Best movies like The Bad Son
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The women in a Seattle serial killer's life often had an unpleasant way of turning up dead - from his girlfriend to his mother-in-law to his second wife. The police and FBI knew who the killer was, but were never prepared to face a bizarre twist in the case-that his own mother was an employee of the Seattle Police Department with access to confidential documents--and was a woman who didn't hesitate to interfere with justice.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 307
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, psychological, exciting, suspense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Best tv shows and movies like The Bad Son (2007):
Similar in 75%
In the Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas (1991)
Plot Summary:
From the "In the Line of Duty" made-for-television movie series, Manhunt in the Dakotas (also known as 'The Twilight Murders') is based on the true story of cop-killer/white supremacist Gordon Kahl.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 269
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Action
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: exciting, rough, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 78%
Unthinkable (2007)
Plot Summary:
Overdomineering female police detective Jamie McDowell still tries to run her 19-year old only son Peter's life although he is a builder who lives alone. She strongly opposes his engagement to Kelly Shaw, who he doesn't know very long, and forces him to bring her to diner, where Jamie and mother Susan Shaw repeat that mistake. After Kelly provoked her ex-fiancé Ray Rankin in a bar 'to test Peter's love' again, they part in anger. That evening the mothers, who went out together, find Kelly burnt to death in Susan's house; an expert clearly concludes arson. To her horror, Jamie quickly finds the evidence seems to point at one logical suspect: her son Peter.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 256
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, tense
Similar in 88%
Backyard (2009)
Plot Summary:
An astonishing fictional account of the unending series of murders of young women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, which began in 1996. Most of the victims are low-paid laborers who have been drawn to the town by the possibility of work at American-owned factories. In the film Mexican police officer Blanca Bravo is sent to Cuidad Juarez to investigate and comes to learn realities of these women's lives, as well as the truth about a police force and local power structure embodied by entrepreneur Mickey Santos that has ceased to care.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Mexico
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: serious, rough, psychological, bleak, suspenseful, disturbing, crime drama, twisted, scary, tense
Similar in 77%
Like Mother Like Son: The Strange Story of Sante and Kenny Kimes (2001)
Plot Summary:
The real-life case based on the horrific crimes of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the mother and son duo who specialized in theft, fraud and murder.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 276
Genere: Drama, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, suspense, suspenseful, captivating, touching
Similar in 78%
Donato and Daughter (1993)
Plot Summary:
Though emotionally estranged, a father and daughter team of Los Angeles police detectives must work together to stop a serial killer. Along the way, the two find themselves forced to deal with a number of painful secrets from their past.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 850
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, suspenseful, exciting, realistic
Similar in 79%
Slow Burn (2000)
Plot Summary:
The murder of the ex-wife of Doctor Sam Charney (Rutger Hauer) leads Detective Della Wilder (Pam Grier) to uncover a series of women's murders somehow linked to a big pharmaceutical company.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 542
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, suspense, detective
Similar in 89%
Reflections (2008)
Plot Summary:
Europol Agent Tom Brindle is called to Barcelona, Spain, to track down the notorious serial killer known as Pygmalion. A set of fingerprints lead to a young, volatile soldier, Marco Soler. Agent Brindle arrests Marco and intensely interrogates him, convinced that he has his man. Marco has an airtight alibi though and further investigation of the suspect leads Agent Brindle to a shocking discovery.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 626
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Spain
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: scary, psychological, serious, rough, mind bending, realistic, suspenseful, detective
Similar in 79%
Duress (2009)
Plot Summary:
Haunted with nightmares of his wife's recent suicide and struggling to mend the relationship with his only daughter, Richard is caught as a witness to the violence of Abner Solvie. He finds himself at the mercy of a charismatic killer and plagued by his involvement in the city's recent murders. As Abner's new found protégé, Richard is forced to adopt the mind of his sociopathic mentor in order to protect the one he loves. Richard must decide if he's willing to kill in order to keep his daughter alive.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, captivating, psychological, suspense, rough, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 80%
Assassins Tale (2013)
Plot Summary:
Three assassins deal with life, love, addiction and trust as each tries to find the answers to a better life. Together, they prove to be the most trustworthy in this tangled web of murder, greed, friendship and betrayal.
