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Nightmare Alley poster

Movies that feel likeNightmare Alley (2021)

An ambitious carnival man with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words hooks up with a female psychologist who is even more dangerous than he is.

If you loved Nightmare Alley, the closest films we have are Victoria (2015), Carlito's Way (1993) and Everybody Knows (2018). All three share Nightmare Alley's gritty and tense feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Wild Goose Lake (2019).

πŸ… 80% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Guillermo del Torogrittycontemplativetenseplayfulromantic
7 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video Β· Kino Film Collection

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If Nightmare Alley hit the spot, these will too

Victoria poster
Victoria
2015 Β· dir. Sebastian Schipper
πŸ… 82%β˜… 7.5crime Β· thriller Β· romance

Both land grit and tension at once

The difference: Trades the stillness of Nightmare Alley for an angle of its own

A young Spanish woman who has newly moved to Berlin finds her flirtation with a local guy turn potentially deadly as their night out with his friends reveals a dangerous secret.

Carlito's Way poster
Carlito's Way
1993 Β· dir. Brian De Palma
πŸ… 84%β˜… 7.9crime Β· drama Β· thrillerPrime VideoStarz

The same mix in both: stillness, then romance

The difference: 28 years apart, and the 1990s show

Free after years in prison, Carlito Brigante intends to give up his criminal ways, but it's not long before the ex-con is sucked back into the New York City underworld.

Everybody Knows poster
Everybody Knows
2018 Β· dir. Asghar Farhadi
πŸ… 78%β˜… 6.9crime Β· mystery Β· thriller

Both lean on grit more than on crime

The difference: Sits closer to mystery than Nightmare Alley does

Laura, a Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires, returns to her hometown outside Madrid with her Argentinian husband and children. However, the trip is upset by unexpected events that bring secrets into the open.

Dial M for Murder poster
Dial M for Murder
1954 Β· dir. Alfred Hitchcock
πŸ… 90%β˜… 8.1thriller Β· crime Β· drama

Both are built on the same subject: murder

When her American lover visits London, a wealthy woman’s jealous husband hatches a plan to murder her and inherit her fortune.

Bound poster
Bound
1996 Β· dir. Lana Wachowski
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7.3drama Β· thriller Β· crime

One thread runs through both: infidelity

Corky, a tough female ex-convict working on an apartment renovation in a Chicago building, meets a couple living next door, Caesar, a paranoid mobster, and Violet, his seductive girlfriend, who is immediately attracted to her.

Killing Them Softly poster
Killing Them Softly
2012 Β· dir. Andrew Dominik
πŸ… 74%β˜… 6.2crime Β· thriller

The same preoccupation in both: murder

Jackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.

Joker: Folie Γ  Deux poster
Joker: Folie Γ  Deux
2024 Β· dir. Todd Phillips
πŸ… 31%β˜… 5.2drama Β· crime Β· thrillerMax

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur Fleck not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that's always been inside him.

Transporter 3 poster
Transporter 3
2008 Β· dir. Olivier Megaton
πŸ… 40%β˜… 6.1action Β· thriller Β· crime

Thriller with a pulse of tension, in both cases

The difference: Leans harder into action than Nightmare Alley does

Frank Martin puts the driving gloves on to deliver Valentina, the kidnapped daughter of a Ukrainian government official, from Marseilles to Odessa on the Black Sea. En route, he has to contend with thugs who want to intercept Valentina's safe delivery and not let his personal feelings get in the way of his dangerous objective.

The Traitor poster
The Traitor
2019 Β· dir. Marco Bellocchio
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7.1drama Β· crime Β· thrillerRent or buy

Gritty crime in both cases

Palermo, Sicily, 1980. Mafia member Tommaso Buscetta decides to move to Brazil with his family fleeing the constant war between the different clans of the criminal organization. But when, after living several misfortunes, he is forced to return to Italy, he makes a bold decision that will change his life and the destiny of Cosa Nostra forever.

Emily the Criminal poster
Emily the Criminal
2022 Β· dir. John Patton Ford
πŸ… 93%β˜… 6.7crime Β· drama Β· thriller

Drama built on stillness, twice over

Desperate for income, Emily takes a shady gig buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a charismatic middleman named Youcef. Seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills, they hatch a plan to take their business to the next level.

Holy Spider poster
Holy Spider
2022 Β· dir. Ali Abbasi
πŸ… 82%β˜… 7.3thriller Β· drama Β· crime

Tense thriller in both cases

A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called "Spider Killer", who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.

The Wild Goose Lake poster
The Wild Goose Lake
2019 Β· dir. Diao Yinan
πŸ… 91%β˜… 6.7crime Β· drama Β· thriller

Crime in the same key

A gangster ends up making a mistake that causes every gun on both sides of the law to point at him. While on the run, he comes across a mysterious woman who might get him out of trouble or make things worse.

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The best-reviewed films that share Nightmare Alley’s defining feeling.