Are you seeking for movies like Inception that would make you focus and pay attention to the action on the display? Christopher Nolan, the film director, has given us some of finest films, including Interstellar, Memento and The Prestige. Inception, a science fiction action picture that concerns with hallucinations and leaves you wondering about the nature of the universe, has been one of his most well-known works.
People are left with a lasting impression, which makes them yearn for more mind-melting flicks. To quench your hunger for more movies similar to Inception, we have compiled this lengthy list that also includes many other titles.
All the movies that are comparable to Inception in every genre—horror, science fiction, mystery, suspenseful thriller, and more—are listed here. It relates to the idea of Inception in some way, whether it is through a similar visual aesthetic or an ambiguous conclusion. The list below may be used to rapidly discover about the film that most interests you.
25. The Machinist
- Director: Brad Anderson
- Writer: Scott Kosar
- Cast: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, John Sharian
- IMDb Ratings : 7.7
- Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Videos and Hulu
A psychological thriller called The Machinist focuses on the symptoms of mental disease including remorse, paranoia, and hallucination. Christian Bale plays the title character in the film, Trevor, a manufacturing worker. A year of sleeplessness has left Trevor gaunt. The plot centres on his difficulties to do his job duties in the workplace while occasionally being bothered by something.
Christian’s acting and commitment were praised for the film. Both the public and the reviewers praised his 28 kg weight loss for the part. The movie’s storyline is comparable to the one from Inception in that it distorts the border between realism and delusion.
24. Psycho
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Writer: Joseph Stefano
- Cast: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, John McIntire
- IMDb Ratings : 8.5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Videos and Vudu
Taken on Robert Bloch’s self-titled novel, Psycho is indeed a psychological thriller movie. The story revolves around an embezzler who flees and seeks refuge at a hotel. She is nonetheless assassinated in the middle of the night, and an inquiry is launched to discover what happened. The film was a big hit and received several additional honours in addition to four Academy Awards. Among the most significant films ever made, Psycho altered how people previously saw cinema.
23. Doctor Strange
- Director: Scott Derrickson
- Writer: Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill
- Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton
- IMDb Ratings : 7.5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Videos and Disney+
A heroic film called Doctor Strange is built upon the Marvel Comics concept. The fourteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is this one. The story revolves around Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch), a well-known neurosurgeon who suffers hand paralysis due to an accident. He attempts every form of treatment before travelling to Nepal to seek spiritual healing.
His journey to save the planet against magical perils is guided by the wisdom he receives from the spiritual realm. Probably one of the best MCU characters, Doctor Strange has appeared in a number of films. In May 2022, a follow-up called Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been published. You will undoubtedly enjoy Doctor Strange if you enjoyed the mind-blowing visual effects of Inception.
22. The Truman Show
- Director: Peter Weir
- Writer: Andrew Niccol
- Cast: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone
- IMDb Ratings : 8.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
- Streaming Platforms: Hulu, Prime Videos and Netflix
A science fiction comedy film with a novel idea that poses philosophical issues is The Truman Show. Truman Burbank (Carrey) is a salesperson who has a typical life in the movie. He is unaware that his entire life is a TV production and that his family is nothing more than extras. He makes an attempt to flee after realising the reality. A terrific narrative and a standout performance made the film a financial and critical triumph. Like Inception, the movie is recognised for posing difficult issues about life and actuality.
21. The Adjustment Bureau
- Director: George Nolfi
- Writer: George Nolfi
- Cast: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery, Michael Kelly
- IMDb Ratings : 7.0
- Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
- Streaming Platforms: Hulu, Prime Videos and Netflix
Compared to the short tale Adjustment Team by Philip K. Dick, The Adjustment Bureau is a sci fi romance thriller. The story revolves around David (Damon), a politician who is hoping to be elected to the US Senate. Elise (Blunt), a prima ballerina, captures his heart. But a shadowy organisation that appears to be in charge of his life’s events orders him to avoid the girl.
