Best movies like Unstable
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Friends become enemies after one of them is accused of committing a hate crime against a gay teenager during a weekend camping trip.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 97
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 71 min
Plot tags: cinema verite
Best tv shows and movies like Unstable (2005):
Similar in 86%
The Fall of '55 (2006)
Plot Summary:
In late 1955 and early 1956, the citizens of Boise, Idaho believed there was a menace in their midst. On Halloween, investigators arrested three men on charges of having sex with teenage boys. The investigators claimed the arrests were just the tip of the iceberg-they said hundreds of boys were being abused as part of a child sex ring. There was no such ring, but the result was a widespread investigation which some people consider a witch hunt. By the time the investigation ended, 16 men were charged. Countless other lives were also touched.In some cases, men implicated fled the area. At least one actually left the country. The investigation attracted attention in newspapers across the nation, including Time Magazine. The "Morals Drive" left scars which remain to this day.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 93
Genere: Documentary, Biography, Crime, Drama, History, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 76%
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 76%
Sin by Murder (2004)
Plot Summary:
On the night of their tenth anniversary, corporate lawyer Michael Barnes' wife is brutally murdered. Labelled the prime suspect by Detectives Jack Burns and Amy Cobb, Barnes must try to clear his name before it's too late... Along the way, Barnes' closest friends begin to show their true colors, and with no one left to trust, he finds himself with nothing to lose as he's faced with the toughest decision of his life.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 41
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 79%
Detached (2009)
Plot Summary:
Detached is a contemporary Scrooge tale set in the Hollywood Hills that follows Chadh Campbell, an unscrupulous mortgage broker, as he receives a stream of anonymous holiday greetings during Christmas Eve and Day. As Chadh searches for the perpetrator of this "festive" assault he must face the unfavorable reality of just how many people he's harmed during his life, forcing him to confront how emotionally detached from those around him he's become.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 43
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 87%
It Gets Better (2012)
Plot Summary:
Inspired by the It Gets Better Project this documentary film follows the stories of three real-life subjects who are at unique impasses related to their identities as gay or transgender people.
IMDB Rating: 4.2
IMDB Votes: 27
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 75%
Red Herring (2015)
Plot Summary:
A Las Vegas homicide detective investigating his best friend uncovers a professional assassin.
IMDB Rating: 2.7
IMDB Votes: 299
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: neo noir, detective
Similar in 86%
The Killing Secret (1997)
Plot Summary:
A pregnant teen is murdered and a popular high-school senior is suspected. But will his girlfriend stick by him to prove his innocence despite the fact she has bonded with the victim's mother?.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: psychological
Similar in 80%
The Liars' Club (1994)
Plot Summary:
The loyalty of a tight group of friends is put to the test when there's a date rape within the circle.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 479
Genere: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: independent film
Similar in 75%
Taboo (2002)
Plot Summary:
Six young adults struggle with their personal demons while staying at a secluded mansion during a dark and stormy night where a seemingly innocent game of 'taboo' brings out their inter-most secrets which soon leads to murder.
IMDB Rating: 3.5
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: slasher, serious, suspenseful, bleak, suspense, intense, dark drama, independent film, surprise ending, twist ending
Similar in 86%
Gang Boys (1994)
Plot Summary:
Linda Blair's gay son gets raped by Nazis, so she tracks down the father, played by Wings Hauser, and helps him deal with his alcoholism, and eventually they kind of fight back.
