In the 2007 American mystery thriller movie zodiac, based on a true story, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes obsessed with catching the serial killer who has been terrorizing the city. He becomes so obsessed that his personal and professional life begins to unravel.
If you’re looking for movies like Zodiac, here are a few other American mystery thriller movies that will keep you on the edge of your seat:
1. Nightcrawler (2014)
A down-and-out thief discovers a new career in which he makes money by filming real crime. His passion for the profession soon grows, and he disregards his moral compass to obtain what he wants.
Nightcrawler is a suspenseful drama about the lure of television culture and man’s duality in front of money and goodness. Jake Gyllenhaal puts his all into this frightening yet intelligent film.
If you liked Gyllenhaal in Zodiac, wait till you see him channel the most depraved desires of a psychopath in this shockingly violent drama.
2. The Girl on the Train (2016)
Based on the best-selling novel, The Girl on the Train is a psychological thriller about an alcoholic divorcee who becomes obsessed with the lives of a couple she sees every day from her train window.
Rachel Watson’s life is a mess. She’s divorced, jobless, and struggling with alcoholism. Every day, she takes the train into the city, and every day she passes by the house she used to live in with her ex-husband. She becomes obsessed with a young couple who live there now, making up stories about their lives and fantasizing about being part of them.
But one day, Rachel sees something that changes everything. And when the woman she’s been spying on disappears, Rachel, becomes caught up in a mystery that will tear her life apart.
The Girl on the Train is a dark and suspenseful thriller with a shocking twist that you won’t see coming. If you’re looking for movies like Zodiac, this is one you won’t want to miss.
3. Gone Girl (2014)
Another psychological thriller based on a best-selling novel, Gone Girl tells the story of a man whose wife goes missing on their fifth anniversary.
Nick Dunne’s wife, Amy, disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary. The police suspect Nick, and the media paints him as a husband who killed his beautiful wife. But Nick knows he didn’t do it.
As the police investigation unfolds, Nick’s life is turned upside down. He doesn’t know who to trust, and he starts to wonder if he really knew his wife at all.
Gone Girl is a dark, suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you’re looking for movies like Zodiac, this is one you won’t want to miss.
4. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Based on the best-selling novel, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a psychological thriller about a journalist who teams up with a computer hacker to solve a decades-old murder.
Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist, is hired by Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance of his niece forty years earlier. Vanger believes that his niece was murdered by a member of his own family, and he wants Blomkvist to find out who did it.
Blomkvist teams up with computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to solve the mystery, and they soon discover that the case is much more complicated than they thought.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a dark and suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you’re looking for movies like Zodiac, this is one you won’t want to miss.
5. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
One of the most iconic psychological thrillers of all time, The Silence of the Lambs tells the story of an FBI trainee who teams up with a cannibal to catch a serial killer.
FBI trainee Clarice Starling is assigned to catch a serial killer who is murdering young women. She turns to Hannibal Lecter, a cannibal who is in prison for murder, for help.
Lecter agrees to help Starling, but only if she will do something for him in return.
The Silence of the Lambs is a dark and suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you’re looking for movies like Zodiac, this is one you won’t want to miss.
6. Psycho (1960)
One of the most iconic psychological thrillers of all time, Psycho tells the story of a man who murders people to please his mother.
Norman Bates is a shy, introverted man who lives with his overbearing mother. He runs a motel in the small town of Fairvale, and he kills people to please his mother.
One day, Marion Crane arrives at the motel, and Norman is instantly attracted to her. He kills her, and his mother helps him dispose of the body.
But Marion’s sister Lila comes to Fairvale looking for her, and she starts to suspect that Norman is involved in her disappearance.
Psycho is a dark and suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you’re looking for movies like Zodiac, this is one you won’t want to miss.
7. Memories of Murders (2003)
Based on a true story, Memories of Murders is a Korean thriller about two detectives who team up to catch a serial killer.
In 1986, in the small town of Hwaseong, South Korea, a young woman is brutally murdered. Detective Park Doo-man and his partner, Detective Cho Yong-koo, are assigned to the case.
The detectives soon realize that they are dealing with a serial killer, and they race against the clock to catch him before he strikes again.
Memories of Murders is a dark and suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you’re looking for movies like Zodiac, this is one you won’t want to miss.
8. Spotlight (2015)
Spotlight is a gripping thriller based on the true story of the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” team, which uncovered a massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the Catholic Church.
The Spotlight team, consisting of reporters Michael Rezendes, Walter Robinson, and Sacha Pfeiffer, begins investigating after receiving a tip from a victim of child sexual abuse.
What starts as a small story quickly spirals into a much larger investigation, and the reporters find themselves up against powerful forces who want to keep the scandal hidden.
Spotlight is a dark and suspenseful thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.
9. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile (2019)
This movie is based on the true story of Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers in American history.
The film follows Bundy from his arrest in 1976 to his trial and eventual execution in 1989.
It shows how he was able to charm and manipulate those around him, even as he committed horrific crimes.
If you’re looking for movies like Zodiac, this is one you won’t want to miss.
10. The Irishman (2019)
Another movie based on a true story, The Irishman is a gangster epic from director Martin Scorsese.
The film follows Frank Sheeran, a hitman who works for the Bufalino crime family.
Sheeran is drawn into the world of organized crime, and he eventually becomes involved in the assassination of Jimmy Hoffa.
The Irishman is a long and complex film, but it’s a gripping story that will keep you hooked until the very end. If you’re looking for movies like Zodiac, this is one you won’t want to miss.
These are just a few of the great thriller movies that are out there. If you’re a fan of suspenseful thrillers, be sure to check out some of these films. You won’t be disappointed. Thanks for reading!