Movies like Büyük Bela (1972)
The best movies like Büyük Bela (1972) are True Believer (1989), American Murderer (2022) and American Skin (2019). If Büyük Bela 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 Bandit (1996)7.3/10 from 381 votes
- NewestSalvable (2025)Released 2025
True Believer (1989)
Eddie Dodd is a burnt out former civil rights lawyer who now specializes in defending drug dealers. Roger Baron, newly graduated from law school, has followed Eddie's great cases and now wants to learn at his feet. With Roger's idealistic prodding, Eddie reluctantly takes on a case of a young Korean man who, according to his mother, has been in jail for eight years for a murder he didn't commit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmerican Murderer (2022)
The True story of how charismatic con man Jason Derek Brown bankrolls his extravagant lifestyle through a series of scams. On Brown’s trail: Lance Leising, a dogged FBI special agent determined to put Brown behind bars. When Brown’s funds run low and his past catches up with him, he plots his most elaborate scheme yet, pitting himself against Leising in a deadly game of cat and mouse — and becoming the most unlikely and elusive fugitive on the FBI’s most-wanted list.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisAmerican Skin (2019)
A Marine veteran working as a school janitor tries to mend his relationship with his son after a divorce. When his son is killed by a police officer found innocent without standing trial, he takes matters into his own hands.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWinged Creatures (2009)
A psychotic man opens fire in a diner, murdering numerous people before killing himself. The survivors struggle in different ways following this horrendous event: a doctor doubts his own instincts and elects to use an experimental medical procedure on his wife, while a gambler believes he's on a lucky streak. A waitress begins engaging in promiscuous sex, and a young girl whose father is among the dead gains unexpected fame.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisSiberian Education (2013)
The story of a gang of children growing up in a community of banished criminals, in a forgotten corner of the former Soviet Union. This community rejects the world outside. The only law it obeys… is its own. Against this backdrop two best friends, Kolyma and Gagarin, gradually become fierce enemies as they find themselves on opposite sides of the strict code of honour of the ‘honest criminal’ brotherhood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAbove the Rim (1994)
Story of a promising high school basketball star and his relationships with two brothers, one a drug dealer and the other a former basketball star fallen on hard times and now employed as a security guard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSalvable (2025)
When a battered boxer past his prime finds his dreams and his relationships on the ropes, he falls back in with a dangerous crowd and has to take the biggest swing of his life to reclaim his hope and his family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMob Town (2019)
Based on the true story of the notorious 1957 ‘mob summit’ in upstate New York. Spearheaded by Vito Genovese, more than 50 leaders of the organized crime syndicates from around the country converged on the sleepy town to discuss upcoming expansion plans. Their plans are foiled when local police trooper Ed Croswell discovers their activities and, consequently, exposes the mob to the American public. Croswell’s actions shed light on the massive web of corruption and changed the face of law enforcement forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBelly (1998)
Tommy Bundy and Sincere are best friends as well as infamous and ruthless criminals and shot-callers in the hood. Respected by many but feared by all. As the police are closing in on them and new players are looking for a come up, will their reign last?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like this10 Days of a Bad Man (2023)
Battered, broken and bereaved, a private investigator must muscle his way through a tangle of lies to uncover the truth behind a mansion murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFrenzy (2015)
With Istanbul mired in political violence, Kadir is offered release after 15 years in prison if he’ll work as an informant. In a shantytown he stumbles upon his brother Ahmet, working for the city rounding up stray dogs and shutting himself in his home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like this10 Days of a Good Man (2023)
A lawyer turned private investigator takes on a missing person case, propelling him on an unexpected and life-altering quest.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmpire (2002)
Big time drug dealer Victor Rosa is looking to get out of the game and sees his chance with a big deal with a new friend who happens to be a Wall St. stockbroker. Thinking this will be his chance to go out on top, Victor soon finds out that he's been double crossed and his last option is to get revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Sound of Fury (1950)
A family man – desperate for a job – latches onto a friend who encourages him into being a criminal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIll Manors (2012)
Ensemble film revolving around characters living in Forest Gate, London. Over the course of a few days, six inter-linking stories explore issues of drug use, prostitution and urban poverty.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Most Hated Woman in America (2017)
The true story of Madalyn Murray O'Hair -- iconoclast, opportunist, and outspoken atheist -- from her controversial rise to her untimely demise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 Bandit (1996)
The film tells the story of a group of bandits captured in the Cudi Mountains 35 years ago. All of them have died, either from illness or vendettas; only Baran (Şener Şen) survives. After serving his 35-year sentence, Baran is released from Viranşehir Prison and learns that his birthplace is now submerged under the waters of a dam. Ceren Ana (Zübeyde Erden) tells him about the past. Baran is imprisoned because of the betrayal of his old friend Berfo (Kamran Usluer). Berfo stole the bandits gold, bought his childhood love Keje (Sermin Hürmeriç) from her father, and fled to Istanbul. While Baran is searching for Keje, he encounters a young man named Cumali (Uğur Yücel). These two men find solace in each other to avoid being swept away by the storms of the big city. And in this world where violence, betrayal, passion, boundless love and hatred intertwine, they try to survive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisÒlòtūré (2019)