David finds it difficult to believe the enigmatic folks, even after being assured of a promising future. Both reviewers and viewers had favourable things to say about the movie. It is comparable to Inception in that it discusses philosophical concepts like free choice.
20. The Departed
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Writer: William Monahan, Alan Mak, Felix Chong
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
- IMDb Ratings : 8.5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Videos and Vudu
The Departed, a whole other Boston-based cop drama and maybe the least blatantly Inception-like film on our collection, continues our investigation into the Scorsese-Dicaprio-Nicholson relationship. Similar to Inception, The Departed is indeed a suspenseful criminal thriller with plenty of double-crossing, snooping, gunfire, and suit-wearing. But it really is undeniably one of several list’s stronger graphic and violent movies. Start preparing yourself for a lot of f-bombs, shattering headshots, and much more f-bombs if you’re among the audience members with sensitive eardrums.
I can’t have enough of the hysterical performance from Wahlberg inside this movie, who wins every shot he’s in. The dialogue simply accentuates the Boston backdrop that performs such a significant part in the film altogether. The Departed would probably appeal to you if you enjoyed the psychological mind tricks of Inception. What about the movie’s closing few minutes? Try to keep your jaw from dropping to the floor.
19. Primer
- Director: Shane Carruth
- Writer: Shane Carruth
- Cast: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Casey Gooden, Anand Upadhyaya, Carrie Crawford
- IMDb Ratings: 6.8
- Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Videos and Vudu
Another of the finest thriller films to see is Primer. Two engineers called Aaron & Abe are the subjects of the film. They have both been engaged in the creation of a tool for mistake detection. However, they subsequently discover that they had mistakenly developed a time machine rather than what they had intended. They considered improving it so that folks could be transported through it. They can regret making this choice a lot.
Shane Carruth’s initiatives in producing the indie movie were recognised by Primer. Without utilising any computerised means to produce effects, the film maintains the visual and auditory effects authentic. The scientific ideas aren’t watered down for the general public, making it seem like regular conversation between intelligent people. One of the best films like Inception, it ends with you having many unanswered questions.
18. The Matrix
- Director: The Wachowskis
- Writer: The Wachowskis
- Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
- IMDb Ratings: 8.7
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- Streaming Platforms: Hulu, Prime Videos and Netflix
Witness The Matrix if you appreciate philosophical themes in science fantasy action movies. Inside this dystopian future depicted in the film, technology has developed a synthetic world to occupy people and serve as a source of power. We accompany hacker Thomas Anderson (Reeves), a.k.a. Neo, who discovers the realities and, with both the aid of others who have been let loose from the Matrix, leads an uprising against the computers.
Much alike to Inception, where viewers may become confused about truth and a fantasy, The Matrix blurs the distinction separating truth and simulation. The National Film Registry has saved the film and it has received multiple accolades. One of the best science fiction films ever made, according to many. The Matrix Reloaded as Well as the Matrix Revolutions, 2 more films inside the franchise, were released in 2003 as a result of its phenomenal popularity. The plot is continued in a fourth film, The Matrix Resurrections, which is launched in 2021.
17. Donnie Darko
- Director: Richard Kelly
- Writer: Richard Kelly
- Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Duval
- IMDb Ratings: 8.0
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Videos and Hulu
You’ll be engrossed the entire time you see Donnie Darko since it is a science fantasy psychological drama. The main character of the film, Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal), is an uncomfortable youngster who discovers a person dressed as a rabbit who if only he could see. The rabbit tells him that perhaps the Earth would end in approximately a month just after incident occurs at his home.
As the story develops, Donnie attempts to make sense of both the peculiar imaginings he is having as well as what the bunny said. The film gained a cult following and inspired the renowned S. Darko sequel (2009). A whole other spinoff may be coming soon, according to director Kelly. You will indeed be left pondering about the finale for a long time after the movie is over, making it one of the finest films comparable to Inception.
