Like This Popular Movie? Check Out This Similar Movie

I’ve noticed a lot of movies become very popular online in the past few years, as people enjoy new releases or discover why an older film is still great. Often, I can’t help but think of other films that fans of these movies would enjoy, or see people making posts asking for films similar to those they’ve enjoyed. So, I figured I’d make a list of some of the most popular movies online I’ve seen over the past few years, and give recommendations for films that provide a similar experience or story.

Joker (2019) / Taxi Driver (1976)

Joker is one of the most popular films of the past five years, and while I do enjoy the film, it clearly takes a lot of inspiration from two Martin Scorsese films: Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. You’ve probably heard of Taxi Driver, or seen a picture of Travis Bickle; it’s one of the most iconic films on the 1970’s, and still holds up amazingly to this day. I have always seen Joker as a very well-made and entertaining movie, but Taxi Driver provides a bit more substance. Robert De Niro’s performance is one of the most recognizable in film history, and is still among the best portrayals of an antihero protagonists; many other antihero characters in similar films owe their existence to De Niro. Many people found Joker to be a very impactful film, and if you did, I strongly recommend giving Taxi Driver a shot; they share a lot of strengths, but I believe Scorsese’s classic to be the far superior movie.

Interstellar (2014) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

While 2001 is much more abstract than Nolan’s take on space exploration, they are likely both the defining sci-fi films of their generations, and pair together very well. Interstellar explores many complex concepts regarding space travel and the human race, and puts them into a script that makes them easily understandable to the audience. This is not a criticism; Christopher Nolan movies should be accessible, and Interstellar does a fantastic job of making Nolan’s weird ideas and fascination with time more comprehensible. However, sometimes, ambiguity can be a bit more interesting, and ambiguity is something that 2001: A Space Odyssey certainly has. If you don’t already have a passing knowledge of the film or Stanley Kubrick’s style, 2001 can be pretty hard to follow. There are many long stretches without any dialogue, and the ending is very abstract. However, once you start to think about it, you see one of the most brilliant films ever crafted, and a perfect companion piece to Interstellar. Both offer some of the most fascinating space travel concepts in all of film, and give you two very different ways to approach these ideas.

Saltburn (2023) / Parasite (2019)

Saltburn and Parasite are both films that attempt to comment on class issues, but one of these two films is a masterpiece of tension, comedy, and social commentary, and the other is Saltburn. Saltburn thinks it’s very clever and is giving this profound message, but in reality, it’s a story about an evil poor person taking advantage of a family of rich people, and how he slowly kills them off and steals their wealth. It also just so happens do be directed by Emerald Fennell, who grew up very wealthy, and has proven that she doesn’t know how to handle these topics. It’s out-of-touch, lacks anything resembling subtlety, and can be pretty racist and homophobic at times. Saltburn has gotten very popular online since its release in November, and I would like to point many of its fans towards Parasite, which does a far better job of commenting on class issues. It’s a perfect film from beginning to end; the performances, camerawork, and script are incredible, and its 2020 Best Picture win was very deserved.

Get Out (2017) / Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This one may seem like a bit of a reach at first, but there are more similarities than you’d think. Get Out is one of the most recognizable horror films of the past decade, and one of the most important; Jordan Peele’s instant classic is not only a creepy horror movie, but a genius way to comment on the underlying racism still present in so many families who claim to be the opposite. Social commentary isn’t the main focus of Night of the Living Dead like it is in Get Out, but the implications of the film are undeniable; it was released in the 60’s and stars a black main protagonist taking charge and protecting his fellow survivors. Most horror films are attempting to comment on something, but before Night of the Living Dead, this concept didn’t exist; horror movies could be enjoyed by children, or as a family film. They weren’t violent, had very simple plots, and never attempted to say anything. Night of the Living Dead changed all of this, and pairs with Get Out extremely well because of how impactful and fresh it was for the genre.

Scream (1996) / The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

Scream is undeniably one of the most iconic horror movie ever made, and completely changed the horror landscape in the 90’s. Slashers were cool again, and the popularity of both slashers and horror in general increased drastically. It was a completely new type of film for the genre: a meta comedy that pokes fun at the tropes and stereotypes audiences have come to expect from a B-tier horror movie. It’s not unfair to say that Cabin in the Woods is the Scream of the 2010’s; yes, Scream movies were still a thing in the 2010’s, but Cabin takes it much farther than any Scream film does. Each entry in the franchise satirizes a separate type of horror film, often focusing on what is popular at in the genre at the given moment; the original was slashers, and then sequels, third entries, unnecessary reboots, and so on. The Cabin in the Woods is parodying every single subgenre of horror, and essentially every single popular horror film or franchise ever created. Its script is genius when analyzed; somehow, it manages to give a narrative to the strange stereotypes associated with horror, and finds a way to connect every single horror film that’s ever been made. Scream is still popular to this day, and if you’re a fan of the comedic style of that franchise, I cannot recommend Cabin enough, especially if you enjoy horror in general.

