Best movies like A Private Affair
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Divorced private detective Francois Maneri is assigned by his agency to investigate the disappearance of Rachel, a young student who has been missing for six months. After interviewing Rachel's family, friends and classmates, Francois is attacked and injured by an anonymous assailant and becomes reluctant to continue his search. But when Rachel's body is found, Francois is drawn deeper into the investigation as he discovers the dead girl's secret life.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 957
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, suspenseful, neo noir, suspense, detective, deep, realistic, cynical
Best tv shows and movies like A Private Affair (2002):
Similar in 89%
The Key (2007)
Plot Summary:
Depuis peu Eric Vincent, trentenaire sans histoire, a un fort sentiment de malaise. Est-ce la peur d'avoir un enfant ou celle de voir brutalement resurgir le fantôme d'un père qu'il n'a jamais connu ? Un matin, un inconnu l'appelle pour lui proposer de récupérer les cendres de son père. D'abord réticent, il finit par accepter et se retrouve plongé au coeur d'une machination infernale.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 661
Genere: Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, suspenseful, neo noir, suspense, tense, realistic, extraordinary
Similar in 75%
Varg Veum - Woman in the Fridge (2008)
Plot Summary:
An international oil drilling company hires private investigator Varg Veum to find their missing systems designer, Arne Samuelsen. Varg discovers the headless body of a woman jammed into the fridge in Arne's apartment - and is promptly knocked unconscious. When he wakes up the body is gone and the Police has arrived.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Norway
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, psychological, suspense, detective, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 77%
Cortex (2008)
Plot Summary:
Trapped in an old folks home where people keep going missing, an ex-cop must overcome his Alzheimers to find out who is killing people in this jigsaw thriller.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 861
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, suspenseful, tense, realistic, mind bending
Similar in 86%
Road to Nowhere (2010)
Plot Summary:
A passionate filmmaker creating a film based upon a true crime casts an unknown mysterious young woman bearing a disturbing resemblance to the femme fatale in the story. Unsuspectingly, he finds himself drawn into a complex web of haunting intrigue: he becomes obsessed with the woman, the crime, her possibly notorious past, and the disturbing complexity between art and truth. From the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina to Verona, Rome, and London, new truths are revealed and clues to other crimes and passions, darker and even more complex, are uncovered.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: tense, suspenseful, atmospheric, serious, neo noir, suspense, surreal, meta, mind bending, realistic
Similar in 84%
Rogue's Gallery (1968)
Plot Summary:
A private eye gets in trouble when he tries to help a woman in distress.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 73
Genere: Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: independent film, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, neo noir, detective
Similar in 77%
Cries in the Dark (2006)
Plot Summary:
Detective Carrie Macklin and her little sister Elle had always been the closest of friends. But when Elle goes missing after a run-in with a relocated sex offender, it is up to Carrie to find her little sister...who is nine months pregnant. Carrie begins to suspect Elle's husband, Scott, may be involved. Family tensions run high as it's a race against time to find Elle and her baby.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 513
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: realistic, suspenseful, tense, serious, detective
Similar in 89%
First Degree (1995)
Plot Summary:
When prominent businessman Andrew Pyne is found shot in a New York alley, one of the NYPD's best, Rick Mallory, suspects a Galeno Mob hit. When he and his partner, Amos Turzo try to question Pyne's widow, Hadley, they are quickly ushered out by her mother-in-law Margeaux. Later when Rick comes back to search Pyne's apartment, he finds material linking the dead man with Endtook, the Galeno's company. The police raid Joe Galeno's house and find the gun that killed Pyne. Joe Galeno is arrested and Rick returns to the Pyne apartment to tell Hadley. She is very distraught, and as Rick comforts her, they become engaged in an ardent affair. Joe Galeno's cousin, Alonzo, is convinced Joe is innocent. He hires Rico Perrini, Rick's former partner, now a private detective, to work on the case. Rico tracks down Pyne's rumored killer, a low-life thug named Tony Fabian, who confesses that Hadley paid him to kill her husband. Rick is now under suspicion and transferred out of homicide. Rick knows.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 335
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: independent film, tense, rough, mind bending, serious, realistic, suspenseful, detective
Similar in 77%
Traceless (2010)
Plot Summary:
Étienne Meunier (Benoît Magimel) is a young executive who has everything going for him. His career is skyrocketing and he is about to become #1 at work, he is married to a picture-perfect wife, has a dream home and money. To top it off, he's charming, healthy and everyone likes him and seems to consider him "a great guy". But beneath the surface, not everything is perfect. Meunier feels some pressure at work, knowing others eye his future position and he and his wife have been unable to have children so far. One day, Meunier bumps into a childhood friend, Patrick Chambon (François-Xavier Demaison) and the two resume their friendship, despite Chambon having struggled as a petty criminal.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Belgium
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: neo noir, tense, psychological, realistic, suspenseful, captivating, bleak, serious
Similar in 87%
Ten 'til Noon (2006)
Plot Summary:
Between 11:50 and 12:00 noon, a crime is commited. In the same ten minute period, we follow the lives of the ten people, all connected to this crime. As we see each person's point of view, we are propelled closer and closer to the truth of what exactly happened...and why.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, realistic, suspenseful, serious, talky, suspense, cynical, non-linear, gloomy
Similar in 81%
Cha cha cha (2013)
Plot Summary:
An accident involving a 16-years old prompts private eye Corso to an investigation that will unearth a deep web of corruption in today's Rome.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 330
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, captivating, suspenseful, realistic
Similar in 77%
The Reckoning (2014)
Plot Summary:
When a detective is called in to investigate the roadside execution of his partner, he discovers at the crime scene a data card from a video camera. The card contains footage shot by two runaway teenagers who are making a documentary about the drug related death of a sibling. The detective retraces the teen's journey and soon begins to uncover a trail of the dead that leads all the way back to police headquarters.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Australia
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: serious, tense, realistic, suspenseful, suspense, bleak
Similar in 78%
Hanging Offense (2003)
Plot Summary:
No overview found.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 616
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, detective, mind bending
Similar in 79%
Murder in My House (2006)
Plot Summary:
Before Lauren and her dad, Stran, even settle into their beautiful new house, she learns that it was once the site of a grisly homicide! When her pops, a former prosecutor, becomes obsessed with cracking the case, he's murdered. And it's up to Lauren to pick up the trail of clues to bring the killer to justice — or end up dead like dear old Dad.
IMDB Rating: 4.6
IMDB Votes: 421
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: suspense, psychological, serious, suspenseful, mind bending, realistic
Similar in 84%
Posers (2002)
Plot Summary:
Four Hardcore party posers are suddenly facing an unknown killer when one of them disappears.
IMDB Rating: 4.0
IMDB Votes: 333
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, suspenseful, suspense, scary, bleak, realistic, detective
Similar in 80%
Fatal Acquittal (2014)
Plot Summary:
A woman accused of murdering her husband is found innocent, only to be terrorized by the real killer once she is set free.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 276
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, captivating, tense, suspense, rough, mind bending, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 87%
Quo Vadis, Baby? (2005)
Plot Summary:
A private detective investigates her sister's suicide 16 years earlier.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Italy
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, serious, realistic, suspenseful, neo noir, detective
Similar in 76%
I Know What I Saw (2007)
Plot Summary:
Mourning the loss of her father, who committed suicide, Mackenzie starts having hallucinations of killing people. They seem so real that she's convinced she's been committing these crimes; however, she can find no evidence to support this. Is she losing her marbles, or is there something sinister at work around her?.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 216
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, psychological, suspense, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 85%
He Died with His Eyes Open (1985)
Plot Summary:
On Ne Meurt Que Deux Fois, a French murder mystery based upon a novel of the same name, is an unusual, involving film with excellent performances by its entire cast. Police Inspector Staniland (Michel Serrault) is investigating the death of a pianist. While conducting his investigation and looking through the victim's apartment, he meets Barbara (Charlotte Rampling), the mistress of the murder victim. Barbara confesses to the crime, but Staniland, based on his observations and experience, does not believe her. He then sets out to find the truth, with surprising results. Both Serrault and Rampling are outstanding in this well-directed, well-paced film. On Ne Meurt Que Deux Fois was also released as He Died With His Eyes Open and won the Jury Prize at the 1985 Montreal World Film Festival.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 730
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: neo noir, mind bending, serious, suspenseful, bleak, realistic, detective, gloomy, sexual, sexy
Similar in 89%
Dark Desire (2012)
Plot Summary:
A young man desperate to be connected to the people close to him resorts to devious measures to achieve that desire.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 455
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, suspenseful, suspense, captivating, disturbing, sexy, realistic
Similar in 88%