16. Total Recall
- Director: Paul Verhoeven
- Writer: Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon, Gary Goldman
- Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox
- IMDb Ratings: 7.5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Videos and Hulu
The short novel “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” from Philip K. Dick served as the inspiration for the science fiction action movie Total Recall. The story centres on Douglas Quaid (Schwarzenegger), who has frequent nightmares about going to Mars. He quickly learns that the implanted memory was a hoax and that the individuals behind it were out to get him.
Similar to that same blockbuster Inception, Total Recall explores the subject of spreading misleading information to others. Regarding the truth of Quaid’s objective, the film likewise leaves the spectator with an unresolved finale. Despite the audience’s varied reactions, the movie was an economic success when it was first released. Due to its popularity, a 2012 version that received mixed reviews was made into a television show called Total Recall 2070.
15. Dark City
- Director: Alex Proyas
- Writer: Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs, David S. Goyer
- Cast: Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, Ian Richardson, Bruce Spence, Colin Friels, John Bluthal, Mitchell Butel, Melissa George, Ritchie Singer, Justin Monjo.
- IMDb Ratings: 7.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Videos and Vudu
One of the finest suspense movies of the time is Dark City. The life of John is shown in this film. In a motel by himself, he awakened. He subsequently learns that he is now sought for the killings that he committed.
John was unable to determine whether or not he had actually committed a heinous crime of murder. He lost all memory of who he was and believed he was crazy. He now has to figure out the enigma surrounding his identification. While he was getting close to solving the enigma, he discovered that some wicked people was in charge of an underground community known as strangers. What follows is what? To learn more, see the film.
14. The Game
- Director: David Fincher
- Writer: John Brancato, Michael Ferris.
- Cast: Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger, James Rebhorn, Peter Donat
- IMDb Ratings: 7.7
- Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Videos and Hulu
The Game would be the next movie on the checklist. Michael Ferris wrote the novel The Game, while Michael Douglas played the lead role. This narrative is based on an actual experiences of timid banker Nicholas Van Orton.
His brother paid him a visit upon his birthday and gave him a genuine game. A game was repeatedly enjoyed by Nicholas. At first, the game did not do any damage. Eventually, the game significantly impacted his lifestyle. Subsequently, it really is demonstrated how Nicholas ends up in serious danger. Would he be fortunate to get the solutions he seeks? Amazon Prime Video is now hosting the movie.
13. Looper
- Director: Rian Johnson
- Writer: Rian Johnson
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah Segan
- IMDb Ratings: 7.4
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Videos and Hulu
Inside this sci-fi action adventure Looper of 2012, hired killers are executing people in the future. The story is set in a world with cutting-edge monitoring technologies, making it hard to kill someone and get rid of their corpse. In order to destroy their adversaries in the past, individuals from the tomorrow send loopers back in time. Silver bricks are given to the loopers as pay. Whenever a looper kills their upcoming selves and collects gold bars as compensation, they have completed their task. That whenever a looper tries to kill his ideal future but is unsuccessful, havoc ensues.
Both reviewers and viewers have given Looper favourable reviews, and movie is a box office success. But when it pertains to time travel films, the movie offers a unique concept and provides a future story an old-school action vibe.
12. The Butterfly Effect
- Director: Eric Bress, J. Mackye Gruber
- Writer: J. Mackye Gruber, Eric Bress.
- Cast: Ashton Kutcher, Melora Walters, Amy Smart, Elden Henson, William Lee Scott
- IMDb Ratings: 7.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 34%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Videos and Hulu
The Butterfly Effect is the following sci-fi film on the listing. In Butterfly Effect, Ashton Kutcher plays the lead role. The protagonist of The Butterfly Effect is indeed an university student. Evan seemed to be his name. He frequently suffered from headaches, which would knock him out. He used to time travel back then.