IMDB Rating: 4.0
IMDB Votes: 932
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, suspenseful, tense, captivating, suspense, rough, realistic
Similar in 90%
Relentless 3 (1993)
Plot Summary:
Sam Dietz, the relentless police detective, returns to Los Angeles from a self-imposed exile to help the police solve another series of brutal killings committed by another crafty serial killer whom targets Dietz's latest love interest.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 481
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: slasher, independent film, scary, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, suspense
Similar in 81%
The Devil's Teardrop (2010)
Plot Summary:
When a man known only as "The Digger" opens fire in a train station many are left dead. The only clue the FBI has is a hand written letter with demands on it. Agent Margurete needs help analyzing it and the best is retired specialist Kincaid.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 686
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, captivating, psychological, exciting, rough, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 85%
Surveillance (2006)
Plot Summary:
The story of an security guard whose spotless record at crime prevention marks the horrifying reality of deception, blackmail and murder.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 476
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, serious, captivating, exciting, rough, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 76%
Dead in a Heartbeat (2002)
Plot Summary:
An unlikely duo, Lieutenant Tom Royko of the Seattle Bomb Squad and renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Gillian Hayes, find themselves in a race against time to track down a disturbed bomber who is inexplicably causing Dr. Hayes' patients to explode.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 452
Genere: Drama, Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, serious, suspenseful, exciting, realistic
Similar in 81%
Breaking In (2018)
Plot Summary:
Shaun Russell takes her son and daughter on a weekend getaway to her late father's secluded, high-tech vacation home in the countryside. The family soon gets an unwelcome surprise when four men break into the house to find hidden money. After managing to escape, Shaun must now figure out a way to turn the tables on the desperate thieves and save her captive children.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Action, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: suspense, tense, serious, suspenseful, realistic, intense, bleak, feel good, action adventure
Similar in 79%
Swallow, Cat, Rose, Death (2006)
Plot Summary:
What's in a name but murder? Münster comes across the strangled body of a young woman in her home and surprises the murderer who is still on the premises. Though the murderer escapes, a rare book is found at the scene with a dedication by the killer. When another victim is uncovered, Van Veeteren's literary expertise is put to the test as it becomes clear they are dealing with a serial murderer who kills using names taken from 19th century crime novels. Which name will he use for his next victim?.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 428
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Sweden
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, psychological, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 75%
Killer by Nature (2010)
Plot Summary:
The troubled teenager Owen Whitmore has a sleep disorder and occasionally sleepwalks. Owen is having therapy sessions with Dr. Katherine Ramos. Having just joined the medical school, he has to move to another town, but he is divided between the college and his sweetheart, Maggie. His parents Leona and Walter Whitmore are very worried about him. When Owen has violent dreams, Dr. Ramos decides to consult with Dr. Jonas Julian, a specialist in dream analysis and sleep disorders. Meanwhile, people are protesting in front of the Townsend State Prison where the infamous serial killer Dr. Eugene "Mean Gene" Branch will be executed. Dr. Eugene is the son of another serial-killer and had performed sadistic medical experiments on his victims. Out of the blue, Marcia Freeman who went missing, is found dead in precisely the way that Owen saw in his dreams - the murder set up as if carried out by Dr. Branch.
IMDB Rating: 3.6
IMDB Votes: 327
Genere: Adventure, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, serious, suspenseful, captivating, realistic, independent film, slasher
Similar in 75%
1st to Die (2003)
Plot Summary:
A homicide inspector -- Lindsay Boxer -- who teams with three other professional women to catch an ingenious serial killer targeting newlyweds on their wedding nights.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 714
Genere: Action, Thriller, Drama, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, dark, detective
Similar in 77%
Perfect Witness (1989)
Plot Summary:
A witness to a mob killing has second thoughts about testifying when he realizes his family might become a target.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 479
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, rough, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing
Similar in 81%
Mummy Maniac (2007)
Plot Summary:
Based on true events, tells how a serial murderer, kidnaps and tortures then bandaging girls like mummies.
IMDB Rating: 1.3
IMDB Votes: 317
Genere: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: scary, psychological, rough, slasher, psychotronic, suspenseful, exciting, tense, funny, suspense
Similar in 88%
Absolute Deception (2013)
Plot Summary:
A widowed reporter recruits the help of a federal agent to investigate her late husband's secrets, but the two become the target of unknown attackers. When FBI Agent John Nelson’s key informant, Miles, is abducted and shot, all that’s left is a severed finger. In order to find a new lead, Nelson travels to New York City to inform widowed magazine reporter Rebecca Scott that her long dead husband, Miles, had only recently been murdered to see if she had heard from him in recent years. Perplexed, Scott joins Agent Nelson in the wealthy enclave of Australia’s Gold Coast to find out what really happened. The two soon discover Miles may have been part of an elaborate “Ponzi scheme” to bilk investors, and a vengeful billionaire, out of millions of dollars. As more layers of Miles’ secret life are exposed, can the two stay ahead of the mysterious attackers who will stop at nothing to halt their investigation?.
