10 Movies & Shows Like Magpie (2024)

Description: A seminal psychological thriller featuring a young FBI trainee navigating a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with a brilliant but monstrous antagonist, blending crime procedural with horror elements.

Fact: It's one of only three films to win the 'Big Five' Academy Awards (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay). The character Hannibal Lecter only appears for 16 minutes of screen time.

Description: A grim, stylish crime thriller that follows detectives tracking a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi, featuring shocking twists and a bleak worldview.

Fact: The opening title sequence was created by Kyle Cooper and has been highly influential in film design. The film's dark, rainy aesthetic was achieved by adding black dye to the water trucks.

Description: A meticulous, atmospheric true-crime thriller that chronicles the obsessive hunt for a serial killer, focusing on the psychological toll of unsolved cases.

Fact: The film's production designer recreated 1970s San Francisco with painstaking accuracy. Director David Fincher consulted actual Zodiac investigators during filming.

Description: A tense, morally complex thriller about desperate measures taken during a child abduction case, exploring themes of justice, vengeance, and the limits of human endurance.

Fact: The film's cinematography uses a distinctive gray, rainy palette to enhance its bleak atmosphere. It was shot in sequence to help actors maintain emotional continuity.

Description: A dark, psychological thriller that delves into complex investigations and features a strong, enigmatic female protagonist with a troubled past.

Fact: The film is based on the best-selling novel by Stieg Larsson, which was originally titled 'Men Who Hate Women' in Swedish. The character Lisbeth Salander has become an iconic figure in modern crime fiction.

Description: A moody, character-driven crime drama that unfolds a single murder investigation over an entire season, exploring the ripple effects of violence on multiple lives.

Fact: The series was adapted from the Danish show 'Forbrydelsen'. Its slow-burn storytelling approach was innovative for American television at the time.

Description: A gripping mystery that explores themes of deception, media manipulation, and the dark undercurrents of relationships, with a narrative full of twists and psychological depth.

Fact: The film's screenplay was written by the author of the novel, Gillian Flynn, ensuring the adaptation stayed true to the book's tone. The movie's infamous 'cool girl' monologue became a cultural talking point.

Description: An anthology crime series with philosophical undertones, featuring complex character studies and atmospheric investigations into dark, occult-tinged crimes.

Fact: The first season's six-minute tracking shot in episode four was filmed in a single take. The show's distinctive yellow filter became a subject of both praise and parody.

Description: A gritty crime drama that examines the criminal justice system through the lens of a murder case, focusing on institutional flaws and the human cost of incarceration.

Fact: The series was in development for nearly a decade before production. It was originally conceived with James Gandolfini in the lead role before his passing.

Description: A psychological thriller miniseries that follows a troubled journalist returning to her hometown to cover a murder, uncovering disturbing family secrets and personal demons.

Fact: The series features hidden messages in the background of scenes that reveal plot points. All eight episodes were directed by the same filmmaker, creating visual consistency.