Movies like Kanal (2015)
The best movies like Kanal (2015) are Each Dawn I Die (1939), Trance (2020) and Iratta (2023). If Kanal hooked you with its thriller and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedChief of Station (2024)6.3/10 from 280 votes
- NewestEleanor the Great (2025)Released 2025
- In MalayalamTrance (2020)Also in Malayalam
Each 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 drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrance (2020)
A disheartened motivational speaker gets hired by a corporate to become a preacher until his live stint on television puts him and his service under the scanner.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIratta (2023)
After a cop is found dead, a policeman's investigation sparks a chilling search for the truth connected to his estranged twin and their fraught past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLucifer (2019)
In God's own country, the supreme leader of the ruling party dies, leaving a huge vacuum, not only in the electoral and leadership sphere of the party but also that of the state. In the inevitable succession squabble and the power struggle that ensues, the thin line that separates good and bad becomes irrecoverably blurred and out of this seemingly endless mayhem, emerge forces that are hitherto unheard of.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSeeds of Yesterday (2015)
The Sheffield family reveal and go through some home truths as their middle child inherits the Foxworth mansion. The family's ghosts looming over, and more tragedies are in store as the curse lives on.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKishkindha Kaandam (2024)
Strange events unfold in a monkey-inhabited village, driving a newlywed couple and forest officials to embark on a mission to uncover the root of the unusual disturbances.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTime Without Pity (1957)
Alec Graham is sentenced to death for the murder of his girlfriend Jennie, with whom he spent a weekend at the English country home of the parents of his friend Brian Stanford. Alec’s father, David Graham, a not-so-successful writer and alcoholic who has neglected his son in the past, flies in from Canada to visit his son on death row. David then goes on a quest to try and clear his son’s name while battling “the bottle.”
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMan in the Shadow (1957)
In a modern cow town, the powerful ranch owner’s henchmen kill a ranch hand, prompting the sheriff to investigate despite facing strong opposition. He finds an unlikely ally in the rancher's overprotected daughter, but their quest for justice puts them both in danger.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Lady Vanishes (2013)
Young socialite Iris Carr befriends an older woman while traveling solo by train. When Iris wakes from a nap, the woman is gone and other passengers claim she never existed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
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 thriller
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 thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNo Name on the Bullet (1959)
When hired killer John Gant rides into Lordsburg, the town's folk become paranoid as each leading citizen has enemies capable of using the services of a professional killer for personal revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSkater Girl (2021)
Prerna, a teenager growing up in rural India, comes of age when she’s introduced to the sport of skateboarding. As a result, she has to fight the odds to follow her dreams and compete in the national championship.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRorschach (2022)
When Luke Antony's wife goes missing, he sets off to search for her and stumbles upon the Balan family. However, terrorising events start occurring as Luke grows closer to them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEleanor the Great (2025)
94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein tries to rebuild her life after the death of her best friend. As a result, she moves back to New York City after living in Florida for decades.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJonathan (2018)
Jonathan is a young man with a strange condition that only his brother understands. But when he begins to yearn for a different life, their unique bond becomes increasingly tested.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe MacKintosh Man (1973)
A member of British Intelligence assumes a fictitious criminal identity and allows himself to be caught, imprisoned, and freed in order to infiltrate a spy organization and expose a traitor; only, someone finds him out and exposes him to the gang...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhere the Red Fern Grows (1974)
Billy Coleman works hard and saves his earnings for two years to achieve his dream of buying two red-bone coonhound pups. He develops a new trust in life as he faces overwhelming challenges in adventure and tragedy roaming the river bottoms of Cherokee country with his dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlack Widow (1987)
Federal agent Alexandra Barnes believes that Catherine Petersen is a serial killer who marries rich men and then murders them for their money. But since Catherine is seemingly a master of disguise and has multiple identities, Alexandra can't prove anything with conventional detective work. With no other option, she goes undercover, pursuing the same man as Catherine, and hoping that Catherine will slip up and reveal her true identity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKurup (2021)
The Film is based on the infamous 'Charlie Murder Case' in the Indian State of Kerala where the main culprit Sukumara Kurup has been on the run for decades and is still not been caught. The story revolves around the perspective of Sukumara Kurup and the Police officers who were investigating the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLakshyam (2017)
Vimal Kumar, a murder convict and Mustafa, a petty thief escape the clutches of police when the vehicle transporting them to jail meets with an accident. The duo, who get trapped in a forest, gradually get talking and discover more about each other and the way forward. What's awaiting them… handcuffs or a good future?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Valappottukal (2017)
Valappottukal is a Malayalam drama written and directed by MadhuThathampally, in his debut venture. The movie stars Madhu, Sudheer Karamana and Boban Alummoodan in lead roles.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Swayam (2017)
Swayam portrays the life of Meron, an autistic son of a Malayalee couple settled in Germany. His mother, Agnes is compassionate about her son's condition despite the indifference of her husband. When Meron shows interest in football, Agnes puts her weight behind him to pursue that dream.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Devayanam (2017)
An elderly woman deals with her gripping extreme fear of death.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Sathya (2017)
Sathya, a successful gambler, meets Rosy at a dance bar and sets out on an adventure with her. However, they face several obstacles when a gang of thugs is on the lookout for Rosy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Vedham (2017)
A young college student reluctantly goes on a pilgrimage to Sabarimala on the insistence of his parents.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Hey Jude (2018)
Jude, a mathematical genius with poor social skills, visits Goa with his parents after the demise of his aunt. There, his life changes completely after he meets Crystal, a moody musician.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Aadhi (2018)
Aadhi, an aspiring musician, travels to another state in hopes of making it big. While there, an unexpected event leaves him trapped, unable to return to his family and running for his life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Y? (2017)
Some unexpected events on a street catch everybody present there by surprise. The movie is about how the characters there, react to the incidents taking place.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Uthara Chemmeen (2015)
The story of ‘Uttarachemmeen’ is inspired from the classic Malayalam movie 'Chemmeen'.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like Kanal and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Kanal?
The closest matches to Kanal are Each Dawn I Die (1939), Trance (2020) and Iratta (2023). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Kanal?
Start with Each Dawn I Die (1939), the closest match to Kanal.
What is the highest-rated movie like Kanal?
Chief of Station (2024), rated 6.3/10 by 280 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Kanal?
Eleanor the Great (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Malayalam movies like Kanal?
Yes: Trance (2020), Iratta (2023) and Lucifer (2019).
How are movies similar to Kanal chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Kanal, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.