Best movies like Backlight
Last updated March 2024
Looking for movies like Backlight? Leverage your knowledge to help others toward tv shows and movies you've watched before that they might like too. Help broaden the circle of people recommending videos to each other. We value your engagement!
Plot Summary:
Several characters who are each at critical stages of their lives are strangely impelled towards an uncharted lake in the middle of the desert where they all have the opportunity to save each other.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Portugal, USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, contemplative, tense, psychological, captivating, mindfuck, serious
Best tv shows and movies like Backlight (2010):
Similar in 77%
Dharma Guns (La Succession Starkov) (2010)
Plot Summary:
The film opens on a water-skiing accident - a girl (Délie) drives a speedboat and pulls a young man (Stan). They are both challenging their own limits when a crash occurs... Stan wakes up from a coma after this serious accident, to find out that genealogists are looking for an individual whose identity corresponds to his. Instead of asking himself questions about this testamentary filiation, he subscribes for Professor Starkov's legacy, and embarks for the country of Las Estrellas... Purging odyssey where intuition and telepathy accelerates the journey in time. Dharma Guns revisits the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice fighting with the tyranny of Time-God.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 178
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: France, Portugal
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: contemplative, atmospheric, bleak, serious, experimental, surreal, stylized, offbeat
Similar in 82%
Endtime (2014)
Plot Summary:
Eight friends throw a goodbye party to welcome the end of the world.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 22
Genere: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Israel
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, exciting, captivating, contemplative, talky, gloomy
Similar in 86%
Memoria (2021)
Plot Summary:
A Scottish orchid farmer visiting her ill sister in Bogotá, Colombia, befriends a young musician and a French archaeologist in charge of monitoring a century-long construction project to tunnel through the Andes mountain range. Each night, she is bothered by increasingly loud bangs which prevent her from getting any sleep.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Colombia, Thailand, France, Germany, Mexico, Qatar, UK, China, USA, Switzerland
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, psychological, enigmatic, captivating, suspense, disturbing, surreal, avant garde, stylized, art house
Similar in 83%
Iodine (2009)
Plot Summary:
John Clem heads north to investigate the disappearance of his estranged father. Upon arriving at the family cottage, John feels a sense of home, something he hasn't felt since he was a child. Running into Avery (Ray Wise - Twin Peaks, Reaper) his father's colleague, he receives no help on his dad's disappearance, but instead, a new set of eyes in which to view the living world around him.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 112
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Canada
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, atmospheric, captivating, contemplative, independent film, suspenseful
Similar in 76%
Eroded (2011)
Plot Summary:
"It is said that when left unhealed, the past can destroy our lives. When Billy Reid and his sister Sheila lose loved ones in a horrific accident, they must face the aftermath together. For Billy, that aftermath and the secrets that lie within could devastate what's left of his family. As he struggles to find his way forward, he is left with only memories. But memories are sometimes tricky things and have the power to conceal the truth.".
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 17
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: psychological, atmospheric, serious, suspenseful, independent film, tense
Similar in 87%
23 Minutes to Sunrise (2012)
Plot Summary:
They say the darkest hour is just before dawn, and at the Sunrise diner it's very late indeed. Four couples find themselves at an out-of-the-way 24-hour diner, but they are not all that they seem. Intertwined throughout the night are a middle age couple who are at a crisis in their lives, a cook who thinks he is finally finding his way forward, a waitress in a bad relationship and a young punk and his girlfriend who think this is the last stop before the new world of imagined ease. But the strangest of all are the dark stranger and young girl who don't seem to be part of this world. A film about dreams gone bad, missed opportunities, love, fear and death.
