Movies Like State of Play (2009)

State of Play is a 2009 crime, mystery, thriller film from Kevin Macdonald with a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Absolute Power and Zodiac.

Crime Mystery Thriller

Absolute Power

1997

A master thief coincidentally is robbing a house where a murder—in which the President of the United States is involved—occurs in front of his eyes. He is forced to run, while holding evidence that could convict the President.

6.7

MagicScore

Zodiac

2007

The Zodiac murders cause the lives of Paul Avery, David Toschi and Robert Graysmith to intersect.

7.5

MagicScore

Wag the Dog

1997

During the final weeks of a presidential race, the President is accused of sexual misconduct. To distract the public until the election, the President's adviser hires a Hollywood producer to help him stage a fake war.

6.9

MagicScore

All the President's Men

1976

During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.

7.7

MagicScore

Z

1969

Amid a tense political climate, the opposition leader is killed in an apparent accident. When a prosecutor smells a cover-up, witnesses get targeted. A thinly veiled dramatization of the assassination of Greek politician Grigoris Lambrakis and its aftermath, “Z” captures the outrage at the US-backed junta that ruled Greece at the time of its release.

7.8

MagicScore

Knock Down the House

2019

In 2018, a young bartender in the Bronx, a coal miner’s daughter in West Virginia, a grieving mother in Nevada and a registered nurse in Missouri join a movement of insurgent candidates challenging powerful incumbents in Congress. Without political experience or corporate money, these four women are attempting to do what many consider impossible.

7.2

MagicScore

The Post

2017

A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government. Inspired by true events.

7.0

MagicScore

State of the Union

1948

An industrialist is urged to run for President, but this requires uncomfortable compromises on both political and marital levels.

6.6

MagicScore

The Parallax View

1974

An ambitious reporter gets in trouble while investigating a senator's assassination which leads to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational corporation behind every event in the world's headlines.

6.8

MagicScore

#10

Murder at 1600

1997

A secretary is found dead in a White House bathroom during an international crisis, and Detective Harlan Regis is in charge of the investigation. Despite resistance from the Secret Service, Regis partners with agent Nina Chance. As political tensions rise, they learn that the crime could be part of an elaborate cover-up. Framed as traitors, the pair, plus Regis' partner, break into the White House in order to expose the true culprit.

6.1

MagicScore

#11

Conspiracy Theory

1997

A man obsessed with conspiracy theories becomes a target after one of his theories turns out to be true. Unfortunately, in order to save himself, he has to figure out which theory it is.

6.6

MagicScore

#12

Goodbye Lover

1999

Police investigate when a man having an affair with his brother's wife disappears suddenly.

5.6

MagicScore

#13

An American Affair

2008

In the early 1960s, teenager Adam Stafford (Cameron Bright) becomes obsessed with his new neighbor, Catherine Caswell (Gretchen Mol), a divorcée and free spirit. Stafford spies on Caswell as she meets with strange men, and, despite the warnings of his conservative parents, he begins working for her as a gardener. Amid rumors of her affair with President Kennedy, the two become close, but political intrigue surrounding her acquaintances soon infringes on their friendship.

5.9

MagicScore

#14

Bulworth

1998

A suicidally disillusioned liberal politician puts a contract out on himself and takes the opportunity to be bluntly honest with his voters by affecting the rhythms and speech of hip-hop music and culture.

6.3

MagicScore

#15

Memories of Murder

2003

During the late 1980s, two detectives in a South Korean province attempt to solve series of gruesome rape-and-murder of young women.

8.1

MagicScore

#16

Recount

2008

In 2000, the election of the U.S. Presidential boiled down to a few precious votes in the state of Florida — and a recount that would add "hanging chad" to every American's vocabulary.

6.8

MagicScore

#17

Spotlight

2015

The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

7.8

MagicScore

#18

Vice

2018

George W. Bush picks Dick Cheney, the CEO of Halliburton Co., to be his Republican running mate in the 2000 presidential election. No stranger to politics, Cheney's impressive résumé includes stints as White House chief of staff, House Minority Whip and Defense Secretary. When Bush wins by a narrow margin, Cheney begins to use his newfound power to help reshape the country and the world.

7.0

MagicScore

#19

Rising Sun

1993

When a prostitute is found dead in a Los Angeles skyscraper occupied by a large Japanese corporation, detectives John Connor and Web Smith are called in to investigate. Although Connor has previous experience working in Japan, cultural differences make their progress difficult until a security disc showing the murder turns up. Close scrutiny proves the disc has been doctored, and the detectives realize they're dealing with a cover-up as well.

6.1

MagicScore

#20

The Contender

2000

The vice president is dead, and as the president makes his choice for a replacement, a secret contest of wills is being waged by a formidable rival. When Senator Laine Hanson is nominated as the first woman in history to hold the office, hidden agendas explode into a battle for power.

6.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like State of Play?

The top films similar to State of Play by MovieMagicScore are Absolute Power (6.7), Zodiac (7.5), Wag the Dog (6.9). Each shares crime/mystery/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is State of Play worth watching?

State of Play holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10 from 2,049 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is State of Play?

State of Play (2009) is a crime, mystery, thriller film directed by Kevin Macdonald, starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams.

Where can I find more recommendations like State of Play?

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 Absolute Power Movies like Zodiac Movies like Wag the Dog Movies like All the President's Men Movies like Z Movies like Knock Down the House

About movies like State of Play

This ranked list pairs State of Play (2009), a crime and mystery and thriller film from Kevin Macdonald, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Russell Crowe 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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