Movies like Anniyan (2005)
The best movies like Anniyan (2005) are Kaala (2018), Each Dawn I Die (1939) and Vikram Vedha (2017). If Anniyan hooked you with its action and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedStrangers on a Train (1951)7.7/10 from 1,974 votes
- NewestOscar Shaw (2026)Released 2026
- In TamilKaala (2018)Also in Tamil
Kaala (2018)
Karikaalan consistently fights to keep the people of Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai, safe from the clutches of mighty politicians and the land mafia don, Hari Dhadha.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEach Dawn I Die (1939)
A corrupt D.A. with governatorial ambitions is annoyed by an investigative reporter's criticism of his criminal activities and decides to frame the reporter for manslaughter in order to silence him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVikram Vedha (2017)
A notorious gangster Vedha surrenders himself to encounter specialist Vikram whom he challenges every step of the way by narrating his life events in the form of riddles that needs to be solved in order to capture him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThupparivaalan (2017)
Detective Kaniyan Poonkundran is hungry for a challenging case to investigate and the mystery of a murdered dog leads to a rival who could be the match for him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTheri (2016)
When an honest cop, Vijay Kumar's family is ruthlessly slaughtered by a politician and his aides, he decides to change his identity and commits his life to bring his daughter up in a serene atmosphere. But some freak events end up compromising his identity and what he does to save his daughter and avenge the death of his family unfurls as Theri.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe File on Thelma Jordon (1949)
Cleve Marshall, an assistant district attorney, falls for Thelma Jordon, a mysterious woman with a troubled past. When Thelma becomes a suspect in her aunt's murder, Cleve tries to clear her name.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKodi (2016)
A young politician finds himself in a position where he has to contest against his girlfriend, who is ambitious. Circumstances force his look-alike twin to also get involved in this political battle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Naked City (1948)
After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon attempt to piece together her murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Roaring Twenties (1939)
After World War I, Armistice Lloyd Hart goes back to practice law, former saloon keeper George Hally turns to bootlegging, and out-of-work Eddie Bartlett becomes a cab driver. Eddie builds a fleet of cabs through delivery of bootleg liquor and hires Lloyd as his lawyer. George becomes Eddie's partner and the rackets flourish until love and rivalry interfere.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStrangers on a Train (1951)
A charming psychopath tries to coerce a tennis star into his theory that two strangers can commit the perfect crime by exchanging murders—each killing the other’s most-hated person.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOscar Shaw (2026)
After retiring from the police force, a relentless detective haunted by the tragic loss of his closest friend sets out on a perilous quest for vengeance, seeking redemption and fighting to restore justice to the streets he once swore to protect.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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 · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCry of the City (1948)
Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check Niles' allegation; a friend of the Rome family, he walks a tightrope between sentiment and cynicism. When Martin fears Candella will implicate his girlfriend Teena, he'll do anything to protect her. How many others will he drag down to disaster with him?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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 · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLady in the Lake (1946)
Private eye Phillip Marlowe wants to get out of the detective racket and into crime writing. But when he's called to the office of editor Adrienne Fromsett, it's not to talk about his story ideas — she wants him to locate the missing wife of her boss, Mr. Kingsby. The assignment quickly becomes complicated when bodies start turning up.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIllegal (1955)
A hugely successful DA goes into private practice after sending a man to the chair -- only to find out later he was innocent. Now the drunken attorney only seems to represent criminals and low lifes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChief of Station (2024)
After learning that the death of his wife was not an accident, a former CIA Station Chief is forced back into the espionage underworld, teaming up with an adversary to unravel a conspiracy that challenges everything he thought he knew.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBaasha (1995)
Auto rickshaw driver Manickam avoids violence at all costs. When some thugs begin to intimidate Manickam's family, it triggers the revival of Manickam's old self.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaster (2021)
An alcoholic professor is sent to a juvenile school, where he clashes with a gangster, who uses the children of the school for criminal activities.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Glass Key (1942)
A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSuspect (1987)
When a Supreme Court judge commits suicide and his secretary is found murdered, all fingers point to Carl Anderson, a homeless veteran who's deaf and mute. But when public defender Kathleen Riley is assigned to his case, she begins to believe that Anderson may actually be innocent. Juror Eddie Sanger, a Washington lobbyist, agrees, and together the pair begins their own investigation of events.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Punisher (1989)
The avenging angel of Marvel Comics fame comes brilliantly to life in this searing action-adventure thriller! Dolph Lundgren stars as Frank Castle, a veteran cop who loses his entire family to a mafia car bomb. His ex-partner believes Castle survived the blast and became the Punisher, living in the sewers and exacting vigilante violence against mob bosses throughout the city. When the populace is caught in the midst of a gang war that he caused, Castle must again emerge from the shadows and save the innocent.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisToday You Die (2005)
A former thief who is trying to go straight seeks vengeance on those who framed him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisEe Sabdam Innathe Sabdam (1985)
A group of unruly youth harasses Dr. Ramachandran (Mammotty) and his family. His wife (Sobhana) ends up being raped and murdered by this group. His sister Pushpa (Rohini) becomes mentally ill following the trauma. Distraught when the law doesn't give him justice, the doctor ends up being a vigilante and decides to take revenge on the people who destroyed his family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & drama
Miss. Shetty Mr. Polishetty (2023)
Miss Shetty is a feminist living in London and wants to be single forever. Mr. Polishetty from Hyderabad in Telangana, India, wants to be in a committed relationship. The two appear to be in different stages of life but somehow connect.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & thriller
Murder in the First (1995)
A young, inexperienced public defender is assigned to defend an inmate accused of committing murder while behind bars.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCherish (2002)
After a martini-induced rampage, a fantasy-prone young woman is placed under house arrest.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn The Mix (2005)
A successful DJ named Darrel, managed to rescue a powerful mobster one night. In order to repay Darrell, the mobster, Frank Pacelli, gives him the task of protecting his daughter, Dolly.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Rainmaker (1997)
Fresh out of law school and desperate for work, idealistic rookie Rudy Baylor takes on a powerful insurance company accused of denying a dying boy’s claim. Teaming up with a scrappy, unlicensed paralegal, he finds himself in a David-versus-Goliath courtroom battle that tests his ethics, courage, and belief in justice.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFour Christmases (2008)
Brad and Kate have made something of an art form out of avoiding their families during the holidays, but this year their foolproof plan is about go bust -- big time. Stuck at the city airport after all departing flights are canceled, the couple is embarrassed to see their ruse exposed to the world by an overzealous television reporter. Now, Brad and Kate are left with precious little choice other than to swallow their pride and suffer the rounds.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Anniyan?
The closest matches to Anniyan are Kaala (2018), Each Dawn I Die (1939) and Vikram Vedha (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Anniyan?
Start with Kaala (2018), the closest match to Anniyan.
What is the highest-rated movie like Anniyan?
Strangers on a Train (1951), rated 7.7/10 by 1,974 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Anniyan?
Oscar Shaw (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Tamil movies like Anniyan?
Yes: Kaala (2018), Vikram Vedha (2017) and Thupparivaalan (2017).
How are movies similar to Anniyan chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Anniyan, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.