Best movies like Polytechnique
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A dramatization of the Montreal Massacre of 1989 where several female engineering students were murdered by an unstable misogynist.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History
Country: Canada
Duration: 77 min
Plot tags: disturbing, black and white, atmospheric, serious, realistic, depressing, art house, philosophical, suspense, social
Best tv shows and movies like Polytechnique (2009):
Similar in 87%
The Manson Family (1997)
Plot Summary:
Jim Van Bebber's "The Manson Family" is an extremely violent and bloody horror film that reconstructs the early activities of the Family and their descent into the Tate-LaBianca killings.Van Bebber mixes this with a contemporary sub plot involving tabloid journalist Jack Wilson's quest to film a documentary on the subject.The film is loaded with plenty of sex and full-frontal nudity.The final third of "The Manson Family" is a grueling nightmare with some of the most sadistic and savage murders ever captured on screen.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: disturbing, psychological, bloody, controversial, art house, terrifying, independent film, atmospheric, rough, bleak
Similar in 83%
Home Room (2002)
Plot Summary:
A high school shooting has repercussions on the town and students.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: touching, serious, emotional, gothic, intense, cerebral, independent film, realistic, contemplative, psychological
Similar in 77%
Heart of America (2002)
Plot Summary:
Starring Jurgen Prochnow ('The Replacement Killers' 'Air Force One' and Patrick Muldoon 'Stigmata' 'Starship Troopers'), 'Heart of America' is a powerhouse of a contemporary drama and essential viewing for anyone who was captivated by Michael Moore's 'Bowling For Columbine'. It is the last day of high school and the unthinkable is about to happen. Distraught at the constant abuse and bullying they have been subjected to, two students have made a suicide pact. But before they take their own lives, they are determined to cause chaos and murder amongst their fellow students.
IMDB Rating: 4.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada, Germany
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: disturbing, rough, serious, realistic, tense, bleak, suspenseful
Similar in 85%
Beautiful Boy (2010)
Plot Summary:
A married couple on the verge of separation are leveled by the news their 18-year-old son committed a mass shooting at his college, then took his own life.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: bleak, emotional, realistic, psychological, psychological thriller, depressing, social, educational, sad, multicultural
Similar in 85%
April Showers (2009)
Plot Summary:
A look inside a tragedy through the eyes of a survivor. Based on actual events, April Showers is about picking up the pieces in the direct aftermath of school violence.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, captivating, realistic, gloomy, independent film
Similar in 76%
Vengeance is Mine (1979)
Plot Summary:
A thief, a murderer, and a charming lady-killer, Iwao Enokizu (Ken Ogata) is on the run from the police. Director Shohei Imamura turns this fact-based story—about the seventy-eight-day killing spree of a remorseless man from a devoutly Catholic family—into a cold, perverse, and at times diabolically funny examination of the primitive coexisting with the modern. More than just a true-crime tale, Vengeance Is Mine bares humanity’s snarling id.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: disturbing, tense, realistic, serious, suspenseful, neo noir, psychological thriller, philosophical, slasher, controversial
Similar in 89%
Born Killers (2005)
Plot Summary:
iggy Banks tells the story of two charming and brilliant brothers who finance their lifestyle by robbing and murdering pretty much anyone foolish enough to get in the car with them. They learn the business from their sociopath father (Tom Sizemore) who doesn't bother to hide his crimes, or the brutal philosophy which drives it. He tells his sons people are just piggy banks. You need money? Just break one open. Michael is sloppy and reckless he goes about his work with a demented glee, John perhaps even more horrifyingly, understands the misery he inflicts he simply doesn't care. It's just a job. Lock all your doors.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 844
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: psychological, disturbing, rough, suspenseful, serious, realistic, psychological thriller, psycho film
Similar in 76%
The Deathmaker (1995)
Plot Summary:
Fritz Haarmann, who has killed at least 27 boys, is questioned by a psychology professor in order to find out whether he is sane and can be held responsible for his crimes. During this interrogation Haarmann reveals his motives and his killing methods.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Germany
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: psychological, disturbing, serious, bleak, realistic, suspenseful, rough
Similar in 86%
Rivals (2000)
Plot Summary:
A teenage girl becomes entangled in a volatile relationship with a pair of high-school lovers.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 594
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, psychological, suspense, dark, teen, mind bending, realistic
Similar in 75%
The Dirties (2013)
Plot Summary:
The line between reality and fiction starts to blur when two best friends start making a movie about getting revenge on bullies.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: disturbing, sincere, realistic, controversial, serious, mockumentary, independent film, dark comedy, psychological, suspense
Similar in 80%
Zero Day (2002)
Plot Summary:
Two troubled adolescents chronicle the events that ultimately lead up to a terrifying assault on their school.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: disturbing, psychological, mockumentary, rough, suspenseful, controversial, intense, teen, scary, sad
