Movies like LA River (2018)
The best movies like LA River (2018) are Farewell, My Lovely (1975), The Bodyguard (1992) and The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950). If LA River hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Maltese Falcon (1941)7.7/10 from 1,983 votes
- NewestJackpot! (2024)Released 2024
Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
Private eye Philip Marlowe is hired by ex-con Moose Malloy to find his girlfriend, a former lounge dancer. While also investigating the murder of a client and the theft of a jade necklace, Marlowe becomes entangled with seductress Helen Grayle and discovers a web of dark secrets that are better left hidden.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Bodyguard (1992)
A former Secret Service agent grudgingly takes an assignment to protect a pop idol who's threatened by a crazed fan. At first, the safety-obsessed bodyguard and the self-indulgent diva totally clash. But before long, all that tension sparks fireworks of another sort, and the love-averse tough guy is torn between duty and romance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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 thisJackpot! (2024)
In the near future, a 'Grand Lottery' has been established - the catch: kill the winner before sundown to legally claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot. When Katie Kim mistakenly finds herself with the winning ticket, she reluctantly joins forces with amateur lottery protection agent Noel Cassidy who must get her to sundown in exchange for a piece of her prize.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this10 to Midnight (1983)
Warren Stacy, an office equipment repairman, begins murdering women after they reject his advances. To minimize the evidence, Stacy always kills while naked, wearing nothing but gloves, and further evades the law with his strong alibis. Veteran detective Leo Kessler is convinced of Stacy's guilt and begins using questionable methods to catch him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHotel Artemis (2018)
Los Angeles, June 21st, 2028. While the streets are being torn apart by riots, the Nurse, who runs a clandestine hospital for criminals in the penthouse of the Artemis, a closed old hotel, has a rough night dealing with troublemaker clients: thieves, assassins, someone from the past and the one who owns the place and the whole city.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGangster Squad (2013)
Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and — if he has his way — every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop… except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEarthquake (1974)
Various interconnected people struggle to survive when an earthquake of unimaginable magnitude hits Los Angeles, California.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Fast and the Furious (2001)
Dominic Toretto is a Los Angeles street racer suspected of masterminding a series of big-rig hijackings. When undercover cop Brian O'Conner infiltrates Toretto's iconoclastic crew, he falls for Toretto's sister and must choose a side: the gang or the LAPD.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSan Andreas (2015)
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey across the state in order to rescue his estranged daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Narrow Margin (1952)
A tough cop meets his match when he has to guard a gangster's widow on a train journey from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBusting (1974)
Defying orders to lay-off the case, two Los Angeles vice-squad cops go after a local mobster and use unorthodox methods to achieve results.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Maltese Falcon (1941)
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHard to Kill (1990)
Mason Storm, a 'go it alone' cop, is gunned down at home. The intruders kill his wife, and think they've killed both Mason and his son too. Mason is secretly taken to a hospital where he spends several years in a coma. His son meanwhile is growing up thinking his father is dead. When Mason wakes up, everyone is in danger - himself, his son, his best friend, his nurse - but most of all those who arranged for his death
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe New Centurions (1972)
An idealistic rookie cop joins the LAPD to make ends meet while finishing law school, and is indoctrinated by a seasoned veteran. As time goes on, he loses his ambitions and family as police work becomes his entire life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Net (1995)
Angela Bennett is a freelance computer systems analyst who tracks down software viruses. At night, she hooks up to the internet and chats to others 'surfing the net'. While de-bugging a new high-tech game for a cyber friend, she comes across a top secret program and becomes the target of a mysterious organization, who will stop at nothing to erase her identity and her existence in order to protect the project.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMurder by Contract (1958)
Claude is a ruthless and efficient contract killer. His next target, a woman, is the most difficult.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Replacement Killers (1998)
Hired assassin John Lee is asked by Chinatown crime boss Terence Wei to murder the young son of policeman Stan Zedkov. Lee has the boy in his sights, but his conscience gets the better of him, and he spares the child's life. Afraid that Wei will take revenge on his family in China, Lee seeks out expert forger Meg Coburn to obtain the passport he needs to get out of the country, but a band of replacement killers is soon on his trail.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTo Sleep with Anger (1990)
An enigmatic drifter from the South comes to visit an old acquaintance who now lives in South-Central LA.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
A petty thief posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl and a detective who's been training him for his upcoming role...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this
Like LA River and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like LA River?
The closest matches to LA River are Farewell, My Lovely (1975), The Bodyguard (1992) and The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after LA River?
Start with Farewell, My Lovely (1975), the closest match to LA River.
What is the highest-rated movie like LA River?
The Maltese Falcon (1941), rated 7.7/10 by 1,983 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like LA River?
Jackpot! (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like LA River?
Yes: Farewell, My Lovely (1975), The Bodyguard (1992) and The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950).
How are movies similar to LA River chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside LA River, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.