He used to be able to change the tough circumstances he experienced as a youngster. He has the power to change his friend’s history. However, as a result of it, he and his companions could be in danger. What else do you believe may go wrong in his current life? Among the most peculiar, strange and mind bending movies ever made. To learn more about it, watch the film.
11. Paprika
- Director: Satoshi Kon
- Writer: Yasutaka Tsutsui, Seishi Minakami, Satoshi Kon
- Cast: Megumi Hayashibara, Toru Furuya, Koichi Yamadera, Toru Emori, Akio Otsuka
- IMDb Ratings: 7.7
- Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix and Prime Videos
Atsuko Chiba, a researcher, is the subject of the paprika movie. She formerly split her time between working as a scientist every day and an investigator at night. She used the cypher paprika while working as a detective.
Together with her pals, she was creating a tool to aid mental patients. However, this tool sadly fell into the hands of the wrong people. That invention has the potential to ruin people’s thinking, so she now needs to retrieve it back before any harm is done. Seishi Minakami with Yasutaka Tsutsui are the directors of this film. To find out what’s happening subsequently, check out the movie.
10. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- Director: Michael Gondry
- Writer: Michael Gondry, Charlie Kaufman, Pierre Bismuth
- Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Gerry Robert Byrne, Elijah Wood, Thomas Jay Ryan
- IMDb Ratings: 8.3
- Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Video and Hulu
Almost any adult’s life includes breakups. Although in the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michael Gondry penned a better solution. Joel and Clementine split up.
Clementine devised a strategy to erase Joel’s recollections from her brain. Joel chose to implement her strategy to erase her as quickly as he learned this all about her. Joel eventually began to forget about her and most of her thoughts. The narrative demonstrates how adverse connections may impact someones life. Currently available on Amazon Prime Video is the classic Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
9. Tenet
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Writer: Christopher Nolan
- Cast: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Juhan Ulfsak
- IMDb Ratings : 7.3
- Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Videos and Hulu
A unique time travel idea is explored in the sci-fi espionage movie Tenet. Tenet employs time dilation to construct a mind-bending storyline, much like previous Christopher Nolan films such as Inception. A CIA operative (John David Washington) goes back in time inside this Christopher Nolan film Tenant to carry out a unique task: to halt the start of World War III.
Tenet has a variety of unresolved storyline aspects that readers might use to interpret the events. That was one of Nolan’s most frequently discussed films and was a major critical and popular triumph. There at 93rd Academy Awards, it also took home the Best Visual Effects trophy.
8. Edge of Tomorrow
- Director: Doug Liman
- Writer: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth
- Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way
- IMDb Ratings: 7.9
- Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix and Prime Videos
A bleak future is the setting for the science fiction action film Edge of Tomorrow. Major William Cage (Cruise), despite having no battlefield experience, is compelled by his authorities to participate in a landing expedition because an extraterrestrial civilization has conquered over the Earth.
But Cage quickly discovers that he is caught in a time warp and is repeatedly living the very same day. The film receives high marks for its acting, cinematography, visual effects, and far more and is a major hit with audiences and critics alike.
7. The Sixth Sense
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- Writer: M. Night Shyamalan
- Cast: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
- IMDb Ratings : 8.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Videos, Disney+ and Vudu
The narrative centres on an 8-year-old child who receives visits from ghosts; these are just the ghosts of brutally deceased individuals, and they have startling appearances. The only person who can help the youngster with magical talents is Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist played by Bruce Willis.
The Sixth Sense is a horrifying classic with a suspenseful plot and a clever twist towards the conclusion. It’s the type of movie that stays in your mind for hours.
6. Predestination
- Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig
- Writer: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig.
- Cast: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, Christopher Kirby, Kuni Hashimoto, Paul Moder
- IMDb Ratings: 7.4
- Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Videos and Netflix
In the science fiction thriller Predestination, contradictions and time travel are major themes. The story centres on a time-traveling agent who prevents attacks that occurred in the past to rescue humans. The agent’s final duty requires him to go back in time and stop a bombing attempt in New York during 1975. He tried to prevent the bomber, but he was unsuccessful. In the meanwhile, a side story unexpectedly relates to his life.
