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Movies like Desterro (2021)

The best movies like Desterro (2021) are The Caveman's Valentine (2001), Agatha and the Midnight Murders (2020) and Brand Upon the Brain! (2007). If Desterro hooked you with its drama and mystery, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The 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 drama & mystery

  2. Agatha and the Midnight Murders (2020)

    As bombs fall on London, writer Agatha Christie decides it is time to kill off her most famous creation.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Brand 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 drama & mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Twin Peaks (1989)

    An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks. (This standalone version of the series pilot was produced for the European VHS market and has an alternate, closed ending.)

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & drama

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  5. Site Unseen: An Emma Fielding Mystery (2017)

    Brilliant, dedicated, and driven, archaeologist Emma Fielding is trying to unearth evidence of a 17th century coastal Maine settlement that predates Jamestown, one of the most significant archaeological finds in years. But the dead body that accompanies it has embroiled Emma and her students in a different kind of exploration.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. A Bone to Pick: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (2015)

    A librarian with a sharp mind for murder, Aurora Teagarden is known around her small town as a master sleuth. When her friend Jane unexpectedly dies and leaves Aurora everything in her will, she also leaves a troubling murder mystery haunting her neighborhood. It is up to Aurora to piece together the clues—including a skull, its missing skeleton and a suspicious group of neighbors—and solve the murder before she becomes the unlikely killer’s next victim.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. The Shrouds (2025)

    Inconsolable since the death of his wife, prominent businessman Karsh Relikh invents a revolutionary and controversial technology that enables the living to monitor their dear departed in their shrouds. One night, multiple graves, including that of Karsh’s wife, are desecrated, and he sets out to track down the perpetrators.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & mystery

  8. Garage Sale Mystery: A Case Of Murder (2017)

    Jenn buys an old reel-to-reel recorder at a garage sale only to find that it includes the sound of a man pleading for his life. When the former owner of the recorder, a retired therapist, is found murdered in a patient’s apartment, Jenn’s investigation leads to other patients whose love lives are more entangled than she was first led to believe.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. Reap What You Sew: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (2018)

    Internet sensation and old family friend of Aurora Teagarden, Poppy Wilson, has returned to Lawrenceton to start her new embroidery business. But not everyone is happy with Poppy's success when she turns up dead. To find the killer, Roe must follow the unsettling truths that lead her—into the path of the killer.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. A Bundle of Trouble: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (2017)

    Aurora Teagarden and her boyfriend Martin are thrilled when they get an unexpected visit from his niece and her new baby. Their excitement is short lived when his niece disappears and the baby is left behind. Once again, Aurora finds herself drawn into a deadly investigation as she risks it all to help Martin reunite with his family.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. The Julius House: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery (2016)

    Aurora Teagarden is a beautiful young librarian with a passion for solving murders. After an exhaustive search for the perfect home, Aurora finally purchases her dream house, unaware of its murky history. As she prepares to move in, Aurora discovers that the family who once lived there mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. First Reformed (2018)

    A pastor of a small church in upstate New York starts to spiral out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. The Shack (2017)

    A grieving man receives a mysterious, personal invitation to meet with God at a place called 'The Shack'.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Til Death Do Us Part (2021)

    Just days before Aurora’s wedding, a body is discovered, and she fears her father may be a suspect. She and Nick race to solve the cold case before they walk down the aisle.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. A Question of Faith (2017)

    When Tragedy Strikes three Families, their Destiny forces them on a coverging path and mercy as the challenges of their fate could also resurrect their beliefs

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)

    Nancy Drew, a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set out to solve the mystery, make new friends, and establish their place in the community

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Garage Sale Mystery: The Beach Murder (2017)

    Annie Winters is a long-time customer of Rags-to-Riches and her husband Garret is a wealthy internet entrepreneur. When Garret’s dead body is found washed up on the beach, it looks like an apparent surfing accident. But Annie doesn’t believe the death was accidental and pleads with Jenn to take a closer look.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Garage Sale Mystery (2013)