IMDB Rating: 4.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Australia, Canada
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: psychological, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, tense, exciting, mind bending
Similar in 86%
Monster (2014)
Plot Summary:
Bok-Soon (Kim Go-eun-I) runs a street stall while taking care of her younger sister. Bok-Soon may not be the brightest girl but what she lacks in intelligence, she makes up for in uncontrollable rage. She’s infamously known as the “psycho bitch” in her neighborhood. Bok-Soon’s relatively peaceful life with her sister is disrupted when they cross paths with a serial killer named Tae-Soo (Lee Min-ki). Tae-Soo kills Bok-Soon’s sister because she may have stumbled upon the truth of his murderous lifestyle. Bok-Soon’s rage consumes her completely, leading her to plot her revenge on Tae Soo.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, suspenseful, exciting, psychological, realistic, psychotronic
Similar in 89%
D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear (2003)
Plot Summary:
Based on the known events that shook the United States for 23 days in 2002. Within 24 hours six people were killed by a sniper in Maryland County. A man and his son get overlooked in all settings where shootings occur. The police, in cooperation with the FBI follows the wrong track of a white van, while the murderers act with impunity and panic seizes the population.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: exciting, serious, captivating, suspenseful, realistic
Similar in 90%
Fatal Honeymoon (2012)
Plot Summary:
Based on a true story, Fatal Honeymoon tells the shocking story and controversy surrounding a newlywed who tragically dies on her dream honeymoon and the subsequent investigation as to whether or not her husband was guilty of killing her.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 915
Genere: Action, Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Australia, USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, captivating, suspense, crime thriller, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, sexual
Similar in 85%
The Grim Sleeper (2014)
Plot Summary:
Journalist Christine Pelisek helps law enforcement investigate the alleged serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 583
Genere: Biography, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, tense, captivating, scary, rough, mind bending
Similar in 80%
West 32nd (2007)
Plot Summary:
When John Kim, an ambitious young lawyer, takes on a pro bono case to exonerate a fourteen-year-old boy from a first degree murder charge, he finds a world he never knew existed in the underbelly of Manhattan - the Korean underworld.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 534
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: South Korea, USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: tense, atmospheric, captivating, psychological, suspense, crime drama, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 75%
Starkweather (2004)
Plot Summary:
In 1958 Nebraska 19 year old garbageman Charles Starkweather goes on a murder spree with his 14 year old girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate killing 11 people in three months, introducing America to spree killing.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 861
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, suspense, detective, road movie
Similar in 76%
Freeway Killer (2010)
Plot Summary:
For years he terrorized California motorists as he rode the endless highways searching for his next victim. The discarded bodies turned up beaten, sexually assaulted and horribly mutilated. Deceptively charming and intelligent, the scheming murderer easily avoided police at first. But as police closed in and the killer’s pattern grew more erratic, the only question was how many more will die?.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, suspenseful, scary, mind bending, realistic
Similar in 81%
Boston Strangler: The Untold Story (2008)
Plot Summary:
Boston Strangler: The Untold Story is an intense true-crime thriller about Albert De Salvo, a wise cracking, small time criminal with an unrelenting sex drive, who ultimately falsely confesses to being the strangler that wreaked havoc in Boston during the early sixties. Guided by his manipulative cell mate, who knows more about the murders than he reveals, they devise a plan to gain all of the notoriety from the killings and the money from the reward. Meanwhile, Detective John Marsden, searches out the truth certain that they were not committed by one man. Fighting the bureaucracy of the day, Marsden lets his emotions get the best of him as he follows the trail of the murders.
IMDB Rating: 3.9
IMDB Votes: 759
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: scary, psychological, serious, rough, realistic, suspense, spooky, suspenseful
Similar in 77%
Beautiful & Twisted (2015)
Plot Summary:
Following the murder of hotel heir Ben Novack Jr., police focus their investigation on his wife, Narcy.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, tense, captivating, suspense, suspenseful
Similar in 83%
Gone but Not Forgotten (2005)
Plot Summary:
An Oregon woman vanishes. In her wake remains a single black rose & a note reading gone but not forgotten. Now a man stands accused: a private eye has gone missing: a detective knows more than she lets on: & a tough female attorney has entered a web of duplicity revenge & multiple murder.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 705
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: tense, realistic, psychological, serious, suspenseful