Best movies like The Cry of the Owl
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Robert is an architect and artist, in Vichy after separating from his Parisian wife. Robert finds it calms him to stand in the shadows of the home of Juliette and Patrick and watch her cook. She thinks he's a prowler and confronts him, then invites him in.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: neo noir, psychological, atmospheric, serious, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy, suspense, french noir
Best tv shows and movies like The Cry of the Owl (1987):
Similar in 81%
A View of Love (2010)
Plot Summary:
Happily married with a daughter, Marc is a successful real estate agent in Aix-en-Provence. One day, he has an appointment with a woman to view a traditional country house. A few hours later, Marc finally puts a name to her face. It's Cathy, the girl he was in love with growing up in Oran, Algeria, in the last days of the French colonial regime. Marc hurries to her hotel. They spend the night together. Then she's gone again. And Marc's mother tells him Cathy never left Algeria. She was killed with her father in a bombing just before independence.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, captivating, psychological, tense, unusual plot structure, romantic, mind bending, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 83%
This Sweet Sickness (1977)
Plot Summary:
French filmmaker Claude Miller's This Sweet Sickness is based on a suspense novel by Patricia Highsmith, of Strangers on a Train fame. In the original, the murder-protagonist was a psychotic, pure and simple (if such words are appropriate here!) In Miller's version, the "hero," David, is a pathetic creature, motivated by humiliation and sexual inadequacy; thus the emphasis is not on his heinous crimes but on his warped personality. The director's noirish decision to stage much of the action in the dark, or the rain, or both, is a function of David's deep depression. As in his other films, Miller uses water as an omen of evil; you've seldom seen a more foreboding swimming pool than the one in This Sweet Sickness. The film was originally released as Dites-lui que je l'aime.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 639
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, atmospheric, noir, serious, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy
Similar in 90%
Darling (2007)
Plot Summary:
Wealthy executive Aditya Soman, married to Ashwini for several years, has an affair with his Secretary, Geeta Menon. When she gets pregnant, he tells her to abort the child as he has changed his mind about the divorce to his current wife. Angered, Geeta attacks him, a scuffle ensues, and in the end she gets killed and her spirit returns to exact vengeance.
IMDB Rating: 4.0
IMDB Votes: 646
Genere: Drama, Horror, Romance, Thriller
Country: India
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, suspenseful, suspense, realistic, sexual, psychotronic, sexy
Similar in 82%
Asunder (1999)
Plot Summary:
Chance Williams (Underwood), a man whose life is torn apart when his wife and unborn child are killed in a bizarre accident. Chance comes to believe Lauren (Morgan), wife to best friend Michael (Beach), is the only woman who can love and help him, and he's willing to do anything to make her his own.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 459
Genere: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: independent film, psychological, tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy
Similar in 89%
Eva (1962)
Plot Summary:
Best-selling author Tyvian Jones has a life of leisure in Venice, Italy, until he has a chance encounter with sultry Frenchwoman Eva Olivier. He falls for her instantly, despite already having wedding plans with Francesca Ferrara. Winning Eva's affection proves elusive; she's more interested in money than in love. But Tyvian remain steadfast in his obsession, going after Eva with a fervor that threatens to destroy his life.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: noir, neo noir, psychological, atmospheric, serious, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, independent film
Similar in 88%
Carmen (2005)
Plot Summary:
U-CARMEN is a feature film based on Georges Bizet's 19th-century opera that was filmed on location in a modern South African township setting. The energy, compassion, and heat of township life in all its elements create a constantly visually interesting and dynamic background for the unfolding of the story, which owes part of its huge popularity to the thrilling combination of a violent gangster tale with a passionate, almost supernatural love story. As it unfolds, it explores issues of fame and wealth, the position of a strong and independently minded woman in a very masculine society and, perhaps most importantly, the incomprehensible attraction between abuser and victim. Bizet's opera, based on Prosper Merimée's novel, premiered in Paris on March 3, 1875. Set in a poor area of Seville, the story of the magnetic woman who seduces, loves, and ultimately destroys her lover and herself.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 737
Genere: Musical, Drama, Romance
Country: South Africa
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, captivating, suspense
Similar in 89%
The Bridesmaid (2004)
Plot Summary:
A hard-working young man meets and falls in love with his sister's bridesmaid. He soon finds out how disturbed she really is.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Thriller, Drama, Romance
Country: France, Germany, Italy
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, serious, captivating, suspenseful, erotic, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 89%
Wedding in Blood (1973)
Plot Summary:
