Movies like How to Tell a Lie
The best movies like How to Tell a Lie are Little Boy Blue (1998), The Truth About Emanuel (2013) and The Hummingbird Project (2019). If How to Tell a Lie hooked you with its drama and thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
How to Tell a Lie
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Good Neighbor (2022)6.7/10 from 215 votes
- NewestNeglected (2026)Released 2026
Little Boy Blue (1998)
Living in rural Texas is a dysfunctional family: an abusive dad, a Vietnam vet with a war wound that's left him impotent; a compliant wife and a son of about 20, two small sons who look a lot like their brother. The dad harbors a secret, and he goes to murderous lengths to keep it hidden. The young man, Jimmy, who has suspicions, but little comes out until a Yankee woman comes to town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Truth About Emanuel (2013)
A troubled young woman becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl's dead mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Hummingbird Project (2019)
A pair of high-frequency traders go up against their old boss in an effort to make millions in a fiber-optic cable deal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Operative (2019)
A young Western woman is recruited by the Mossad to go undercover in Tehran where she becomes entangled in a complex triangle with her handler and her subject.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisMagpie (2024)
A couple's lives are thrown into disarray when their daughter is cast opposite a controversial major star.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe House on Carroll Street (1988)
A reporter, fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. While working she overhears a noisy argument in the neighboring house, being conducted largely in German and involving her HUAC prosecutor. She begins to investigate, enlisting the help of the FBI Agent initially detailed to surveil her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Good Neighbor (2022)
A nightmarish evening unfolds for neighbors David and Robert when they accidentally hit a woman on her bike and flee the scene. While David is increasingly plagued by feelings of guilt, Robert shows no remorse and becomes overbearing and possessive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Devil's Double (2011)
A chilling vision of the House of Saddam Hussein comes to life through the eyes of the man who was forced to become the double of Hussein's sadistic son.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Experiment (2010)
20 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTyler Perry's Duplicity (2025)
High-powered attorney Marley faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the murder of her best friend Fela’s husband. With the help of her boyfriend – a former cop turned private investigator – Marley’s search for what really happened leads her down a treacherous maze of deception and betrayal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReality (2023)
Augusta, Georgia, United States, June 3, 2017. After running some errands, Reality Winner returns home, where she is approached by two men.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRogue Agent (2022)
Conman Robert Freegard poses as an undercover MI5 agent and kidnaps countless victims amidst a high-stakes manhunt, until the woman who fell for him brings him to justice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCareful What You Wish For (2015)
A guy gets more than he bargained for after entering into an affair with the wife of an investment banker. Soon, a suspicious death and substantial life insurance policy embroil him in a scandal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFoolish Wives (1922)
A con artist masquerades as Russian nobility and attempts to seduce the wife of an American diplomat.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLight It Up (1999)
On a winter day in a southside Queens high school, events collide and six students are suddenly in an armed standoff with the NYPD. At the school, classrooms freeze, teachers come and go, resources are scant.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955)
A dramatization of the American general and his court martial for publically complaining about High Command's dismissal and neglect of the aerial fighting forces.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNeglected (2026)
Detective Shaw is about to retire when he finds out on his last day of work that a serial killer has buried his son alive. He then races against the clock to solve three murders and find his son’s location before he runs out of air.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPanic (2000)
Alex is going through a midlife crisis and it has become a very difficult time for him. His marriage is struggling, he's worried about his son, and his job of killing people for his family has become the most stressful part of his life. He seeks the help of a therapist and meets a woman in the waiting room that he connects with.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (1996)
A dramatization of the life of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (Don Cheadle), with a lot of factual based occurrences. A reformed junkie returns from prison to clean up his act and devote the rest of his life to the young kids of Harlem. 1996 was the 25th anniversary of the first tournament named after him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEmbattled (2020)
The eldest son of a ruthlessly tough MMA champion must fight his way out of the abusive cycle his father has continued.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPasamontaña Quemado (2021)
The story of a girl, after a breakup, removing her makeup and finding herself again in grief. About life, places, being yourself wherever you are, in love, and not losing yourself, moving through things. "Balaclava Quemado is about not ceasing to be yourself no matter what situation you find yourself in; with or without wearing it, it's the strength to keep going, it's a bit of a symbol of taking the freedom that one can and carries within." Daniela.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Change-Up Kid (TBA)
Baseball pitching phenom Dean Fosh has a dream - he wants to play the game like no one's ever played it before. Who says some wishes don't come true?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Snow White (2005)
The life of 20-year-old Nico from upper class Zurich is all party, sex and drugs when she meets Paco, the front man of a rap band. She finds herself drawn to his independent, creative and profound way of life, so different from her own. With naiveté and infinite self-confidence, she tries to adopt his lifestyle - without anticipating the consequences.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Molly Bawn (1916)
Molly Bawn. British silent drama movie. Directed by Cecil M Hepworth. Starring Alma Taylor, Stewart Rome an Violet Hopson. adaptation of the1878 Irish novel of the same name by Margaret Wolfe Hungerford. Molly Bawn the novel by M. W. Hungerford contains her most famous idiom: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." It is also referenced in chapter 8 of James Joyce's Ulysses.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Captive (2025)
In 1575, the young soldier Miguel de Cervantes is captured on the high seas by Barbary pirates and taken to Algiers as a hostage. Aware that a cruel death awaits him if his family does not pay his ransom soon, he finds refuge in his passion for storytelling.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Simple Fall (2025)
Under a sky that has seen a thousand untold stories, two strangers stand unknowingly linked in a moment that will never return.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Tenure (2025)
When a dedicated college professor is denied tenure, he turns to black magic in a moment of desperation but finds himself trapped in a private hell of his own making.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
A Breakfast Chronicle (2000)
A view of the end-of-the-century Mexican family. A father who comes back home after a long absence, but who would rather be somewhere else. A daughter suffering from a trapped pain. A son full of guilt and recriminations. A little kid who soaks up all the tension in the house, like a sponge, and a self-effacing mother who would like to go away and leave everything behind.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Baldy The Film (2025)
In this heartfelt dramedy, we meet Travis, a New Yorker whose receding hairline mirrors the distant memories of his childhood. As he navigates the vibrant chaos before his birthday on a night out, he's haunted by looming thoughts. He has a great network of family and friends around him, but Travis doesn't know how to open up about his hair loss.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Donut Boy (2024)
A Cambodian American wants to advance into the next tier of amateur boxing but his loyalty to his cousin threatens to keep him out of the ring.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like How to Tell a Lie?
The closest matches to How to Tell a Lie are Little Boy Blue (1998), The Truth About Emanuel (2013) and The Hummingbird Project (2019). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after How to Tell a Lie?
Start with Little Boy Blue (1998), the closest match to How to Tell a Lie.
What is the highest-rated movie like How to Tell a Lie?
The Good Neighbor (2022), rated 6.7/10 by 215 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like How to Tell a Lie?
Neglected (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like How to Tell a Lie?
Yes: Little Boy Blue (1998), The Truth About Emanuel (2013) and The Hummingbird Project (2019).
How are movies similar to How to Tell a Lie chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside How to Tell a Lie, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.