Movies like The Only Witness (2003)
The best movies like The Only Witness (2003) are Like Minds (2006), The Black Book (2023) and Cult Killer (2024). If The Only Witness hooked you with its thriller and mystery, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedCrooked House (2017)6.4/10 from 1,029 votes
- NewestGodmother (2026)Released 2026
Like Minds (2006)
A forensic psychologist must determine if a minor should be charged with murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Black Book (2023)
After his son is wrongly accused of kidnapping, a deacon who has just lost his wife takes matters into his own hands and fights a crooked police gang to clear him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCult Killer (2024)
A private investigator is forced into a dangerous alliance with a killer in order to uncover a quiet town’s grisly criminal underbelly and clear the name of her mentor, who is implicated in the crimes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe International (2009)
An interpol agent and an attorney are determined to bring one of the world's most powerful banks to justice. Uncovering money laundering, arms trading, and conspiracy to destabilize world governments, their investigation takes them from Berlin, Milan, New York and Istanbul. Finding themselves in a chase across the globe, their relentless tenacity puts their own lives at risk.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShimmer Lake (2017)
Shot in reverse day-by-day through a week—a local sheriff embarks on a quest to unlock the mystery of three small-town criminals and a bank heist gone wrong.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRighteous Kill (2008)
Two veteran New York City detectives work to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the wrong person behind bars?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Locksmith (2023)
A thief fresh out of prison, tries to work his way back into the life of his daughter and ex-fiancé. Determined, he is forced to use the skills he has as a gifted locksmith. Things take a tumultuous turn after an unexpected disappearance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisCrooked House (2017)
A private investigator helps a former flame solve the murder of her wealthy grandfather, who lived in a sprawling estate surrounded by his idiosyncratic family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Ritual Killer (2023)
Unable to process the death of his daughter, Detective Boyd embarks on a hunt for a serial killer who murders according to a brutal tribal ritual: Muti. The only person who can help Boyd is Professor Mackles, an anthropologist who hides an unspeakable secret. The line between sanity and madness thins as Boyd goes deeper into the killer’s world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisSuburbicon (2017)
In the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisStowaway (2022)
A tenacious party girl fights to survive after three thieves commandeer her luxury yacht. Unable to escape and trapped on the yacht at high seas, the prey becomes the hunter as she turns the tables on the intruders and takes matters into her own hands.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAll 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 mystery & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBody Cam (2020)
As a police officer investigates the gruesome murder of her colleague, she discovers that a mysterious supernatural force is behind it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like this180 (2026)
When an unexpected road rage incident puts his son in critical condition, an enraged father spirals down a dark path of emotional turmoil and vengeance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisA Good Woman Is Hard to Find (2019)
The recently widowed mother of two, Sarah, is desperate to know who murdered her husband in front of her young son, rendering him mute. Coerced into helping a low-life drug dealer stash narcotics stolen from the local Mr. Big, she's forced into taking drastic action to protect her children, evolving from downtrodden submissive to take-charge vigilante.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Quiller Memorandum (1966)
After two British Secret Intelligence Service agents are murdered at the hands of a cryptic neo-Nazi group known as Phoenix, the suave agent Quiller is sent to Berlin to investigate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisM (1951)
In the city, someone is murdering children. The police search is so intense, it is disturbing the 'normal' criminals, and the local hoods decide to help find the murderer as quickly as possible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWalking Tall: Lone Justice (2007)
In Dallas, witnesses against a drug-lord are murdered in a safe-house.The testimony of FBI agents becomes the only chance to keep him in prison. They are lodged in another safe-house, but the place is invaded and the agents are executed. However, Kate is only wounded, and her boyfriend Nick believes there is a traitor in the agency and takes her to his ranch to protect her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe 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
SnoozefestMovies like thisSee No Evil (1971)
In the English countryside, Sarah Rexton, recently blinded in a horse riding accident, moves in with her uncle's family and gallantly adjusts to her new condition, unaware that a killer stalks them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJealousy (2023)
Four good friends: Andre, Gio, Robbie, and Q-tip are rising stars in the drug business world. Animosity & death unfold amongst the crew which leads to Andre & Gio solve the mystery of their friend's sudden death.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & mystery
Daybreak (2015)
A young scholar witnesses the murder of a drug pusher and has to decide to either inform the police or help the brother of the murdered man, who is out for vengeance.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Godmother (2026)
A meticulously planned desert couples' vacation spirals into chaos when family tensions and a pair of mysterious hosts with devilish intentions transform a romantic getaway into a nightmare.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
The Silent Scream (TBA)
High schooler Felix has his eyes – and heart – set on the beautiful Sabrina, but his only comfort from his abusive home life and the bullies at school is his best friend Linda. When one incident goes too far, Felix plots revenge... deadly revenge.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Zugzwang (TBA)
Private detective Lady takes on a risky case in hopes of redemption, only to find herself pulled into an ever‑expanding world of corruption.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
I Love Juliet (2023)
When Kyle, a pimp in love with Juliet, and Trevor, her wanna-be mob-affiliated boyfriend, find themselves in dire straits, they devise a plan to kidnap Romeo, a wealthy movie producer who is infatuated with Juliet.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Murder, She Wrote: South by Southwest (1997)
Jessica Fletcher searches for a woman who witnessed the murder of a man trying to expose a serious flaw in a top-secret government satellite code.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Tomato Red (2017)
When small town drifter Sammy Barlach drives into Venus Holler in search for his next cold beer and the bunch that'll have him, he gets a lot more than he bargained for, namely food, lodging and the possibility of a better future, thanks to crimson-haired Jamalee and her brother Jason, who dream of hitting the big time. Breaks aren't easy to come by, though, if you live in Venus Holler. Powerless against the forces of corruption and prejudice, the hardest things Sammy has to battle are the demons inside his own head.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Wild Canaries (2014)
When their elderly neighbor suddenly drops dead, a young Brooklyn couple investigates signs of foul play.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
She Cried Murder (1973)
Fashion model Sarah Cornell, from the front car of a subway, witnesses a man pushing a woman onto the tracks to her death. Hoping to dispel the presumption that the woman committed suicide, Sarah contacts the police. But when they arrive to take her statement, she recognizes one of the detectives as the killer. Can she get anyone to believe her before she becomes his next victim?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Like The Only Witness and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Only Witness?
The closest matches to The Only Witness are Like Minds (2006), The Black Book (2023) and Cult Killer (2024). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Only Witness?
Start with Like Minds (2006), the closest match to The Only Witness.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Only Witness?
Crooked House (2017), rated 6.4/10 by 1,029 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Only Witness?
Godmother (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Only Witness?
Yes: Like Minds (2006), The Black Book (2023) and Cult Killer (2024).
How are movies similar to The Only Witness chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Only Witness, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.