20 Best Movies Like ‘Nocturnal Animals’, Ranked by IMDb Score
The 2010s have been an amazing decade for thriller movie fans. However, some movies, like Nocturnal Animals, stood out from the crowd, although I still feel like it was a heavily underrated flick. The ‘story within a story’ concept of this meta-thriller worked to perfection, along with brilliant dramatic elements and phenomenal performances from the entire cast.
I’ve watched Nocturnal Animals about five times now, and every time, I discover something new that Tom Ford brilliantly intertwined in the story, filled with symbolism and themes such as revenge, love, hate, and everything in between.
It’s hard to find a similar movie, but I’ve managed to create a list of 20 best movies like Nocturnal Animals for you, ranked solely by their IMDb score.
20. Secret Window (2004)
IMDb score: 6.5/10
What it’s about: Mort Rainey, a successful writer, is trying to find inspiration for his new novel at a remote lake house after going through an ugly divorce. However, his problems get a lot worse after a stalker starts threatening his life, claiming that Rainey stole one of his stories. Things get dark and mysterious as Mort tries to find proof that the story is actually his.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: Much like Nocturnal Animals, a writer is at the center of attention in this mystery-driven story, it’s a thriller that kind of involves the story-within-a-story concept, too, but in a very different way. There are twists in the plot, and the main actor, Johnny Depp, delivered a spectacular performance. It’s a thriller classic that you’ll certainly enjoy.
19. Enemy (2013)
IMDb score: 6.9/10
What it’s about: Adam Bell, a college history professor from Toronto, watches a movie and notices that an actor not only resembles him – they look absolutely identical. He breaks his stuck-in-a-rot life by trying to find the actor and slowly develops an obsession.
The actor, Anthony Claire, lives with a 7-month-pregnant wife, and after Adam finds him, they realize they even have the same scars. Suddenly, the tables turn, and now Anthony starts obsessing over Adam. Nothing is as it seems in the story, full of twists and symbolism.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: Enemy might be the most confusing film on this list – especially the ending. Much like Nocturnal Animals, Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a phenomenal performance, and you really need to pay attention to details if you want to make sense of this epic thriller.
Also, Enemy’s director, Dennis Villeneuve, has an artistic background just like Tom Ford, and both movies are incredibly stylish and visually impeccable. Enemy is even bigger of a head-scratcher but delivers its message perfectly.
18. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
IMDb score: 7.0/10
What it’s about: Dr. Steven Murphy is a surgeon whose patient died on the operating table. It turns out to be the father of a 16-year-old boy named Martin. Eventually, Martin and Steven develop a bond that terrifies the surgeon’s family life.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: Like Nocturnal Animals, parts of The Killing of a Sacred Deer are highly symbolic and slow-paced. It’s a mysterious storyline that revolves much around the main character’s past.
Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman have a tumultuous relationship in the movie but insanely fantastic chemistry as actors, much like Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams in Nocturnal Animals.
17. The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
IMDb score: 7.3/10
What it’s about: Ryan Gosling portrays Luke, a motorcycle driver who lived a crime-riddled life. He’s traveling as a carnival member as he tries to reconnect with a former lover and provide for her and their son.
Luke gives up his job and robs several banks to provide for his son, but it puts him in the crosshairs of Avery Cross, a police officer trying to climb the ranks quickly in a corrupted police department. Sins of the past haunt Luke for over fifteen years, but the worst part is that they haunt two teenage boys who’ve inherited the sins of their parents…
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: The Place Beyond the Pines is not conceptualized as three intertwined stories but rather as a three-act movie, each dealing with how the past affects the future and how sometimes, the past cannot be erased.
Ryan Gosling is phenomenal, and although this story is not really similar to Nocturnal Animals, the vibe certainly is, as well as the recurring theme of past mistakes haunting the present and the future.
16. A History of Violence (2005)
IMDb score: 7.4/10
What it’s about: Tom Stall is a calm, quiet guy living a happy life with his wife and two kids. However, it all changes overnight after Tom prevents an attempted robbery at his diner, saving himself, his family, and customers from armed robbers. Tom is considered a hero, prompting attention from all over the country, by people, and by the media.
Stall tries to get his life back to normalcy, but a mysterious man arrives, claiming that Tom wronged him in the past, and the man seeks revenge. The Stalls have no choice but to fight back, as the man has clearly mistaken Tom’s identity for somebody else. Or did he?
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: Again, the recurring theme here is your past returning to haunt you. Viggo Mortensen is spectacular in this film, and the story’s twists will baffle you time and time again. This is a thriller, and while it might not be as artistic and mysterious as Nocturnal Animals, you’ll get more and more shocked as the story unfolds.
15. A Single Man (2009)
IMDb score: 7.5/10
What it’s about: George tragically loses his partner and commits suicide. The movie follows him through his final day, reminiscing about the past, his life choices, memories, and everything that led to him being in a spot where he is.
As George meets various people influencing his opinion and choice about what to do, we see first-hand what he eventually decides to do. Will he decide to end his life or change his mind before it’s too late?