The Truman Show (1998) / Beau is Afraid (2023)

While these are two drastically different films, they share more similarities than you’d think; both feature a character discovering more and more about his family and life, both feature very strong leads, and both come with the eerie sense that you’re being watched throughout the film. The Truman Show is a family-friendly comedy, but it’s regarded as a classic for all ages because of how well it’s written; Beau is Afraid is a tense, violent, and vulgar comedy-drama-horror film that received very middling reviews. The two could not seem more different, but when you begin to think about them, they become more similar than you initially thought. I won’t spoil anything, but the endings are strangely very similar- Beau is Afraid‘s is much more upsetting, but the themes and events of both are comparable. I don’t think that Ari Aster’s latest work got nearly enough appreciation, so if you like The Truman Show and want a similar experience, and are fine with heavily anxiety-inducing moments, you can’t go wrong with Beau is Afraid.

John Wick (2014) / The Raid: Redemption (2011)

Ever since the release of the first John Wick film in 2014, the character has become an icon, and each following entry has received strong reviews. I have not yet finished this series, but I find them to be pretty overhyped; yes, the action is cool, and the visuals can be neat, but every other moment is a lifeless, poorly-acted, typical, and boring attempt at creating an action thriller. The action scenes are very well choreographed and filled with energy, but there’s nothing else to latch onto. John Wick is a boring character played by an actor who is known for being a star rather than his acting abilities, and I have never cared about what happens to him or anybody else in this franchise. I would strongly recommend that fans of this series give The Raid: Redemption a shot; this low-budget Indonesian action film provides far better action and a more interesting plot in a shorter runtime than any John Wick film. You genuinely care about what happens to these characters, and seeing them be killed so brutally is shocking and heartbreaking. The villains are genuinely menacing, and the insane choreography really cannot be understated. The Raid contains some of the best gunfights and hand-to-hand combat I’ve ever seen in a movie, and it’s basically nothing but that for an hour and forty minutes. If fans of John Wick enjoy the character and action, The Raid is probably the best recommendation they could receive; it improves upon almost everything seen in that franchise, and is one of the most consistently intense and enjoyable action films I’ve ever watched.

The Menu (2022) / Ready or Not (2019)

The Menu was one of those random releases that ended up becoming super popular, mostly because of social media; I didn’t think it was amazing, but I had fun with it, and enjoyed the parody of wealthy people and their culture surrounding ridiculously lavish and complex food. It was solid, but was ultimately lacking a sharper edge or better twists; if you’re looking for a superior horror-comedy with similar subject matter, I strongly recommend Ready or Not. Not only did I find it to be the overall funnier film, but the plot and satire are just a little more interesting than those seen in The Menu. Directed by the team behind the recent Scream sequels, Ready or Not is one of the best horror-comedies of the past few years, and kind of flew under the radar; it definitely has its fans, but I feel like the online following around it should be much stronger. There’s been a strong wave of horror or thriller films in the past few years that poke fun at rich people, and Ready or Not is among the funniest of all of them; if you enjoyed the comedic elements weaved into the intense atmosphere of The Menu, you will enjoy Ready or Not.

Superbad (2007) / Booksmart (2018)

While Booksmart has garnered a fanbase since its release, it still doesn’t receive the attention it deserves. Many have described it as a ‘genderswapped Superbad‘, but that doesn’t really do the film justice; while Superbad is the funnier film to me, Booksmart provides much more when it comes to characters and plot. That’s not to say that the main cast of Superbad isn’t likable, but the main duo in Booksmart are far more developed characters. Both are defining teen comedies of their respective decades, and Booksmart puts a modern twist on what made Superbad so enjoyable; the comedy style is still similarly chaotic and vulgar, but caters to today’s teenagers instead of the highschoolers of the 2000s. My favorite part of both of these has to be the cast; Michael Cera and Jonah Hill are a classic duo in comedy at this point, and I believe that Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein’s chemistry and comedic timing is on the same level. These two films work very well together, and are best enjoyed if you are in high school, surrounded by close friends.

The Batman (2022) / Se7en (1995)

Similar to Joker and Taxi Driver, The Batman takes a lot of very clear inspiration from Se7en. David Fincher’s classic is one of the best detective dramas ever made, and The Batman creates a PG-13 experience that captures a very similar feeling. Obviously, The Riddler’s crimes are nowhere near the horrifying level of the killer in Se7en, but Matt Reeves was able to craft a comic book film with a similar atmosphere to one of the darkest movies I’ve ever seen. The plot structure of both is surprisingly similar when you analyze them, and a few specific moments in particular in The Batman are very close to those found in Se7en.