Movies like The Operator (2019)
The best movies like The Operator (2019) are The Jester (2016), The Blue Gardenia (1953) and Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur (2011). If The Operator hooked you with its mystery, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedScooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur (2011)7.7/10 from 234 votes
- NewestLand of Shadows (2026)Released 2026
The Jester (2016)
The Jester is the titular main antagonist of the horror/thriller analogy short films of the same name. He is an enigmatic and malevolent being who enjoys inducing suffering to individuals he comes across who don't appreciate his own tricks or break the rules of Halloween.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Blue Gardenia (1953)
Upon waking up to the news that the man she’d gone on a date with the previous night has been murdered, a young woman with only a faint memory of the night’s events begins to suspect that she murdered him while attempting to resist his advances.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur (2011)
A relaxing spa getaway evolves into a prehistoric panic when Scooby-Doo and the gang uncover the horrible Phantosaur, an ancient legend come to life to protect hidden treasures buried in secret desert caves. But this scare-a-saurus doesn’t stand a chance with Shaggy around, after he finds his inner hero with the help of new-age hypnosis. Like, it makes him more brave and less hungry!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies 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 mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrick or Treat Scooby-Doo! (2022)
Mystery Inc. has cracked the case to top all cases! They’ve tracked down Coco Diablo, the head of a notorious costume crime syndicate. With Coco and her kitty in prison, Mystery Inc. thinks that they can finally enjoy a break. Wrong! Suddenly, menacing doppelgänger ghosts of the Scooby crew and favorite classic foes show up in Coolsville to threaten Halloween. Now it’s up to the meddling kids to unmask the latest scoundrel and save Halloween!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFramed for Murder: A Fixer Upper Mystery (2017)
In the small resort town of Lighthouse Cove, everyone knows that the best man for the job is a woman. And that woman is Shannon Hughes, owner of a construction company and an expert in Victorian home restoration and renovation. Through her renovations she will find clues to uncover the house’s secret past and in turn become an unlikely sleuth to help crack these unsolved mysteries
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDoctor Who: Dark Water / Death in Heaven (2014)
In this epic two-part finale, the Doctor comes face to face with the mysterious Missy, and an impossible choice is looming. With Cybermen on the streets of London, old friends unite against old enemies, and the Doctor takes to the air in a startling new role.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisA Beautiful Place to Die: A Martha's Vineyard Mystery (2020)
After being forced into early retirement, former detective Jeff Jackson returns to a quiet life on Martha's Vineyard. Quiet, at least, until a body washes up and he's drawn back into crime solving.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Deep End of the Ocean (1999)
A three-year-old boy disappears during his mother's high school reunion. Nine years later, by chance, he turns up in the town in which the family has just relocated.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSong of the Thin Man (1947)
While attending a glamorous jazz cruise on New York’s East River, Nick and Nora Charles witness the fatal shooting of a wealthy patron. When suspicion falls on a young bandleader and his musicians, the couple steps in to clear their friends and uncover the real killer. Their investigation leads through a lively world of jazz clubs, radio personalities, high society, and backstage rivalries, where almost everyone has a secret and the next clue may be hidden in the music.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBrand Upon the Brain! (2007)
After returning home to his long-estranged mother upon a request from her deathbed, a man raised by his parents in an orphanage has to confront the childhood memories that have long haunted him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCircle (2015)
In a massive, mysterious chamber, fifty strangers awaken to find themselves trapped with no memory of how they got there. Organized in an inward-facing circle and unable to move, they quickly learn that every two minutes, one of them must die…executed by a strange device in the center of the room.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Thin Man Goes Home (1944)
Hoping for a peaceful visit with his parents in the small town of Sycamore Springs, Nick Charles and his wife Nora soon find themselves surrounded by old rivalries, family tensions, and a mysterious murder. Nick’s father, a respected retired doctor, would much rather see his son give up detective work, but a suspicious shooting quickly draws Nick back into action. As Nick and Nora investigate, they uncover jealousy, deception, hidden motives, and a dangerous secret involving the town’s prominent citizens.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010)
Scooby-Doo and the gang are on the case when a mysterious lake monster starts scaring the guests at a summer resort in Erie Point, where Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy have taken on seasonal jobs to pay for a barn they accidentally burned down. But in addition to sneaking suspicions, there's some romance in the air.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mirror Crack'd (1980)
Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
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 mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Ghastly Goals (2014)
