Movies like Ulterior (2007)
The best movies like Ulterior (2007) are Trapped (2002), Protector (2026) and The Tall Man (2012). If Ulterior hooked you with its thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedProtector (2026)8.4/10 from 648 votes
- NewestEvery Breath We Take (2026)Released 2026
Trapped (2002)
Held hostage in different cities after their daughter is kidnapped by a master extortionist, a desperate couple must find a way to outsmart a seemingly foolproof plot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisProtector (2026)
Nikki's life is shattered when her daughter is kidnapped. Thrust into the criminal underworld while hunted by cops and military, she must fight to rescue her child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Tall Man (2012)
When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBreaking In (2018)
Shaun Russell takes her son and daughter on a weekend getaway to her late father's secluded, high-tech vacation home in the countryside. The family soon gets an unwelcome surprise when four men break into the house to find hidden money. After managing to escape, Shaun must now figure out a way to turn the tables on the desperate thieves and save her captive children.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWardriver (2026)
He’s a Wardriver: a hacker who steals from banks, not people—until he’s noticed. Now the money turns violent, and the woman caught in it could save him or kill them both.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhisper (2007)
Sinister things begin happening to kidnappers who are holding a young boy for ransom in a remote cabin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSaw (2003)
David, an orderly at a hospital, tells his horrific story of being kidnapped and forced to play a vile game of survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCaptive (2020)
A teenage runaway who’s trapped by a delusional man, pretends to be his daughter in order to escape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHostage (2005)
When a mafia accountant is taken hostage on his beat, a police officer – wracked by guilt from a prior stint as a negotiator – must negotiate the standoff, even as his own family is held captive by the mob.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Betrayed (2008)
Kidnappers force a young mother to recover money stolen by her shady husband.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisAbducted by My Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Story (2023)
The story of Elizabeth Thomas, a 15-year-old high school student who was groomed and abducted by teacher Tad Cummins.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPoint Blank (2019)
A nurse is forced to spring a wounded murder suspect from the hospital when the man’s brother kidnaps his pregnant wife and wants to make a trade.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009)
A rich man's daughter is held captive in an abandoned apartment by two former convicts who abducted her and hold her ransom in exchange for her father's money.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like this6 Bullets (2012)
An ex-mercenary known for finding missing children is hired by a mixed martial arts fighter whose daughter has been kidnapped.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFear of Rain (2021)
A teenage girl living with schizophrenia begins to suspect her neighbor has kidnapped a child. Her parents try desperately to help her live a normal life, without exposing their own tragic secrets, and the only person who believes her is Caleb – a boy she isn’t even sure exists.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTau (2018)
Held captive in a futuristic smart house, a woman hopes to escape by befriending the A.I. program that controls the house.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStolen Baby: The Murder of Heidi Broussard (2023)
Based on a true story of best friends Magen and Heidi who have known each other for a decade. Pretending to be pregnant at the same time as her friend, Magen makes the journey from Houston to Austin to be by Heidi’s side once she learns she is ready to give birth. However, when Heidi goes missing with her newborn daughter just a few weeks after giving birth, suspicions about Magen’s loyalty and her true intentions are questioned. Authorities begin to suspect that she is hiding a huge secret as they begin to uncover her twisted and elaborate plan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Yakuza (1974)
When George Tanner does business with high-ranking Yakuza Tono, Tono kidnaps his daughter, and George summons his old friend, private eye Harry Kilmer, to Japan to investigate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisClose Range (2015)
A rogue soldier turned outlaw is thrust into a relentless fight with a corrupt sheriff, his obedient deputies, and a dangerous drug cartel in order to protect his sister and her young daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPrisoners (2013)
After his six-year-old daughter is abducted, a desperate father takes justice into his own hands when he loses faith in the detective leading the investigation, setting both men on a collision course as the search descends into obsession and moral compromise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisEvery Breath We Take (2026)
A murder investigation in a small rural town, marked by silences and loyalties, uncovers old secrets. Adoniran, a respected investigator, sees his life collapse when he goes from agent to prime suspect. While trying to prove his innocence, Saulo, Special Agent of Internal Affairs, returns to his hometown and must confront memories he would rather forget. Inner conflicts, fragile alliances, and unresolved recollections make the search for truth increasingly dangerous.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Rancor (2022)
Toni, a former mob boss, reunites his former enemies to put his past behind him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Road Kill (2023)
An overworked and arrogant lawyer describes the terrifying incident he has just experienced on his drive home from the office... but his night may not be over yet.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Fisherman's Burden (2024)
A father-and-son fishing duo find a briefcase of criminal money in a river and are chased by both the police and the criminals.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
MRITYORMUKSHI (2025)
Single father Raghu is pulled into a deadly conspiracy when his child is taken hostage, forcing him into a violent game of crime and fate.Hunted by a mysterious masked figure, he must confront the consequences of his past choices. Mrityormukshi is a gripping thriller about guilt,morality, and the price of one’s actions. “Mrityormukshi” is a a gripping thriller that explores guilt,morality, and the inescapable grasp of destiny.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Os Sinos Tocam à Meia-Noite (TBA)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Cobra (1991)
Inspector Khan (Abid Ali) is in pursuit of crime boss Cobra (Sultan Rahi) and his gang. When Cobra gets killed in a police encounter, Inspector Khan trains his lookalike to pose as gang boss and help nab his gang.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Coin Hunters (2025)
In a city rotting from within, a cursed coin promising untold riches leaves only disappearances in its wake. When Elle, son of powerful politician Mr. Vichai, vanishes, two broken men—Time, a disgraced cop, and Marvin, a fallen lawyer—are hired to find the truth. One million baht is on the line. But some truths come at a higher price.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Smile as You Kill (2023)
With only a few months to live, a desperate man kidnaps a successful advertising director and makes one demand: Create an online campaign to pay for treatment - or share his fate.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Like Ulterior and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Ulterior?
The closest matches to Ulterior are Trapped (2002), Protector (2026) and The Tall Man (2012). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Ulterior?
Start with Trapped (2002), the closest match to Ulterior.
What is the highest-rated movie like Ulterior?
Protector (2026), rated 8.4/10 by 648 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Ulterior?
Every Breath We Take (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Ulterior?
Yes: Trapped (2002), Protector (2026) and The Tall Man (2012).
How are movies similar to Ulterior chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Ulterior, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.