Best movies like The Guardian
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
The residents of a New York apartment building are shocked when one of them is shot during a burgulary. They decide to hire a security expert to patrol the building, but he seem a little over-committed to his work.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 479
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags:
Best tv shows and movies like The Guardian (1984):
Similar in 81%
Deadly Hope (2012)
Plot Summary:
Joanne Connors is a successful obstetrician whose life is turned upside down when her partner at their fertility clinic, Dr. Jake Hines, is brutally murdered. Trying to rebuild her life, Joanne attends a lavish charity function, where she meets Michael. But by the end of the evening, Michael is dead - murdered. It quickly becomes apparent that the assassin's intended victim was actually Joanne. She must now race to find out who wants her dead before the killer can strike at her again.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 378
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 79%
Self Defense (1983)
Plot Summary:
A bunch of selfrighteous bullies want to set some "new rules" in town while the police in Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada) are on strike. They try to scare all the gays and lesbians in a bar, but by accident the owner of the establishment is killed, and the leader of the bullies then decides to execute all witnesses. One guy, though, escapes and takes refuge in an isolated block of flats. The young tenants in the house refuse to hand over the survivor, and the bullies then decide to get rid of all the residents in the house. This turns out to be not so easy, because the young people in the house barricade their apartments, set up traps and arm themselves in order to fight back, and this inevitably leads to more bloodshed and killings.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: retro, suspense, slasher, independent film, cult film
Similar in 85%
Bottle Up (2015)
Plot Summary:
Three buddies meet a pair of girls on the Internet and soon find themselves the wrong men accused in a vigilante sting-operation.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 15
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: teen sex comedy, dark comedy
Similar in 77%
A Brother's Badge (2023)
Plot Summary:
Detective Michael Glade, with the San Antonio police department, has wandered onto the dark side and has run afoul of the Mexican Mafia. He battles his family and feelings while riding his collision course to its ultimate outcome.
IMDB Rating:
IMDB Votes:
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags:
Similar in 75%
Punk Vacation (1990)
Plot Summary:
A peaceful California town is shaken after the brutal murder of diner owner by a gang of vicious punks. When the daughter of the slain man attempts to avenge her father’s death, she’s held hostage by the gang resulting in an epic battle between punks and rednecks.
IMDB Rating: 3.8
IMDB Votes: 425
Genere: Crime, Action, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: cult film
Similar in 90%
Like Rabid Dogs (1976)
Plot Summary:
Three vicious, robbing, raping, scumbags lead by Rico, Cesare Barro, and his twisted girlfriend Germana, Annarita Grapputo, stick two fingers up at the law as they evade capture at every turn. Determined cop Tony, Jean Pierre Sabagh, tries as he might to find the masked maniacs even resorting to having his girlfriend and fellow police officer Silvia (Paola Senatore) pose undercover as a lady of the night. The trap pays off, almost. She’s stripped naked and almost knifed before the approaching law alert the troublesome trio who make good their escape.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 412
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Italy
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: poliziottesco, weird
Similar in 79%
Blackout (1978)
Plot Summary:
A black comedy of violent criminals who terrorize apartment dwellers during New York's 1977 power blackout.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 470
Genere: Action, Thriller
Country: France, Canada
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: psychotronic, hood, independent film
Similar in 88%
If I Die Before I Wake (1998)
Plot Summary:
A suburban family is held hostage and terrorized by three intruders while their sixteen year-old daughter first hides, then exacts her own brand of terror on the assailants.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 508
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: slasher, independent film
Similar in 90%
Liberty & Bash (1989)
Plot Summary:
Liberty, Bash, and their friend Jesse served together in a war in Central America. Now Liberty and Bash work with youths, helping them stay out of crime and becoming a positive part of the community. But Jesse has gotten mixed up with drug lords, and when he turns up dead, it's up to Liberty & Bash to declare another war, this time on the home front. Written by Sean Kilby.
