Movies Like The Initiate

If you liked The Initiate (1998), a thriller and mystery movie directed by Chad Etchison, 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 Ritual Killer (2023)
★ 5.8/10Also mystery and thriller
Unable to process the death of his daughter, Detective Boyd embarks on a hunt for a serial killer who murders according to a brutal tribal ritual: Muti. The only person who can help Boyd is Professor Mackles, an…
2
Cleaner (2007)
★ 6.1/10Also thriller and mystery
Single father and former cop Tom Cutler has an unusual occupation: he cleans up death scenes. But when he's called in to sterilize a wealthy suburban residence after a brutal shooting, Cutler is shocked to learn he may…
3
The Virtuoso (2021)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller
Danger, deception and murder descend upon a sleepy town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic boss.
4
The Seven-Ups (1973)
★ 6.3/10Also thriller and mystery
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
All the Devils Are Here (2025)
★ 6.2/10Also mystery and thriller
After a heist, four criminals lay low in a remote safehouse, waiting for orders. As paranoia builds, one thing becomes clear — the real threat may not be outside, but among them.
6
Body Cam (2020)
★ 6.2/10Also thriller and mystery
As a police officer investigates the gruesome murder of her colleague, she discovers that a mysterious supernatural force is behind it.
7
The Infernal Machine (2022)
★ 6.2/10Also thriller and mystery
Reclusive and controversial author Bruce Cogburn is drawn out of hiding by an obsessive fan, forcing the novelist to confront a past that he thought he could escape, and to account for events set in motion by his…
8
The Mirror Crack'd (1980)
★ 6.1/10Also mystery and thriller
Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.
9
Overdrive (2017)
★ 6.1/10Also thriller and mystery
Master car thieves square off against French gangsters in the South of France with money, women and lives all on the line.
10
Chief of Station (2024)
★ 6.3/10Also thriller
After learning that the death of his wife was not an accident, a former CIA Station Chief is forced back into the espionage underworld, teaming up with an adversary to unravel a conspiracy that challenges everything he…
11
Shimmer Lake (2017)
★ 6/10Also thriller and mystery
Shot in reverse day-by-day through a week—a local sheriff embarks on a quest to unlock the mystery of three small-town criminals and a bank heist gone wrong.
12
Suburbicon (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and mystery
In the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect…
13
Flashback (2021)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and mystery
Frederick Fitzell is living his best life—until he starts having horrific visions of Cindy, a girl who vanished in high school. After reaching out to old friends with whom he used to take a mystery drug called Mercury…
14
The International (2009)
★ 6.3/10Also thriller and mystery
An interpol agent and an attorney are determined to bring one of the world's most powerful banks to justice. Uncovering money laundering, arms trading, and conspiracy to destabilize world governments, their…
15
Righteous Kill (2008)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and mystery
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…
16
In Cold Light (2026)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller
Fresh out of prison, Ava's attempt to reclaim her drug operation collapses when she witnesses a brutal crime, forcing her to flee into a nightmarish underworld where allies are scarce and enemies multiply by the minute.
17
Awake (2007)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller and mystery
While undergoing heart surgery, a man experiences a phenomenon called ‘anesthetic awareness’, which leaves him awake but paralyzed throughout the operation. As various obstacles present themselves, his wife must make…
18
Nocebo (2022)
★ 6/10Also mystery and thriller
A fashion designer suffers from a mysterious illness that puzzles her doctors and frustrates her husband until help arrives in the form of a Filipino caregiver who uses traditional folk healing to reveal a horrifying…
19
Shade (2003)
★ 6.2/10Also thriller
Tiffany, Charlie and Vernon are con artists looking to up the ante from their typical scams. They figure a good way of doing this is taking down Dean "The Dean" Stevens, a well-known cardsharp, in a rigged game…
20
The Locksmith (2023)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and mystery
A thief fresh out of prison, tries to work his way back into the life of his daughter and ex-fiancé. Determined, he is forced to use the skills he has as a gifted locksmith. Things take a tumultuous turn after an…