Movies like The Recon (2021)
The best movies like The Recon (2021) are Strange but True (2019), Black Widow (1987) and The Desperate Hour (2022). If The Recon hooked you with its thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedJoint Security Area (2000)7.8/10 from 905 votes
- NewestIslands (2025)Released 2025
- In KoreanHaunters (2010)Also in Korean
Strange but True (2019)
A woman surprises the family of her deceased boyfriend by telling them she's pregnant with his child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlack Widow (1987)
Federal agent Alexandra Barnes believes that Catherine Petersen is a serial killer who marries rich men and then murders them for their money. But since Catherine is seemingly a master of disguise and has multiple identities, Alexandra can't prove anything with conventional detective work. With no other option, she goes undercover, pursuing the same man as Catherine, and hoping that Catherine will slip up and reveal her true identity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Desperate Hour (2022)
A woman desperately races to save her child after police place her hometown on lockdown due to an active shooter incident.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHaunters (2010)
Cho-in has special powers that allow him to control everyone he can see, that is until he meets Kyu-nam, the only person he can't control. A series of events begins a confrontation that pushes both men to the brink.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Presidio (1988)
Jay Austin is now a civilian police detective. Colonel Caldwell was his commanding officer years before when he left the military police over a disagreement over the handling of a drunk driver. Now a series of murders that cross jurisdictions force them to work together again. That Austin is now dating Caldwell's daughter is not helping their relationship.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisChildren... (2011)
On March 26, 1991, five boys set off to the mountain to go frog hunting and never come back to their family. While a documentary producer, detective and professor try to solve the mystery of the incident, one of the boys' parents is a suspect.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDecibel (2022)
A former Naval officer with a dark past must face off against an insurgent with a sound sensitive bomb.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGhost Mansion (2021)
A horror webtoon writer journeys to a shabby apartment building in search of ideas. The building's caretaker tells him about multiple strange events that happened throughout the building's history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNight Watch (1973)
A woman recovering from a nervous breakdown tries to convince her husband and and the local London police that she has witnessed a murder in the abandoned house next door.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNight Train to Lisbon (2013)
Raimund Gregorius, having saved a beautiful Portuguese woman from leaping to her death, stumbles upon a mesmerizing book by a Portuguese author, which compels him to suddenly abandon the boring life he has led for years and to embark on an enthralling adventure. In search of the author, Gregorius acts as detective, pulling together pieces of a puzzle that involves political and emotional intrigue and the highest possible stakes. His voyage is one that transcends time and space, delving into the realms of history, medicine and love, all in search of true meaning to his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Shed (2019)
The story of Stan, an orphaned teenager stuck living with his abusive grandfather and tasked with routinely protecting his best friend from high school bullies. When Stan discovers a murderous creature has taken refuge inside the tool shed in his backyard, he tries to secretly battle the demon alone until his bullied friend discovers the creature and has a far more sinister plan in mind.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Caveman's Valentine (2001)
Romulus, a misunderstood musician turned recluse hiding from personal demons in a New York City cave, finds the frozen body of a young drifter in a tree. The authorities, including his police officer daughter, claim the death is accidental. Romulus is convinced the man was murdered by a prominent art photographer but how can he prove he's right when everyone thinks he's insane?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisKept Woman (2015)
Jessica and her fiancé Evan have just moved from the city into their dream home on a quiet suburban street. Soon after, Jessica catches her seemingly friendly new neighbor, Simon, in a strange lie and can't let her suspicions rest. The danger escalates when Simon lures her inside his home and imprisons Jessica in his secret bunker, meticulously decorated in the idealized style of the 1950s.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIslands (2025)
In this twisty thriller, a tennis coach at a tropical resort finds himself at the center of a missing persons mystery. Tom teaches tennis during the day and parties at night. When an enigmatic tourist arrives, Tom is unable to shake the feeling he has met her before. Tension and attraction grow, until her husband disappears, and the police suspect Tom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSurviving the Game (1994)
A homeless man is hired as a survival guide for a group of wealthy businessmen on a hunting trip in the mountains, unaware that they are killers who hunt humans for sport, and that he is their new prey.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like this16 Blocks (2006)
An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police custody to a courthouse, but they find themselves running the gauntlet as other forces try to prevent them from getting there.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 355 (2022)