IMDB Rating: 3.2
IMDB Votes: 139
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Italy, USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 80%
Concrete Romance (2007)
Plot Summary:
A climax of brutality and violence after a young man hits some cars in a rush.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 699
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Italy
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: bleak, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing
Similar in 76%
The Chosen (2005)
Plot Summary:
A couple of brutal and mysterious murders point to Uppsala University. Johan, a last year student at the police academy, gets involved in the investigation. He enrolls a course at the University in order to, under cover, track down the killer.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 879
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Sweden
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 84%
The Lost Brother (2017)
Plot Summary:
Cetarti is drowning in nothingness. With no job or purpose, he spends his days inside watching documentaries on television, until one day he is informed that his mother and brother were gunned down. He travels from Buenos Aires to Lapachito, a decrepit town in the province of Chaco in northern Argentina to deal with their bodies and to get the life insurance money. There he meets Duarte, a sort of boss in the town and a friend of his mother's murderer who also kidnaps people for money. Cetarti's path will lead him to committing illegal acts to get his hands on the insurance money and to his involvement in Duarte's dark dealings, leading to an absurd and unexpected outcome.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, France
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: captivating, entertaining
Similar in 83%
Kill Kane (2016)
Plot Summary:
A teacher's world is torn apart when his wife and children are brutally murdered at the hands of a ruthless gang. Left for dead and with no one to turn to, he takes matters into his own hands and hits the streets in search of justice.
IMDB Rating: 3.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 77 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing
Similar in 88%
Deadbeat (1976)
Plot Summary:
When four degenerate thugs rape and murder a young waitress in part of their rape and murder spree, they are arrested, but get away with though a legal technicality. The brother of one of the rape/murder victims decides to become vigilante and kill the four degenerates by himself.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 179
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 75%
The Assassin (2007)
Plot Summary:
Assassin John Brown, a heroin-addicted, recent war veteran, is hired to take out a local nightclub owner. When Brown slips, he finds himself on the run from both police and the shadowy corporation that hired him.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 34
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: neo noir, independent film, detective
Similar in 81%
Degenerate (2012)
Plot Summary:
Haunted by the images of his own traumatic past, Blair O'Leary (Bobby Field) unknowingly leads his friends down a dark path of destruction. Being a good friend, Marcus (David Yost) lends a helping hand getting Blair, Ralphie (Claude Duhammel), and Kayton (William Lamar) situated in a safe house in the middle of the Arizona desert... but there's a catch. They must pull off a job in order to pay their way. In tight situations friendships can only stretch so far, and what comes around goes around in this twisted tale.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 20
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min
Plot tags: psychological, exciting, tense, suspense, suspenseful
Similar in 75%
Thousand Cuts (2017)
Plot Summary:
Omar Petit would be able to live a perfectly happy life with his wife and daughter if it weren’t for a number of farmers from the vineyard who have decided to make life miserable for them because of where Omar comes from. One night, one of them happens to be in the middle of sabotaging their vineyard when he witnesses the murder of three South American drug smugglers. The killer, an injured biker who’s nevertheless as hard as nails, must take refuge on the Petits’ farm and takes the family hostage.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 453
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Belgium, France
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, suspense, tense, hood
Similar in 78%
Ash & Dust (2022)
Plot Summary:
The film is set in a small town where two modest couples find themselves caught up in a game of life & death with a vicious gang after the discovery of a mysterious box buried long ago.
