Movies Like The Life of David Gale

If you liked The Life of David Gale (2003), a drama and thriller movie directed by Alan Parker, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
True Crime (1999)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and thriller
Boozer, skirt chaser, careless father. You could create your own list of reporter Steve Everett's faults but there's no time. A San Quentin Death Row prisoner is slated to die at midnight – a man Everett has suddenly…
2
True Story (2015)
★ 6.3/10Also crime and drama
A drama centered on the relationship between journalist Michael Finkel and Christian Longo, an FBI Most Wanted List murderer who for years lived outside the U.S. under Finkel's name.
3
Nothing but the Truth (2008)
★ 6.9/10Also drama and thriller
When reporter Rachel Armstrong writes a story that reveals the identity of a covert CIA operative, the government demands that Rachel reveal her source. She defies the special prosecutor and is thrown in jail…
4
Walking Tall: Lone Justice (2007)
★ 5.8/10Also thriller and crime
In Dallas, witnesses against a drug-lord are murdered in a safe-house.The testimony of FBI agents becomes the only chance to keep him in prison. They are lodged in another safe-house, but the place is invaded and the…
5
Bordertown (2007)
★ 6.3/10Also crime and drama
American corporations are using the North American Free Trade Agreement by opening large maquiladoras right across the United States–Mexico border. The maquiladoras hire mostly Mexican women to work long hours for…
6
The United States of Leland (2003)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and drama
A withdrawn young man, Leland Fitzgerald is imprisoned for the murder of a mentally disabled boy, who also happened to be the brother of his girlfriend, Becky. As the community struggles to deal with the killing, Pearl…
7
Rampage (1987)
★ 6/10Also crime and drama
Liberal district attorney decides to seek the death penalty for a man who slaughtered a family at Christmastime, then drank their blood. He escapes, though, and starts killing again.
8
Trial by Fire (2019)
★ 7/10Also drama and crime
The tragic and controversial story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was executed in Texas for killing his three children after scientific evidence and expert testimony that bolstered his claims of innocence were…
9
King Ivory (2025)
★ 7/10Also crime and drama
Based on extensive research involving law enforcement and gang members, a never-before-seen, authentic look inside the underworld of fentanyl trafficking from gangs inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester…
10
Murder in the First (1995)
★ 7.1/10Also crime and drama
A young, inexperienced public defender is assigned to defend an inmate accused of committing murder while behind bars.
11
A Dry White Season (1989)
★ 6.7/10Also drama and thriller
During the 1976 Soweto uprising, a white school teacher's life and values are threatened when he asks questions about the death of a young black boy who died in police custody.
12
The Onion Field (1979)
★ 6/10Also crime and drama
An LA police officer is murdered in the onion fields outside of Bakersfield. However, legal loopholes could keep his kidnappers from receiving justice, and his partner is haunted by overwhelming survivor's guilt.
13
The Fifth Estate (2013)
★ 6/10Also drama and thriller
A look at the relationship between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his early supporter and eventual colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg, and how the website's growth and influence led to an irreparable rift between…
14
180 (2026)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and crime
When an unexpected road rage incident puts his son in critical condition, an enraged father spirals down a dark path of emotional turmoil and vengeance.
15
Kalifornia (1993)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller and crime
A journalist duo go on a tour of serial killer murder sites with two companions, unaware that one of them is a serial killer himself.
16
Edge of Darkness (2010)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and drama
As a seasoned homicide detective, Thomas Craven has seen the bleakest side of humanity. But nothing prepares him for the toughest investigation of his life: the search for his only daughter Emma's killer. Now, he is on…
17
Tyler Perry's Duplicity (2025)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller and drama
High-powered attorney Marley faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the murder of her best friend Fela’s husband. With the help of her boyfriend – a former cop turned…
18
Nightcrawler (2014)
★ 7.7/10Also crime and drama
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news…
19
Righteous Kill (2008)
★ 5.9/10Also crime and thriller
Two veteran New York City detectives work to identify the possible connection between a recent murder and a case they believe they solved years ago; is there a serial killer on the loose, and did they perhaps put the…
20
Felon (2008)
★ 7.1/10Also crime and drama
A family man convicted of killing an intruder must cope with life afterward in the violent penal system.