Movies Like They Drive by Night (1940)

They Drive by Night is a 1940 crime, drama, thriller film from Raoul Walsh with a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Roadgames and Reaper.

Crime Drama Thriller

Roadgames

1981

A truck driver plays a cat-and-mouse game with a mysterious serial killer in a van who lures young female hitchhiker victims on a desolate Australian highway.

6.5

MagicScore

Reaper

2014

Criminals and a beautiful but cunning hitchhiker must battle a supernatural force known as the Reaper.

5.4

MagicScore

Thieves' Highway

1949

Nick Garcos comes back from his tour of duty in World War II planning to settle down with his girlfriend, Polly Faber. He learns, however, that his father was recently beaten and burglarized by mob-connected trucker Mike Figlia, and Nick resolves to get even. He partners with prostitute Rica, and together they go after Mike, all the while getting pulled further into the local crime underworld.

7.2

MagicScore

Hell Drivers

1957

An ex-con trying to go clean ends up working for a crooked trucking company swindling money.

6.7

MagicScore

The Hitch-Hiker

1953

Roy and Gilbert's fishing trip takes a terrifying turn when the hitchhiker they pick up turns out to be a sociopath on the run from the law. He's killed before, and he lets the two know that as soon as they're no longer useful, he'll kill again. The two friends plot an escape, but the hitchhiker's peculiar physical affliction, an eye that never closes even when he sleeps, makes it impossible for them to tell when they can make a break for it.

6.8

MagicScore

Detour

1945

The life of Al Roberts, a pianist in a New York nightclub, turns into a nightmare when he decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles to visit his girlfriend.

7.2

MagicScore

Kiss Me Deadly

1955

One evening, Hammer gives a ride to Christina, an attractive hitchhiker on a lonely country road, who has escaped from the nearby lunatic asylum. Thugs waylay them and force his car to crash. When Hammer returns to semi-consciousness, he hears Christina being tortured until she dies. Hammer, both for vengeance and in hopes that "something big" is behind it all, decides to pursue the case.

7.2

MagicScore

The Devil Thumbs a Ride

1947

Steve Morgan kills a man in a holdup and hitches a ride to Los Angeles with Fergie. At a gas station, they pick up two women. Encountering a roadblock, Morgan takes over and persuades the party to spend the night at an unoccupied beach house. The police close in as one by one, the others learn that Morgan is a killer.

6.5

MagicScore

Breakdown

1997

On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff and Amy Taylor, experience car trouble after their SUV breaks down. Stranded in the New Mexico desert, the two catch a break when a passing truck driver offers Amy a ride to a nearby café to call for help. Meanwhile, Jeff is able to fix the car and make his way to the café, but Amy isn't there. He tracks down the trucker ― who tells the police he's never seen Jeff or his wife before. Jeff then begins a desperate, frenzied search for Amy.

6.9

MagicScore

#10

Paradise Highway

2022

A truck driver has been forced to smuggle illicit cargo to save her brother from a deadly prison gang. With FBI operatives hot on her trail, Sally's conscience is challenged when the final package turns out to be a teenage girl.

5.9

MagicScore

#11

The Long Haul

1957

An American ex-GI takes a job as a truck driver to support his British war bride Connie. It isn't long, however, before Harry is blackmailed into joining a smuggling operation run by a conniving criminal.

5.7

MagicScore

#12

Thelma & Louise

1991

Taking a break from their dreary lives, close friends Thelma and Louise embark on a short weekend trip that ends in unforeseen incriminating circumstances. As fugitives, both women rediscover the strength of their bond and their newfound resilience.

7.6

MagicScore

#13

Vanishing Point

1971

Kowalski works for a car delivery service, and takes delivery of a 1970 Dodge Challenger to drive from Colorado to San Francisco. Shortly after pickup, he takes a bet to get the car there in less than 15 hours.

7.1

MagicScore

#14

Freeway

1996

Following the arrest of her mother, Ramona, young Vanessa Lutz decides to go in search of her estranged grandmother. On the way, she is given a ride by school counselor Bob Wolverton. During the journey, Lutz begins to realize that Bob is the notorious I-5 Killer and manages to escape by shooting him several times. Wounded but still very much alive, Bob pursues Lutz across the state in this modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

6.5

MagicScore

#15

He Went That Way

2024

Set in 1964, a three-day journey along Route 66 begins when Bobby Falls, a 19-year-old serial killer, hitches a ride with Jim Goodwin, a celebrity animal handler travelling with his precious cargo: his TV chimpanzee, Spanky.

5.4

MagicScore

#16

Veteran

2015

When an old collaborator gets severely injured, a veteran policeman tries to figure out the way to bring to justice the ultimately suspected aggressor, a spoiled young executive, heir to a mega corporation, who believes he is above the law.

6.9

MagicScore

#17

City for Conquest

1940

The heartbreaking but hopeful tale of Danny Kenny and Peggy Nash, two sweethearts who meet and struggle through their impoverished lives in New York City. When Peggy, hoping for something better in life for both of them, breaks off her engagement to Danny, he sets out to be a championship boxer, while she becomes a dancer paired with a sleazy partner. Will tragedy reunite the former lovers?

6.8

MagicScore

#18

Dangerous Obsession

2004

An Argentine truck driver is on a routine trip through Rio de Janeiro when he meets a mysterious countryman. They travel back to Argentina together, meeting a beautiful Brazilian journalist on the way. The truck driver has revenge on his mind, and both the adventurous young man, and the gorgeous girl join him in this venture. The only thing the three have in common are their obsession for honor and justice.

6.7

MagicScore

#19

Joy Ride

2001

Three young people on a road trip from Colorado to New Jersey talk to a trucker on their CB radio, then must escape when he turns out to be a psychotic killer.

6.5

MagicScore

#20

Hi-Jack Highway

1955

A trucker encounters a dead body on the road home. He reports the incident to the police, who suspect that Jean was responsible for the death, and his new truck is impounded. To make matters worse, the man's widow accuses him of having robbed her husband, and a gang of sinister crooks are also harassing him.

6.4

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like They Drive by Night?

The top films similar to They Drive by Night by MovieMagicScore are Roadgames (6.5), Reaper (5.4), Thieves' Highway (7.2). Each shares crime/drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is They Drive by Night worth watching?

They Drive by Night holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10 from 125 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is They Drive by Night?

They Drive by Night (1940) is a crime, drama, thriller film directed by Raoul Walsh, starring George Raft, Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino.

Where can I find more recommendations like They Drive by Night?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more crime recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Roadgames Movies like Reaper Movies like Thieves' Highway Movies like Hell Drivers Movies like The Hitch-Hiker Movies like Detour

About movies like They Drive by Night

This ranked list pairs They Drive by Night (1940), a crime and drama and thriller film from Raoul Walsh, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of George Raft take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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