Movies Like While the City Sleeps (1956)

While the City Sleeps is a 1956 drama, thriller film from Fritz Lang with a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Ace in the Hole and Shakedown.

Drama Thriller

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

Shakedown

1950

Jack Early is a photographer who will stop at nothing to climb his way to the very top of the success ladder. On the strength of his sheer tenacity, he gets a job with a major newspaper, and it's not long before he's made a name for himself by charming a notorious crime boss, Nick Palmer, into allowing himself to be photographed. Palmer takes him under his wing, but Early decides to bite the hand that feeds him and sets Palmer and another crime boss, Colton, against one another.

6.2

MagicScore

Sweet Smell of Success

1957

New York City newspaper writer J.J. Hunsecker holds considerable sway over public opinion with his Broadway column, but one thing that he can't control is his younger sister, Susan, who is in a relationship with aspiring jazz guitarist Steve Dallas. Hunsecker strongly disapproves of the romance and recruits publicist Sidney Falco to find a way to split the couple, no matter how ruthless the method.

7.6

MagicScore

The Underworld Story

1950

A blacklisted reporter brings his shady ways to a small-town newspaper after being fired from a big city daily.

6.1

MagicScore

I Walk Alone

1947

Bootleggers on the lam Frankie and Noll split up to evade capture by the police. Frankie is caught and jailed, but Noll manages to escape and open a posh New York City nightclub. 14 years later, Frankie is released from the clink and visits Noll with the intention of collecting his half of the nightclub's profits. But Noll, who has no intention of being so equitable, uses his ex-girlfriend Kay to divert Frankie from his intended goal.

6.5

MagicScore

The Killer That Stalked New York

1950

In New York, Sheila Bennet and her spouse, Matt Krane, are trying to unload a trove of rare jewels they smuggled into America from Cuba, but the police are hot on the couple's trail. Meanwhile, government officials begin a desperate search for an unknown individual who is infecting the city with smallpox.

6.1

MagicScore

Shoot to Kill

1947

A gritty crime story involving a newspaper man and crooked politicians.

4.7

MagicScore

House of Horrors

1946

An unsuccessful sculptor saves a madman named "The Creeper" from drowning. Seeing an opportunity for revenge, he tricks the psycho into murdering his critics.

6.0

MagicScore

High and Low

1963

A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.

8.4

MagicScore

#10

The Night of the Hunter

1955

In Depression-era West Virginia, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.

7.9

MagicScore

#11

Elevator to the Gallows

1958

A self-assured businessman murders his employer, the husband of his mistress, which unintentionally provokes an ill-fated chain of events.

7.6

MagicScore

#12

Eyes Without a Face

1960

Dr. Génessier is riddled with guilt after an accident that he caused disfigures the face of his daughter, the once beautiful Christiane, who outsiders believe is dead. Dr. Génessier, along with accomplice and laboratory assistant Louise, kidnaps young women and brings them to the Génessier mansion. After rendering his victims unconscious, Dr. Génessier removes their faces and attempts to graft them on to Christiane's.

7.6

MagicScore

#13

Stray Dog

1949

A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded bus. Desperate to right the wrong, he goes undercover, scavenging Tokyo’s sweltering streets for the stray dog whose desperation has led him to a life of crime. With each step, cop and criminal’s lives become more intertwined and the investigation becomes an examination of Murakami’s own dark side.

7.5

MagicScore

#14

The Enforcer

1951

After years of investigation, Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson has managed to build a solid case against an elusive gangster whose top lieutenant is about to testify.

7.1

MagicScore

#15

Nightmare Alley

1947

Roustabout Stanton Carlisle joins a traveling carny and unsuccessfully schemes to figure out the mind-reading act of Mademoiselle Zeena and her alcoholic husband, Pete.

7.1

MagicScore

#16

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

1946

Three childhood friends, Martha, Walter and Sam, share a terrible secret. Over time, the ambitious Martha and the pusillanimous Walter have married. She is a cold businesswoman; he is the district attorney: a perfect combination to dominate the corrupt city of Iverstown at will. But the unexpected return of Sam, after years of absence, deeply disturbs the life of the odd couple.

7.1

MagicScore

#17

The Postman Always Rings Twice

1946

A married woman and a drifter fall in love, then plot to murder her husband.

7.0

MagicScore

#18

Reign of Terror

1949

The French Revolution, 1794. The Marquis de Lafayette asks Charles D'Aubigny to infiltrate the Jacobin Party to overthrow Maximilian Robespierre, who, after gaining supreme power and establishing a reign of terror ruled by death, now intends to become the dictator of France.

6.9

MagicScore

#19

Brighton Rock

1948

Centring on the activities of a gang of assorted criminals and, in particular, their leader – a vicious young hoodlum known as "Pinkie" – the film's main thematic concern is the criminal underbelly evident in inter-war Brighton.

6.8

MagicScore

#20

The Suspect

1945

Genial shopkeeper Philip has to endure the constant nagging of a shrewish wife while he secretly yearns for a pretty young stenographer. When the henpecking gets to be too much, Philip murders his wife and manages to make her death look like an accident. A ruthless blackmailer and a low-key detective both discover Philip's secret, and he has to decide which of them poses the more dangerous threat.

6.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like While the City Sleeps?

The top films similar to While the City Sleeps by MovieMagicScore are Ace in the Hole (7.9), Shakedown (6.2), Sweet Smell of Success (7.6). Each shares drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is While the City Sleeps worth watching?

While the City Sleeps holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.9/10 from 137 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is While the City Sleeps?

While the City Sleeps (1956) is a drama, thriller film directed by Fritz Lang, starring Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, George Sanders.

Where can I find more recommendations like While the City Sleeps?

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

Keep exploring

Movies like Ace in the Hole Movies like Shakedown Movies like Sweet Smell of Success Movies like The Underworld Story Movies like I Walk Alone Movies like The Killer That Stalked New York

About movies like While the City Sleeps

This ranked list pairs While the City Sleeps (1956), a drama and thriller film from Fritz Lang, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Dana Andrews 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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