Movies like American Violence (2017)
The best movies like American Violence (2017) are Valley of Bones (2017), The American Side (2016) and Pimped (2019). If American Violence hooked you with its crime and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Usual Suspects (1995)8.2/10 from 11,958 votes
- NewestWindfall (2022)Released 2022
Valley of Bones (2017)
A paleontologist gets a tip from an oil worker in the Badlands that may set her career back on track.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & thriller
The American Side (2016)
Following a mysterious suicide at Niagara Falls, a low-rent detective unravels a conspiracy to build a revolutionary invention by enigmatic scientist, Nikola Tesla.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisPimped (2019)
Over the course of one night, Sarah meets the handsome, captivating and smooth talking Lewis, who aims to be the bait in a sick sexual trap set up by himself and his low-life, rich kid housemate Kenneth. When their ruse backfires, Lewis and Sarah are forced into an unlikely alliance with deadly consequences.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller
A Simple Plan (1998)
Captivated by the lure of sudden wealth, the quiet rural lives of two brothers erupt into conflicts of greed, paranoia and distrust when over $4 million in cash is discovered at the remote site of a downed small airplane. Their simple plan to retain the money while avoiding detection opens a Pandora's box when the fear of getting caught triggers panicked behavior and leads to virulent consequences.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Usual Suspects (1995)
The lone survivor of an explosive heist gone wrong recounts for interrogators the events that began with five disparate criminals assembled for a police lineup - with alleged criminal mastermind Keyser Soze at the center of it all.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & crime
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisPrisoners (2013)
After his six-year-old daughter is abducted, a desperate father takes justice into his own hands when he loses faith in the detective leading the investigation, setting both men on a collision course as the search descends into obsession and moral compromise.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDrive (2011)
Driver is a skilled Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Though he projects an icy exterior, lately he's been warming up to a pretty neighbor named Irene and her young son, Benicio. When Irene's husband gets out of jail, he enlists Driver's help in a million-dollar heist. The job goes horribly wrong, and Driver must risk his life to protect Irene and Benicio from the vengeful masterminds behind the robbery.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSide Effects (2013)
A woman turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband's upcoming release from prison.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNightcrawler (2014)
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSpeed Kills (2018)
Speedboat racing champion and multimillionaire Ben Aronoff leads a double life that lands him in trouble with the law and drug lords.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThree Way (2004)
Lew is a small time loser with a troubled past and a very big secret. Overhearing a couple plan a kidnapping, Lew is tempted to come up with a scheme of his own. He decides to get to the victim first and then blackmail the real criminals. His plan soon spins out of control.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
Criminal Activities (2015)
Four young men make a risky investment together that gets them into trouble with the mob.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisA Kind of Murder (2016)
In 1960s New York, Walter Stackhouse is a rich, successful architect and unhappily married to the beautiful but damaged Clara. His desire to be free of her feeds his obsession with Kimmel, a man suspected of brutally murdering his own wife. When Walter and Kimmel's lives become dangerously intertwined, a ruthless police detective becomes convinced he has found the murderer. But as the lines blur between innocence and intent, who, in fact, is the real killer?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisNightmare Alley (2021)
An ambitious carnival man with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychologist who is even more dangerous than he is.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBefore the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store, the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that send them and their family hurtling towards a shattering climax.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDog Eat Dog (2016)
Ex-cons Troy, Mad Dog, and Diesel are hired by an eccentric mob boss to kidnap a baby and hold it for a large ransom. When the abduction goes awry, the men find themselves on the run from the mob and the cops. Vowing to stay out of prison at all costs, getting away with the crime is a matter of life and death.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisInconceivable (2017)
A mother looks to escape her abusive past by moving to a new town where she befriends another mother, who grows suspicious of her.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisBad Times at the El Royale (2018)
Lake Tahoe, 1969. Seven strangers, each one with a secret to bury, meet at El Royale, a decadent motel with a dark past. In the course of a fateful night, everyone will have one last shot at redemption.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Whole Truth (2016)
A defense attorney works to get his teenage client acquitted of murdering his wealthy father.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReasonable Doubt (2014)
When up-and-coming District Attorney Mitch Brockden commits a fatal hit-and-run, he feels compelled to throw the case against the accused criminal who was found with the body and blamed for the crime. Following the trial, Mitch's worst fears come true when he realizes that he acquitted a guilty man, and he soon finds himself on the hunt for the killer before more victims pile up.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Bank Job (2008)
Terry is a small-time car dealer trying to leave his shady past behind and start a family. Martine is a beautiful model from Terry's old neighbourhood who knows that Terry is no angel. When Martine proposes a foolproof plan to rob a bank, Terry recognises the danger but realises this may be the opportunity of a lifetime.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTwo Step (2015)
Two Step is a fast-paced Texas thriller in which the lives of James, a directionless college dropout, and Webb, a career criminal with his back against the wall, violently collide.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & crime
The Town (2010)
A proficient group of thieves rob a bank and hold the manager hostage. Things begin to get complicated when one of the crew members falls in love with her.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPrimal Fear (1996)
Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar boy, accused of brutally murdering the archbishop of Chicago. Vail finds himself up against his ex-pupil and ex-lover, but as the case progresses and the Church's dark secrets are revealed, Vail finds that what appeared a simple case takes on a darker, more dangerous aspect.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisReversible Errors (2004)
A corporate lawyer's interest in a decade-old murder case is piqued by a new confession that could clear the convicted killer, who sits on death row.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
Windfall (2022)
In an opulent vacation home, a mysterious intruder is forced to kidnap the property owners -- a wealthy CEO and his wife -- when they arrive unexpectedly.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
Mick Haller is a charismatic defense attorney who does business out of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Mick spends most of his time defending petty crooks and other bottom-feeders, so it comes as quite a surprise when he lands the case of a lifetime: defending a Beverly Hills playboy who is accused of attempted murder. However, what Mick initially thinks is an open-and-shut case with a big monetary reward develops into something more sinister.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like this100 Days to Live (2019)
When a serial killer abducts a young woman’s fiancé, she must race against the clock to discover the identity of the killer, and more importantly – his motive.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & crime
7 Minutes (2014)
When three young criminals lose a stash of drugs, they end up owing money to a ruthless drug lord. With time running out, they plan a daring robbery to raise the cash to settle the debt.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both crime & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Drowning (2016)
A psychiatrist faces his past, present and future when he finds himself involved in the treatment of a young man recently released from prison for a murder committed when the boy was just 11 years old.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like American Violence?
The closest matches to American Violence are Valley of Bones (2017), The American Side (2016) and Pimped (2019). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after American Violence?
People who watched American Violence most often go on to Valley of Bones (2017), The American Side (2016) and Pimped (2019).
What is the highest-rated movie like American Violence?
The Usual Suspects (1995), rated 8.2/10 by 11,958 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like American Violence?
Windfall (2022) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like American Violence?
Yes: Valley of Bones (2017), The American Side (2016) and Pimped (2019).
How are movies similar to American Violence chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside American Violence, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.