Similar in 81%
The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976)
Plot Summary:
Fact-based story of the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh Jr., son and namesake of the famed pilot, and ensuing trial of accused and convicted killer, Bruno Hauptmann.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 501
Genere: Crime, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 148 min
Plot tags: rough, thought provoking, bleak, serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing
Similar in 81%
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1980 (2009)
Plot Summary:
After 6 years of brutal murders the West Yorkshire Police fear that they may have already interviewed The Ripper and let him back into the world to continue his reign of terror upon the citizens of Yorkshire, but things become more difficult for the Police when they discover they not only have The Ripper to catch, but a copycat killer is also at large. Assistant Chief Constable of the Manchester Police, Peter Hunter, is called in to oversee the West Yorkshire Police's Ripper investigation, with the help of John Nolan and Helen Marshall, both detectives from the Manchester Police, they decide to go back and look at the crime reports from the Rippers victims to see what they could have missed.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: tense, suspenseful, enigmatic, detective, atmospheric, cerebral, stylized, gloomy, mind bending, crime drama
Similar in 78%
Chapter 27 (2007)
Plot Summary:
The movie takes place in the three days leading up to Lennon's murder and is intended to be an exploration of Chapman's psyche, without putting substantial emphasis on the murder. The title "Chapter 27" suggests a continuation of J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, which has 26 chapters, and which Chapman was carrying when he shot Lennon. Chapman was obsessed with the book, to the point.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, psychological, suspenseful, disturbing, psychological thriller, emotional, creepy, cult classic, historical drama
Similar in 84%
Funny Games (1997)
Plot Summary:
Two psychotic young men take a mother, father, and son hostage in their vacation cabin and force them to play sadistic "games" with one another for their own amusement.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 82000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Austria
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: disturbing, bleak, suspense, psychological, scary, psychological thriller, tense, atmospheric, suspenseful, bloody
Similar in 75%
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1974 (2009)
Plot Summary:
It's Yorkshire in 1974, and fear, mistrust and institutionalised police corruption are running riot. Rookie journalist Eddie Dunford is determined to search for the truth in an increasingly complex maze of lies and deceit surrounding the police investigation into a series of child abductions. When young Clare Kemplay goes missing, Eddie and his colleague, Barry, persuade their editor to let them investigate links with two similar abductions in the last decade. But after a mutilated body is found on a construction site owned by a local property magnate, Eddie and Barry are drawn into a deadly world of secrecy, intimidation, shocking revelations and police brutality.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, neo noir, bleak, suspenseful, detective, suspense, serious, stylized, philosophical, mind bending
Similar in 88%
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1983 (2009)
Plot Summary:
Nine years on, another Morley child has gone missing on her way home from school. Detective Chief Superintendent Maurice Jobson is forced to remember the very similar disappearance of Clare Kemplay, who was found dead in 1974, and the subsequent imprisonment of local boy Michael Myshkin. Washed-up local solicitor John Piggott becomes convinced of Myshkin's innocence and begins to fight on his behalf, unwittingly providing a catalyst for Jobson to start to right some wrongs.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: bleak, detective, enigmatic, brutal, atmospheric, suspenseful, stylized, gloomy, mind bending, cerebral
Similar in 77%
Let Him Have It (1991)
Plot Summary:
In 1950s England, slow-witted Derek Bentley falls in with a group of petty criminals led by Chris Craig, a teenager with a fondness for American gangster films. Chris and Derek's friendship leads to their involvement in the true case which would forever shake England's belief in capital punishment.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History
Country: UK, France
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: depressing, tense, thought provoking, bleak, serious, emotional, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy, independent film
Similar in 86%
A Short Film About Killing (1988)
Plot Summary:
Jacek climbs into the taxi driven by Waldemar, tells him to drive to a remote location, then brutally strangles him, seemingly without motive.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: Poland
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: disturbing, bleak, contemplative, social, psychological, psychological thriller, philosophical, offbeat, neo noir, sad
Similar in 82%
Next Time I'll Aim for the Heart (2014)
Plot Summary:
Between 1978 and 1979, the inhabitants of the Oise are in fear of a maniac who kills several hitchhikers and escape the police. He was then dubbed "the killer of the Oise" is actually a shy young policeman who will investigate his own murder, only to lose control of the situation.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, tense, realistic, bloody, suspense, neo western, weird
Similar in 78%
Bundy: An American Icon (2009)
Plot Summary:
Bundy, starring Corin Nemec in the title role and co-starring Kane Hodder, details the dark psyche and previously unexplored motivations of the man who became known as one of the most notorious serial killers to leave behind a legacy of evil.
