Movies like Night Bus (2019)
The best movies like Night Bus (2019) are The Tell-Tale Heart (1953), Tales of the Black Freighter (2009) and DC Showcase: The Phantom Stranger (2020). If Night Bus hooked you with its animation and thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Bad Seed (2018)7.0/10 from 368 votes
- NewestPitfall (2025)Released 2025
The Tell-Tale Heart (1953)
A man's sanity is a point of contention as he confesses to murdering an elderly man, driven by the victim's pale blue 'vulture eye', culminating in guilt-induced auditory hallucinations of the victim's beating heart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTales of the Black Freighter (2009)
A mariner survives an attack from the dreaded pirates of the Black Freighter, but his struggle to return home to warn it has a horrific cost.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDC Showcase: The Phantom Stranger (2020)
Jess joins her friends at a party in a dilapidated mansion hosted by the mysterious Seth. When odd things begin to happen to Jess and her friends, the Phantom Stranger intervenes to save her from a dreary fate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Spit on Your Grave 2 (2013)
Broke, and in desperate need to update her portfolio, New York City model Katie calls a number from a tear-off flyer offering free photos. But this innocent attempt quickly turns into an unthinkable kidnapping nightmare where she's ripped away from everyone and everything she knows.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDressed to Kill (1980)
After witnessing a mysterious woman brutally slay a homemaker, prostitute Liz Blake finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police thinks she is the murderer, the real killer is intent on silencing her only witness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFrank 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 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 · both thriller & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNinja III: The Domination (1984)
An aerobics instructor becomes a ruthless assassin after being possessed by a slain ninja's spirit, leading to a showdown with a martial arts expert.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNight Teeth (2021)
A college student moonlighting as a chauffeur picks up two mysterious women for a night of party-hopping across LA. But when he uncovers their bloodthirsty intentions—and their dangerous, shadowy underworld—he must fight to stay alive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Bad Seed (2018)
A widower suspects that his seemingly perfect adolescent daughter is a heartless killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisVan Helsing: The London Assignment (2004)
It tells of the events before the film, in which monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing travels to London to investigate a series of horrific, and decidedly supernatural murders, being committed by the mad scientist Dr. Jekyll, in the form of his evil alter-ego, Mr. Hyde.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisManiac (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 horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSaw (2003)
David, an orderly at a hospital, tells his horrific story of being kidnapped and forced to play a vile game of survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMute Witness (1995)
When a mute makeup/special effects artist working on a low-budget slasher film gets locked in a dilapidated Moscow movie studio late one night, she thinks she witnesses the making of a snuff film. Thus begins a night of terror.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Spine of Night (2021)
When ancient dark magic falls into sinister hands and unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind, a group of heroes from different eras and cultures must band together in order to defeat it at all costs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPitfall (2025)
After a young man is separated from his friends in the woods, he falls into a ten-foot deep pit of spikes, impaling him through his leg and leaving him trapped. He quickly learns that his fall was not an accident.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRace with the Devil (1975)
Two couples vacationing together in an R.V. from Texas to Colorado are terrorized after they witness a murder during a Satanic ritual.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Man in the White Van (2024)
In early 1970s Florida, an ominous white van stalks young women. A teenage girl is the latest victim, but this one won't stay a victim.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Purge: Anarchy (2014)
One night per year, the government sanctions a 12-hour period in which citizens can commit any crime they wish -- including murder -- without fear of punishment or imprisonment. Leo, a sergeant who lost his son, plans a vigilante mission of revenge during the mayhem. However, instead of a death-dealing avenger, he becomes the unexpected protector of four innocent strangers who desperately need his help if they are to survive the night.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNocebo (2022)
A fashion designer suffers from a mysterious illness that puzzles her doctors and frustrates her husband until help arrives in the form of a Filipino caregiver who uses traditional folk healing to reveal a horrifying truth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMeurtre du tableau (2025)
An artist, surrounded by the mess in her studio, struggles with frustration as she tries to find inspiration for her new painting.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
Grey Matter (2016)
Three old men investigate the strange behavior of an alcoholic recluse when his son insists he's metamorphosing into a degenerate creature.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
One For The Road (2019)
After a long night at the bar, a small town bartender and her long-time customer are convinced to help a pleading mother. They embark on a mission to help her two children. In the process they confront their fears about the mysterious evil town of Salem's Lot.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
The Cat That Walked by Himself (1968)
The story about the wild creatures of the wild forest and one impudent Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Blue Curry (2021)
The greatest life lessons are learned through the simplest of experiences. When your kitchen turns into your biggest classroom... and Mom just serves you a plate of wisdom.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Christopher Walken's Coffee Shop (2016)
Christopher Walken has branched out from his very successful acting career to pursue his true passion, creating artisanal coffee beverages and pastries, but be warned his concoctions have more than just meets the eye.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Grey Matter (2018)
The Advanced Film class at Rockridge is proud to present their latest feature film, a drama/thriller/comedy based on the short story Grey Matter by Stephen King. Originally published in 1973, Grey Matter is about the lengths one would go to for their family… with a dark twist.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
The Moon's Kiss (2010)
A poetic tale that explores the diversity of romantic relationships.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
One For The Road (2013)
Two men help a desperate and stranded traveler rescue his wife and daughter from the evil that resides in ‘Salem’s Lot.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Europe by Bidon (2022)
Biodun is Nigerian. In this animated documentary, he tells the story of his journey on foot from Lagos to Paris, how he survives with a container (un bidon) and thanks to his courage. With his amazing patter, he transforms the events into extraordinary adventures.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Night Bus?
The closest matches to Night Bus are The Tell-Tale Heart (1953), Tales of the Black Freighter (2009) and DC Showcase: The Phantom Stranger (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Night Bus?
Start with The Tell-Tale Heart (1953), the closest match to Night Bus.
What is the highest-rated movie like Night Bus?
The Bad Seed (2018), rated 7.0/10 by 368 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Night Bus?
Pitfall (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Night Bus?
The closest matches are in other languages.
How are movies similar to Night Bus chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Night Bus, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.