IMDB Rating: 3.2
IMDB Votes: 199
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 90%
The Strange Ones (2017)
Plot Summary:
Mysterious events surround the travels of two brothers as they make their way across a remote American landscape. On the surface all seems normal, but what appears to be a simple vacation soon gives way to a dark and complex web of secrets. This is the feature film version of the 2011 short film going by the same name.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min
Plot tags: road movie, rough, suspense, enigmatic, suspenseful, meditative, surprise ending, twist ending, non-linear, crying
Similar in 85%
Last Ferry (2019)
Plot Summary:
When a young gay lawyer arrives on Fire Island to explore his sexuality, he becomes witness to a murder after being drugged. A stranger helps him to safety, but he soon discovers his saviour is friends with the killer.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: psychological, sentimental, sexy, unusual plot structure, captivating, contemplative, queer horror, independent film, queer cinema
Similar in 87%
Open Bodies (1998)
Plot Summary:
Born to a North African father and a French mother, 18-year-old Parisian high school senior Rémi works part-time in an Arab grocery store while studying management and commerce. He responds to a school ad seeking subjects for a film, and Marc, who placed the ad, auditions Rémi by filming an interview with him. Rémi and Marc wind up in bed, and Rémi soon has other sexual experiences – with a guy in a men's room and with a young woman who grabs him while she's dancing in the street.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 189
Genere: Drama
Country: France
Duration: 47 min
Plot tags: queer cinema
Similar in 84%
Skeletons (1997)
Plot Summary:
A heart attack moves a Pulitzer winning journalist to leave NY for the peace of a small New England town, but he soon finds himself pulled into a case of a man accused of killing his gay lover with the blade of a shovel. Wanting to keep the case quiet, the town turns against the journalist and his family when he begins digging into its secrets, until finally the accused man is found hanging in his cell and the truth comes out about more than just the killing.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 547
Genere: Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: independent film, scary, psychological, rough, mind bending, serious, realistic, suspenseful, gay cinema
Similar in 85%
Cover (2007)
Plot Summary:
When someone is murdered on New Year's Eve, the prime suspect is Valerie Maas, a church-going home-maker whose life unravels when she discovers that her husband of many years has been leading a double life. Her strength of character and faith keep her going as the revelation of her husband's betrayal threatens to destroy all that they have known.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 686
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: serious, psychological, tense, suspense, mind bending, realistic, suspenseful, detective, black cinema
Similar in 85%
Ice Blues (2008)
Plot Summary:
This new installment in the popular and critically-acclaimed Donald Strachey Mystery series finds America’s favorite gay private investigator, Donald Strachey (Chad Allen), taking on the most complicated case of his career. After his long-time partner, Tim (Sebastian Spence), asks him to uncover the source of an anonymous and generous donation to the Albany youth center, he gets caught in a whirlwind of deceit and danger. When the lawyer who presented the donation turns up dead, the hard-boiled Strachey must race against the clock to capture the killer before he strikes again.".
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 749
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: tense, serious, realistic, suspenseful, independent film, detective, queer cinema
Similar in 85%
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
Plot Summary:
A visiting city reporter's assignment suddenly revolves around the murder trial of a local millionaire, whom he befriends.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 155 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, southern gothic, suspense, enigmatic, intense, serious, realistic, gothic, suspenseful, crime thriller
Similar in 87%
Kiss Me, Kill Me (2015)
Plot Summary:
While confronting his unfaithful boyfriend, Dusty blacks-out. When he comes to, his boyfriend has been murdered and he's the prime suspect.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 366
Genere: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: neo noir, suspense, psychotronic, psychological, tense, unusual plot structure, suspenseful, contemplative, queer cinema
Similar in 86%
Rites of Passage (1999)
Plot Summary:
When lawyer DJ Farraday discovers his father has been having an affair, the two drive out to the remote family cabin to talk things over. What neither expects is that DJ's estranged gay brother Campbell will already be there, apparently planning a weekend retreat with his boyfriend. But father and sons are forced to put aside their grievances when two escaped convicts show up and put everyone's lives in danger.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, serious, suspenseful, suspense, sincere, realistic, independent film, queer cinema
Similar in 88%
Shock to the System (2006)
Plot Summary:
A gay detective tries to solve the murder of a college student.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, suspense, detective, sexual, surprise ending, neo noir, independent film, sexy
