10 Best Psychological Thriller Movies Like Donnie Darko

Movies like Donnie Darko

If you’re into mind-bending stories that keep you guessing, movies like Donnie Darko are probably right up your alley. These films dive deep into reality’s cracks, blending suspense, surreal twists, and psychological tension that leave you questioning everything. They’re perfect for when you want a story that lingers in your mind long after the credits roll.

Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, takes on a case that haunts him—an eight-year-old boy named Cole who claims he can see and talk to the dead. Cole isn’t just scared; he’s completely consumed by the chilling, ghostly figures that appear to him. Malcolm, still grappling with his own failures, dives deep into understanding Cole, hoping to help him make sense of this terrifying world.

As their sessions progress, Malcolm begins to uncover disturbing truths—not just about Cole’s abilities, but also about himself. Their conversations unravel layers of mystery that blur the line between life and death. Every interaction feels like a puzzle, inching closer to a shocking revelation neither of them is fully prepared for.

Imagine waking up in a strange room with no windows, no explanation, and no way out. That’s what happens to Oh Dae-su, an ordinary guy who gets kidnapped and locked in a makeshift prison for 15 years. No one tells him why he’s there, but he’s fed, given a TV to watch the world move on without him, and left to rot. One day, just as suddenly as he was taken, he’s released—dumped into the world with a pocketful of cash and a thirst for answers.

Now free, Dae-su is on a brutal, mind-bending quest to find out who stole his life and why. The deeper he digs, the more he’s pulled into a twisted game of revenge and secrets, orchestrated by someone with a personal vendetta. As he battles both external enemies and his own unraveling mind, the truth he’s chasing turns out to be darker than he ever imagined.

Three teenage girls are kidnapped in broad daylight by a quiet but unsettling man named Kevin. They wake up locked in a strange, windowless room with no idea where they are or why this man has taken them. But things get even more terrifying when they realize Kevin isn’t just one person—he’s 23. Each of his personalities is wildly different, from the gentle Hedwig, a childlike 9-year-old, to the controlling and dangerous Dennis. And there’s talk of a 24th personality, “The Beast,” which is something none of them want to meet.

As the girls desperately search for a way out, Kevin’s personalities start to clash, battling for control of his mind. The more they see of his fractured psyche, the more they realize escaping isn’t just about outsmarting one man—it’s about surviving the chaos of all of them. With time running out and “The Beast” looming, the girls must face their deepest fears to stand a chance of getting out alive.

Trevor Reznik hasn’t slept in a year, and it shows. He’s a skeletal shell of a man, working in a gritty machine shop where his exhaustion is more dangerous than any of the equipment. One day, an accident at work leaves a coworker injured, and Trevor becomes the scapegoat. But here’s the thing—he swears he’s being set up. He starts seeing a mysterious man named Ivan, a figure no one else seems to know, and finding cryptic notes in his apartment. Is someone messing with him, or is his mind playing tricks on him?

Haunted by paranoia and guilt, Trevor’s grip on reality starts to crumble. He becomes obsessed with unraveling the clues Ivan and these notes seem to leave behind. The more he digs into his own life, the darker and more fragmented it becomes. As his world unravels, Trevor’s journey takes him through the eerie streets of his insomnia-ridden mind, where every shadow hides a truth he’s not ready to face.

Paul Matthews is your typical, middle-aged nobody—an awkward professor who blends into the background so well that even his students barely notice him. But out of nowhere, people all over the world start dreaming about him. Not just a few people—millions. He’s not doing anything special in their dreams, just standing there, existing. Confused but intrigued, Paul becomes an overnight celebrity, hailed as some kind of mysterious phenomenon.

At first, the attention is thrilling, but things take a darker turn when the dreams start shifting. People’s visions of Paul become unsettling, painting him in ways he doesn’t recognize—or like. As the line between reality and these shared dreams blurs, Paul finds himself spiraling into chaos, questioning not just his newfound fame but his very sense of self. In a world where everyone sees him differently, Paul faces the eerie truth about how fragile his identity really is.

And there you have them, folks, the best psychological thriller movies like Donnie Darko that will keep your mind spinning and your heart racing. These films are all about the unexpected, the unexplained, and the unforgettable.