Captivating movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant captivating movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out captivating, serious, clever, suspense, mind blowing and entertaining films and TV shows about / with storytelling, murder, twists and turns, death, moving, flashback, genius, dialogue, chase and badass plots mostly in Drama, Thriller and Crime genres shot in USA, UK, Canada and other countries.
43611
TOP 10 movies tagged as captivating: The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Limitless (2011), The Best Offer (2013), Knives Out (2019), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Breaking Bad (2008), Cast Away (2000), Source Code (2011), Exam (2009), Gone Girl (2014).
Best films
New films
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 142 min.
Story:
Framed in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, ...
Style:
clever, uplifting, inspirational, touching, twist ending ...
Audience:
date night, chick flick, teens, kids, family friendly ...
Plot:
prison, prison escape, freedom, friendship between men, hopes, friendship, corruption, human spirit, justice, prison life, life, stephen king ...
Time:
1940s, 1950s, 90s, year 1994, 2010s ...
Place:
usa, maine, columbus ohio, persia, iran ...
Is relevant?
642K
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
A paranoia-fueled action thriller about an unsuccessful writer whose life is transformed by a top-secret "smart drug" that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract ...
Style:
clever, thought provoking, intellectual, philosophical, captivating ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, family friendly
Plot:
intelligence, success, drug, creativity, drug abuse, superhuman powers, ambition, rise to the top, rags to riches, brain capacity, experimental drug, prodigy ...
Time:
year 2011, future, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
usa, manhattan new york city, new york
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Italy
Duration: 131 min.
Story:
Virgil Oldman is a world renowned antiques expert and auctioneer. An eccentric genius, he leads a solitary life, going to extreme lengths to keep his distance from the messiness of human relationships. When appointed by the beautiful but emotionally ...
Style:
twist ending, surprise ending, psychological, atmospheric, enigmatic ...
Audience:
teens, adult
Plot:
twists and turns, art, painting, art collector, loneliness, forgery, art theft, collector, obsession, age difference, solitude, young woman ...
Time:
year 2013, y2k, 2010s, 18th century, 21st century
Place:
vienna, europe, berlin germany, prague, italy
Is relevant?
867K
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his ...
Style:
atmospheric, captivating, exciting, witty, detective ...
Audience:
chick flick, family friendly, kids, teens, boys' night ...
Plot:
murder mystery, investigation, whodunit, death, mystery killer, murder, mansion, murder investigation, eccentric family, large family, private detective, suspect ...
Time:
year 2019, future, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
north america, usa, new england, massachusetts, seattle
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 141 min.
Story:
A true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor. An FBI agent makes it his mission to put him behind bars. But Frank not ...
Style:
clever, exciting, captivating, entertaining, inspirational ...
Audience:
date night, teens, chick flick
Plot:
con artists, adaptation, master criminal, creativity, deception, fbi, fraud, con man, impostor, prodigy, business, biopic ...
Time:
60s, 20th century, year 1967, 70s, year 2002 ...
Place:
los angeles, new orleans, new york, washington d.c., france ...
Is relevant?
2.5M
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 48 min.
TV show
Story:
When Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher, is diagnosed with Stage III cancer and given a prognosis of only two years left to live, he becomes filled with a sense of fearlessness and an unrelenting desire to secure his family's ...
Style:
serious, captivating, tense, psychological, rough ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
cancer, criminal, peril, drug lord, master criminal, drug dealing, drug, unlikely partners, drug cartel, life turned upside down, meth lab, family problems ...
Time:
y2k, year 2008, 2000s, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
new mexico, albuquerque new mexico, south america, usa, north america
Is relevant?
684K
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 143 min.
Story:
Chuck, a top international manager for FedEx, and Kelly, a Ph.D. student, are in love and heading towards marriage. Then Chuck's plane to Malaysia ditches at sea during a terrible storm. He's the only survivor, and he washes up on a tiny ...
Style:
psychological, captivating, suspense, emotional, inspirational ...