Similar in 78%
Accused at 17 (2009)
Plot Summary:
A teenager is accused of murdering a classmate and claims that she was framed by her best friend. Her mother must try to find the truth.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: realistic, suspenseful, tense, serious
Similar in 88%
Maternal Instinct (2017)
Plot Summary:
A teenage girl who sees her mother shot goes into hiding with a police detective who grows attached to her as she protects her from the killer who is hunting the girl. Laura Mennell, Karin Konoval, Marcus Rosner star.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 165
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: captivating, suspense, disturbing
Similar in 75%
Hate Crime (2005)
Plot Summary:
Robbie Levinson and Trey McCoy suddenly encounter intolerance and hostility at the hands of their new neighbor, Chris Boyd, the son of a fundamentalist preacher.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: serious, suspenseful, realistic, tense, touching, exciting, rough, psychological thriller, lgbt cinema, disturbing
Similar in 79%
Anatomy of a Hate Crime (2001)
Plot Summary:
This MTV film dramatizes the horrific hate-crime killing of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard (Cy Carter) in Wyoming. In 1998, Shepard, a gay college student, was savagely beaten by Russell Henderson (Ian Somerhalder) and Aaron McKinney (Brendan Fletcher), who left their victim to die. Flashbacks paint a picture of Shepard's life and provide insight into why the killers, who initially set out to rob the young man, would commit such a brutal murder.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 316
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: disturbing, thought provoking, emotional, bleak, serious, realistic, controversial, queer cinema
Similar in 81%
The Matthew Shepard Story (2002)
Plot Summary:
In a senseless act of hatred, openly gay college student Matthew Shepard was murdered in 1998. This critically-acclaimed, moving film recounts the final days of Matthew's killers' trial—and the weeks leading to Matthew's death—with unnerving detail. Stockard Channing delivers an unforgettable, Emmy® Award-winning performance as Matthew's grieving mother, Judy, in a story of a murder that moved a nation to action. Also starring Law & Order's Sam Waterston.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: realistic, disturbing, serious, detective, weeping, bleak, crying, queer cinema
Similar in 79%
The Deep End (2001)
Plot Summary:
With her husband Jack perpetually away at work, Margaret Hall raises her children virtually alone. Her teenage son is testing the waters of the adult world, and early one morning she wakes to find the dead body of his gay lover on the beach of their rural lakeside home. What would you do? What is rational and what do you do to protect your child? How far do you go and when do you stop?.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: neo noir, tense, suspenseful, suspense, emotional, psychological, intense, serious, realistic, independent film
Similar in 86%
Cruising (1980)
Plot Summary:
A serial killer brutally slays and dismembers several gay men in New York's S/M and leather districts. The young police officer Steve Burns is sent undercover onto the streets as decoy for the murderer. Working almost completely isolated from his department, he has to learn and practice the complex rules and signals of this little society.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: West Germany, USA
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: disturbing, suspenseful, psychological, detective, sexual, erotic, sexy, cult classic, intense, slasher
Similar in 75%
Strange Fruit (2004)
Plot Summary:
New York attorney William Boyals has escaped the Louisiana bayou of his childhood, but he must return to investigate the death of a childhood friend who, like Boyals himself, was both black and gay.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 260
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, suspenseful, disturbing, thought provoking, bleak, crying, independent film, queer cinema
Similar in 80%
The Todd Killings (1971)
Plot Summary:
Based on the true story of '60s thrill-killer Charles Schmidt ("The Pied Piper of Tucson"), Skipper Todd (Robert F. Lyons) is a charismatic 23-year old who charms his way into the lives of high school kids in a small California town. Girls find him attractive and are only too willing to accompany him to a nearby desert area to be his "girl for the night." Not all of them return, however. Featuring Richard Thomas as his loyal hanger-on and a colorful assortment of familiar actors in vivid character roles including Barbara Bel Geddes, Gloria Grahame, Edward Asner, Fay Spain, James Broderick and Michael Conrad.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 404
Genere: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: slasher, splatter, independent film
Similar in 75%
The Boston Strangler (1968)
Plot Summary:
Boston is being terrorized by a series of seemingly random murders of women. Based on the true story, the film follows the investigators path through several leads before introducing the Strangler as a character. It is seen almost exclusively from the point of view of the investigators who have very few clues to build a case upon.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: psychological, tense, disturbing, rough, suspense, detective, suspenseful, slasher, psychosexual thriller, retro