Movies Like State of Play

If you liked State of Play (2009), a thriller and crime movie directed by Kevin Macdonald, 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
Nick of Time (1995)
★ 6.2/10Also thriller and crime
An ordinary man is suddenly forced into a plot to kill a politician in exchange for his kidnapped daughter's freedom.
2
The Batman (2022)
★ 7.7/10Also crime and mystery
In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.
3
Murder at the Embassy (2025)
★ 6/10Also mystery and thriller
Private detective Miranda Green investigates a murder perpetrated in the British Embassy in Cairo, where a top secret document was stolen, risking to jeopardize both Buckingham Palace and the peace of the world.
4
The Seven-Ups (1973)
★ 6.3/10Also thriller and crime
A tough detective who is part of an elite New York City unit is trying to find out who killed his partner, but uncovers a plot to kidnap mobsters for money.
5
Arabesque (1966)
★ 6.3/10Also thriller and mystery
When a plot against a prominent Middle Eastern politician is uncovered, David Pollock, a professor of ancient hieroglyphics at Oxford University, is recruited to help expose the scheme. Pollock must find information…
6
Snake Eyes (1998)
★ 6.2/10Also crime and mystery
All bets are off when shady homicide cop Rick Santoro witnesses a murder during a boxing match. Determined to solve the crime, he quickly learns that his search for answers will only uncover yet more questions in an…
7
All the President's Men (1976)
★ 7.7/10Also mystery and thriller
During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.
8
The Skulls (2000)
★ 5.8/10Also crime and thriller
A senior at an Ivy League college, who depends on scholarships and working on the side, gets accepted into the secret society The Skulls. He hopes it betters chances at Harvard but The Skulls is not what he thought and…
9
The Limits of Control (2009)
★ 6/10Also crime and mystery
A mysterious stranger works outside the law and keeps his objectives hidden, trusting no one. While his demeanor is paradoxically focused and dreamlike all at once, he embarks on a journey that not only takes him…
10
The Mirror Crack'd (1980)
★ 6.1/10Also mystery and crime
Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.
11
Michael Clayton (2007)
★ 6.8/10Also thriller and crime
A law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multi-billion dollar class action suit.
12
Marlowe (1969)
★ 6.2/10Also crime and mystery
Mysterious Orfamay Quest hires Los Angeles private investigator Philip Marlowe to find her missing brother. Though the job seems simple enough, it leads Marlowe into the underbelly of the city, turning up leads who are…
13
The Blue Gardenia (1953)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and mystery
Upon waking up to the news that the man she’d gone on a date with the previous night has been murdered, a young woman with only a faint memory of the night’s events begins to suspect that she murdered him while…
14
The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
★ 7.1/10Also crime and mystery
A mystery writer is intrigued by the tale of notorious criminal Dimitrios Makropolous, whose dead body was found washed up on the shore in Istanbul. He decides to follow the career of Dimitrios around Europe, in order…
15
Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
★ 7/10Also crime and mystery
While attending a major horse race with their young son, Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles witnesse a shocking murder from the crowded grandstand. What first appears to be an isolated killing soon leads to a maze of…
16
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
★ 7.4/10Also mystery and thriller
Bourne is brought out of hiding once again by reporter Simon Ross who is trying to unveil Operation Blackbriar, an upgrade to Project Treadstone, in a series of newspaper columns. Information from the reporter stirs a…
17
Crossword Mysteries: Proposing Murder (2019)
★ 7.5/10Also mystery and crime
When an old friend of New York Sentinel Crosswords editor Tess Harper is found murdered on the very day her puzzle includes his proposal of marriage, Tess unofficially teams up with Detective Logan O’Connor to find the…
18
Insomnia (2002)
★ 7/10Also thriller and crime
Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.
19
16 Blocks (2006)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and thriller
An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police custody to a courthouse, but they find themselves running the gauntlet as other forces try to prevent them from getting there.
20
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
★ 7.4/10Also thriller and mystery
An American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.