Audience:
date night, family outing, teens, kids
Plot:
survival, loneliness, isolation, island, desert island, stranded on an island, courage, determination, solitude, lost at sea, air disaster, survivor ...
Time:
year 2000, 20th century, y2k, year 1999, 2000s ...
Place:
fictional island, moscow russia, persia, america, pacific ocean ...
Is relevant?
579K
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada, France, Germany
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in the body of an unknown man, discovering he's involved in a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. He learns he's part of a top-secret experimental program that enables ...
Style:
surprise ending, suspense, mind bending, clever, captivating ...
Audience:
boys' night, teens, chick flick
Plot:
time loop, time travel, train, alternate reality, parallel universe, twists and turns, memory, save the day, changing the past or future, destiny, terrorism, time ...
Time:
future, year 2011, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
chicago, usa, somalia, afghanistan, illinois
Is relevant?
134K
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
The final candidates for a highly desirable corporate job are locked together in an exam room and given a test so simple and confusing that tension begins to unravel.
Style:
psychological, surprise ending, mind bending, psychological thriller, twist ending ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, adult
Plot:
mind game, plot twist, twists and turns, psychology, puzzle, survival, surveillance, manipulation, confinement indoors, group of strangers, psychologist, intrigue ...
Time:
year 2009, future
Is relevant?
1.2M
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 149 min.
Story:
With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.
Style:
psychological, suspense, surprise ending, twist ending, clever ...
Audience:
chick flick, girls' night, date night, teens, boys' night ...
Plot:
twists and turns, psychology, murder mystery, missing person, manipulation, infidelity, investigation, marriage, femme fatale, revenge, missing wife, adultery ...
Time:
year 2014, 2010s, 2000s, year 2012, 21st century
Place:
peru, america, usa, manhattan new york city, new york ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
An American anthology police detective series utilizing multiple timelines in which investigations seem to unearth personal and professional secrets of those involved, both within or outside the law.
Style:
neo noir, anthology, atmospheric, gloomy, serious ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
serial killer, police investigation, murder, murder mystery, investigation, police detective, murder investigation, murderer, drinking problem, partners against crime, female nudity, troubled ...
Time:
2010s, year 2014, 2000s, 20th century, 80s ...
Place:
louisiana, usa, california
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA, Czech Republic
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
With his eye on a lovely aristocrat, a gifted illusionist named Eisenheim uses his powers to win her away from her betrothed, a crowned prince. But Eisenheim's scheme creates tumult within the monarchy and ignites the suspicion of a dogged ...
Style:
surprise ending, atmospheric, period piece, enigmatic, twist ending ...
Audience:
chick flick, date night, teens
Plot:
twists and turns, magic, forbidden love, wizards and magicians, magician, murder mystery, murder, love triangle, magic trick, investigation, nobility, love story ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, year 2006, 2000s, edwardian era ...
Place:
vienna, london, austria, america, england ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Biography, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 135 min.
Story:
At Princeton University, John Nash struggles to make a worthwhile contribution to serve as his legacy to the world of mathematics. He finally makes a revolutionary breakthrough that will eventually earn him the Nobel Prize. After graduate school he ...
Style:
psychological, touching, cerebral, dramatic, intellectual ...
Audience:
teens, date night, chick flick, family friendly
Plot:
mathematics, mental illness, schizophrenia, genius, paranoia, insanity, imagination, scientist, prodigy, nobel prize, imaginary friend, mathematician ...
Time:
year 2001, 60s, 1940s, 20th century, 2000s ...
Place:
harvard university, boston, new jersey, detroit, persia ...
Is relevant?
1.5M
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, Hong Kong
Duration: 151 min.
Story:
To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises ...
Style:
twist ending, suspense, surprise ending, clever, tense ...
Audience:
boys' night, adult
Plot:
mafia, police, undercover cop, twists and turns, mole, organized crime, working undercover, mobster, espionage, plot twist, undercover, irish mob ...
Time:
year 2006, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
boston, massachusetts, america, persia, usa ...
Is relevant?
