Best movies like Instinct
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
In a prison for the criminally insane, deranged anthropologist Ethan Powell is set to be examined by a bright young psychiatrist, Theo Caulder. Driven by ambition and a hunger for the truth, Caulder will eventually risk everything -- even put his very life on the line -- in a harrowing attempt to understand the bizarre actions of this madman.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 34000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: psychological, philosophical, suspense, touching, emotional, tense, serious, bleak, realistic, suspenseful
Best tv shows and movies like Instinct (1999):
Similar in 87%
Crazy as Hell (2002)
Plot Summary:
A famous psychiatrist (Ty Adams) takes on the job of trying to cure patients at the Sedah State Hospital, run by it's folksy doctor (Sam Delazo). All this takes a strange turn when a mysterious patient (Satan, he calls himself) enters the Hospital seeking help. Or is it just help that he wants?.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, tense, realistic, suspenseful, slasher, twist ending, psychological thriller, psycho film
Similar in 82%
On the Inside (2011)
Plot Summary:
A decent but troubled young man is sent to a psychiatric institution for the criminally insane and soon finds himself in a fight for his life battling ghosts inside his head and very real enemies all around him.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspenseful, tense, rough, serious, realistic, independent film
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Similar in 83%
Caged (2021)
Plot Summary:
An African American male is imprisoned and placed in solitary confinement after being found guilty of murdering his wife, as he's haunted by internal demons and his dead wife, and pushed to the breaking point by an abusive female guard.
IMDB Rating: 4.0
IMDB Votes: 564
Genere: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 81 min
Plot tags: psychological, scary, tense, bleak, suspense, suspenseful, psychotronic
Similar in 75%
The Trial (1993)
Plot Summary:
Joseph K. awakes one morning, to find two strange men in his room, telling him he has been arrested. Joseph is not told what he is charged with, and despite being "arrested," is allowed to remain free and go to work. But despite the strange nature of his arrest, Joseph soon learns that his trial, however odd, is very real, and tries desperately to spare himself from the court's judgement.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: tense, atmospheric, bleak, suspenseful, serious, surreal, psychological, realistic, psychotronic, independent film
Similar in 75%
Committed (1991)
Plot Summary:
A nurse is taken hostage by a patient pretending to be a doctor and is forced to administer to everyone.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 242
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, bleak, realistic, independent film, offbeat, surprise ending
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Similar in 86%
Red (2008)
Plot Summary:
An older, reclusive man's best friend and inspiration for living is his 14-year-old dog named "Red". When three troublesome teens kill the dog for no good reason, the grieving man sets out for justice and redemption by whatever means available to him.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: emotional, suspense, touching, tense, serious, disturbing, psychological horror, cult classic, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 79%
The Crossing Guard (1995)
Plot Summary:
After his daughter died in a hit and run, Freddy Gale has waited six years for John Booth, the man responsible, to be released from prison. On the day of release, Gale visits Booth and announces that he will kill him in one week. Booth uses his time to try and make peace with himself and his entourage, and even finds romance. Gale, whose life is spiraling down because of his obsession towards Booth, will bring himself on the very edge of sanity. At he end of the week, both men will find themselves on a collision course with each other.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: bleak, suspenseful, emotional, suspense, intense, psychological, serious, existential, sentimental, cult classic
Similar in 75%
Last Dance (1996)
Plot Summary:
Upon taking a new job, young lawyer Rick Hayes is assigned to the clemency case of Cindy Liggett, a woman convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. As Hayes investigates the background for her case, the two begin to form a deep friendship, while all the while the date for her execution draws nearer.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: emotional, talky, intense, tense, serious, suspenseful, suspense, erotic, detective, black and white
Similar in 87%
Mother's Boys (1993)
Plot Summary:
Sexy but unstable wife and mother Jude walked out on her family three years ago. Now, just as suddenly, she is back. But her husband, Robert, has fallen in love with Callie, an assistant principal at his sons' school. He asks Jude for a divorce. She responds by trying to turn her three boys against Callie, then by slashing herself and blaming her rival and finally by drawing her 12-year-old, Kes, into a murderous plot.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: suspense, suspenseful, psychological, tense, realistic, neo noir, dark, independent film, serious