5. The Prestige
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Writer: Jonathon Nolan, Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Rebecca Hall
- IMDb Ratings: 8.5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 76%
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Videos, Netflix and Vudu
The Prestige was directed by Jonathan Nolan. Within our list of movies comparable Inception is yet another sci-fi film. It is the tale of two magicians who have been opponents. During a performance, an assisting magician passed away. The magicians both laid culpability for the occurrence on the other. They work hard to deceive one another by maintaining that everyone’s lives are in danger.
You will be blown away by The Prestige on your first watch since it is a unique film. From Nolan’s point of view, it also makes allusions to actual occasions and individuals. Finally, the film boasts one of the most brilliantly executed directors you will ever see, together with a fantastic narrative and character arcs.
4. Fight Club
- Director: David Fincher
- Writer: Jim Uhls
- Cast: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter
- IMDb Ratings : 8.8
- Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Videos and Disney+
If you enjoyed the convoluted plot of Inception, you might adore Fight Club. The movie focuses on Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel of the same name. The speaker (Norton) introduces the film by talking about his sleeplessness. He feels gloomy and unsatisfied with his white-collar employment. He subsequently encounters devil-may-care soap salesperson Tyler Durden (Pitt), and the two of them start a fight club.
The film initially underperformed at the box office but quickly developed a cult following after being released on DVD. In addition to discussing mental illness, the movie includes a strong narrative, superb casting, and insightful conversation.
3. Source Code
- Director: Duncan Jones
- Writer: Ben Ripley
- Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
- IMDb Ratings: 7.5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Videos, Netflix and Vudu
A top-secret mission involving a computerised simulation of a massive train crash is the focus of the science fiction action thriller Source Code, which centres on army pilot Stevens.
But he quickly learns that he is a member of Beleaguered Castle, a governmental operation. In order to complete the assignment, Stevens must adopt the persona of Fentress and track down the person responsible for the bombing of the train, which is scheduled to detonate in 8 minutes. Themes from the movie, such time travel and alternative realities, are also present in Inception. Source Code is a wild ride that will get your heart racing.
2. Interstellar
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Writer: Christopher Nolan, Jonathon Nolan.
- Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Bill Irwin, Ellen
- IMDb Ratings: 8.6
- Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
- Streaming Platforms: Prime Videos, Netflix and Vudu
Interstellar, a whole other outstanding picture written and produced by Christopher Nolan, challenges your capacity for creativity and prompts you to consider the possibility of an extradimensional life. Engineer & retired NASA pilot Joseph Cooper resides on their family farm in 2067 alongside his 2 kids and father-in-law. Severe sandstorms and crop blights are now threatening the condition of Earth and mankind.
NASA scientist John Brand chooses Cooper and a team of scientists to fly through a wormhole and find out whether there are any other planets which can sustain humanity in a safe manner. Inception-like themes from Christopher Nolan’s earlier films, such as time travel, alternate worlds, as well as the metaphysical, are also explored in Interstellar.
1. Shutter Island
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- Writer: Laeta Kalogridis
- Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams
- IMDb Ratings : 8.2
- Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
- Streaming Platforms: Netflix, Prime Videos and Hulu
Once more, DiCaprio guides us through the maze of the movie. Two U.S. marshals are tasked with looking into the missing of a killer at Shutter Island Hospital, a facility for the criminally insane on just a secluded island near Boston, in the film Shutter Island. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) intends to face one of the inmates on Shutter Island who he suspects killed his wife, but he also has yet another, more intimate purpose for visiting the island.
Regrettably, the marshal quickly learns that he and his sidekick could be a participant of some type of revolting experiment. Could they ever leave the island, too? Teddy starts to question his memory as well as his wits. You must try it if you’re seeking for a psychological thriller with a complex narrative and plot twist that you’ll want to unravel.