Lucienne Delamare and Pierre Maury are having an affair. Lucienne's husband Paul is the mayor, and a French deputy. Pierre's wife Clotilde has been weak and sickly for years. Lucienne's husband holds no excitement for her, and he is always away in Paris on business. Pierre is now the vice-mayor, thanks to Paul. Lucienne and Pierre have a secret meeting spot by a lake along a country lane. Pierre's wife dies suddenly, by suicide the town gossips believe. Pierre confesses otherwise to Lucienne. Paul proposes a shady land deal which will "benefit the town", and wants Pierre's political support and collusion. Then Paul discovers proof of his wife's affair.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: neo noir, slasher, psychological, clever, serious, realistic, suspenseful, cynical, sexual, sexy
Similar in 77%
Dirty Hands (1975)
Plot Summary:
Saint Tropez. Julie Wormser and her lover, writer and neighbour Jeff Marle, plan the murder of her wealthy husband Louis, an impotent who drinks a lot. She hits him, and leaves the rest of the task to Jeff. Julie finds herself alone the following day, and becomes therefore the prime suspect. Where is Louis' body? Where is Jeff? Is there any secret beyond a door? Nothing is what it seems in this highly acclaimed taut thriller.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: France, Italy, West Germany
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: psychological, atmospheric, realistic, suspenseful, clever, serious, erotic, anthology, grim, twisted
Similar in 84%
Between Your Legs (1999)
Plot Summary:
Miranda, a sex addict, works for a radio station and is married to a cop. She signs up for therapy in order to deal with her sex addiction. Also in the group is Javier, a sex-phone junkie. The two misfits hit it off and a torid affair ensues. But things get a little complicated when Javier finds out that this phone sex trysts have been secretly taped and being distributed all over Madrid, and that his ex-wife is living with his business partner. Elsewhere, while investigating a murder case, Felix discovers Miranda's affair with Javier.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Spain, France
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: erotic, psychological, serious, eros, surprise ending, realistic, suspenseful, sexy, sexual
Similar in 85%
Keep Your Distance (2005)
Plot Summary:
In the perfectly normal town of Louisville, KY, there is a perfectly normal man living the perfect life. David Dailey is a man who has it all: A great career, a community that adores him, and an enduring marriage. But beneath the surface, David's idyllic world is crumbling. He's haunted by a series of mysterious notes that warn of an imminent fall from grace.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, suspenseful, suspense, independent film, realistic
Similar in 89%
Wuthering Heights (1985)
Plot Summary:
Rivette's unique take on Bronte's famous novel "Wuthering Heights".
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 395
Genere: Drama, Romance, Mystery
Country: France
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, serious, realistic, gloomy
Similar in 83%
Death in a French Garden (1985)
Plot Summary:
The wealthy Tombsthays hire a guitar tutor, David Aurphet, for their daughter Vivian. The wife, Julia, begins a passionate affair with David. Edwige, Julia's new neighbour, also takes an interest in David. David is attacked one night on returning home but saved by a mysterious stranger Daniel who reveals himself to be a hired killer. David begins to suspect that his affair is no longer secret.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: neo noir, erotic, sexy, slasher, anthology, surprise ending, psychological, serious, realistic, suspenseful
Similar in 82%
The Pact of Silence (2003)
Plot Summary:
Everyone has a secret. Twins Sarah and Gaëlle near 25; for ten years, Sarah has been a fundamentalist Carmelite in a Brazilian convent, and Gaëlle has been in prison for a heinous crime. Sarah comes to the attention of Fr. Joachim, a priest and physician; he can find no cause for her debilitating abdominal pain. When Sarah and he are transferred to Paris, Joachim looks for Gaëlle, now on probation and finding no respite from society's approbation. An enterprising reporter is digging into Gaëlle's life, the mother superior of Sarah's convent hovers over her, and Joachim investigates the phenomenon of twin's symmetry. Is there any release from the past?.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, realistic, suspenseful, tense, serious, surprise ending
Similar in 90%
Cold Heaven (1991)
Plot Summary:
An adulterous woman's faith in God is tested when her husband dies and miraculously comes back to life.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Mexico
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: erotic, independent film, psychological, tense, mind bending, serious, realistic, suspenseful, stylized, sexual
Similar in 82%
The Intruder (1999)
Plot Summary:
Catherine meets Nick by accident and, after a whirlwind romance, the two get married and Catherine moves into Nick's apartment only that's the start of problems when an unseen intruder begins playing strange mind games with Catherine in an apparent attempt to drive her insane.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 874
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: erotic, scary, psychological, tense, mind bending, gothic, serious, realistic, suspenseful, gloomy
Similar in 81%
Exit in Red (1996)
Plot Summary:
Ed Altman is a psychiatrist who relocates to Palm Springs, Calif., in order to avoid a lawsuit. However, he happens to wander directly into more trouble when he begins an affair with the rich and beautiful Ally Mercer (Annabel Schofield), who has her own reasons for becoming involved with Ed. Soon Ally's other lover, the volatile Nick, is caught in the intrigue, which results in murder, betrayal and numerous shady dealings.