IMDB Rating: 3.7
IMDB Votes: 922
Genere: Crime, Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, slasher, suspenseful, disturbing, scary, realistic
Similar in 86%
Capote (2005)
Plot Summary:
A biopic of the writer, Truman Capote and his assignment for The New Yorker to write the non-fiction book, 'In Cold Blood'.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 139000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: intellectual, captivating, dark, dramatic, talky, psychological, historical drama, atmospheric, inspirational, retro
Similar in 76%
Detention: The Siege at Johnson High (1997)
Plot Summary:
A former high school student, Jason Copeland, returns to his school to take his revenge on the teachers for failing him out of school.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 629
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: tense, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 88%
In Cold Blood (1967)
Plot Summary:
A 1967 film based on Truman Capote's book of the same name. After a botched robbery results in the brutal murder of a rural family, two drifters elude police, in the end coming to terms with their own mortality and the repercussions of their vile atrocity.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: black and white, disturbing, suspense, neo noir, bleak, tense, controversial, road movie, detective, inspirational
Similar in 88%
Incendies (2010)
Plot Summary:
A mother's last wishes send twins Jeanne and Simon on a journey to Middle East in search of their tangled roots. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad's acclaimed play, Incendies tells the powerful and moving tale of two young adults' voyage to the core of deep-rooted hatred, never-ending wars and enduring love.
IMDB Rating: 8.3
IMDB Votes: 192000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, War
Country: Canada, France
Duration: 131 min
Plot tags: disturbing, psychological, heartbreaking, bleak, emotional, thought provoking, visually appealing, suspense, sad, rough
Similar in 75%
Elephant (2003)
Plot Summary:
Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent. The film chronicles the events surrounding a school shooting.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 96000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min
Plot tags: disturbing, bleak, psychological, realistic, controversial, non-linear, independent film, teen, meditative, enigmatic
Similar in 87%
Raising Jeffrey Dahmer (2006)
Plot Summary:
Based on the true story of the mass murderer Jeffrey Dahmer, the events within the family behind, and leading up to, his capture.
IMDB Rating: 3.9
IMDB Votes: 465
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, serious, tense, realistic, disturbing, suspense, non-linear, queer cinema
Similar in 77%
If.... (1968)
Plot Summary:
The film is a caustic portrait of a traditional English boys’ boarding school, where social hierarchy reigns supreme and power remains in the hands of distanced and ineffectual teachers and callously vicious prefects in the Upper Sixth. But three Lower Sixth students, leader Mick Travis, Wallace and Johnny decide on a shocking course of action to redress the balance of privilege once and for all.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: surreal, disturbing, controversial, dark comedy, stylized, cult classic, political, philosophical, existential, mind bending
Similar in 75%
The Laramie Project (2002)
Plot Summary:
"The Laramie Project" is set in and around Laramie, Wyoming, in the aftermath of the murder of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard. To create the stage version of "The Laramie Project," the eight-member New York-based Tectonic Theatre Project traveled to Laramie, Wyoming, recording hours of interviews with the town's citizens over a two-year period. The film adaptation dramatizes the troupe's visit, using the actual words from the transcripts to create a portrait of a town forced to confront itself.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: sincere, thought provoking, bleak, captivating, disturbing, clever, controversial, talky, lgbt cinema, sexual
Similar in 83%
American History X (1998)
Plot Summary:
Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for killing two thugs who tried to break into/steal his truck. Through his brother, Danny Vineyard's narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.
IMDB Rating: 8.5
IMDB Votes: 12000000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: emotional, dramatic, serious, rough, cerebral, psychological, tense, disturbing, black and white, political