Movies Like We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2011 drama, thriller film from Lynne Ramsay with a MovieMagicScore of 7.5/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Marley & Me and Death Proof.

Drama Thriller

Marley & Me

2008

A newly married couple, in the process of starting a family, learn many of life's important lessons from their trouble-loving retriever, Marley. Packed with plenty of laughs to lighten the load, the film explores the highs and lows of marriage, maturity and confronting one's own mortality, as seen through the lens of family life with a dog.

7.2

MagicScore

Death Proof

2007

Austin's hottest DJ, Jungle Julia, sets out into the night to unwind with her two friends Shanna and Arlene. Covertly tracking their moves is Stuntman Mike, a scarred rebel leering from behind the wheel of his muscle car, revving just feet away.

6.8

MagicScore

Held for Ransom

2019

HELD FOR RANSOM tells the true story of Danish photojournalist Daniel Rye who was held hostage for 398 days in Syria by the terror organization ISIS along with several other foreign nationals including the American journalist, James Foley. The film follows Daniel’s struggle to survive in captivity, his friendship with James, and the nightmare of the Rye family back home in Denmark as they try to do everything in their power to save their son. At the center of this crisis, we find hostage negotiator, Arthur, who plays a pivotal role in securing Daniel’s release.

7.0

MagicScore

Row 19

2021

A young female doctor and her 6-year-old daughter are on an overnight flight in a violent storm. When passengers on the half-empty plane inexplicably begin to die, the woman’s grip on reality weakens and she is forced to relive her worst childhood nightmare.

5.4

MagicScore

Breaking Surface

2020

Two Swedish/Norwegian half sisters go on a winter diving trip in Northern Norway, when they get trapped after a rockslide.

6.7

MagicScore

Beast

2018

A troubled woman living in an isolated community finds herself pulled between the control of her oppressive family and the allure of a secretive outsider suspected of a series of brutal murders.

6.6

MagicScore

The Stepford Wives

1975

Joanna Eberhart comes to the town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents.

6.7

MagicScore

Summer's Blood

2009

A demented handyman comes to the rescue of a young woman, then imprisons her in his basement.

5.5

MagicScore

Hotel Rwanda

2004

Inspired by true events, this film takes place in Rwanda in the 1990s when more than a million Tutsis were killed in a genocide that went mostly unnoticed by the rest of the world. Hotel owner Paul Rusesabagina houses over a thousand refuges in his hotel in attempt to save their lives.

7.7

MagicScore

#10

The Guest

2014

A soldier introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence.

6.6

MagicScore

#11

Longlegs

2024

FBI Agent Lee Harker is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer. As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal connection to the merciless killer and must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another innocent family.

6.6

MagicScore

#12

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

2016

An American Ambassador is killed during an attack at a U.S. compound in Libya as a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.

7.3

MagicScore

#13

The Pink Cloud

2021

After a toxic and mysterious pink cloud suddenly appears around the globe, people are forced to shelter in place. A woman finds herself stuck in an apartment with a stranger after a one-night stand, and the two come to terms with staying together.

5.8

MagicScore

#14

Elephant

2003

Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent.

7.0

MagicScore

#15

The Marsh King's Daughter

2023

Helena, a woman living a seemingly ordinary life, hides a dark secret—her father is the infamous 'Marsh King', the man who kept her and her mother captive in the wilderness for years. After a lifetime of trying to escape her past, Helena is forced to face her demons when her father unexpectedly escapes from prison.

6.4

MagicScore

#16

The Queen of Versailles

2012

With the epic dimensions of a Shakespearean tragedy, The Queen of Versailles follows billionaires Jackie and David’s rags-to-riches story to uncover the innate virtues and flaws of their American dream. We open on the triumphant construction of the biggest house in America, a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot mansion inspired by Versailles. Since a booming time-share business built on the real-estate bubble is financing it, the economic crisis brings progress to a halt and seals the fate of its owners. We witness the impact of this turn of fortune over the next two years in a riveting film fraught with delusion, denial, and self-effacing humor.

6.9

MagicScore

#17

At Close Range

1986

Brad Whitewood Jr. lives in rural Pennsylvania and has few prospects. Against his mother's wishes, he seeks out his estranged father, the head of a gang of thieves in a nearby town. Though his new girlfriend supports his criminal ambitions, Brad Jr. soon learns that his father is a dangerous man. Inspired by the real events that led to the end of the Johnston Gang, who operated in the northeastern United States in the 1970s.

6.8

MagicScore

#18

Promising Young Woman

2020

A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against those who crossed her path.

7.4

MagicScore

#19

The Experiment

2001

20 volunteers agree to take part in a seemingly well-paid experiment advertised by the university. It is supposed to be about aggressive behavior in an artificial prison situation. A journalist senses a story behind the ad and smuggles himself in among the test subjects. They are randomly divided into prisoners and guards. What seems like a game at the beginning soon turns into bloody seriousness.

7.4

MagicScore

#20

Tower

2016

Combining archival footage with rotoscopic animation, Tower reveals the action-packed untold stories of the witnesses, heroes and survivors of America’s first mass school shooting, when the worst in one man brought out the best in so many others.

7.6

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like We Need to Talk About Kevin?

The top films similar to We Need to Talk About Kevin by MovieMagicScore are Marley & Me (7.2), Death Proof (6.8), Held for Ransom (7.0). Each shares drama/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is We Need to Talk About Kevin worth watching?

We Need to Talk About Kevin holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.5/10 from 2,976 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is We Need to Talk About Kevin?

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) is a drama, thriller film directed by Lynne Ramsay, starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller.

Where can I find more recommendations like We Need to Talk About Kevin?

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 Marley & Me Movies like Death Proof Movies like Held for Ransom Movies like Row 19 Movies like Breaking Surface Movies like Beast

About movies like We Need to Talk About Kevin

This ranked list pairs We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), a drama and thriller film from Lynne Ramsay, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Tilda Swinton 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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