Movies Like Castle in the Desert
If you liked Castle in the Desert (1942), a crime and mystery movie directed by Harry Lachman, 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
Crooked House (2017)
★ 6.4/10Also mystery and crimeA private investigator helps a former flame solve the murder of her wealthy grandfather, who lived in a sprawling estate surrounded by his idiosyncratic family.
- 2
Cleaner (2007)
★ 6.1/10Also crime and thrillerSingle 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
All the Devils Are Here (2025)
★ 6.2/10Also crime and mysteryAfter 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.
- 4
L.A. Confidential (1997)
★ 7.8/10Also crime and mysteryThree detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner.
- 5
The Black Book (2023)
★ 6.7/10Also mystery and thrillerAfter his son is wrongly accused of kidnapping, a deacon who has just lost his wife takes matters into his own hands and fights a crooked police gang to clear him.
- 6
Cult Killer (2024)
★ 6.4/10Also mystery and thrillerA private investigator is forced into a dangerous alliance with a killer in order to uncover a quiet town’s grisly criminal underbelly and clear the name of her mentor, who is implicated in the crimes.
- 7
The Two Jakes (1990)
★ 6/10Also crime and mysteryReal estate developer Jake Berman hires private investigator and war veteran Jake Gittes for some run-of-the-mill matrimonial work. After Berman shoots his wife's lover, who happens to be his business partner, Gittes…
- 8
Suburbicon (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and crimeIn 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…
- 9
Lady in the Lake (1946)
★ 6.1/10Also mystery and thrillerPrivate eye Phillip Marlowe wants to get out of the detective racket and into crime writing. But when he's called to the office of editor Adrienne Fromsett, it's not to talk about his story ideas — she wants him to…
- 10
The Virtuoso (2021)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and crimeDanger, deception and murder descend upon a sleepy town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic boss.
- 11
Striking Distance (1993)
★ 5.9/10Also crime and mysteryDemoted 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.
- 12
Death on the Nile (2022)
★ 6.4/10Also mystery and crimeBelgian sleuth Hercule Poirot's Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple's idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short.
- 13
Walking Tall: Lone Justice (2007)
★ 5.8/10Also thriller and crimeIn 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…
- 14
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
★ 7.4/10Also thriller and crimeSuper-assassin John Wick returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John…
- 15
The Whisper Man (2026)
★ 6.8/10Also crime and thrillerWhen his young son vanishes, a widower enlists help from his estranged father, a retired detective who put away the serial killer now linked to the case.
- 16
Shaft (2019)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and mysteryJJ, aka John Shaft Jr., may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s…
- 17
12 Rounds 3: Lockdown (2015)
★ 6/10Also thriller and crimeDetective Shaw returns to active duty after the death of his partner. When he uncovers evidence linking his fellow officers to a murder, they frame him for a homicide he didn't commit. Trapped in his own precinct, Shaw…
- 18
The Night Strangler (1973)
★ 6.7/10Also mystery and crimeAfter being run out of Las Vegas, reporter Carl Kolchak heads for Seattle and another reporting job with the local paper. It's not long before he’s on the trail of another string of bizarre murders. It seems that every…
- 19
Mechanic: Resurrection (2016)
★ 6.1/10Also crime and thrillerArthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he…
- 20
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)
★ 7.2/10Also thriller and mysteryWhen young priest Jud Duplenticy is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack…