Movies like Santo vs. the Strangler (1965)
The best movies like Santo vs. the Strangler (1965) are Retroactive (1997), The Locksmith (2023) and Blackwater Lane (2024). If Santo vs. the Strangler hooked you with its crime and action, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedNight and the City (1950)7.5/10 from 301 votes
- Newest180 (2026)Released 2026
- In SpanishLost in the Night (2023)Also in Spanish
Retroactive (1997)
A psychiatrist makes multiple trips through time to save a woman that was murdered by her brutal husband.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Locksmith (2023)
A thief fresh out of prison, tries to work his way back into the life of his daughter and ex-fiancé. Determined, he is forced to use the skills he has as a gifted locksmith. Things take a tumultuous turn after an unexpected disappearance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisBlackwater Lane (2024)
An American school teacher in England drives past an abandoned car late one night, unaware that the driver was the victim of a murder. As she comes to terms with the realization, seemingly supernatural events start to affect the gothic manor she lives in with her husband.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGod Told Me To (1976)
A New York detective investigates a series of murders committed by random citizens who claim that 'God told them to'.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisSavaged (2014)
After thugs brutalize a deaf-mute woman, the spirit of an Apache warrior takes over her lifeless body and sets out on a bloodthirsty quest for revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThey Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970)
A police detective's investigation of a prostitute's murder points to his best friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisNo Retreat, No Surrender 3: Blood Brothers (1990)
Two feuding brothers of differing political views, one a policeman, the other a martial artist, join forces to avenge the death of their father, a retired agent who was brutally murdered by the mafia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Vanishing (1993)
The boyfriend of an abducted woman never gives up the search as the abductor looks on.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like this180 (2026)
When an unexpected road rage incident puts his son in critical condition, an enraged father spirals down a dark path of emotional turmoil and vengeance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisSuburbicon (2017)
In the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisBelly (1998)
Tommy Bundy and Sincere are best friends as well as infamous and ruthless criminals and shot-callers in the hood. Respected by many but feared by all. As the police are closing in on them and new players are looking for a come up, will their reign last?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn the Blood (2014)
When her husband goes missing during their Caribbean vacation, a woman sets off on her own to take down the men she thinks are responsible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisShimmer Lake (2017)
Shot in reverse day-by-day through a week—a local sheriff embarks on a quest to unlock the mystery of three small-town criminals and a bank heist gone wrong.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLost in the Night (2023)
A young man from a small mining town embroils himself with a wealthy family with a dubious past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe System (2022)
When a young soldier, newly returned from war, gets caught up in a drug bust, he is recruited by the authorities to go undercover in a notoriously dangerous prison in order to figure out what is really going on.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWalker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005)
Walker investigates a murder connected with a missing government weapon. In addition, he tries to track down a teen on the run from a crime syndicate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & crime
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 crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Quiller Memorandum (1966)
After two British Secret Intelligence Service agents are murdered at the hands of a cryptic neo-Nazi group known as Phoenix, the suave agent Quiller is sent to Berlin to investigate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Virtuoso (2021)
Danger, deception and murder descend upon a sleepy town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic boss.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisHunting Season (2025)
When a reclusive survivalist and his daughter rescue a mysterious, wounded woman from a river, they become entangled in a deadly web of violence and revenge, forcing them to confront a brutal criminal to survive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHellboy (2019)
Hellboy comes to England, where he must defeat Nimue, Merlin's consort and the Blood Queen. But their battle will bring about the end of the world, a fate he desperately tries to turn away.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisStardom in Toyohashi (2022)
Stardom in Toyohashi was a professional wrestling event promoted by World Wonder Ring Stardom, held on January 16, 2022 at Loisir Hotel Toyohashi in Toyohashi, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Chatha Pacha: The Ring of Rowdies (2026)
In the heart of Fort Kochi, three brothers and their crew of unlikely misfits stumble into the wild world of WWE-style costumed wrestling. What begins as a scrappy hustle soon explodes into a riot of masks, egos, and full-blown madness, all set against the backdrop of a city that never plays by the rules. But can their brotherhood survive when the real fight begins outside the ropes?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Stardom in Otsu 2026 Feb. ~Thank you Ukaruchan Arena, I'm Saori Anou from Stardom~ (2026)
Stardom in Otsu 2026 Feb. ~Thank you Ukaruchan Arena, I'm Saori Anou from Stardom~ was a professional wrestling event held by World Wonder Ring Stardom on February 20, 2026 at Ukaruchan Arena in Ōtsu, Shiga, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Marvelous 2025 Final (2025)
Marvelous 2025 Final was a professional wrestling event promoted by Marvelous That's Women Pro Wrestling. It took place on December 28, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
A down-on-his-luck crab fisherman embarks on a journey to get a young man with Down syndrome to a professional wrestling school in rural North Carolina and away from the retirement home where he’s lived for the past two and a half years.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStardom Golden Week Fight Tour 2024 in Fukuoka (2024)
Golden Week Fight Tour 2024 in Fukuoka was a professional wrestling event promoted by World Wonder Ring Stardom. It was held on May 5, 2024 at Acros Fukuoka in Fukuoka, Japan, and was main evented by Crazy Star (Mei Seira and Suzu Suzuki) defending the Goddesses of Stardom Championship against hometown favorites, FWC (Hazuki and Koguma).
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Stardom in Hachioji 2024 (2024)
Stardom in Hachioji 2024 was a professional wrestling event promoted by World Wonder Ring Stardom, which was held on December 22, 2024 at Tokyo Tama Mirai Messe in Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan. It generally served as a prelude to the Dream Queendom 2024 supercard, and the main event was a four-way qualifying match for Stardom's representative in the International Women's Cup (which occurred at the cross-promotional Wrestle Dynasty show), fought between Syuri, Momo Watanabe, Suzu Suzuki and Tomoka Inaba.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
TJPW Prelude to Grand Princess '26 (2026)
Prelude to Grand Princess '26 was a professional wrestling event promoted by Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling (TJPW). It was held on March 7, 2026 at Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & drama
Night and the City (1950)
Londoner Harry Fabian is a second-rate con man looking for an angle. After years of putting up with Harry's schemes, his girlfriend, Mary, becomes fed up when he taps her for yet another loan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Santo vs. the Strangler?
The closest matches to Santo vs. the Strangler are Retroactive (1997), The Locksmith (2023) and Blackwater Lane (2024). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Santo vs. the Strangler?
Start with Retroactive (1997), the closest match to Santo vs. the Strangler.
What is the highest-rated movie like Santo vs. the Strangler?
Night and the City (1950), rated 7.5/10 by 301 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Santo vs. the Strangler?
180 (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like Santo vs. the Strangler?
Yes: Lost in the Night (2023).
How are movies similar to Santo vs. the Strangler chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Santo vs. the Strangler, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.