Movies like Mother Tongue
The best movies like Mother Tongue are The Public Eye (1992), Blindfire (2020) and Black Site (2022). If Mother Tongue hooked you with its crime and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Mother Tongue
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Dark Knight (2008)8.5/10 from 37,347 votes
- Newest180 (2026)Released 2026
The Public Eye (1992)
A crime photographer gets involved in a conspiracy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlindfire (2020)
A police officer who while responding to a violent hostage call, kills the African American suspect only to later learn of his innocence. Sensing this was a set-up, and facing repercussions, he must track down the person responsible while examining his own accountability and the ingrained racism which brought him to this point.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlack Site (2022)
A group of officers based in a labyrinthine top-secret prison must fight for their lives against Hatchet, a brilliant and infamous high-value detainee. When he escapes, his mysterious and deadly agenda has far reaching and dire consequences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime
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 & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Parts You Lose (2019)
An unlikely friendship unfolds between a young deaf boy, Wesley, and a fugitive criminal who takes refuge in an abandoned barn on the family’s rural North Dakota farm.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAcross 110th Street (1972)
In a daring robbery, some $300,000 is taken from the Italian mob. Several mafiosi are killed, as are two policemen. Lt. Pope and Capt. Mattelli are two New York City cops trying to break the case. Three small-time criminals are on the run with the money. Will the mafia catch them first, or will the police?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKing Ivory (2025)
Based on extensive research involving law enforcement and gang members, a never-before-seen, authentic look inside the underworld of fentanyl trafficking from gangs inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester a.k.a. "Big Mac."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEach Dawn I Die (1939)
A corrupt D.A. with governatorial ambitions is annoyed by an investigative reporter's criticism of his criminal activities and decides to frame the reporter for manslaughter in order to silence him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAbove the Rim (1994)
Story of a promising high school basketball star and his relationships with two brothers, one a drug dealer and the other a former basketball star fallen on hard times and now employed as a security guard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies 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 crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInside Man (2023)
Based on true events. A disgraced police detective seeking redemption goes undercover to expose a violent crime syndicate. But as he sinks deeper into the mob, the price for absolution may be higher than he can afford.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRun (1991)
When a law student accidentally kills the son of a mob boss in a fight, he finds himself relentlessly pursued by the mob and the police.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarron's Cove (2025)
When his young son is viciously murdered by a classmate, a grieving father with a history of violence kidnaps the child responsible, igniting a frenzied manhunt fueled by a powerful politician -- the father of the kidnapped boy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies 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 & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisFive Minutes of Heaven (2009)
The story of former Ulster Volunteer Force member Alistair Little. Twenty-five years after Little killed Joe Griffin's brother, the media arrange an auspicious meeting between the two.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Devil You Know (2022)
Once-incarcerated Marcus Cowans is trying to turn over a new leaf with the support of his loving family. Upon discovering that one of his brothers may have been involved in a horrific crime, Marcus grapples with the limits of brotherhood and loyalty. He and his family, increasingly weary of the justice system’s failings, end up in the crosshairs of a seasoned but jaded detective.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Enforcer (2022)
A noir thriller set in Miami, the film follows an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss has branched out into cyber sex trafficking, putting a young runaway he’s befriended at risk. He sacrifices everything to save the young girl from the deadly organization he’s spent his life building.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & drama
Worth the HypeMovies 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 & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like this6 Bullets (2012)
An ex-mercenary known for finding missing children is hired by a mixed martial arts fighter whose daughter has been kidnapped.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe System (2022)
When a young soldier, newly returned from war, gets caught up in a drug bust, he is recruited by the authorities to go undercover in a notoriously dangerous prison in order to figure out what is really going on.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWind River: Rising (TBA)
As a wave of murders remains unsolved, the FBI enlists the help of Hanson, who finds himself embroiled in a desperate and dangerous fight between the authorities, a vigilante, and the Reserve he calls home.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & thriller
The Dark Knight (2008)
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller & crime
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisWalking to Paris (TBA)
The 27-year-old sculptor Constantin Brancusi walked from Bucharest to Paris in 1903 and 1904 as a preparation and prelude to becoming the most important sculptor of the twentieth century.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Collaboration (TBA)
A look into the unique and rich friendship between pop art legend Andy Warhol and neo-expressionist icon Jean-Michel Basquiat, exploring their extraordinary creative partnership during the 1980s, and how their work together was propelled by their contrasting beliefs.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Minotaur: Picasso and the Women of Guernica (TBA)
In a tormented relationship with three womenduring the first year of the Spanish Civil War, Pablo Picasso paints a picture commissioned by the Government of the Spanish Republic for the International Exhibition in Paris. His "Guernica" which will become the most influential painting of the 20th century.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Long Home (TBA)
A young contractor is hired to build a honky-tonk in Tennessee by the man who killed his father.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
There There (TBA)
Identical twin brothers, separated for 40 years, live unaware of each other until fate intervenes, forcing them to confront a long-hidden truth. For this project, each of the Polish brothers will write and direct one half of the movie without one knowing anything about the other's work, resulting in two separate storylines that will be interwoven into a single feature-length film. This approach will enable each brother to explore the nature of the twin relationship from their own unique perspective without being influenced or constrained by the other's vision.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Lone Wolf (TBA)
A troubled Marine veteran struggling with addiction is recruited by a contractor for a covert plot to assassinate a politician. After learning she's set up to take the fall, she must outwit the agents to protect her son's future.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
The Way of the Wind (TBA)
A dramatization of several episodes in the life of Christ.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Tower Stories (TBA)
A writer, realising his last big adventure will very likely be death, takes a sabbatical and leaves his home in New York City’s Little Italy to travel with his family to Lucca, Italy in order to trace his ancestral roots and clean up the loose ends in his life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Mother Tongue?
The closest matches to Mother Tongue are The Public Eye (1992), Blindfire (2020) and Black Site (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Mother Tongue?
Start with The Public Eye (1992), the closest match to Mother Tongue.
What is the highest-rated movie like Mother Tongue?
The Dark Knight (2008), rated 8.5/10 by 37,347 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Mother Tongue?
180 (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Mother Tongue?
Yes: The Public Eye (1992), Blindfire (2020) and Black Site (2022).
How are movies similar to Mother Tongue chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Mother Tongue, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.