IMDB Rating: 4.2
IMDB Votes: 653
Genere: Thriller, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, tense, realistic, psychological, independent film, stylized, sexual, surprise ending, sexy
Similar in 86%
The Cry of the Owl (2009)
Plot Summary:
A young woman becomes inexplicably attracted to a man who is stalking her. When her boyfriend goes missing, the stalker is the immediate suspect, until a game of jealousy and betrayal turns deadly.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada, Germany, France, UK, USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: psychological, serious, suspense, suspenseful, psychological thriller, noir, neo noir, surreal, realistic, ambiguous ending
Similar in 88%
The Butcher (1970)
Plot Summary:
An unlikely friendship between a dour, working class butcher and a repressed schoolteacher coincides with a grisly series of Ripper-type murders in a provincial French town.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, cynical, psychological, atmospheric, disturbing, neo noir, slasher, surreal, anthology, perverse
Similar in 85%
Love Thy Neighbor (2006)
Plot Summary:
Plagued by flashbacks of a violent home invasion, Laura Benson is on the brink of a nervous breakdown. Looking for a fresh start, she and her husband sell their house and relocate to a seemingly idyllic gated community. But, little do the Bensons know, evil not only dwells in the neighborhood...it lives next door. As strange and terrifying events unfold, Laura doesn't know whether her sinisterly sweet neighbor is to blame, if she's been targeted for revenge...or if she's losing her mind.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 713
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, serious, suspenseful, realistic
Similar in 89%
Lemming (2005)
Plot Summary:
After the death of his boss's wife, a young engineer faces the sudden psychological metamorphosis of his own wife, seemingly possessed by the soul of the deceased.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: France
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, serious, suspenseful, disturbing, psychological thriller, psychedelic, surreal, mind twisting, psychological, realistic
Similar in 82%
Siesta (1987)
Plot Summary:
Claire (an American) wakes up in a terrible state at the end of a runway in Spain. As she tries to account for her state (blood-soaked and bruised), she has flashbacks from the past few days. She thinks she's killed someone, but isn't sure, and now she's wandering the Spanish streets without money or a clear memory.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, psychological, atmospheric, surreal, erotic, neo noir, mindfuck, twisted, independent film
Similar in 89%
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 80%
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 76%
La séparation (1994)
Plot Summary:
In Paris, Pierre and Anne have been living together for a couple of years and they have the eighteen months son Loulou, who stays with the nanny Laurence during the day while they work. Their best friends are the couple Victor and Claire, who also is not married but live together. Out of the blue, Pierre feels Anne estranged with him and sooner she discloses that she is in love with another man. Pierre seems to accept her affair but their relationship rapidly deteriorates, and Pierre becomes violent with her.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: psychological, sincere, serious, realistic, light, sexy, thought provoking, enigmatic, bleak, unusual plot structure
Similar in 76%
Say Nothing (2001)
Plot Summary:
Housewife Grace Needham (Nastassja Kinski) has a one-night stand with Julian Grant (William Baldwin), who then becomes obsessed with sinking her marriage to husband Matt (Hart Bochner). The twist here is that Julian is a millionaire global powerbroker, and Matt works for him! It's a titanic battle of testosterone as the guys duke it out while Grace simmers angrily.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 715
Genere: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: sexy, serious, suspenseful, suspense, erotic, tense, realistic, sexual
Similar in 89%
Attraction (2000)
Plot Summary:
A writer/radio advice show host fails to heed his own advice as he stalks his ex-girlfriend and then becomes involved with an actress friend of hers.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 793
Genere: Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, suspenseful, independent film, sexual, intense, serious, realistic, gloomy, erotic
Similar in 90%
Mademoiselle Chambon (2009)
Plot Summary:
Véronique Chambon (Sandrine Kiberlain), a single schoolteacher and Jean (Vincent Lindon), discover an unexpected bond that causes them to question the direction of their lives. They move in different social circles but their relationship develops and their lives begin gradually to unravel.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, sentimental, captivating, sincere, realistic, sexual, sexy
Similar in 75%
The Unfaithful Wife (1969)
Plot Summary:
Insurance executive Charles suspects his wife Hélène of playing the field, so he has a private detective locate his wife's lover, author Victor Pegala. Confronting Victor, Charles tries to adopt an air of indifference, but the conversation ends with the husband bludgeoning the author to death and then calmly disposing of the evidence. When Hélène is questioned about Victor's murder, she discovers on her own that her husband is guilty. Instead of turning him in, Hélène is so thrilled that Charles cares so deeply about her that she is more in love with him than ever before.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Italy
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: psychological, atmospheric, suspenseful, suspense, cynical, neo noir, psychological thriller, anthology, cute, twisted
Similar in 89%
Deceit (2006)
Plot Summary:
A man returns to his hometown after his father's death and soon enters into an affair with the wife of his old best friend.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 494
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, serious, suspenseful, erotic, realistic