66K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
Doctor Henry Morgan, New York City’s star medical examiner, has a secret. He doesn't just study the dead to solve criminal cases, he does it to solve the mystery that has eluded him for 200 years—the answer to his own inexplicable ...
Style:
atmospheric, captivating, tense, serious, suspenseful ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
immortality, supernatural, investigation, friendship, law enforcement, immortal, crime scene, supernatural ability, secret, medical examiner, friends, deduction ...
Time:
18th century, 21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 166 min.
Story:
Tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences.
Style:
touching, philosophical, sentimental, dramatic, melancholic ...
Audience:
date night, chick flick, teens, girls' night, adult
Plot:
destiny, true love, life philosophy, life & death, aging, existentialism, love and romance, life changing, melancholy, magic realism, love, life lesson ...
Time:
50s, 1940s, 20th century, 1930s, year 2008 ...
Place:
southern usa, cambodia, usa, new orleans, russia ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 168 min.
Story:
Bounty hunters seek shelter from a raging blizzard and get caught up in a plot of betrayal and deception.
Style:
captivating, talky, bloody, stylized, suspense ...
Audience:
boys' night, adult
Plot:
bounty hunter, winter, stagecoach, prisoner, gang, cold weather, old west, murder, snow, dark humor, brutality, twists and turns ...
Time:
19th century, year 2015, 2010s, victorian era, year 2016
Place:
wyoming, usa
Is relevant?
1.6M
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences.
Style:
surprise ending, twist ending, clever, atmospheric, psychological ...
Audience:
family friendly, teens, chick flick
Plot:
twists and turns, obsession, plot twist, secret, magic, magician, rivalry, illusionist, stage magic, uninhibited rivalry, deception, secrets ...
Time:
victorian era, 19th century, future, edwardian era, turn of the century ...
Place:
london, peru, colorado, los angeles, britain ...
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Sweden, USA
Duration: 158 min.
Story:
This English-language adaptation of the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson follows a disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, as he investigates the disappearance of a weary patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, ...
Style:
suspenseful, neo noir, rough, captivating, serious ...
Audience:
chick flick
Plot:
investigation, rape, serial killer, hacker, sexual abuse, missing person, twists and turns, murder mystery, vengeance, murder investigation, journalist, strong female character ...
Time:
year 2011, 60s, 2010s, year 1966, 21st century
Place:
stockholm sweden, scandinavia, europe, london, eastern europe
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
Seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. Friction between the houses leads to full-scale war. All while a very ancient evil awakens in the farthest north. Amidst the war, a neglected military order of misfits, the ...
Style:
epic, captivating, atmospheric, dramatic, stylized ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, girls' night, boys' night, adult
Plot:
dragon, medieval, intrigue, fantasy world, incest, kingdom, power struggle, peril, abuse of power, political intrigue, conflict, rivalry ...
Time:
ancient times, middle ages, medieval times, year 2011, 2000s ...
Place:
idaho, former yugoslavia, hawaii
Is relevant?
Genre: Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, USA
Duration: 147 min.
Story:
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born in the stench of 18th century Paris, develops a superior olfactory sense, which he uses to create the world's finest perfumes. However, his work takes a dark turn as he tries to preserve scents in the search for ...
Style:
psychological, atmospheric, suspense, clever, dark fantasy ...
Audience:
girls' night, adult
Plot:
serial killer, obsession, psychopath, perfume, macabre, insanity, genius, dangerous attraction, woman in danger, master apprentice relationship, psycho killer, secret formula ...
Time:
18th century, year 2006, 19th century, georgian era
Place:
france, paris france, europe, barcelona, germany ...
Is relevant?
197K
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
The story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie, a chivalrous and ...
Style:
historical drama, stylized, exciting, captivating, serious ...
Audience:
chick flick, teens, girls' night
Plot:
time travel, fall in love, couples, love affair, true love, danger, life turned upside down, love and romance, battles, rivalry, escapades, couple relations ...
Time:
18th century, year 1945, 20th century, 1940s, georgian era
Place:
scotland, scottish highlands, britain, syria, europe ...
Is relevant?