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: The stylistic approach is the biggest similarity between Nocturnal Animals and A Single Man. A Single Man was Tom Ford’s directorial debut. Although I find the movie fantastic, seeing how Ford progressed as a director between the two films was incredibly interesting.
A Single Man relies on Colin Firth’s performance, and it’s not a thriller like Nocturnal Animals, but it will stun you visually, and the subject matter will shock you to the core.
14. Source Code (2011)
IMDb score: 7.5/10
What it’s about: Colter Stevens is an Army Veteran who wakes up on a Chicago train with no recollection of how he got there, who he’s with, and what he’s doing. Suddenly, a bomb goes off, and he wakes up in a facility of sorts, where a woman behind a screen tells him he has eight minutes to find the bomber before sending him right back into the same train.
As the story unfolds, colter learns he’s in a government program that uses new technology to recreate past events, helping them prevent a future terrorist attack on Chicago – if Colter can find the bomber before it’s too late. But, things prove to be much, much more complicated…
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: Again, we see Jake Gyllenhaal delivering a spectacular performance in the lead role. Source Code is much less gloomy, although the subject matter is absolutely serious.
The twists throughout the story are amazing. The part about the main character jumping back and forth between reality and fiction (or alternate reality, whatever you want to call it) is impeccably done. This is one of my favorite movies, full of philosophical questions and an epic plot that will bend your mind.
13. Zodiac (2007)
IMDb score: 7.7/10
What it’s about: The Zodiac Killer is one of the most notorious serial killers in US history that has never been caught. In this movie, a cartoonist-turned-amateur-detective is hell-bent on discovering Zodiac’s identity, but the mystery keeps leading him down a darker and darker path. Sometimes, the truth is too complicated to be comprehended…
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: We’re dealing with a brutal crime-riddled mystery, with Jake Gyllenhaal in one of the lead roles, surrounded by a phenomenal cast that includes the likes of Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, etc. The directing is incredible, artistic, and stylish, and the mystery will take you down a spiral that feels as if it only goes deeper.
12. Captain Fantastic (2016)
IMDb score: 7.8/10
What it’s about: A father is raising his six children in a forest in the Pacific Northwest, wanting to lead a life far away from the horrible, materialistic modern society. However, a call makes him reenter the world, making him question his methods, life, and understanding of parenting.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: I wanted to include a more light-hearted movie on the list that still has some sort of similarity with Nocturnal Animals. Captain Fantastic is a comedy with a phenomenally-delivered main role by Viggo Mortensen, and again, it plays on the motif of past decisions influencing our lives moving forward.
11. Nightcrawler (2014)
IMDb score: 7.8/10
What it’s about: Louis Bloom is a sociopathic con artist desperate to find work. After he realizes how well-paid crime journalists are, he gets a police dispatch radio and a camera to always be the first guy on the scene after a crime or an accident happens to have exclusive footage.
He slowly but surely takes it to the extreme, as his true nature emerges, making him the Nightcrawler like no other…
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: This is by far my favorite movie on this list (and one of my favorites of all time). Jake Gyllenhaal was rightfully nominated for an Oscar, as his performance in Nightcrawler is one of the best pieces of acting you’ll ever watch.
Like Nocturnal Animals, Nightcrawler is dark, heavy, brutal, and will disturb you long after watching. There’s not as much mystery as in Tom Ford’s thriller, but everything else more than checks out.
10. The Invisible Guest (2016)
IMDb score: 8.0/10
What it’s about: Originally titled Contratiempo, The Invisible Guest follows an entrepreneur who is accused of murder after finding himself in a room, locked from the inside, lying in bed next to his murdered lover. He and a witness prep expert struggle to find an impenetrable defense, trying to prove his innocence. Or maybe, his guilt?
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: This is the only foreign film on the list, but it’s also one of the best. The directing is impeccable and stylish, and the main actor delivered a hell of a performance. The mystery is full of twists, jumping back and forth between past and present and leading to a culmination you won’t see coming.
9. Donnie Darko (2001)
IMDb score: 8.0/10
What it’s about: Donnie Darko is a troubled teenager who narrowly escapes a bizarre accident where an airplane engine falls right onto his house. He starts having visions of a man in a bunny suit who forces Donnie to commit numerous crimes, each becoming more serious and violent.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: This was one of Jake Gyllenhaal’s first lead roles, and right away, he displayed what an incredible generational talent he is. Like Nocturnal Animals, Donnie Darko is mysterious and will have you scratching your head to figure out what is happening.
You’ll jump from past to present, from reality to fiction, until the ending absolutely blows your mind. Donnie Darko is a psychological thriller classic and is a must-watch for every fan of the genre.
8. Room (2015)
IMDb score: 8.1/10
What it’s about: A woman is abducted and held captive by her abuser, who gets her pregnant, and she gives birth to a boy. Living in a tiny shed-like room, she tries her best to make the child’s life as normal as possible, but after they finally gain freedom, they both realize it will be much harder to adapt than they could ever imagine. Their past trauma might be too much to bear.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: There’s a lingering subject of past trauma, abuse, and violence riddled throughout the movie. Room is much more dramatic and revolves around the trauma through the eyes of a child, but the core of the movie is quite similar to Nocturnal Animals. It’ll leave you shaken and amazed by the performance of the lead actress, Brie Larson.
