Movies Like Desperate (1947)

Desperate is a 1947 crime, thriller film from Anthony Mann with a MovieMagicScore of 6.5/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with White Heat and He Ran All the Way.

Crime Thriller

White Heat

1949

A psychopathic criminal with a mother complex makes a daring break from prison and then leads his old gang in a chemical plant payroll heist. After the heist, events take a crazy turn.

7.6

MagicScore

He Ran All the Way

1951

A crook on the run hides out in an innocent girl's apartment.

7.2

MagicScore

Hunted

1952

An unexpected bond develops between a fugitive killer and a runaway orphan on an odyssey across England.

6.8

MagicScore

Woman on the Run

1950

Frank Johnson, a sole witness to a gangland murder, goes into hiding and is trailed by Police Inspector Ferris, on the theory that Frank is trying to escape from possible retaliation. Frank's wife, Eleanor, suspects he is actually running away from their unsuccessful marriage. Aided by a newspaperman, Danny Leggett, Eleanor sets out to locate her husband. The killer is also looking for him, and keeps close tabs on Eleanor.

6.7

MagicScore

They Made Me a Fugitive

1947

After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.

6.6

MagicScore

Shockproof

1949

Jenny Marsh, recently released from prison for killing a man, finds herself under the watchful eye of her parole officer, Griff Marat, who helps her secure a job caring for his ailing mother.

6.4

MagicScore

I Died a Thousand Times

1955

After aging criminal Roy Earle is released from prison he decides to pull one last heist before retiring — by robbing a resort hotel.

6.1

MagicScore

Storm Fear

1955

A wounded bank robber takes over his brother's home.

6.0

MagicScore

The Asphalt Jungle

1950

Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar "Doc" Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo Emmerich, a crooked lawyer, gathers a small group of veteran criminals together in the Midwest for a big jewel heist.

7.5

MagicScore

#10

The 39 Steps

1935

Richard Hanney has a rude awakening when a glamorous female spy falls into his bed - with a knife in her back. Having a bit of trouble explaining it all to Scotland Yard, he heads for the hills of Scotland to try to clear his name by locating the spy ring known as The 39 Steps.

7.3

MagicScore

#11

High Sierra

1941

Given a pardon from jail, Roy Earle gets back into the swing of things as he robs a swanky resort.

7.1

MagicScore

#12

Act of Violence

1949

A former prisoner of war, Frank Enley is hailed as a hero in his California town. However, Frank has a shameful secret that comes back to haunt him when fellow survivor Joe Parkson emerges, intent on making Frank pay for his past deeds.

6.9

MagicScore

#13

They Live by Night

1949

An escaped convict, injured during a robbery, falls in love with the woman who nurses him back to health, but their relationship seems doomed from the beginning.

6.9

MagicScore

#14

Where Danger Lives

1950

A young doctor falls in love with a disturbed young woman and apparently becomes involved in the death of her husband. They head for Mexico trying to outrun the law.

6.4

MagicScore

#15

Lady Killer

1933

An ex-gang member tries to resist his old cohorts' criminal influence after he suddenly becomes a Hollywood movie star.

6.8

MagicScore

#16

Nuns on the Run

1990

Brian and Charlie work for a gangster. When the boss learns they want to "leave" he sets them up to be killed, after they help rob the local Triads of their drug dealing profits. Brian and Charlie decides to steal the money for themselves, but when their escape doesn't go to plan, they have to seek refuge in a Nuns' teacher training school.

5.8

MagicScore

#17

Made Men

1999

A man and a woman are on the run from gangsters whom he has stolen $12.5 million. When the gangsters show up, he takes them supposedly to where the money is hidden but instead leads them into a trap at a backwoods crystal-meth factory. The gangsters and the drug dealers start a shoot-out for unknown reasons and both go gunning for Belushi. Meanwhile an unscrupulous cop is secretly having an affair with the girl friend and planning to make off with the money.

5.1

MagicScore

#18

Touch of Evil

1958

When a car bomb explodes on the American side of the U.S./Mexico border, Mexican drug enforcement agent Miguel Vargas begins his investigation, along with American police captain Hank Quinlan. When Vargas begins to suspect that Quinlan and his shady partner, Menzies, are planting evidence to frame an innocent man, his investigations into their possible corruption quickly put himself and his new bride, Susie, in jeopardy.

7.8

MagicScore

#19

The Big Heat

1953

After the suspicious suicide of a fellow cop, tough homicide detective Dave Bannion takes the law into his own hands when he sets out to smash a vicious crime syndicate.

7.7

MagicScore

#20

The Killing

1956

Career criminal Johnny Clay recruits a sharpshooter, a crooked police officer, a bartender and a betting teller named George, among others, for one last job before he goes straight and gets married. But when George tells his restless wife about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.

7.6

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Desperate?

The top films similar to Desperate by MovieMagicScore are White Heat (7.6), He Ran All the Way (7.2), Hunted (6.8). Each shares crime/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Desperate worth watching?

Desperate holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.5/10 from 34 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Desperate?

Desperate (1947) is a crime, thriller film directed by Anthony Mann, starring Steve Brodie, Audrey Long, Raymond Burr.

Where can I find more recommendations like Desperate?

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 White Heat Movies like He Ran All the Way Movies like Hunted Movies like Woman on the Run Movies like They Made Me a Fugitive Movies like Shockproof

About movies like Desperate

This ranked list pairs Desperate (1947), a crime and thriller film from Anthony Mann, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Steve Brodie 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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