being sentenced to death, Taylor becomes a real murderer, condemning himself and Joan to a life of crime and death on the road.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. Beware, My Lovely (1952)

    A psychopath on the run takes a job as a handyman at the house of a lonely widow.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. The Web (1947)

    A brash young lawyer takes a short-term, high-paying job as bodyguard for a slick business exec being threatened by a former partner, and quickly realizes he may be in over his head.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. Sexy Beast (2001)

    Ex-safecracker Gal Dove has served his time behind bars and is blissfully retired to a Spanish villa paradise with a wife he adores. The idyll is shattered by the arrival of his nemesis Don Logan, intent on persuading Gal to return to London for one last big job.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. Dead Again (1991)

    In 1949, composer Roman Strauss is executed for the murder of his wife. In 1990s Los Angeles, a detective comes across a mute amnesiac woman who is somehow linked to the Strauss murder.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Underworld U.S.A. (1961)

    A bitter young man sets out to get back at the gangsters who murdered his father.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. They Made Me a Fugitive (1947)

    After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like Mr. Bowling Ball and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Mr. Bowling Ball?

The closest matches to Mr. Bowling Ball are The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950), Nightfall (1956) and Born to Kill (1947). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Mr. Bowling Ball?

Start with The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950), the closest match to Mr. Bowling Ball.

What is the highest-rated movie like Mr. Bowling Ball?

Shadow of a Doubt (1943), rated 7.5/10 by 1,211 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Mr. Bowling Ball?

The Black Book (2023) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Mr. Bowling Ball?

Yes: The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950), Nightfall (1956) and Born to Kill (1947).

How are movies similar to Mr. Bowling Ball chosen?

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

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