Movies like Insomnia (2020)
The best movies like Insomnia (2020) are Before I Wake (2016), Barbarian (2022) and The Entity (1982). If Insomnia hooked you with its thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Insomnia
Quick picks
- Highest ratedInsomnia (1997)7.0/10 from 345 votes
- NewestGodhead (2026)Released 2026
Before I Wake (2016)
An orphaned child's dreams—and nightmares—manifest physically as he sleeps.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarbarian (2022)
In town for a job interview, a young woman arrives at her Airbnb late at night only to find that it has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to stay the night anyway.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Entity (1982)
A single mom is raped by an invisible force. Her psychiatrist believes the experience stems from childhood trauma, while she knows something supernatural is at play.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Evil (1978)
Shortly after moving into a dark, brooding mansion, a psychologist and his co-workers are terrorized by a horrible evil being.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisHider in the House (1989)
A deranged man hides in the attic of a new house and becomes obsessed with the unsuspecting family that moves in.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWerewolf: The Beast Among Us (2012)
Set in a 19th century village, a young man studying under a local doctor joins a team of hunters on the trail of a wolf-like creature.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisBlackwater Lane (2024)
An American school teacher in England drives past an abandoned car late one night, unaware that the driver was the victim of a murder. As she comes to terms with the realization, seemingly supernatural events start to affect the gothic manor she lives in with her husband.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHypnotic (2021)
A young woman seeking self-improvement enlists the help of a renowned hypnotist but, after a handful of intense sessions, discovers unexpected and deadly consequences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIntruders (2015)
Anna suffers from agoraphobia so crippling that when a trio of criminals break into her house, she cannot bring herself to flee. But what the intruders don't realize is that agoraphobia is not her only psychosis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Experiment (2010)
20 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhisper (2007)
Sinister things begin happening to kidnappers who are holding a young boy for ransom in a remote cabin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
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
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Swerve (2018)
The dark secrets of Holly's seemingly perfect life are exposed when an unwanted intruder spins her life out of control forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNeglected (2026)
Detective Shaw is about to retire when he finds out on his last day of work that a serial killer has buried his son alive. He then races against the clock to solve three murders and find his son’s location before he runs out of air.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMr. Frost (1990)
Frost is arrested and committed for murder after he is apprehended burying his victims in the garden. However, even while under psychiatric care and tight hospital security, it becomes obvious that Mr. Frost is not all he seems to be.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDark Harvest (2023)
In a small Midwestern town, a deadly annual ritual unfolds when the mythical nightmare, Sawtooth Jack, rises from the cornfields and challenges the town’s teenage boys in a bloody battle of survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNot Without Hope (2025)
A group of friends' fishing boat capsizes off the coast of Mexico and they're left alone stranded at sea and struggling for survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both 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 thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEnemy (2014)
A mild-mannered college professor discovers a look-alike actor and delves into the other man's private affairs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies 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
SnoozefestMovies like thisCerebella (2009)
A young woman gets a hotel room and contends with sleep deprivation. The second in Adam Wingard's "Forgot My Meds" trilogy of short films.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
REM:RESTRICTED (2025)
18-year-old boy,Yash agrees to participate in a sleep deprivation study for money. The goal: stay awake for 10 days. But as the days pass, reality begins to blur.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
2:30 (2025)
In a dark and cramped attic, Luna, a moth with dreams of becoming a dentist, sets up her first professional practice from home. As she works, she discovers an intoxicating euphoria in the glow of her dental light, forming an obsession that fuels her craft and enhances her skills. As the days blur together, her fixation deepens and her artistry decays along with her sanity.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Insomnia (1997)
Detectives Jonas and Erik are called to the midnight sun country of northern Norway to investigate a recent homicide, but their plan to arrest the killer goes awry, and Jonas mistakenly shoots Erik. The suspect escapes, and a frightened Jonas pins Erik's death on the fugitive. Jonas continues to pursue the killer as he seeks to protect himself; however, his mounting guilt and the omnipresent sun plague him with an insomnia that affects his sanity.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChasing Sleep (2001)
A college professor wakes up to find his wife has not returned home, then struggles to understand her disappearance.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Insomniac (2013)
John Figg has a great career and a gorgeous fiancée. When he inherits a nice house in a quiet neighborhood, he finally starts to feel like his life is coming together. Trouble arises, however, when John's house is burglarized, and the thieves steal one of his most prized possessions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Lake Mungo (2009)
After 16-year-old Alice Palmer drowns at a local dam, her family experiences a series of strange, inexplicable events centered in and around their home. Unsettled, the Palmers seek the help of a psychic and parapsychologist, who discovers that Alice led a secret, double life. At Lake Mungo, Alice's secret past emerges.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSleepless (2001)
An elderly and retired police detective and a young amateur sleuth team up to find a serial killer whom has resumed a killing spree in Turin, Italy after a 17-year hiatus.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGodhead (2026)
Eccentric twins proclaim themselves prophets to a priest, blurring reality and delusion as they involve him in their supposed divine mission.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Our Shadow Stores Regret (2025)
All she did was push a chair in, unaware of the nightmare it would cause.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Like Insomnia and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Insomnia?
The closest matches to Insomnia are Before I Wake (2016), Barbarian (2022) and The Entity (1982). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Insomnia?
Start with Before I Wake (2016), the closest match to Insomnia.
What is the highest-rated movie like Insomnia?
Insomnia (1997), rated 7.0/10 by 345 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Insomnia?
Godhead (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Insomnia?
Yes: Before I Wake (2016), Barbarian (2022) and The Entity (1982).
How are movies similar to Insomnia chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Insomnia, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.