Movies like Real (2016)
The best movies like Real (2016) are Brainstorm (1983), Stay Alive (2006) and The Zero Theorem (2013). If Real hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Real
Quick picks
- Highest ratedFor Sama (2019)8.2/10 from 323 votes
- NewestBallistic (2026)Released 2026
Brainstorm (1983)
Two brilliant research scientists have invented a device capable of recording and playing back sensory experiences only to have devastating results when one of them records their own death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStay Alive (2006)
After the brutal death of a friend, a group of friends play an underground video game based on a 17th-century noblewoman, only to discover that dying in the game results in their real-life death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Zero Theorem (2013)
A computer hacker's goal to discover the reason for human existence continually finds his work interrupted thanks to the Management; this time, they send a teenager and lusty love interest to distract him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMeshes of the Afternoon (1943)
A woman returning home falls asleep and has vivid dreams that may or may not be happening in reality. Through repetitive images and complete mismatching of the objective view of time and space, her dark inner desires play out on-screen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisScooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase (2001)
When Scooby and the gang get trapped in a video game created for the gang, they must fight against the 'Phantom Virus.' To escape the game they must go level by level and defeat the game once and for all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFor Sama (2019)
A love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter and survival as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice– whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which she has already sacrificed so much.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Assessment (2025)
In a climate change-ravaged world, a utopian society optimizes life, including parenthood assessments. A successful couple faces scrutiny by an evaluator over seven days to determine their fitness for childbearing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Matrix Revisited (2001)
The film goes behind the scenes of the 1999 sci-fi movie The Matrix.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thiseXistenZ (1999)
A game designer on the run from assassins must play her latest virtual reality creation with a marketing trainee to determine if the game has been damaged.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBallistic (2026)
When a soldier's mother discovers the bullet that killed her son in Afghanistan was made at the factory where she works, she sets out on a path of revenge against those responsible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisDangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007)
The definitive 3½-hour documentary about the troubled creation and enduring legacy of the science fiction classic 'Blade Runner', culled from 80 interviews and hours of never-before-seen outtakes and lost footage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSource Code (2011)
When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Girl in the Book (2015)
The story of a young writer's transformation when her past invades her present.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisHotel Chevalier (2007)
In a Paris hotel room, Jack Whitman lies on a bed. His phone rings; it's a woman on her way to see him, a surprise. She arrives and the complications of their relationship emerge in bits and pieces. Will they make love? Is their relationship over? (A prequel to The Darjeeling Limited, 2007.)
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReady Player One (2018)
When the creator of a popular video game system dies, a virtual contest is created to compete for his fortune.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisS1m0ne (2002)
The career of a disillusioned producer, who is desperate for a hit, is endangered when his star walks off the film set. Forced to think fast, the producer decides to digitally create an actress "Simone" to sub for the star — the first totally believable synthetic actress.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Shot Andy Warhol (1996)
The story of Valerie Solanas, a '60s radical who preached misandry in her "SCUM" manifesto. She wrote a screenplay for a film that she wanted Andy Warhol to produce, but he repeatedly ignored her. So she shot him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCurve (2016)
Clinging to a smooth, curved surface high above a sentient abyss, a woman tries to cover the few feet back to safety without losing purchase and falling to her death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Eternals (2022)
Join director Chloe Zhao and the Cast of Eternals as they recount their experiences during the making of Marvel Studios’ most ambitious film to date. Discover how the ensemble cast felt stepping into their roles, filming in remote locations, and creating bonds that would help to create the on-screen relationships that span over 7,000 years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this57 Seconds (2023)
When a tech blogger lands an interview with a tech guru and stops an attack on him, he finds a mysterious ring that takes him back 57 seconds into the past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
Like Real and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Real?
The closest matches to Real are Brainstorm (1983), Stay Alive (2006) and The Zero Theorem (2013). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Real?
Start with Brainstorm (1983), the closest match to Real.
What is the highest-rated movie like Real?
For Sama (2019), rated 8.2/10 by 323 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Real?
Ballistic (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Real?
Yes: Brainstorm (1983), Stay Alive (2006) and The Zero Theorem (2013).
How are movies similar to Real chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Real, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.