Movies Like White Sands (1992)

White Sands is a 1992 action, adventure, crime, thriller film from Roger Donaldson with a MovieMagicScore of 5.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Charley Varrick and Love Lies Bleeding.

Action Adventure Crime Thriller

Charley Varrick

1973

Charley Varrick robs a bank in a small town with his friends, but instead of obtaining a small amount of money, they discover they stole a very large amount of money belonging to the mob. Charley must now come up with a plan to not only evade the police but the mob as well.

7.3

MagicScore

Love Lies Bleeding

2024

Reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Las Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.

6.6

MagicScore

Ace in the Hole

1951

An arrogant reporter exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to revitalize his career.

7.9

MagicScore

Them!

1954

As a result of nuclear testing, gigantic, ferocious mutant ants appear in the American desert southwest, and a father-daughter team of entomologists join forces with the state police officer who first discovers their existence, an FBI agent and, eventually, the US Army to eradicate the menace, before it spreads across the continent — and the world.

6.8

MagicScore

Sicario

2015

An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

7.4

MagicScore

No Country for Old Men

2007

Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon dead bodies, $2 million and a hoard of heroin in a Texas desert, but methodical killer Anton Chigurh comes looking for it, with local sheriff Ed Tom Bell hot on his trail. The roles of prey and predator blur as the violent pursuit of money and justice collide.

7.9

MagicScore

Clay Pigeons

1998

Clay is a young man in a small town who witnesses his friend, Earl, kill himself because of the ongoing affair that Clay was having with the man's wife, Amanda. Feeling guilty, Clay now resists the widow when she presses him to continue with the affair. Clay unknowingly befriends a serial killer named Lester Long who murders the widow in an attempt to "help" his "fishing buddy."

6.2

MagicScore

Hickey & Boggs

1972

Two veteran private eyes trigger a criminal reign of terror with their search for a missing girl. | Al Hickey (Cosby) & Frank Boggs (Culp) are two jaded private investigators who get hired to find a missing woman and quickly find themselves submerged in a world of murder and untruths.

5.7

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

The Hitcher

2007

While driving through the New Mexico Desert during a rainy night, college students Jim Halsey and his girlfriend Grace Andrews give a ride to a hitchhiker. While in their car, the stranger proves to be a psychopath threatening the young couple with a knife, but Jim successfully throws him out of the car. This sets off a chain of events that will change all of their lives forever.

5.9

MagicScore

#11

Silverado

1985

Four unwitting heroes cross paths on their journey to the sleepy town of Silverado. Little do they know the town where their family and friends reside has been taken over by a corrupt sheriff and a murderous posse. It's up to the sharp-shooting foursome to save the day, but first they have to break each other out of jail, and learn who their real friends are.

7.0

MagicScore

#12

Eddington

2025

In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.

6.4

MagicScore

#13

Stagecoach

1939

A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo, and learn something about each other in the process.

7.6

MagicScore

#14

The Hills Have Eyes

2006

Based on Wes Craven's 1977 suspenseful cult classic, The Hills Have Eyes is the story of a family road trip that goes terrifyingly awry when the travelers become stranded in a government atomic zone. Miles from nowhere, the Carter family soon realizes the seemingly uninhabited wasteland is actually the breeding ground of a blood-thirsty mutant family...and they are the prey.

6.5

MagicScore

#15

Banshee Chapter

2013

On the trail of a missing friend who had been experimenting with mind-altering drugs, a young journalist - aided by a rogue counter-culture writer, finds herself drawn into the dangerous world of top-secret government chemical research and the mystery of a disturbing radio signal of unknown origin.

5.6

MagicScore

#16

Big Sky

2015

Hazel suffers from a crippling case of agoraphobia - so much so that it causes a rift between her and her mother, Dee. They agree that Hazel will go to a treatment facility to help her deal with her fear, transported by a driver and specialty van from the facility. But when two masked gunmen attack them on the desert road, Hazel has to battle her fears so she and her mother can survive.

4.4

MagicScore

#17

The Last Stand

2013

Ray Owens is sheriff of the quiet US border town of Sommerton Junction after leaving the LAPD following a bungled operation. Following his escape from the FBI, a notorious drug baron, his gang, and a hostage are heading toward Sommerton Junction where the police are preparing to make a last stand to intercept them before they cross the border. Owens is reluctant to become involved but ultimately joins in with the law enforcement efforts.

6.1

MagicScore

#18

Mississippi Burning

1988

Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in FBI school runs up against the small town ways of his partner, a former sheriff.

7.7

MagicScore

#19

Frailty

2002

A mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to kill people who were in fact "demons."

7.0

MagicScore

#20

Dark Country

2009

Two honeymooners rescue a mysterious car crash survivor in the Las Vegas desert. But their decision to save the man becomes increasingly regrettable when he turns on them, forcing the newlyweds to do the unthinkable.

5.4

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like White Sands?

The top films similar to White Sands by MovieMagicScore are Charley Varrick (7.3), Love Lies Bleeding (6.6), Ace in the Hole (7.9). Each shares action/adventure/crime/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is White Sands worth watching?

White Sands holds a MovieMagicScore of 5.9/10 from 174 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is White Sands?

White Sands (1992) is a action, adventure, crime, thriller film directed by Roger Donaldson, starring Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Mickey Rourke.

Where can I find more recommendations like White Sands?

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

Keep exploring

Movies like Charley Varrick Movies like Love Lies Bleeding Movies like Ace in the Hole Movies like Them!Movies like Sicario Movies like No Country for Old Men

About movies like White Sands

This ranked list pairs White Sands (1992), a action and adventure and crime and thriller film from Roger Donaldson, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Willem Dafoe 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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