Intoxicating, disturbing, and obsessive may be the words one would use to describe Joe Goldberg and the thriller series “You.” Penn Badgley is as dangerously charming as the psychopathic Joe Goldberg. The thriller series has just announced that it will return for a fourth season. If you have fallen in love with the show, then you may want to consider some of these movies that are similar to “You.”
Fresh (2022)
Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Noa, who meets the charming and attractive (Steve) Sebastian Stan. She falls for him before realising the darker side of her new boyfriend. “Fresh” is in many ways similar to “You.” Sebastian Stan’s Steve is in many ways like Joe, and his predatory relationship with Noa is similar to what we got in the first season of “You.” “Fresh,” though, moves in a different and somewhat unique direction while bringing a good amount of violence and gore to the table. The movie features a thrilling and surprising climax with clever twists and turns.
Gone Girl (2014)
“Gone Girl” is a psychological thriller with a disturbing and dysfunctional relationship at its forefront. Both Ben Affleck’s and Rosamund Pike’s characters are incredibly flawed, which makes it very captivating to watch. As an audience member, it is really hard to pick a side here, and that makes it all the more intriguing. David Fincher delivers an incredibly well-directed movie with a dark and gritty story that gets increasingly complex and maniacal as it goes on.
American Psycho (2000)
Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman is a successful and alluring investment banker. Whether he is a psychopathic serial killer or not is the question here. “American Psycho” is a cult classic and has garnered quite a fan following over the years. The movie is unique and completely original. It is also directed in a way that makes you doubt if certain incidents in the movie are real or if they are happening inside his head. The movie also has some of the most quotable lines ever in a film, and Christian Bale’s portrayal of the deranged businessman is nothing short of cinematic gold. It’s better if you go into “American Psycho” without knowing much about the film.
Fear (1996)
When teenager Nicole Walker (Reese Witherspoon) meets the intoxicating David McCall (Mark Wahlberg), she falls for him immediately. David at first seems like the perfect guy, not unlike Joe in “You,” but like Joe, he soon reveals his violent tendencies. Nicole’s father, Steve (William Petersen), suspected David’s intentions from the beginning and now must save his daughter from the clutches of this dangerous man. Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg have great chemistry here, and David McCall, like Joe, was excessively possessive of Nicole, which turned into a violent obsession, just like what happened in “You.”
One Hour Photo (2002)
Robin Williams proves he can be just as creepy as he can be heartwarming. He plays the character of Seymour Parrish, a photo developer with a strange obsession with one of his clients’ families. Things go haywire when he gets fired from his job, which triggers his violent side. The movie is, in many ways, more than just a regular thriller. The director Mark Romanek attempts to draw your attention to the increasing loneliness in the modern world and with people’s obsession over perfection or contentment either via the consumption of products one deems as high class or through escaping oneself into others’ (Celebrities) seemingly perfect lives. Romanek also does a wonderful job of capturing the gradual shift in Sy’s psyche; he couples it with haunting cinematography to bring the movie to an unsettling finale.
Cape Fear (1991)
The legendary director-actor duo of Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro came together to remake the 1962 classic of the same name. “Cape Fear” follows Max Cady, just out of prison after a 14-year sentence, as he stalks the family of the lawyer who defended him. Robert De Niro delivers a captivating and, at times, over-the-top performance that fits well for the movie, which itself is on the louder side. “Cape Fear” is filled with striking visuals and a blustering score. Martin Scorsese delivered a chaotic and sometimes slightly cheesy movie that isn’t for everyone but is surely a great watch for fans of the iconic director.
Following (1998)
Christopher Nolan surely showed his potential in his first feature-length film about a young writer who follows people for his writing inspiration. He finds himself in deep trouble after becoming obsessed with his habit. Like “You,” the movie features a stalker, although the intentions here are much less sinister at the beginning. Nolan experiments with his signature fractured narrative technique here with great results to produce a film with a great story, a complicated plot, and twists and turns that are sure to hook you until the end. “Following” is an independent movie with a meagre budget made without the backing of any studio. The fact that the movie is this good speaks volumes about the creative talent of Christopher Nolan.
