Movies Like The Paperboy (2012)

The Paperboy is a 2012 drama, mystery, thriller film from Lee Daniels with a MovieMagicScore of 5.6/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Distant Drums and No Man of God.

Drama Mystery Thriller

Distant Drums

1951

After destroying a Seminole fort, American soldiers and their rescued companions must face the dangerous Everglades and hostile Indians in order to reach safety

6.2

MagicScore

No Man of God

2021

The complicated relationship that formed between the FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier and serial killer Ted Bundy during Bundy's final years on death row.

6.6

MagicScore

The Life of David Gale

2003

A man against capital punishment is accused of murdering a fellow activist and is sent to death row.

7.4

MagicScore

Wild Things

1998

When teen-socialite Kelly Van Ryan and troubled bad girl Suzie Toller accuse guidance counselor Sam Lombardo of rape, he's suspended by the school, rejected by the town, and fighting to get his life back. One cop suspects conspiracy, but nothing is what it seems...

6.4

MagicScore

River of Grass

1995

Cozy, a dissatisfied housewife, meets Lee at a bar. A drink turns into a home break-in, and a gunshot sends them on the run together, thinking they've committed murder.

6.2

MagicScore

Wind Across the Everglades

1958

Set in the early 20th century, the film follows a game warden who arrives in Florida to enforce conservation laws. He soon finds himself pitted against Cottonmouth, the leader of a fierce group of bird poachers.

5.9

MagicScore

Invasion U.S.A.

1985

A one-man army comes to the rescue of the United States when a spy attempts an invasion.

5.7

MagicScore

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

Defence of the Realm

1986

A reporter named Mullen 'stumbles' onto a story linking a prominent Member of Parliament to a KGB agent and a near-nuclear disaster involving a teenage runaway and a U.S. Air Force base. Has there been a Government cover-up? Mullen teams up with Vernon Bayliss, an old hack, and Nina Beckam, the MP's assistant, to find out the truth.

6.4

MagicScore

#10

Porky's

1981

In 1954 Florida, a group of high school boys head to a strip club in the Everglades in an attempt to lose their collective virginity. When the club's owner and his sheriff brother swindle them out of their money and embarrass them, the boys plan revenge.

6.4

MagicScore

#11

Seminole

1953

Lance Caldwell, a cavalry lieutenant, recounts his efforts to make peace with the Seminole Indian tribe, under an evil major.

5.4

MagicScore

#12

The Creature Walks Among Us

1956

Scientists surgically transform the Creature into an air-breather, but being able to live on land is not enough to make him comfortable with humans. Enraged, he turns his wrath on anyone who comes near as he desperately tries to return to the deep-water world where he truly belongs.

5.3

MagicScore

#13

Empire of the Ants

1977

A Florida real estate developer and her captain lure investors to a property in the Everglades called Dreamland Shores, under false pretenses that the swampland will soon be developed. After the group arrives on a small island, they find it has been overrun by giant mutated ants, brought on by the dumping of toxic waste in the area.

4.9

MagicScore

#14

Moonlight

2016

The tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.

7.4

MagicScore

#15

Lost Highway

1997

A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.

7.5

MagicScore

#16

Man-Made Monster

1941

Mad scientist turns a man into an electrically-controlled monster to do his bidding.

6.1

MagicScore

#17

Kiss of the Spider Woman

2025

Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna.

6.1

MagicScore

#18

Green Book

2018

Tony Lip, a bouncer in 1962, is hired to drive pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South in the days when African Americans, forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line, relied on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book.

8.2

MagicScore

#19

Brokeback Mountain

2005

In 1960s Wyoming, two men develop a strong emotional and sexual relationship that endures as a lifelong connection complicating their lives as they get married and start families of their own.

7.8

MagicScore

#20

Rocketman

2019

The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.

7.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Paperboy?

The top films similar to The Paperboy by MovieMagicScore are Distant Drums (6.2), No Man of God (6.6), The Life of David Gale (7.4). Each shares drama/mystery/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Paperboy worth watching?

The Paperboy holds a MovieMagicScore of 5.6/10 from 783 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is The Paperboy?

The Paperboy (2012) is a drama, mystery, thriller film directed by Lee Daniels, starring Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Paperboy?

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 Distant Drums Movies like No Man of God Movies like The Life of David Gale Movies like Wild Things Movies like River of Grass Movies like Wind Across the Everglades

About movies like The Paperboy

This ranked list pairs The Paperboy (2012), a drama and mystery and thriller film from Lee Daniels, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Zac Efron 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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