While on vacation in Brazil, Scooby-Doo and the gang encounter a mythical beast at a game of soccer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisShadow of the Thin Man (1941)
While attending a major horse race with their young son, Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles witnesse a shocking murder from the crowded grandstand. What first appears to be an isolated killing soon leads to a maze of corruption, blackmail, gambling scandals, and criminal intrigue. As Nick investigates, he encounters suspicious bookmakers, dishonest officials, rival gangsters, and a mysterious killer determined to stay ahead of the law. Nora, as always, is never far from the action, bringing her quick wit and fearless curiosity to the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHailey Dean Mysteries: Murder, With Love (2016)
Former prosecutor-turned-therapist Hailey Dean is a powerhouse, Mensa bright, and acutely observant. During a tragic week, one of her patients loses her parents to separate fatal accidents along with millions of dollars that has seemingly vanished into thin air. When the police begin to question Hailey's patient, shes knows she is innocent. But who is the culprit?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSpellbound (1945)
When Dr. Anthony Edwardes arrives at a Vermont mental hospital to replace the outgoing hospital director, Dr. Constance Peterson, a psychoanalyst, discovers Edwardes is actually an impostor. The man confesses that the real Dr. Edwardes is dead and fears he may have killed him, but cannot recall anything. Dr. Peterson, however is convinced his impostor is innocent of the man's murder, and joins him on a quest to unravel his amnesia through psychoanalysis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLand of Shadows (2026)
Following a tragic event that shattered her life, renowned author Alice Chevalier struggles to find meaning in her existence. Searching for answers and a sign from destiny, she meets Thomas, a mysterious man who offers her an experience that defies the boundaries of reality. Driven by the hope of rebuilding herself, Alice embarks on a mystical journey, like an astronaut venturing into the far reaches of the unknown.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Savage Song (TBA)
“To begin a new chapter, you must close the last — even if it hurts to turn the page.” Savage Song is a poetic short film that explores the duality of destiny — the battle between who we are and who we are meant to become. In a world where every step forward demands a sacrifice, the film captures the raw emotion of choosing growth over comfort, and the strength it takes to say goodbye to the old in pursuit of the unknown. Shot on location in beautiful Orkney Islands, where the landscape becomes a character of its own — stark, wild, and symbolic of inner transformation. Through striking visuals, haunting sound, and symbolic storytelling, Savage Song reminds us that transformation is never gentle — it’s savage, beautiful, and necessary. 🎥 Directed by: @AlonaPetliarska 🎞️ Edited by: @AlonaPetliarska @YukhymPetliarskyi 🎼 Original Music by: @bertsovna
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Inherent Circumstances (2025)
Told in three parts, the film serves as a metaphor for the stages of life and presents itself as a determinist statement piece from a philosophical point of view.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Northeast Mysteries 1 (2026)
Xiao Mo, a philosophy student, volunteered at a funeral assistance center to search for the meaning of life and death. Unexpectedly, his mentor passed away under strange circumstances. It is said that there is an ancient well in a small village said to have the power to bring the dead back to life. Believing in this legend, Xiao Mo's mentor, Chen Hui, died trying to revive his own son. Thus, Xiao Mo, along with a mysterious funeral arranger known as Old Man Bai, set out to investigate the village. Old Man Bai uses scientific methods to uncover the truth behind the bodies in the well, the girl's hanging, and the creatures lurking in the thick fog—revealing that everything was deliberately orchestrated by humans. It is a truly intriguing film.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
Nothing is as it seems when a woman experiencing misgivings about her new boyfriend joins him on a road trip to meet his parents at their remote farm.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisArrival (2016)
Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSecrets of a Soul (2012)
Secrets of a Soul: Margarethe, Creator of bizarre sculptures! Night club dancer? Mad woman? Victim of an occult conspiracy?! Dark menaces steal her soul and organs. Though dead they keep her alive...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Suspiria (1977)
An American newcomer to a prestigious German ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amid a series of grisly murders.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Oxford Murders (2008)
At Oxford University, a professor and a grad student work together to try and stop a potential series of murders seemingly linked by mathematical symbols.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Operator?
The closest matches to The Operator are The Jester (2016), The Blue Gardenia (1953) and Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur (2011). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Operator?
Start with The Jester (2016), the closest match to The Operator.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Operator?
Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur (2011), rated 7.7/10 by 234 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Operator?
Land of Shadows (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to The Operator chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Operator, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.