Movies Like City of Lies (2018)

City of Lies is a 2018 crime, drama, thriller film from Brad Furman with a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Helter Skelter and Killers of the Flower Moon.

Crime Drama Thriller

Helter Skelter

2004

The rise of Charles Manson and his "family," who are responsible for a series of famous murders in the late 1960s. Manson, a magnetic and mysterious man, attracts road-weary single mother Linda Kasabian to join his collection of outcasts on a ranch outside of Los Angeles. After murdering actress Sharon Tate, Manson and his followers are investigated by district attorney Vincent Bugliosi.

5.7

MagicScore

Killers of the Flower Moon

2023

When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one—until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.

7.4

MagicScore

The Good Nurse

2022

Suspicious that her colleague is responsible for a series of mysterious patient deaths, a nurse risks her own life to uncover the truth.

6.9

MagicScore

Kneecap

2024

When fate brings Belfast teacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed "low life scum" Naoise and Liam Óg, the needle drops on a hip-hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish, they lead a movement to save their mother tongue.

7.3

MagicScore

Manhattan

1979

Manhattan explores how the life of a middle-aged television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.

7.7

MagicScore

Kisapmata

1981

A young woman gets married but her authoritarian father refuses to let her out of his sight.

8.1

MagicScore

Woman of the Hour

2024

An aspiring actress crosses paths with a prolific serial killer in '70s LA when they're cast on an episode of "The Dating Game."

6.4

MagicScore

Backyard

2009

Officer Blanca Bravo arrives in Juarez, Mexico — a grim nexus of corporate colonialism and sexual tourism — to investigate a rash of killings targeting female migrant workers. But with no help from the locals, bringing the responsible parties to justice becomes a frustrating exercise. As Bravo rails against indifference and local corruption, she finds herself on a collision course with Mickey Santos, a Mexican mogul with a taste for young prostitutes.

6.3

MagicScore

The Deliberate Stranger

1986

Based on a true story, this film depicts the life of Ted Bundy, the serial killer. In 1974, after having murdered several young women, he leaves Seattle for Utah, where he is a law student and where other girls disappear. It takes the cooperation of a number of police forces to work efficiently on this case. Soon, but not soon enough, the police eliminate endless possibilities and close in on him. Bundy is tried in the media and his good-boy attitude brings him sympathy but also the hatred of many.

6.2

MagicScore

#10

O.J.: Made in America

2016

A chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.

8.4

MagicScore

#11

Bad Therapy

2020

Married couple Bob and Susan Howard decide to see a marriage counselor named Judy Small, who appears trustworthy but harbors dark and conflicted impulses.

4.2

MagicScore

#12

An American Crime

2007

The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s.

7.3

MagicScore

#13

The Scent of the Night

1998

A former policeman turns full-time robber and goes on a downward spiral of crime in 1970s Rome.

7.3

MagicScore

#14

Cleveland Abduction

2015

A single mother becomes Ariel Castro's first kidnapping victim, and finds herself trapped in his home with two other women for 11 years.

7.2

MagicScore

#15

Roofman

2025

A former Army Ranger and struggling father turns to robbing McDonald’s restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname "Roofman." After escaping prison, he secretly lives inside a Toys “R” Us for six months, surviving undetected while planning his next move. But when he falls for a divorced mom drawn to his undeniable charm, his double life begins to unravel, setting off a compelling and suspenseful game of cat and mouse as his past closes in.

7.2

MagicScore

#16

The Red Virgin

2024

Hildegart is conceived and educated by her mother Aurora to be the woman of the future, to become one of the most brilliant minds of Spain in the 1930s and one of the European references on female sexuality.

7.1

MagicScore

#17

Boston Strangler

2023

Reporters Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole bravely pursue the story of the Boston Strangler at great personal risk, putting their own lives on the line in their quest to uncover the truth.

6.6

MagicScore

#18

Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman

2021

Set in a gritty and decadent 1970s America, American Boogeyman follows the elusive and charming killer and the manhunt that brought him to justice involving the detective and the FBI rookie who coined the phrase ‘serial killer’.

6.6

MagicScore

#19

Dillinger

1973

After a shoot-out kills five FBI agents in Kansas City the Bureau target John Dillinger as one of the men to hunt down. Waiting for him to break Federal law they sort out several other mobsters, while Dillinger's bank robbing exploits make him something of a folk hero. Escaping from jail he finds Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson have joined the gang and pretty soon he is Public Enemy Number One. Now the G-men really are after him.

6.5

MagicScore

#20

Bluebeard

1963

Paris, France, during the First World War. While thousands of soldiers die every day on the battlefields, Henri Landru, a seemingly respectable furniture dealer, married and father of four children, relentlessly feeds his own sinister factory of death.

6.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like City of Lies?

The top films similar to City of Lies by MovieMagicScore are Helter Skelter (5.7), Killers of the Flower Moon (7.4), The Good Nurse (6.9). Each shares crime/drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is City of Lies worth watching?

City of Lies holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10 from 651 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is City of Lies?

City of Lies (2018) is a crime, drama, thriller film directed by Brad Furman, starring Johnny Depp, Forest Whitaker, Toby Huss.

Where can I find more recommendations like City of Lies?

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 Helter Skelter Movies like Killers of the Flower Moon Movies like The Good Nurse Movies like Kneecap Movies like Manhattan Movies like Kisapmata

About movies like City of Lies

This ranked list pairs City of Lies (2018), a crime and drama and thriller film from Brad Furman, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Johnny Depp 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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