In Lagos, Nigeria, young, naive Nigerian journalist Òlòtūré goes undercover to expose the shady underworld of human trafficking. Unused to this brutal environment, crawling with ruthless traders and pimps, Òlòtūré finds warmth and friendship with Blessing, Linda and Beauty, the prostitutes she lives with. However, she gets drawn into their lifestyle and finds it difficult to cope. In her quest to uncover the truth, she pays the ultimate price - one that takes her to the verge of no return.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlindfire (2020)
A police officer who while responding to a violent hostage call, kills the African American suspect only to later learn of his innocence. Sensing this was a set-up, and facing repercussions, he must track down the person responsible while examining his own accountability and the ingrained racism which brought him to this point.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOn Board (1998)
Sailors want to remain in their small world, which is warm and cozy and full of lies, but their routine life turns upside down when one of them gets mugged and badly beaten.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOğlum (1972)
Orhan is a wealthy man who owns racehorses. His horse, Hakan, consistently wins first place in races. Orhan's rival, Tufan, always trails behind Orhan with his horse, Yıldırım. The emotional closeness between Tufan's niece, Jale, and Orhan's son, Murat, will continue with their upcoming engagement. However, Tufan harbors resentment toward Orhan. On one hand, he consistently finishes behind Orhan in races. On the other hand, if Jale and Murat marry, Tufan will lose his guardianship rights. For this reason, Tufan takes action to prevent Jale and Murat's marriage.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Fatoş Sokakların Meleği (1971)
Ayşe is the child of a poor family. Her father, Rıfat, has been in prison for many years. After her father is released from prison, he forces Ayşe to beg and steal. Fatoş is the spoiled child of a wealthy family. Her father died in an accident. She lives with her mother and grandfather. One day, she sneaks out of the house to play outside. While walking on the street, she encounters Ayşe's father, Rıfat. Rıfat mistakes Fatoş, who resembles Ayşe, for his own daughter. He takes her home by force. Ayşe, meanwhile, is caught stealing by a man. While chasing Ayşe, the man ends up at Fatoş's house. The gardener mistakes Ayşe for Fatoş and takes her inside. The two children unwillingly switch places. They explain the situation to their families, but no one believes them. This mix-up will change the lives of both children.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Şampiyon (1970)
A night club singer decides to join a troubled boxing champion evading police investigation. The trust chains are broken between the two the night the champion gets in a fist fight single-handedly before his wife is murdered.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Kumarbazın İntikamı (1966)
Murat was very young when his parents separated. He left his father's mansion with his mother and never saw him again. However, this distance does not prevent him from suspecting his father's suicide. As far as he knows, his father is not the type of person who would commit suicide. He believes there is a secret behind this. The old man, before his suicide, had lost his mansion—his last remaining asset—at the gambling table where he sat for the last time. Before dying, he wrote four names on three gambling cards, leaving behind unanswered questions. Murat will set out to uncover the meaning of this clue, whose significance he does not yet understand.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Lovelorn (2005)
A retired teacher who returns to Istanbul after years away, Nazim tries to reacquaint himself with his hometown, which has changed significantly. While waiting for his pension to begin, Nazim takes a temporary job as a taxi driver and frequently ends up in the seedier parts of the city. …
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBalıkçı Osman (1973)
Osman lives with his mother. His only dream is to buy a boat, earn more money from fishing, and marry Mualla. His older brother Zekeriya, who is involved in shady business, is wealthy but does not help them. Osman goes to his brother's place to improve his mother's living conditions and overhears a secret conversation. His brother is planning to rob singer Meral. Osman decides to protect Meral at any cost.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Yırtık Niyazi (1971)
Niyazi and Sansar live a poor life in a boarding house. The boarding house owner, Binnaz, brings Gül, whom she met in prison, to live at the boarding house. Gül and Niyazi fall in love with each other. One day, Gül, who is singing at a nightclub, catches Tanju's attention. Tanju offers Gül a position as a lead singer. This incident will cause a rift between Gül and Niyazi.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Dikiz Aynası (1973)
Kazım is a driver. His girlfriend Leyla, who works as a secretary, leaves him one day. The neighbors try to help Kazım fall in love again and get back to life. When Kazım learns that the girl he fell in love with at first sight is disabled, he sells his car to pay for her surgery. Rıfat, an art dealer, refers Kazım, who is now unemployed, to Mine Koşan, a singer, and gets him a job as her driver. Kazım not only helps the disabled girl but also helps Mine Koşan reunite with her boyfriend Fuat. However, Kazım will not find a solution to his own problems.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Sevgili Hocam (1972)
Mehmet Kumru is a literature teacher at a private school. Mehmet, who is naive, is expelled from school because he has difficulty controlling his class. At this point, he receives a job offer. Leyla, the young and beautiful daughter of a wealthy man who lives in a mansion, has failed her literature class. Leyla dreams of becoming a singer. However, her father is opposed to Leyla's plans to become a singer. Mehmet Kumru is hired to teach both literature and music at the mansion. The father's true intention is to distract Leyla and dissuade her from pursuing a career on stage. However, Leyla will use Mehmet for her own purposes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like Büyük Bela and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Büyük Bela?
The closest matches to Büyük Bela are True Believer (1989), American Murderer (2022) and American Skin (2019). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Büyük Bela?
Start with True Believer (1989), the closest match to Büyük Bela.
What is the highest-rated movie like Büyük Bela?
The Bandit (1996), rated 7.3/10 by 381 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Büyük Bela?
Salvable (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Büyük Bela chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Büyük Bela, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.