464K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
A close-knit anthology series dealing with stories involving malice, violence and murder based in and around Minnesota.
Style:
atmospheric, neo noir, captivating, detective, anthology ...
Plot:
dark humor, psychopath, law enforcement, small town, police investigation, cop, scheme, small town life, snow, killer, police officer, policewoman ...
Time:
2010s, year 1979, year 2006, 2020s, 20th century ...
Place:
minnesota, north dakota, east germany, usa
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
Genre: Biography, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley ...
Style:
inspirational, clever, intellectual, serious, captivating ...
Audience:
chick flick, teens, family friendly, adult
Plot:
world war two, mathematics, genius, inventor, inventions and discoveries, code, prodigy, code breaking, invention, mathematician, gay interest, computer ...
Time:
1940s, year 2014, 20th century, 1950s, year 1939 ...
Place:
england, london, britain, idaho, los angeles ...
Is relevant?
1.1M
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 90 min.
TV show
Story:
A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.
Style:
clever, detective, witty, captivating, exciting ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
sherlock holmes, investigation, murder mystery, private detective, genius, friendship, mastermind, deduction, murder, british, mind game, riddles and clues ...
Time:
2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
london, england, wales, afghanistan, scotland yard ...
Is relevant?
2.5M
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 142 min.
Story:
A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events - in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. Yet, despite all the things he has attained, his one true love eludes ...
Style:
inspirational, touching, feel good, sentimental, uplifting ...
Audience:
girls' night, date night, chick flick, kids, teens ...
Plot:
life philosophy, philosophy, life, mentally challenged, destiny, storytelling, love, rise to the top, human spirit, selflessness, vietnam war, life & death ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, 50s, 60s, 1950s ...
Place:
china, alabama, vietnam, america, savannah georgia ...
Is relevant?
1.8M
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Country: USA, UK, Malta, Morocco
Duration: 155 min.
Story:
In the year 180, the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius throws the Roman Empire into chaos. Maximus is one of the Roman army's most capable and trusted generals and a key advisor to the emperor. As Marcus' devious son Commodus ascends to ...
Style:
epic, captivating, breathtaking, period piece, realistic ...
Audience:
boys' night, family friendly, teens, date night, manly ...
Plot:
revenge, ancient rome, roman empire, sword fight, vengeance, ancient history, gladiator, freedom, slavery, courage, warrior, ancient world ...
Time:
ancient times, 2000s, middle ages, y2k, year 2000 ...
Place:
rome italy, italy, ancient greece, greece, germany ...
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
Person of Interest follows former CIA paramilitary operative, John Reese, who is presumed dead and teams up with reclusive billionaire Finch to prevent violent crimes in New York City by initiating their own type of justice. With the special ...
Style:
exciting, captivating, serious, clever, spy action ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
artificial intelligence, surveillance, computer system, hi-tech, partners against crime, computer genius, privacy invasion, mysterious character, computer, fighting crime, law enforcer, hacker ...
Time:
2000s, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
new york, usa
Is relevant?
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 132 min.
Story:
In a world in which Great Britain has become a fascist state, a masked vigilante known only as 'V' conducts guerrilla warfare against the oppressive British government. When 'V' rescues a young woman from the secret police, he ...
Style:
futuristic, philosophical, intense, captivating, neo noir ...
Audience:
manly, chick flick, teens, adult
Plot:
revolution, distopia, revenge, vengeance, fighting the system, dystopia, vigilante, freedom, anti hero, protest, society, masked man ...
Time:
future, year 2005, 2000s, distant future, near future ...
Place:
london, england, britain, big ben london, europe ...
Is relevant?
11K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 43 min.
TV show
Story:
Cameron Black is the world's greatest illusionist. At least, that's what people used to call him—before his greatest secret was exposed and his career destroyed. Even worse, Cameron has good reason to believe this was no accident.
Style:
captivating, feel good, entertaining, clever, realistic ...
Plot:
illusionist, outsmarting, who done it, fbi, riddles and clues, team, crime investigation, magic, deception, secret, research, danger ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
new york
Is relevant?
Related movie lists
