Movies Like Murder on the Waterfront

If you liked Murder on the Waterfront (1943), a mystery and drama movie directed by B. Reeves Eason, 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
Eye of the Needle (1981)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
Great Britain, 1944, during World War II. Relentlessly pursued by several MI5 agents, Henry Faber the Needle, a ruthless German spy in possession of vital information about D-Day, takes refuge on Storm Island, an…
2
Snake Eyes (1998)
★ 6.2/10Also 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…
3
The Sea Chase (1955)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
As the Second World War breaks out, German freighter captain Karl Ehrlich is about to leave Sydney, Australia with his vessel, the Ergenstrasse. Ehrlich, an anti-Nazi but proud German, hopes to outrun or out-maneuver…
4
Murder at the Embassy (2025)
★ 6/10Also mystery
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.
5
Evil Under the Sun (1982)
★ 6.9/10Also mystery and drama
An opulent beach resort provides a scenic background to this amusing whodunit as Poirot attempts to uncover the nefarious evildoer behind the strangling of a notorious stage star.
6
Striking Distance (1993)
★ 5.9/10Also mystery
Demoted Pittsburgh cop Tom Hardy works river patrol while a serial killer targets women from his past, forcing him to conduct an unauthorized investigation to prove his innocence and expose a dirty cop.
7
The Woman in Cabin 10 (2025)
★ 6.2/10Also mystery
On a lavish yacht for an assignment, a journalist sees a passenger go overboard. But when no one believes her, she risks her life to uncover the truth.
8
Lady in Cement (1968)
★ 6.1/10Also mystery
While diving for sunken treasure, street-smart gumshoe Tony Rome finds the body of a gorgeous blonde, her feet stuck in a block of cement. Soon after, tough guy Waldo Gronski hires him to find a missing woman named…
9
Laura (1944)
★ 7.6/10Also drama and mystery
A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he's investigating.
10
No Way Out (1987)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
Navy Lt. Tom Farrell meets a young woman, Susan Atwell, and they share a passionate fling. Farrell then finds out that his superior, Defense Secretary David Brice, is also romantically involved with Atwell. When the…
11
Death on the Nile (1978)
★ 7.2/10Also mystery
As Hercule Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile, a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board and every elegant passenger becomes a prime suspect.
12
Murder, My Sweet (1944)
★ 7.2/10Also mystery and drama
After being hired to find an ex-con's former girlfriend, Philip Marlowe is drawn into a deeply complex web of mystery and deceit.
13
Appointment with Death (1988)
★ 6.1/10Also mystery and drama
Emily Boynton, the stepmother to three children, blackmails the family lawyer into destroying a second will of her late husband that would have freed the children from her dominating influence. She takes herself, the…
14
Agatha and the Midnight Murders (2020)
★ 6.2/10Also mystery and drama
As bombs fall on London, writer Agatha Christie decides it is time to kill off her most famous creation.
15
Night Moves (1975)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
Private detective and former football player Harry Moseby gets hired on to what seems a standard missing person case - a former Hollywood actress wants Moseby to find and return her daughter. Harry travels to Florida…
16
The Pearl of Death (1944)
★ 7.1/10Also mystery
The famous Borgia Pearl, a valuable gem with a history of bringing murder and misfortune to its owner since the days of the Borgias, is brought to London, thanks in part to Sherlock Holmes. But before long the jewel is…
17
The Bourne Identity (2002)
★ 7.5/10Also mystery
Wounded to the brink of death and suffering from amnesia, Jason Bourne is rescued at sea by a fisherman. With nothing to go on but a Swiss bank account number, he starts to reconstruct his life, but finds that many…
18
Shanghai (2010)
★ 6.1/10Also drama and mystery
An American man returns to a corrupt, Japanese-occupied Shanghai four months before Pearl Harbor and discovers his friend has been killed. While he unravels the mysteries of the death, he falls in love and discovers a…
19
Mississippi Burning (1988)
★ 7.7/10Also drama and mystery
Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in…
20
The Mirror Crack'd (1980)
★ 6.1/10Also mystery
Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.