IMDB Rating: 4.2
IMDB Votes: 638
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 79 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 89%
4 (2004)
Plot Summary:
Two men and a woman happen to meet in a bar. We learn from their conversations both the intriguing and banal details of their lives. But is anyone really telling the truth?.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Russia, Netherlands
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: disturbing, psychological, captivating, surreal, realistic, art house, heartfelt, experimental, tense, atmospheric
Similar in 84%
Heart of Now (2010)
Plot Summary:
"Heart of Now" concerns a young woman with a profound longing for a sense of family. Amber is devastated after her boyfriend abandons her because she's pregnant. She is whisked across a contrast of urban, natural and emotional landscapes. She confronts the deeper issues at the very heart of her suffering, and finds transcendence in a brief moment at the very heart of now.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 91
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: realistic, contemplative, psychological, sentimental, captivating, independent film, sincere, touching, serious, gloomy
Similar in 88%
I'll Follow You Down (2013)
Plot Summary:
After the disappearance of a young scientist on a business trip, his son and wife struggle to cope, only to make a bizarre discovery years later - one that may bring him home.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, serious, suspenseful, funny, philosophical, suspense, mind bending, psychotronic, independent film
Similar in 82%
Caroline and Jackie (2012)
Plot Summary:
A woman turns her sister's belated birthday celebration into an intervention, but as events unfold, it becomes unclear which sibling needs the most help.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 764
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: realistic, touching, serious, captivating, psychological, independent film
Similar in 82%
Interstate 84 (2000)
Plot Summary:
When a body is found floating in an upstate New York river, hard-drinking cop Joe Weldon is left with few clues. After uncovering the man's identity - an enigmatic simpleton named Hap - Weldon is led to the crooked hustler who took advantage of Hap and the disturbed, young punk who tormented him. A tale of personal demons, shattered lives, and ultimate redemption.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 273
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, tense, touching, suspenseful, contemplative, gloomy, independent film
Similar in 85%
The Wall (2012)
Plot Summary:
A woman inexplicably finds herself cut off from all human contact when an invisible, unyielding wall suddenly surrounds the countryside. Accompanied by her loyal dog Lynx, she becomes immersed in a world untouched by civilization and ruled by the laws of nature.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Austria, Germany
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: psychological, surreal, atmospheric, serious, scenic, philosophical, art house, retro, sexy, mind bending
Similar in 80%
Marjorie Prime (2017)
Plot Summary:
A service which creates holographic projections of late family members allows an elderly woman to spend time with a younger version of her deceased husband.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, atmospheric, captivating, emotional, suspense, disturbing, philosophical, dorama, realistic
Similar in 84%
Distance (2001)
Plot Summary:
On the eighth anniversary of a cult's failed chemical attack on Tokyo and their subsequent mass suicide, family members of those affected gather at the cult's former base on the shores of a lake to observe the anniversary of their loved ones' deaths.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 132 min
Plot tags: psychological, bleak, serious, atmospheric, mind bending, emotional, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 80%
Angel's Fall (2004)
Plot Summary:
Zeynep, Tülin Özen works in a hotel as a housekeeper. But she suffers hell on earth because of her father's behavior. She only talks to Mustafa, 'Engin Dogan' who works in the same hotel and he is interested in Zeynep. She is not interested in Mustafa who is younger than Zeynep, but she is not indifferent to him. While Zeynep is trying to make a bonfire of bad situation, Selçuk, Budak Akalin who lives on the other side of city is a voice technician. He feels guilty after his wife's death. The suitcase which has his wife's dresses changes the Zeynep's destiny.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama
Country: Greece, Turkey
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, atmospheric, touching, tense, bleak, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy
Similar in 76%
The Door (2009)
Plot Summary:
A successful artist loses control of his life after his young daughter's death. A chance for a new start appears, but all is not what it seems.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Germany
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: enigmatic, mind bending, atmospheric, serious, suspenseful, psychological, tense, captivating, disturbing, thought provoking
Similar in 86%
Dreamland (2006)
Plot Summary:
A young woman who lives in a desert trailer park must choose between caring for her hapless father and sick friend or fulfilling her own destiny.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, suspenseful, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 79%
Winter in the Blood (2013)
Plot Summary:
