Movies Like Acts of Violence
If you liked Acts of Violence (1985), a documentary and crime movie directed by Imre Horvath, 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
The Killing of America (1981)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary and crimeA documentary of the decline of America, composed of archival material and exclusive footage, carnage, madness, and mayhem with an unapologetic sincerity on the factual depiction of violence in the industrialized…
- 2
Voyeur (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also documentary and crimeLegendary journalist Gay Talese unmasks a motel owner who spied on his guests for decades. But his bombshell story soon becomes a scandal of its own.
- 3
Ted Bundy: Mind of a Monster (2019)
★ 7.6/10Also crime and documentaryNew exclusive access and never before heard testimony gives a unique insight into the mind of America's most notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy. Breathtaking archive from the time and the voice of Bundy himself…
- 4
O.J.: Made in America (2016)
★ 8.4/10Also documentary and crimeA chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
- 5
A Toxic Love Story (2026)
★ 6.4/10Also documentaryA string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
- 6
The Crash (2026)
★ 6.8/10Also documentary and crimeA teen slams her car into a building, killing her boyfriend and his friend. What seems like a tragic accident becomes a murder case.
- 7
Narco Cultura (2013)
★ 7/10Also crime and documentaryTo a growing number of Mexicans and Latinos in the Americas, narco-traffickers have become iconic outlaws and the new models of fame and success. They represent a pathway out of the ghetto, nurturing a new American…
- 8
Maternal Instinct (2026)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary and crimePolice pull over a woman who claims she just gave birth. But the baby — and the blood — aren't hers. Twisted lies unravel in this true-crime documentary.
- 9
Nail Bomber: Manhunt (2021)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and documentaryThis documentary examines the 1999 London bombings that targeted Black, Bangladeshi and gay communities, and the race to find the far-right perpetrator. He terrorized a city, seeking to ignite a race war but justice…
- 10
Out of Thin Air (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also documentary and crimeSet within the stark Icelandic landscape, OUT OF THIN AIR examines the 1976 police investigation into the disappearance of two men in the early 1970s.
- 11
Why Did You Kill Me? (2021)
★ 5.9/10Also documentary and crimeThe line between justice and revenge blurs when a devastated family uses social media to track down the people who killed 24-year-old Crystal Theobald.
- 12
The Menendez Brothers (2024)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryServing life in prison for murdering their parents, Lyle and Erik Menendez speak out in this documentary explaining the shocking crime and ensuing trials.
- 13
The Mystery of D.B. Cooper (2020)
★ 6.3/10Also documentary and crimeThis documentary brings to life the stories of four people believed by their family and friends to be “DB Cooper,” a man who hijacked a 727 flying out of Seattle and jumped from the plane over the wilds of Washington…
- 14
Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers (2025)
★ 7/10Also documentary and crimeAileen Wuornos remains a rarity: a female serial killer. From childhood abuse to death-row revelations, this documentary revisits her life and crimes.
- 15
Room 237 (2012)
★ 6.1/10Also documentaryA subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation…
- 16
Tales of the Grim Sleeper (2014)
★ 6.3/10Also crime and documentaryWhen Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested in South Central Los Angeles in 2010 as the suspected murderer of a string of young black women, police hailed it as the culmination of 20 years of investigations. Four years later…
- 17
13th (2016)
★ 7.8/10Also documentaryAn in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
- 18
Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2009)
★ 6.6/10Also documentaryWith a first-person look at the notorious Crips and Bloods, this film examines the conditions that have lead to decades of devastating gang violence among young African Americans growing up in South Los Angeles.
- 19
All the Empty Rooms (2025)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryA journalist and a photographer set out to memorialize the bedrooms left behind by children killed in school shootings.
- 20
Chaos: The Manson Murders (2025)
★ 6.1/10Also documentary and crimeIn August 1969, Charles Manson's followers killed seven people on his orders. Why? Explore a conspiracy of mind control, CIA experiments, and murder.