Similar in 88%
Shotgun Stories (2007)
Plot Summary:
Shotgun Stories tracks a feud that erupts between two sets of half brothers following the death of their father. Set against the cotton fields and back roads of Southeast Arkansas, these brothers discover the lengths to which each will go to protect their family.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: bleak, depressing, suspense, harsh, realistic, suspenseful, psychological, serious, southern gothic, independent film
Similar in 76%
The Good Doctor (2011)
Plot Summary:
Dr. Martin Blake, who has spent his life looking for respect, meets an 18-year-old patient named Diane, suffering from a kidney infection, and gets a much-needed boost of self-esteem. However, when her health starts improving, Martin fears losing her, so he begins tampering with her treatment, keeping Diane sick and in the hospital right next to him.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, suspenseful, psychological, realistic, medical horror, psychological thriller, emotional, suspense, dark
Similar in 86%
Land of the Blind (2006)
Plot Summary:
A soldier recounts his relationship with a famous political prisoner attempting to overthrow their country's authoritarian government.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, bleak, disturbing, political, captivating, apocalyptic, inspirational, philosophical, black comedy
Similar in 88%
Edmond (2005)
Plot Summary:
Seemingly mild-mannered businessman Edmond Burke visits a fortuneteller and hears a remark that spurs him to leave his wife abruptly and seek what is missing from his life. Encounters with strangers and unsavory people weaken the barriers encompassing his long-suppressed rage, until Edmond explodes in violence.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: psychological, bleak, disturbing, intense, stylized, rough, cynical, erotic, philosophical, surreal
Similar in 78%
A Dry White Season (1989)
Plot Summary:
Taking place during the 1976 Soweto uprising, the story follows a white school teacher whose life and values are threatened when he asks questions about the death of a young black boy who died in police custody.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: talky, emotional, disturbing, rough, thought provoking, serious, realistic, political, retro, thinking
Similar in 80%
The Experiment (2010)
Plot Summary:
20 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 57000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: psychological, rough, tense, disturbing, reflective, thought provoking, stylized, visually appealing, clever, brutal
Similar in 78%
Murder in the First (1995)
Plot Summary:
Inspired by a true story. A petty criminal sent to Alcatraz in the 1930s is caught attempting to make an escape. As punishment he is put in solitary confinement. The maximum stay is supposed to be 19 days, but Henri spends years alone, cold and in complete darkness, only to emerge a madman and soon to be a murderer. The story follows a rookie lawyer attempting to prove that Alcatraz was to blame.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, France
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: suspense, dramatic, emotional, depressing, sincere, dark, period piece, crime drama, historical drama, suspense thriller
Similar in 80%
Fearless (1993)
Plot Summary:
After a terrible air disaster, survivor Max Klein emerges a changed person. Unable to connect to his former life or to wife Laura, he feels godlike and invulnerable. When psychologist Bill Perlman is unable to help Max, he has Max meet another survivor, Carla Rodrigo, who is racked with grief and guilt since her baby died in the crash which she and Max survived.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: psychological, emotional, enigmatic, uplifting, serious, spiritual, cerebral, philosophical, touching, offbeat
Similar in 84%
Misery (1990)
Plot Summary:
Novelist Paul Sheldon crashes his car on a snowy Colorado road. He is found by Annie Wilkes, the "number one fan" of Paul's heroine Misery Chastaine. Annie is also somewhat unstable, and Paul finds himself crippled, drugged and at her mercy.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 230000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: psychological, disturbing, suspenseful, scary, suspense, psychological thriller, atmospheric, tense, tension, slasher
Similar in 76%
Lock Up (1989)
Plot Summary:
Frank Leone is nearing the end of his prison term for a relatively minor crime. Just before he is paroled, however, Warden Drumgoole takes charge. Drumgoole was assigned to a hell-hole prison after his administration was publicly humiliated by Leone, and has now arrived on the scene to ensure that Leone never sees the light of day.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 46000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: suspense, intense, realistic, rough, serious, suspenseful, exciting, brutal, clever, cult classic
Similar in 76%
Changing Lanes (2002)
Plot Summary:
A rush-hour fender-bender on New York City's crowded FDR Drive, under most circumstances, wouldn't set off a chain reaction that could decimate two people's lives. But on this day, at this time, a minor collision will turn two complete strangers into vicious adversaries. Their means of destroying each other might be different, but their goals, ultimately, will be the same: Each will systematically try to dismantle the other's life in a reckless effort to reclaim something he has lost.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 74000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: psychological, harsh, realistic, psychological thriller, tense, clever, suspense, intense, bleak, serious
Similar in 81%
Disclosure (1994)
Plot Summary:
A computer specialist is sued for sexual harassment by a former lover turned boss who initiated the act forcefully, which threatens both his career and his personal life.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 54000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, sexy, tense, psychosexual thriller, intense, sensual, serious, realistic, stylized, psychological
Similar in 77%
Side Effects (2013)
Plot Summary:
A woman turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband's upcoming release from prison.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 196000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: psychological, surprise ending, suspense, tricky, captivating, clever, serious, tense, psychological thriller, twist ending
Similar in 90%
The Experiment (2001)
Plot Summary:
Das Experiment is a shocking psycho thriller about the potential for brutality that humans hide. Even more shocking is the fact that it’s based on an actual occurrence—a 1971 psychological experiment at Stanford University that was aborted prematurely when the experimenters lost control.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 96000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: Germany
Duration: 120 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspense, thought provoking, tense, disturbing, rough, bleak, suspenseful, psychological thriller, cerebral
Similar in 77%
The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)
Plot Summary:
This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 46000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: disturbing, thought provoking, psychological, tense, serious, realistic, intense, suspenseful, captivating, suspense
Similar in 80%
Fracture (2007)
Plot Summary:
A husband is on trial for the attempted murder of his wife, in what is seemingly an open/shut case for the ambitious district attorney trying to put him away. However, there are surprises for both around every corner, and, as a suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse is played out, each must manipulate and outwit the other.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 215000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: suspense, psychological, intellectual, twist ending, psychological thriller, clever, serious, enigmatic, suspenseful, surprise ending
Similar in 77%
Black Swan (2010)
Plot Summary:
A ballet dancer wins the lead in "Swan Lake" and is perfect for the role of the delicate White Swan - Princess Odette - but slowly loses her mind as she becomes more and more like Odile, the Black Swan.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 808000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspense, cerebral, atmospheric, surreal, sexy, twist ending, psychological thriller, mind bending, visually appealing
Similar in 80%
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Plot Summary:
While serving time for insanity at a state mental hospital, implacable rabble-rouser, Randle Patrick McMurphy inspires his fellow patients to rebel against the authoritarian rule of head nurse, Mildred Ratched.
IMDB Rating: 8.7
IMDB Votes: 11000000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: psychological, thought provoking, dramatic, serious, captivating, surprise ending, tragicomedy, bleak, emotional, inspirational
Similar in 78%
Red Dragon (2002)
Plot Summary:
Former FBI Agent Will Graham, who was once almost killed by the savage Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter, now has no choice but to face him again, as it seems Lecter is the only one who can help Graham track down a new serial killer.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 287000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: suspense, suspenseful, neo noir, psychological, tense, psychological thriller, dark, scary, intense, rough
Similar in 90%
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Plot Summary:
FBI trainee, Clarice Starling ventures into a maximum-security asylum to pick the diseased brain of Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist turned homicidal cannibal. Starling needs clues to help her capture a serial killer. But her Faustian relationship with Lecter soon leads to his escape, and now two deranged killers are on the loose.
IMDB Rating: 8.6
IMDB Votes: 15000000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspenseful, suspense, scary, psychological thriller, tense, dark, neo noir, serious, thrilling
Similar in 85%
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Plot Summary:
Framed in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.
IMDB Rating: 9.3
IMDB Votes: 28000000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 142 min
Plot tags: clever, inspirational, touching, twist ending, sentimental, uplifting, emotional, philosophical, suspense, serious