Movies Like The Cardinal Rule

If you liked The Cardinal Rule (2018), a movie directed by Chaun Pinkston, 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
Trapped (2002)
★ 6.2/10
Held hostage in different cities after their daughter is kidnapped by a master extortionist, a desperate couple must find a way to outsmart a seemingly foolproof plot.
2
Proof of Life (2000)
★ 6.2/10
When Peter Bowman, an American engineer working in a South American country, is captured by anti-government forces, the rebels learn his identity and demand $5 million for his safe return. However, his US employer is…
3
The Runner (2026)
★ 6.7/10
Maia Marten, a brilliant London lawyer, has her life shattered by a single call on her morning run: her son has been taken. To get him back, she must keep running, obey every ruthless command, and trust no one-each…
4
Adulterers (2016)
★ 6.2/10
On a steamy New Orleans afternoon, Sam Deuprey decides to surprise his beautiful wife, Ashley, for their anniversary and comes home early. But Ashley is not alone in the bedroom. She and her lover, Damien are about to…
5
Gone Girl (2014)
★ 7.9/10
With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.
6
Close (2019)
★ 6/10
A counter-terrorism expert takes a job protecting a young heiress. After an attempted kidnapping puts both of their lives in danger, they must flee.
7
All the Money in the World (2017)
★ 6.5/10
The story of the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother to convince his billionaire grandfather Jean Paul Getty to pay the ransom.
8
...And Justice for All (1979)
★ 7.1/10
An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer disgusted with rampant legal corruption is forced to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial under the threat of being disbarred.
9
Cleveland Abduction (2015)
★ 7.3/10
A single mother becomes Ariel Castro's first kidnapping victim, and finds herself trapped in his home with two other women for 11 years.
10
Panic Room (2002)
★ 6.8/10
Trapped in their New York brownstone's panic room, a hidden chamber built as a sanctuary in the event of break-ins, newly divorced Meg Altman and her young daughter Sarah play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with three…
11
Tyler Perry's Duplicity (2025)
★ 6.6/10
High-powered attorney Marley faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the murder of her best friend Fela’s husband. With the help of her boyfriend – a former cop turned…
12
Deception (2008)
★ 6/10
As a corporate auditor who works in a number of different offices, Jonathan McQuarry wanders without an anchor among New York's power brokers. A chance meeting with charismatic lawyer Wyatt Bose leads to Jonathan's…
13
The Marine 6: Close Quarters (2018)
★ 6.8/10
Jake Carter and another former Marine, Luke Trapper, join forces to rescue a young kidnapped girl from a gang of international criminals.
14
Play Dead (2025)
★ 6.3/10
A woman wakes up injured in a basement surrounded by corpses. To survive, she pretends to be dead while a grotesque ritual unfolds in the house above.
15
Fracture (2007)
★ 7.3/10
A husband is on trial for the attempted murder of his wife, in what is seemingly an open/shut case for the ambitious district attorney trying to put him away. However, there are surprises for both around every corner…
16
Dead Man Down (2013)
★ 6.2/10
In New York City, a crime lord's right-hand man is seduced by a woman seeking retribution.
17
Heatwave (2022)
★ 6.2/10
A woman's life takes an unexpected turn when she falls for her boss's wife. She must soon defend herself as she becomes entangled in a web of malice.
18
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
★ 6.9/10
After her fiance is falsely imprisoned, a pregnant African-American woman sets out to clear his name and prove his innocence.
19
The Age of Innocence (1993)
★ 7/10
In 19th century New York high society, a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman's cousin.
20
Closed Circuit (2013)
★ 5.9/10
A high-profile terrorism case unexpectedly binds together two ex-lovers on the defense team - testing the limits of their loyalties and placing their lives in jeopardy.