10+ Thrilling Movies Like “Prisoners”

If you’re a fan of Prisoners and its intense, nail-biting tension, you’re probably looking for more movies that can keep you on the edge of your seat. Thrillers like Prisoners dig deep into the dark side of human nature, exploring the moral dilemmas people face when pushed to their limits.

Whether it’s a story about a missing child, a relentless investigation, or characters grappling with impossible choices, these films are packed with suspense, gripping mysteries, and heart-pounding twists that leave you questioning what you’d do in the same situation.

Movies Like Prisoners

Related: 15+ mind-bending psychological-thrilling movies like “Shutter Island”.

Changeling

In Changeling, Christine Collins faces every parent’s worst nightmare when her 9-year-old son, Walter, goes missing in 1928 Los Angeles. Months later, the police claim they’ve found him, but when the boy is returned, Christine is paralyzed with doubt—he’s not her son. Desperate and confused, she challenges the LAPD, but instead of admitting their mistake, they try to silence her, labeling her as unstable.

Christine’s determination pushes her into a relentless fight for the truth. She faces powerful forces trying to undermine her at every step, as corruption runs deep in the police department. As the mystery behind her son’s disappearance unfolds, Christine uncovers terrifying secrets that no mother should ever have to confront.

With each revelation, the stakes get higher, leaving Christine isolated, betrayed, and trapped in a horrifying reality. The question that haunts her—and the audience—is whether she’ll ever see her son again or if the truth will remain buried in the shadows.

The Black Phone

In The Black Phone, 13-year-old Finney Shaw finds himself trapped in a nightmare when he’s kidnapped by a sadistic masked man known as “The Grabber.” Locked in a soundproof basement, Finney’s hope of escape seems impossible—until an old disconnected black phone on the wall starts ringing. What’s even more terrifying? The voices on the other end are the Grabber’s previous victims, all young boys who never made it out alive.

Each call becomes a chilling guide for Finney, as the spirits try to help him survive where they couldn’t. Meanwhile, his sister Gwen, haunted by disturbing dreams that might hold the key to his whereabouts, desperately searches for him, racing against time. As the Grabber toys with Finney, creating a twisted game of survival, every second brings him closer to a horrifying fate.

With only the voices of the dead and his own courage to rely on, Finney must outsmart his captor in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. The tension builds as escape seems just out of reach, and the basement walls feel like they’re closing in faster with every breath he takes.

The Call

In The Call, veteran 911 operator Jordan Turner is no stranger to high-stakes emergencies, but one particular call changes everything. When she answers a frantic plea from a teenage girl, Leah, who’s being abducted, Jordan tries to keep her calm and offer guidance. Despite Jordan’s best efforts, the call ends in tragedy, leaving her devastated and questioning her ability to do the job.

Months later, Jordan is back on the line when a new emergency comes through—another teenage girl, Casey, has been kidnapped and is calling from the trunk of a car. With time running out, Jordan jumps into action, determined not to let history repeat itself. From the control room, she gives Casey life-saving advice, trying to outwit the twisted mind of the abductor as they race down highways and through abandoned roads.

As the tension builds, the chase becomes a nerve-wracking cat-and-mouse game. Jordan’s desperation grows as she pieces together the clues, realizing the terrifying connection between this case and the one that haunts her past. Every second counts, and the stakes are higher than ever as she pushes herself beyond her limits to save Casey from a horrific fate.

Along Came a Spider

In Along Came a Spider, seasoned detective Alex Cross is still reeling from the tragic death of his partner. His world is shattered, but when a high-profile kidnapping case lands on his desk, he’s pulled back into the game. A young girl, the daughter of a U.S. senator, has been abducted from an elite private school, and the kidnapper is a chilling mastermind with a sinister plan. Cross teams up with Secret Service agent Jezzie Flannigan, and together they dive headfirst into a tangled web of deception.

The kidnapper, Gary Soneji, isn’t just after ransom—he craves notoriety. He plays a psychological game with Cross, leading him on a deadly chase where every move feels like a step deeper into danger. Soneji’s twisted mind leaves clues that feel more like taunts, pushing Alex to his breaking point. The investigation becomes a tense, high-stakes pursuit, with time running out for the little girl and the trail growing colder by the minute.

As the hunt intensifies, Alex realizes that nothing is as it seems. Dark secrets are uncovered, and the line between ally and enemy blurs, leaving Cross and Jezzie questioning everything—and everyone—involved. With each revelation, the tension mounts, and the clock ticks louder, forcing them into a final, heart-pounding showdown where the stakes couldn’t be higher.

And there you have them, folks, the over ten most intense thrilling movies like Prisoners that will leave your heart pounding, and questioning what you’d do if placed in the same situation as the characters.