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Movies like Blues in the Head (1981)

The best movies like Blues in the Head (1981) are Frank and Penelope (2022), Maniac (1963) and The Virtuoso (2021). If Blues in the Head hooked you with its horror and crime, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Frank and Penelope (2022)

    A tale of love and violence when a man on his emotional last legs finds a savior seductively dancing in a run-down strip club. And a life most certainly headed off a cliff suddenly becomes redirected - as everything is now worth dying for.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. Maniac (1963)

    When a stranger enters a quiet, country town and is seduced by a sensuous married woman he unwittingly finds himself at the centre of a storm of sexual guilt and murder.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. The 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 thriller & crime

  4. All 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 this
  5. Misdirection (2026)

    A desperate couple have pulled off a string of high-end break-ins to pay off a mob debt. When they attempt to rob their latest victim, they find themselves caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse. The tables are turned and the hunters become the hunted.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. In Cold Light (2026)

    Fresh out of prison, Ava's attempt to reclaim her drug operation collapses when she witnesses a brutal crime, forcing her to flee into a nightmarish underworld where allies are scarce and enemies multiply by the minute.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime

  7. Carbone (2017)

    In danger of losing his business, Anthony Roca, an ordinary man, develops a scam that will become the heist of the century. Overtaken by the crime, he will have to deal with betrayal, murder and settling.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. Without Apparent Motive (1971)

    A series of murders is committed in Nice on the French riviera. The commissaire Carella is in charge and tries to find a missing link between all these murders.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

  9. Red Right Hand (2024)

    Cash is trying to live a quiet, honest life in a small Appalachian town. When a vicious crime boss forces him back into her services, he soon learns he's capable of anything -- even killing -- to protect his family and his home.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Night Call (2024)

    Mady, a student, works as a locksmith by night. He helps Claire get into her apartment and soon realizes that she lied to him about her identity and robbed something that belonged to a dangerous man, Yannick. Mady gets embroiled in a manhunt and will have one night to prove his innocence.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Trap House (2025)

    An undercover DEA agent and his partner embark on a game of cat and mouse with an audacious, and surprising group of thieves – their own rebellious teenagers, who have begun robbing from a dangerous cartel, using their parents' tactics and top-secret intel to do it.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. The Last Deadly Mission (2008)

    A washed-up Marseilles cop (Auteuil) earns a chance at redemption by protecting a woman from the man who killed her parents as he is about to be released from prison.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. The Seven-Ups (1973)

    A tough detective who is part of an elite New York City unit is trying to find out who killed his partner, but uncovers a plot to kidnap mobsters for money.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. The Last Days of American Crime (2020)

    In the not-too-distant future, as a final response to crime and terrorism, the U.S. government plans to broadcast a signal that will make it impossible for anyone to knowingly break the law.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Untamable (2025)

    In Yaounde, Police Chief Billong is investigating the murder of a police officer. In the streets and at home, he struggles to maintain order. A man of principle and tradition, he is reaching breaking point.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Hellhound (2024)

    Ready to leave his profession behind, Loreno, an assassin, lends help to an old friend, Cetan, and taking one last job in Thailand seeking out a local kingpin. A lapse in judgment means Loreno crosses paths with old colleague Paul.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Shade (2003)

    Tiffany, Charlie and Vernon are con artists looking to up the ante from their typical scams. They figure a good way of doing this is taking down Dean "The Dean" Stevens, a well-known cardsharp, in a rigged game. However, they first need enough money to enter a game with Stevens, so they decide to strike a deal with fellow crook Larry Jennings to scam a local gangster -- which turns out to be a bad idea.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. The Loner (1987)

    In Paris , Commissioner Stan Jalard and Inspector Simon Lecache plan to quit the police to go and enjoy a more peaceful life in the West Indies. In a nightclub, during a routine visit, they spot Schneider, a dreaded gangster and public enemy. At the time of his arrest, Simon is killed at close range by the criminal. Stan then decides to stay in the police to avenge Simon. Being the godfather of Christian, Simon's son, who sometimes lives in a boarding school, sometimes at home, he takes charge of his education. Two years later, Stan has been promoted, and he's told that Schneider had resurfaced in the capital. A long hunt begins.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. The Signal (2007)

    A horror film told in three parts, from three perspectives, in which a mysterious transmission that turns people into killers invades every cell phone, radio, and television.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller

  20. City of Ghosts (2002)

    A con man who is on the run from law enforcement in the U.S. travels to Cambodia to collect his share in an insurance scam but discovers more than he bargained for.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime

Like Blues in the Head and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Blues in the Head?

The closest matches to Blues in the Head are Frank and Penelope (2022), Maniac (1963) and The Virtuoso (2021). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Blues in the Head?

Start with Frank and Penelope (2022), the closest match to Blues in the Head.

What is the highest-rated movie like Blues in the Head?

Carbone (2017), rated 6.7/10 by 454 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Blues in the Head?

Misdirection (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there French movies like Blues in the Head?

Yes: Carbone (2017), Without Apparent Motive (1971) and Night Call (2024).

How are movies similar to Blues in the Head chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Blues in the Head, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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