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Forbidden Empire poster

Movies that feel likeForbidden Empire (2014)

Early 18th century. Cartographer Jonathan Green undertakes a scientific voyage from Europe to the East. Having passed through Transylvania and crossed the Carpathian Mountains, he finds himself in a small village lost in impassible woods. Nothing but chance and heavy fog could bring him to this cursed place. People who live here do not resemble any other people which the traveler saw before that. The villagers, having dug a deep moat to fend themselves from the rest of the world, share a naive belief that they could save themselves from evil, failing to understand that evil has made its nest in their souls and is waiting for an opportunity to gush out upon the world.

If you loved Forbidden Empire, the closest films we have are The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), Sound of My Voice (2011) and Kahaani (2012). All three share Forbidden Empire's twisty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Rojo (2018).

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If Forbidden Empire hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Iron Mask (2019)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus poster
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
2009 · dir. Terry Gilliam
🍅 63%★ 6.7adventure · fantasy · mystery

The same mix in both: scale, then twists

The difference: Easier on the tension than Forbidden Empire

After a carnival troupe saves his life, a man agrees to help its immortal leader collect five souls and win a bet with the devil.

Sound of My Voice poster
Sound of My Voice
2011 · dir. Zal Batmanglij
🍅 76%★ 6.6science fiction · drama · mystery

Tense and dread-soaked in the same breath

The difference: Takes it somewhere less epic than Forbidden Empire does

A journalist and his girlfriend get pulled in while they investigate a cult whose leader claims to be from the future.

Kahaani poster
Kahaani
2012 · dir. Sujoy Ghosh
🍅 100%★ 8.1mystery · thriller

Both lean on tension more than on thriller

Pregnant and alone in the city of Kolkata, a woman begins a relentless search for her missing husband, only to find that nothing is what it seems.

Rojo poster
Rojo
2018 · dir. Benjamín Naishtat
🍅 96%★ 6.3drama · mystery · thriller

Twisty mystery in both cases

The difference: Leans harder into drama than Forbidden Empire does

A small town in an Argentinian province, 1975. The life of Claudio, a successful lawyer, gets complicated when he has a stupid quarrel with a stranger in a crowded restaurant.

Mirage poster
Mirage
2018 · dir. Oriol Paulo
★ 7.4thriller · drama · mysteryNetflix

Fantasy with a pulse of dream logic, in both cases

During a mysterious thunderstorm, Vera, a young mother, manages to save a life in danger, but her good deed causes a disturbing chain of unexpected consequences.

Finders Keepers poster
Finders Keepers
2014 · dir. Alexander Yellen
🍅 98%★ 4.3mystery · thriller · horrorPrime VideoPeacock

Adventure built on dread, twice over

A haunted doll teaches one little girl why children shouldn't play with undead things.

Upon the Magic Roads poster
Upon the Magic Roads
2021 · dir. Oleg Pogodin
★ 5.7adventure · fantasy

Epic adventure, and it commits to that

Romantic John the Fool and his friend Foal set out on a series of unpredictable adventures in different magical worlds. The two buddies will have to outsmart an evil tyrant king, catch the firebird, and find John’s true love.

Fantasy Island poster
Fantasy Island
2020 · dir. Jeff Wadlow
🍅 9%★ 4.9adventure · fantasy · horrorHulu

Both are built on the same subject: dark fantasy

A group of contest winners arrive at an island hotel to live out their dreams, only to find themselves trapped in nightmare scenarios.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones poster
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
2013 · dir. Harald Zwart
🍅 13%★ 5.8fantasy · action · mysteryNetflix

Dreamlike mystery, and it commits to that

In New York City, Clary Fray, a seemingly ordinary teenager, learns that she is descended from a line of Shadowhunters — half-angel warriors who protect humanity from evil forces. After her mother disappears, Clary joins forces with a group of Shadowhunters and enters Downworld, an alternate realm filled with demons, vampires, and a host of other creatures. Clary and her companions must find and protect an ancient cup that holds the key to her mother's future.

The Whole Truth poster
The Whole Truth
2021 · dir. Wisit Sasanatieng
★ 5.2horror · mystery · thrillerNetflix

Thriller built on tension, twice over

When two siblings stumble on a strange hole in the wall of their grandparents' house, horrifying incidents reveal sinister secrets about their family.

The Bride poster
The Bride
2017 · dir. Svyatoslav Podgaevsky
★ 4.6mystery · horror · thrillerPrime Video

Twisty fantasy, and it commits to that

This is a story of a small town girl named Nastya. Her newly married husband Ivan drives her to his hometown to meet his family. Upon their arrival Nastya feels she made a wrong decision: she is surrounded by weird people and she sees creepy photos all around the house. Ivan disappears while his family prepares Nastya for a mysterious traditional Russian wedding ceremony. She struggles to calm herself down hoping all this will end and they will live happily ever after. Only if she stays alive...

The Sentinel poster
The Sentinel
1977 · dir. Michael Winner
🍅 45%★ 6.3horror · mystery · fantasyNetflix

Both are working the same pair: church, demon

The difference: 37 years apart, and the 1970s show

As a young girl, Alison Parker attempted suicide after being traumatized by her father's sexual exploits. Now an elite fashion model, she moves to a Brooklyn Heights apartment building where she encounters a number of bizarre, eccentric tenants and attempts to uncover the building's sinister secret.

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The best-reviewed films that share Forbidden Empire’s defining feeling.