IMDB Rating: 3.8
IMDB Votes: 763
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Canada
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing
Similar in 75%
Sins of the Father (2019)
Plot Summary:
Police unearth a sinful conspiracy when they investigate the murder of a pastor's wife.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 85
Genere: Crime
Country: USA
Duration:
Plot tags: captivating, suspense
Similar in 78%
The Principal (1987)
Plot Summary:
Burglary. Drugs. Assault. Rape. The students at Brandel High are more than new Principal Rick Latimer bargained for. Gangs fight to control the school using knives - even guns - when they have to. When Latimer and the head of security try to clean up the school and stop the narcotics trade, they run up against a teenage mafia. A violent confrontation on the campus leads to a deadly showdown with the drug dealer's gang, and one last chance for Latimer to save his career... and his life.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: feel good, hood, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, exciting, inspirational, sexy, unusual plot structure
Similar in 77%
Night of the Wilding (1990)
Plot Summary:
Joseph Gainer is a high priced attorney, notorious for getting guilty criminals off the hook. But Gainer is forced to take another look at the price you pay for defending the guilty when he takes on a case of three young men accused of a heinous crime. And when he discovers that his ex-wife is the prosecuting attorney, Gainer finds he suddenly has more on the line than he ever imagined.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 103
Genere: Crime, Thriller, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: independent film, rough, serious, realistic, disturbing
Similar in 79%
Shining Moon (1975)
Plot Summary:
Mike Locken is one of the principle members of a group of freelance spies. A significant portion of their work is for the C.I.A. and while on a case for them one of his friends turns on him and shoots him in the elbow and knee. His assignment, to protect someone, goes down in flames. He is nearly crippled, but with braces is able to again become mobile. For revenge as much as anything else, Mike goes after his ex-friend.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: realistic, rough, serious, suspenseful, suspense, neo noir, political thriller, black comedy, surprise ending, freeze frame
Similar in 84%
Essex Boys (2000)
Plot Summary:
Billy has just scored an entry-level position with the local crime cartel. His first job is to mind Jason, a newly released thug with a vicious temper. Jason thinks it's his job to teach Billy about crime, drugs and women. Little does he know that Billy has his eyes on Jason's own wife, Lisa. When an ecstasy deal goes bad, Jason vows revenge on the boss, while Billy looks to take out Jason. Before long, bodies start turning up.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: rough, suspenseful, exciting, serious, psychological, realistic, neo noir, crime drama, crime thriller, independent film
Similar in 77%
100 Days to Live (2019)
Plot Summary:
When a serial killer abducts a young woman’s fiancé, she must race against the clock to discover the identity of the killer, and more importantly – his motive.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: surprise ending, psychological, psychological thriller, suspense, independent film
Similar in 80%
The Punisher (1989)
Plot Summary:
The avenging angel of Marvel Comics fame comes brilliantly to life in this searing action-adventure thriller! Dolph Lundgren stars as Frank Castle, a veteran cop who loses his entire family to a mafia car bomb. Only his ex-partner believes Castle survived the blast to become THE PUNISHER ... a shadowy, invincible fighter against evil who lives for total revenge on his mob enemies.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: Australia, USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: futuristic, cult classic, exciting, stylized, serious, epic, slasher, hood, perverse, independent film
Similar in 79%
Grasshopper (2015)
Plot Summary:
Movie contains the stories of three people: Suzuki (Toma Ikuta), Kujira (Tadanobu Asano) and Semi (Ryosuke Yamada). Suzuki is a former middle school teacher. His girlfriend was killed, which led him to quit his job and attempt to take revenge on her murderer. To do so, Suzuki has to infiltrate the underground world of criminals. Kujira is a contract killer for hire. He makes his targets fall into confusion and eventually commit suicide. Semi is a contract killer who uses the knife to take out his targets.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 367
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: tense, captivating, suspense
Similar in 84%
King of New York (1990)
Plot Summary:
A former drug lord returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York's poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: Italy, USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: neo noir, atmospheric, hood, tense, suspense, intense, serious, captivating, realistic, dark
Similar in 80%
Death Wish (1974)
Plot Summary:
After his wife is murdered by street punks, a pacifistic New York City architect becomes a one-man vigilante squad, prowling the streets for would-be muggers after dark.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Italy
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: controversial, disturbing, tense, grindhouse, intense, cult classic, rough, serious, suspenseful, neo noir
Similar in 87%
Cold in July (2014)
Plot Summary:
How can a split-second decision change your life? While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane puts a bullet in the brain of low-life burglar Freddy Russell. Although he’s hailed as a small-town hero, Dane soon finds himself fearing for his family’s safety when Freddy’s ex-con father, Ben, rolls into town, hell-bent on revenge.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA, France
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: neo noir, suspenseful, tense, realistic, psychological, suspense, atmospheric, tricky, bleak, serious
Similar in 75%
Cape Fear (1991)
Plot Summary:
Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? Fourteen years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape trial, and he made a serious error: he hid a document from his illiterate client that could have gotten him acquitted. Now, the cagey, bibliophile Cady has been released, and he intends to teach Sam Bowden and his family a thing or two about loss.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 212000
Genere: Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspenseful, tense, neo noir, suspense, psychological thriller, disturbing, scary, intense, creepy