A young, self-destructive Montana Blackfoot Indian, his mind groggy with alcohol and tormented by childhood memories, discovers that his wife has left him, taking with her his prize rifle. He sets out to find her, but what he's really searching for is his own uncertain identity and a glimpse of salvation.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 270
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: serious, contemplative, psychological, atmospheric, captivating, realistic, offbeat, gloomy, independent film, neo western
Similar in 84%
2nd Take (2011)
Plot Summary:
Reclusive writer takes aspiring actress under his wing.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 183
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, atmospheric, captivating, touching, serious, gloomy
Similar in 78%
Another Earth (2011)
Plot Summary:
On the night of the discovery of a duplicate Earth in the Solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 99000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: surreal, artsy, psychological, philosophical, independent film, clever, touching, contemplative, intellectual, mindfuck
Similar in 89%
Ever Since the World Ended (2001)
Plot Summary:
Twelve years ago, a plague swept through, wiping out most of the population; in San Francisco, only 186 people remain. Two of them use jury-rigged batteries to power a camera and make a documentary. We see a variety of approaches to survival, from the artist and engineer who trade for their needs, to the surfers and woodsmen who fish and hunt, to the scavengers, and a communal farm. We also see how the community deals with those who threaten it, and how the youth are growing up with different values from those who knew our world.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 740
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 78 min
Plot tags: apocalyptic, tense, bleak, serious, sincere, atmospheric, suspense, realistic, independent film, thought provoking
Similar in 85%
Midnight Special (2016)
Plot Summary:
A father and son go on the run after the dad learns his child possesses special powers.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 83000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Greece
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, futuristic, road movie, atmospheric, stylized, tricky, serious, suspense, psychological, cerebral
Similar in 78%
Signs (2002)
Plot Summary:
A family living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 381000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: enigmatic, scary, twist ending, suspense, psychological, atmospheric, tense, psychological thriller, suspenseful, creepy
Similar in 77%
Solaris (1972)
Plot Summary:
A psychologist is sent to a space station orbiting a planet called Solaris to investigate the death of a doctor and the mental problems of cosmonauts on the station. He soon discovers that the water on the planet is a type of brain which brings out repressed memories and obsessions.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 97000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Soviet Union
Duration: 167 min
Plot tags: art house, atmospheric, cerebral, mind bending, enigmatic, psychedelic, intellectual, futuristic, surreal, psychological
Similar in 87%
Cloud Atlas (2012)
Plot Summary:
A set of six nested stories spanning time between the 19th century and a distant post-apocalyptic future. Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Based on the award winning novel by David Mitchell. Directed by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 371000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, UK, Spain
Duration: 172 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, psychological, futuristic, mind bending, surreal, spiritual, enigmatic, non-linear, atmospheric, reflective
Similar in 82%
Solaris (2002)
Plot Summary:
A troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 85000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: philosophical, psychological, confusing, futuristic, thought provoking, cerebral, absurd, enigmatic, non-linear, mindfuck
Similar in 88%
Donnie Darko (2001)
Plot Summary:
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 837000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: psychological, surreal, atmospheric, mind bending, philosophical, cult classic, clever, psychological thriller, cerebral, independent film
Similar in 87%
Moon (2009)
Plot Summary:
With only three weeks left in his three year contract, Sam Bell is getting anxious to finally return to Earth. He is the only occupant of a Moon-based manufacturing facility along with his computer and assistant, GERTY. When he has an accident however, he wakens to find that he is not alone.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 372000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspense, philosophical, futuristic, bleak, cerebral, mind bending, minimal cast, mindfuck, intense
Similar in 87%
K-PAX (2001)
Plot Summary:
Prot is a patient at a mental hospital who claims to be from a far away Planet. His psychiatrist tries to help him, only to begin to doubt his own explanations.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 191000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: psychological, touching, cerebral, sentimental, surprise ending, futuristic, philosophical, atmospheric, clever, mind twisting
Similar in 76%
Upstream Color (2013)
Plot Summary:
A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the lifecycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 35000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: surreal, psychological, art house, mindfuck, tense, mind bending, atmospheric, cerebral, experimental, stylized