Movies like Motel (1984)
The best movies like Motel (1984) are A Study in Terror (1965), Horsemen (2009) and Blackwater Lane (2024). If Motel hooked you with its horror and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedWhile the Wolf's Away (2017)8.0/10 from 202 votes
- NewestDon't Leave the Kids Alone (2026)Released 2026
- In SpanishThose Who Love, Hate (2017)Also in Spanish
A Study in Terror (1965)
When Watson reads from the newspaper there have been two similar murders near Whitechapel in a few days, Sherlock Holmes' sharp deductive is immediately stimulated to start its merciless method of elimination after observation of every apparently meaningless detail. He guesses right the victims must be street whores, and doesn't need long to work his way trough a pawn shop, an aristocratic family's stately home, a hospital and of course the potential suspects and (even unknowing) witnesses who are the cast of the gradually unraveled story of the murderer and his motive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHorsemen (2009)
A recently widowed detective still grieving over his wife's death discovers a shocking connection between himself and the suspects in a serial killing spree linked to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thriller & 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 & thriller
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 thriller & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThose Who Love, Hate (2017)
Enrique Hubermann, homeopathic physician, travels in flight from a love. By a joke of fate, in that distant place he meets the woman he wants to forget, a beautiful young woman like a demon who manipulates men and triggers dangerous passions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Organization (1971)
After a group of young revolutionaries break into a company's corporate headquarters and steal $5,000,000 worth of heroin to keep it off the street, they call on San Francisco Police Lieutenant Virgil Tibbs for assistance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrime Diaries: The Celebrity Stylist (2023)
When an up-and-coming stylist is found stabbed to death in his home, a young detective is given 20 days to solve the case. Inspired by true events.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Leave the Kids Alone (2026)
A mother moves into a new house with her two children. One night she must leave the siblings home alone. What begins as a blast of carefree play soon turns into a claustrophobic horror story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeath's Roulette (2023)
Seven strangers wake up in a mansion in the middle of nowhere to discover they are part of a twisted game. They will have 60 minutes to choose one person to die; otherwise, all of them will be murdered. As the clock ticks down, the most lurid secrets will come to light, and they’ll discover they are all connected by a dark past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRetroactive (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 thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIntruders (2015)
Anna suffers from agoraphobia so crippling that when a trio of criminals break into her house, she cannot bring herself to flee. But what the intruders don't realize is that agoraphobia is not her only psychosis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies 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 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 thisAll the Devils Are Here (2025)
After a heist, four criminals lay low in a remote safehouse, waiting for orders. As paranoia builds, one thing becomes clear — the real threat may not be outside, but among them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhile the Wolf's Away (2017)
A young teen and his misfit group of friends try to escape from a strict boarding school that holds dangerous secrets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & horror
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe House of Snails (2021)
A writer secludes himself in the mountains and falls in lust with local Berta. After realizing the oddities of the rural community the author starts to question the lines between reality and fiction.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisMexican Psycho (2026)
Follows an "ultra-violent and intelligent" psychopath who challenges the police by leaving a white paper rabbit at each crime scene, connecting them all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Caveman's Valentine (2001)
Romulus, a misunderstood musician turned recluse hiding from personal demons in a New York City cave, finds the frozen body of a young drifter in a tree. The authorities, including his police officer daughter, claim the death is accidental. Romulus is convinced the man was murdered by a prominent art photographer but how can he prove he's right when everyone thinks he's insane?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisStreet Kings (2008)
Tom Ludlow is a disillusioned L.A. Police Officer, rarely playing by the rules and haunted by the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Dead Pool (1988)
Dirty Harry Callahan returns for his final film adventure. Together with his partner Al Quan, he must investigate the systematic murder of prominent figures. By the time Harry learns that the murders are part of a sick game to predict such deaths, it may be too late.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFallen (1998)
Homicide detective John Hobbes witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese. Soon after the execution the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese's style.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCity of Industry (1997)
A retired thief swears revenge on the lunatic who murdered his brother and partner, while going on the run with the loot they stole.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Hit (1984)
Ten years after ratting on his old mobster friends in exchange for personal immunity, two hit men drive a hardened criminal to Paris for his execution. However, while on the way, whatever can go wrong, does go wrong.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
A tale of murder, crime and punishment set in the summer of 1949. Ed Crane, a barber in a small California town, is dissatisfied with his life, but his wife Doris' infidelity and a mysterious opportunity presents him with a chance to change it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSTOP (2022)
A simple reunion between two old friends at a bus stop is not what it seems.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
Married Life (2008)
A very gentle middle-aged man is married, but when he falls in love with another woman, he decides that to divorce his wife would humiliate her too much – so instead he decides to kill her.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisGlengarry Glen Ross (1992)
An examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office. Unscrupulous salesmen try to hawk dubious real estate to suckers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTo Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
When his longtime partner on the force is killed, reckless U.S. Secret Service agent Richard Chance vows revenge, setting out to nab dangerous counterfeit artist Eric Masters.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like this
Like Motel and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Motel?
The closest matches to Motel are A Study in Terror (1965), Horsemen (2009) and Blackwater Lane (2024). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Motel?
Start with A Study in Terror (1965), the closest match to Motel.
What is the highest-rated movie like Motel?
While the Wolf's Away (2017), rated 8.0/10 by 202 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Motel?
Don't Leave the Kids Alone (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like Motel?
Yes: Those Who Love, Hate (2017), Crime Diaries: The Celebrity Stylist (2023) and Don't Leave the Kids Alone (2026).
How are movies similar to Motel chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Motel, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.