Movies Like In the Valley of Elah (2007)

In the Valley of Elah is a 2007 crime, drama, history, mystery, thriller film from Paul Haggis with a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Blood and The General's Daughter.

Crime Drama History Mystery Thriller

Blood

2012

When police discover a young girl brutally murdered, brothers Joe Fairburns and Chrissie Fairburns join their supervisor Robert to investigate main suspect Jason Buliegh, a local sex offender and social outcast. Forced to release Jason from police custody, the Fairburns take matters into their own hands in an attempt to coerce a confession.

5.9

MagicScore

The General's Daughter

1999

When the body of Army Capt. Elisabeth Campbell is found on a Georgia military base, two investigators, Warrant Officers Paul Brenner and Sara Sunhill, are ordered to solve her murder. What they uncover is anything but clear-cut. Unseemly details emerge about Campbell's life, leading to allegations of a possible military coverup of her death and the involvement of her father, Lt. Gen. Joseph Campbell.

6.4

MagicScore

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

The Fourth Kind

2009

Since the 1960s, a disproportionate number of the population in and around Nome, Alaska, have gone missing. Despite FBI investigations, the disappearances remain a mystery. Dr. Abigail Tyler, a psychologist, may be on the verge of blowing the unsolved cases wide open when, during the course of treating her patients, she finds evidence of alien abductions.

6.3

MagicScore

Insomnia

1997

Detectives Jonas and Erik are called to the midnight sun country of northern Norway to investigate a recent homicide, but their plan to arrest the killer goes awry, and Jonas mistakenly shoots Erik. The suspect escapes, and a frightened Jonas pins Erik's death on the fugitive. Jonas continues to pursue the killer as he seeks to protect himself; however, his mounting guilt and the omnipresent sun plague him with an insomnia that affects his sanity.

7.0

MagicScore

Insomnia

2002

Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.

7.0

MagicScore

The Lost

2006

A charismatic psycho suspected of killing two innocent campers in a cold-blooded double homicide grows increasingly unstable as his suburban empire starts to crack at the foundations.

5.3

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

The Secret in Their Eyes

2009

Hoping to put to rest years of unease concerning a past case, retired criminal investigator Benjamín begins writing a novel based on the unsolved mystery of a newlywed’s rape and murder. With the help of a former colleague, judge Irene, he attempts to make sense of the past.

8.0

MagicScore

#10

End Game

2006

Alex Thomas was the man in charge of protecting the president but, when the time came to fulfill his duties, everything just went wrong. His conscience haunted by a bullet, and his devotion to his country stronger than ever, Alex teams with a seasoned reporter to navigate a treacherous web of lies, unlocking a dangerous conspiracy, and enter a deadly world in which skilled assassins and highly-trained ex-special ops lurk in every shadow.

5.4

MagicScore

#11

Don't Torture a Duckling

1972

A reporter and a promiscuous young woman try to solve a series of child killings in a remote southern Italian town rife with superstition and a distrust of outsiders.

7.3

MagicScore

#12

Citizen X

1995

Based on the true story of a Russian serial killer who, over many years, claimed victim to over 50 people. His victims were mostly under the age of 17. In what was then a communists state, the police investigations were hampered by bureaucracy, incompetence and those in power. The story is told from the viewpoint of the detective in charge of the case.

7.2

MagicScore

#13

The Rip

2026

Trust frays when a team of Miami cops discovers millions in cash inside a run-down stash house, calling everyone — and everything — into question.

7.1

MagicScore

#14

Tangled

2001

A young man is found bruised, beaten and stumbling down a secluded road. As the police try to piece together what happened, the convoluted relationship between a young woman and her two suitors gradually emerges.

5.3

MagicScore

#15

Bad Lieutenant

1992

While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness.

7.0

MagicScore

#16

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

#17

Stranger by the Lake

2013

Frank spends his summer days hopelessly searching for companionship at a popular cruising spot on the shores of a lake in rural France. One day, he meets Michel, an attractive yet darkly mysterious man and falls blindly in love.

6.3

MagicScore

#18

Lantana

2001

Plagued with grief over the murder of her daughter, Valerie Somers suspects that her husband John is cheating on her. When Valerie disappears, Detective Leon Zat attempts to solve the mystery of her absence. A complex web of love, sex and deceit emerges -- drawing in four related couples whose various partners are distrustful and suspicious about each other's involvement.

6.7

MagicScore

#19

Green for Danger

1946

In the midst of Nazi air raids, a postman dies on the operating table at a rural hospital. But was the death accidental?

6.7

MagicScore

#20

Cruising

1980

When New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who preys on patrons of the city's underground bars, young rookie Steve Burns infiltrates the S&M subculture to try and lure him out of the shadows.

6.6

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like In the Valley of Elah?

The top films similar to In the Valley of Elah by MovieMagicScore are Blood (5.9), The General's Daughter (6.4), Murder at 1600 (6.1). Each shares crime/drama/history/mystery/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is In the Valley of Elah worth watching?

In the Valley of Elah holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10 from 1,042 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is In the Valley of Elah?

In the Valley of Elah (2007) is a crime, drama, history, mystery, thriller film directed by Paul Haggis, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon.

Where can I find more recommendations like In the Valley of Elah?

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 Blood Movies like The General's Daughter Movies like Murder at 1600 Movies like The Fourth Kind Movies like Insomnia Movies like Insomnia

About movies like In the Valley of Elah

This ranked list pairs In the Valley of Elah (2007), a crime and drama and history and mystery and thriller film from Paul Haggis, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Tommy Lee Jones 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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