A group of top female agents from American, British, Chinese, Colombian, and German government agencies are drawn together to try and stop an organization from acquiring a deadly weapon to send the world into chaos.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974)
Down-on-their-luck racers Larry and Deke steal from a supermarket manager to buy a car that will help them advance their racing chances. Their escape does not go as planned when Larry's one-night stand, Mary, tags along for the ride.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Gift (2015)
Simon and Robyn are a young married couple whose life is going as planned until a chance run-in with Simon's high school acquaintance sends their world into a tailspin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Invitation (2016)
Will and his new girlfriend Kira are invited to a dinner with old friends at the house of Will’s ex Eden and her new partner David. Although the evening appears to be relaxed, Will soon gets a creeping suspicion that their charming host David is up to something.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Discloser (2017)
Captain Gang has died in a test flight accident. Dae-ik discovers a huge corruption scandal while trying to determine the cause of death. He reports it to journalist Jung-sook, but things changed in unexpected ways.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Die Another Day (2002)
James Bond is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul, who is funding the development of an international space weapon.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like this12.12: The Day (2023)
After the assassination of President Park, martial law has been declared. A coup d'état bursts out by Defense Security Commander Chun Doo-gwang and a private band of officers following him. Capital Defense Commander Lee Tae-shin, an obstinate soldier who believes the military should not take political actions, fights against Chun Doo-gwang to stop him. The conflict between the two grows while military leaders are holding their decision and Defense Minister is gone. In the midst of chaos, the spring of Seoul that everyone longed for heads to unexpected direction.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShiri (1999)
North Korea's 8th Special Forces hijack a shipment of CTX, a potent new liquid explosive, and threatens South Korea as part of a plot to re-unify the two countries. Ryu and Lee, special agents of O.P., South Korea's secret intelligence service, attempt to track down the terrorists and find the CTX. Meanwhile Hee, the 8th's ultra-bad female sniper, resurfaces to wreak havoc and haunt Ryu.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJoint Security Area (2000)
Two North Korean soldiers are killed in the border area between North and South Korea, prompting an investigation by a neutral body. The lead investigator receives differing accounts from the two sides.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTake Point (2018)
On the day of the U.S. presidential election in 2024, a team of elite mercenaries embark on a secret CIA mission to abduct North Korea's politician in an underground bunker below the Korean Demilitarized Zone. However, they get caught in the crossfire which causes tensions to escalate to the brink of World War III.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEscape (2024)
After completing his required decade of military service and being honored as a hero, a North Korean sergeant makes a sudden shocking attempt to defect to the South, risking life and limb for the chance to finally determine his own destiny.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe DMZ (2018)
The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a most dangerous zone in the world, which was established on July 27, 1953 when the Armistice Agreement was signed during the Korean War. And now in the DMZ... the struggle for survival of the female police who started to step on the landmine while chasing the jailbreaker. She only has Bluetooth, a revolver, and courage!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
2035: The Greenlight (2023)
In 2025, South and North Korea unified. It was triggered by a sudden explosion in Midnight near the North of DMZ by a forest fire in December, 2024. The South Korean army unwittingly ended up helping to put out the fire. Such cooperation caused their unification. And 10 years later, A koreanAmerican Documentary Director Steven, working for USA tv-station NXN visits to korea. He is searching for information about the mysterical Green-light appeared in that forest fire in 2024. After some dangerous twists and turns, He found a huge secret of the DMZ fire and green light.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Musudan (2016)
Missing and death cases take place in succession along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. South Korea forms a unit led by Captain Jo Jin-Ho and First Lieutenant Shin Yoo-Hwa as assistant leader. They are given only 24 hours to find out the truth behind the incidents. Team members find evidence, but they feel like something isn't right.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Recon?
The closest matches to The Recon are Strange but True (2019), Black Widow (1987) and The Desperate Hour (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Recon?
Start with Strange but True (2019), the closest match to The Recon.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Recon?
Joint Security Area (2000), rated 7.8/10 by 905 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Recon?
Islands (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Korean movies like The Recon?
Yes: Haunters (2010), Children... (2011) and Decibel (2022).
How are movies similar to The Recon chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Recon, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.