Pendulum (2001)
Plot Summary:
The nature and lure of power: in Dallas, a councilman is on trial for corruption, the D.A. is running for the US Senate, a serial killer is slashing prostitutes, and a professor is murdered. Amanda Reeve is assigned to investigate the law-school killing. She hears rumors that the dead man offered women students good grades in exchange for sex. The trail leads her to two wealthy, beautiful students whose alibi is provided by a librarian. At the same time, the cops close in on the slasher. Meanwhile, Amanda misses her former lover, next in line to become D.A., and a reporter is fired for getting close to the truth about the Senate candidate. Is a cover-up or conspiracy in the works?.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 378
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, realistic, exciting, tense, disturbing, independent film
Similar in 86%
The Client (2011)
Plot Summary:
Elite attorney Kang Seong-Hee goes up against a top prosecutor over a case involving a man accused of killing his wife.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: tense, suspenseful, serious, realistic, suspense, detective, twisted
Similar in 86%
Varg Veum - Sleeping Beauty (2008)
Plot Summary:
After extricating 17-year-old Lisa Halle from a life of prostitution in Copenhagen, private investigator Varg Veum becomes ensnared in a tangle of parental neglect and bad love when he is hired to locate Lisa's boyfriend, Peter Werner.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Norway, Denmark
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, tense, realistic, neo noir, detective, crime drama
Similar in 81%
The Monkey's Mask (2000)
Plot Summary:
The Monkey's Mask is a 2000 thriller film directed by Samantha Lang. It stars Susie Porter and Kelly McGillis. Porter plays a lesbian private detective who falls in love with a suspect (McGillis) in the disappearance of a young woman. The film is based on the verse novel of the same name by Australian poet Dorothy Porter.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: sexy, realistic, suspenseful, sexual, noir, neo noir, clever, serious, contemplative, talky
Similar in 80%
Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
Plot Summary:
Los Angeles private eye Philip Marlowe is hired by paroled convict Moose Malloy to find his girlfriend Velma, former seedy nightclub dancer.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: neo noir, detective, tense, serious, suspenseful, atmospheric, realistic, surprise ending, noir, cult classic
Similar in 86%
Malice (1993)
Plot Summary:
A tale about a happily married couple who would like to have children. Tracy teaches infants, Andy's a college professor. Things are never the same after she is taken to hospital and operated upon by Jed, a "know all" doctor.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspense, suspenseful, tense, sexy, clever, neo noir, psychological thriller, twisted, erotic
Similar in 77%
Klute (1971)
Plot Summary:
This acclaimed thriller stars Jane Fonda as Bree Daniel, a New York City call girl who becomes enmeshed in an investigation into the disappearance of a business executive. Detective John Klute is hired to follow Daniel, and eventually begins a romance with her, but it appears that he hasn't been the only person on her trail. When it becomes clear that Daniel is being targeted, it's up to her and Klute to figure out who is after her before it's too late.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: neo noir, suspense, atmospheric, detective, psychological, tense, suspenseful, serious, talky, psychosexual thriller
Similar in 80%
Night Moves (1975)
Plot Summary:
Private detective and former football player Harry Moseby gets hired on to what seems a standard missing person case, as a former Hollywood actress whose only major roles came thanks to being married to a studio mogul wants Moseby to find and return her daughter. Harry travels to Florida to find her, but he begins to see a connection between the runaway girl, the world of Hollywood stuntmen, and a suspicious mechanic when an unsolved murder comes to light.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: neo noir, suspense, tense, psychological, detective, grim, meditative, serious, suspenseful, surprise ending
Similar in 82%
The Killing Game (2011)
Plot Summary:
Eve Duncan is contacted, 10 years after the disappearance and murder of her 7-year-old daughter Bonnie, by a man claiming to be her killer. Taunted by his clues about Bonnie's case and his threats to kill again, she throws herself into her career as a forensic sculptor and works to close the case.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 629
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, tense, captivating, suspense, disturbing, serious, realistic
Similar in 79%
Twilight (1998)
Plot Summary:
A retired ex-cop and private detective gets mixed up in murder when he is asked to deliver blackmail money and walks into a 20 year old case involving the mysterious disappearance of an actress' former husband.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: neo noir, suspense, clever, talky, detective, serious, realistic, witty, smart, cynical
Similar in 87%
The Caller (2008)
Plot Summary:
Jimmy Stevens, a senior VP at an international energy firm, blows the whistle on his company's deadly and corrupt practices in Latin America. Knowing he will be assassinated for his betrayal, he places an anonymous call securing the services of private detective Frank Turlotte to trail him from a distance.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, psychological thriller, detective, neo noir