    Jennifer Shannon can always find a diamond in the rough, when it comes to garage sales, that is. Whether it's a new antique to sell at her consignment shop, an Atari game for her son or a piece of furniture for her handy husband Jason to refurbish, she has made a career out of her treasure hunting prowess. When a string of burglaries hits her town, Jennifer's keen eye for detail and her natural problem solving instincts even help her see the connection between these burglaries and local garage sales! Jennifer works with Detective Adam Iverson to investigate her theory that the perpetrators of the burglaries are fellow garage sale regulars. The case escalates to dangerous levels when Jennifer discovers the dead body of her friend. Even though the deceased's husband, Ben Douglas, finds nothing missing in their house, and the police label the death as accidental, Jennifer suspects that the death may be related to the burglaries.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Come Sunday (2018)

    Evangelist Carlton Pearson is ostracized by his church for preaching that there is no Hell.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  20. Garage Sale Mysteries: The Mask Murder (2018)

    When Jennifer buys a storage locker at auction, she discovers a dead body inside - along with a mask matching the deceased woman.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  21. The Reckoning (2004)

    In 14th Century England, this tale of murder and mystery follows a fugitive priest who falls in with a troupe of actors. As they arrive in a small town, the actors encounter a woman being sentenced to death for practicing witchcraft and murder. Discarding the expected bible stories, the actors now stage a performance based on the crime. Through the performance of the play, they discover a mystery.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  22. Mariel Waits (2017)

    Mariel and her husband, happily married and expecting a baby, are moving from the apartment they currently rent to a larger apartment they have just booked for purchase. She is an architect, and her boss left him in charge of designing how the illumination of a collection of works of art should be. Everything goes very well for Mariel, but at the last ultrasound something is not right. The gestation of his embryo was interrupted. She lives from now on with the death she carries inside.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  23. David (1997)

    A distinguished military leader whose reign was touched by great scandal, shocking betrayals and rousing victories. A simple shepherd boy chosen to be king, under the watchful eyes of prophet Samuel.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  24. De Mi Sangre (2023)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  25. The Prince of Egypt (1998)

    The strong bond between two Royal Egyptian brothers is challenged when their chosen responsibilities set them at odds, with extraordinary consequences.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  26. Sanda (1990)

    Sanda spends all her time working in a plastic factory, raising her two small children and catering to an indifferent husband, leaving little room for herself. A chance encounter with another man may offer her an escape from her daily chores.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  27. Joseph: Beloved Son, Rejected Slave, Exalted Ruler (2015)

    Joseph's story is told in the context of God's plan for Israel and the promised coming of the Messiah, powerfully demonstrating God's sovereign hand in all things.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  28. Ballads of the Exodus (2020)

    The life of Moses as told through the Book of Exodus, the imagination of a dying boy, and the ballads of his father.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  29. Die Passion (2024)

    Jesus comes to the city with his friends. He inspires people with his ideas and not only stands up for minorities, but also rejects the existing elites. As a result, he is a thorn in the side of the religious and political leaders. The Passion is a story that could not be more topical. It is about murder and betrayal, but also about love and about Jesus, who has changed our world forever. On March 27, 2024, this exciting live event will return! The whole thing will take place in Kassel this year. The story of the last days of Jesus of Nazareth is brought up to date with pop songs.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  30. The Last Man on Earth (1964)

    When a disease turns all of humanity into the living dead, the last man on earth becomes a reluctant vampire hunter.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like Desterro and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Desterro?

The closest matches to Desterro are The Caveman's Valentine (2001), Agatha and the Midnight Murders (2020) and Brand Upon the Brain! (2007). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Desterro?

Start with The Caveman's Valentine (2001), the closest match to Desterro.

What is the highest-rated movie like Desterro?

Twin Peaks (1989), rated 8.5/10 by 684 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Desterro?

The Shrouds (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

How are movies similar to Desterro chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Desterro, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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