7. Gone Girl (2014)
IMDb score: 8.1/10
What it’s about: Nick Dunne’s wife goes missing on their fifth wedding anniversary. As he reports her missing, the media frenzy puts him under the spotlight, and soon, he becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. He is full of secrets and lies – but so is his wife. Your head will spin once the truth begins to unfold…
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: The story is full of twists animosity between lovers, and takes you back and forth between past and present, and tells the story through the perspective of the husband and then the wife. You’ll get captivated by the story, and the unique part is that the twist actually comes at about the half-point of the film instead of the ending.
6. Prisoners (2013)
IMDb score: 8.1/10
What it’s about: Keller Dover’s daughter and her young friend go missing without a trace, and he goes to extreme lengths to try and find them. As minutes and hours turn to days and weeks, his measures and actions to find the children become more volatile and dramatic. How far would you go to protect your loved ones? That’s the main question in this film.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: It feels like Jake Gyllenhaal’s entire filmography is on this list, but the guy obviously loves these psychological thriller mystery roles – and does them perfectly. Just like in Nocturnal Animals, he delivered a masterful performance, followed by his co-star (in this case, Hugh Jackman, who portrayed the lead, Keller Dover).
The story is dark, heavy, and absolutely riveting, and although it’s one of the best thrillers you’ll ever watch, it’ll probably take you a while to muster up the strength to watch this film again.
5. Memento (2000)
IMDb score: 8.4/10
What it’s about: Leonard is a man with a very tough condition – he suffers from short-term memory loss after his wife got murdered, which is essentially the last thing he remembers. As the story progresses, Leonard struggles to find his wife’s murderer, leaving notes for himself to try and progress with the investigation. The truth might be much closer to home than he thinks.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: Like in Nocturnal Animals, reality and fiction become blurred, and so do past and present. You’ll get tangled in a web of mystery led by the main character’s depleted memory.
Christopher Nolan does a spectacular job with the time jumps, creating a mysterious loop that will spin your head around. Memento is one of the best psychological mystery thrillers you’ll ever watch.
4. The Usual Suspects (1995)
IMDb score: 8.5/10
What it’s about: Five criminals, aka the usual suspects, are arrested after a truck hijacking in New York, believed to be connected to a mass shooting on a boat. The five guys wronged a guy named Keyser Soze in the past – a criminal mastermind who is determined to get revenge, leaving 27 bodies behind. Are they guilty or framed? Who is Keyser? You’ll never guess.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: The Usual Suspects is probably one of the most well-known crime thriller mysteries ever, full of spectacular performances and a story that’s as captivating as any you’ve ever watched.
The twists are phenomenal and similar to Nocturnal Animals; the storytelling is structured to jump back and forth between past and present, recreating previous events, and leading to a horrific gun battle on a boat filled with casualties.
3. The Prestige (2006)
IMDb score: 8.5/10
What it’s about: In late 1800, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden are assistants of a magician, along with Robert’s wife, Julia. However, after an accident takes Jula’s life, Robert blames Alfred for it, and they become mortal enemies, always trying to one-up each other while sabotaging each other’s performances. Soon, their rivalry will turn deadly…
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: The Prestige is a spectacular movie with phenomenal directing, just like Nocturnal Animals. The mystery lies in the film’s unique structure, making it difficult to realize what’s real and what is only a trick. There are twists, amazing performances, and eventually, past mistakes haunting one in the future.
2. The Green Mile (1999)
IMDb score: 8.6/10
What it’s about: Tom Hanks portrays a corrections officer at a death row facility. His life and the lives of other guards and inmates get turned upside down after a man named John Coffey is brought to the Green Mile, their facility. Coffey is accused of the double murder of children, but the truth about him might be much more complicated than anyone could comprehend.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: I’m not going into too much detail, but The Green Mile is certainly one of the best movies ever made and one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever.
The similarities with Nocturnal Animals come in the form of the subject of crime, murder, and abuse, riddled with mystery, all the while following a riveting storyline jumping between fact and fiction.
1. Inception (2010)
IMDb score: 8.8/10
What it’s about: A dream-sharing technology is used by a high-profile thief who uses it to steal corporate secrets from the minds of high-profile individuals. One day, however, he is forced to go deeper and reverse the process; instead of stealing a thought, he’s tasked with implanting an idea in a CEO’s brain. The problem is his riddled past that might derail the entire operation.
Why it’s like Nocturnal Animals: Inception is probably the only movie on this list that takes the story-within-a-story concept further than Nocturnal Animals. There’s a reason why the movie has such a spectacular IMDb score. It phenomenally jumps between fact and fiction, dreams and reality, past and present, and dreams within dreams.
There’s plot twist after plot twist, and you’ll need a couple of watches to comprehend everything you’ve watched. Leonardi DiCaprio not winning an Oscar for Inception was the robbery of the century.