15 Best Movies Like Spiderhead You Need to Watch
Spiderhead is one of the newest sci-fi movies that we have on Netflix today as it tells the story of prison inmates that were made to become experiment subjects in a mind-altering substance in exchange for a shorter sentence. Of course, some of the inmates agreed, but this ended in an inmate developing feelings for one of the prisoners as he began to question his own feelings.
Those who were quick to watch this movie would know all about how much of a mind-numbing movie it can be. Nevertheless, it is still quite enjoyable to watch, especially if you are into the psychological aspects of films. So, with that said, here are some of the movies that are like Spiderhead.
15. Chaos Walking (2021)
Chaos Walking has a premise that should’ve been great had it been executed perfectly. Nevertheless, as good as its plot could have been, the movie is kind of mediocre, to say the least, but is still enjoyable for those who are fans of sci-fi. The story of the movie takes place in a world where women are basically extinct, and the thoughts of every person can be visualized. However, a woman suddenly crashes on this planet, and the main character named Todd is forced to protect her from the men who are trying to obtain her.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: The plot and premise of Chaos Walking are kind of different compared to Spiderhead, but you can see the similarities in these movies in the sense that they both revolve around sci-fi themes that explore the emotions of people. They don’t have a ton of similarities, but they do have similar tones in certain aspects, and that should be more than enough for some people to appreciate Chaos Walking.
14. Parasite (2019)
Parasite is one of the greatest films released in the last ten years and is arguably right up there in terms of the best international movies. This is one of the most important movies of our time because it was the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture in the Academy Awards. The movie revolves around how an impoverished Korean family was able to infiltrate the lives of the rich Park family by earning jobs in their home. This movie’s key aspect is the focus on the differences between the lives of the Park and Kim family, who are considered parasites to one another and are able to showcase the difference between the way the rich go about their lives compared to the poor.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Truth be told, there is nothing sci-fi about Parasite, and its plot may not be very similar to Spiderhead. However, the movie allows us to see a metaphorical prison that the families in this movie are trying to escape. The Kim family is imprisoned by their poverty. Meanwhile, the Park family is imprisoned by its inability to perform simple tasks that they have to rely on the Kim family.
13. Get Out (2017)
Get Out is another one of those sci-fi movies that are able to showcase certain elements of horror, sci-fi, and social inequality all in one great film. The movie revolves around a family of white Americans as one of their daughters brings home an African-American man, who is quick to notice that there are other African-Americans that are seemingly treated as slaves on the property. But he eventually found out that this was not the case as there is a creepy yet very insightful twist that can make your head numb in this psychological movie.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: There are only hints of sci-fi in Get Out, especially when it comes to the fact that they are able to transport the consciousness of one person to another. However, what makes it similar to Spiderhead is the psychologically disturbing aspect of the movie. They may be different in terms of their plots, but they are very similar in how they make you feel after you watch these films.
12. Sunshine (2007)
Sunshine is a sci-fi movie that explores a group of astronauts that have to go on a mission to reignite the sun due to a change in the way that it functions. However, in their mission, they got exposed to the sun’s influence as this impacts their behavior in a manner that is nearly supernatural. The movie explores a sort of psychological theme that’s coupled with great action as well.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: The overall plot of Sunshine is different compared to Spiderhead. But the similarities between them lie in the fact that they are both sci-fi films that have mind-numbing themes that can leave a person with a lot of questions after. Nevertheless, like Spiderhead, Sunshine also has its own fair share of action.
11. Elysium (2013)
Elysium is one of the underrated movies of the early 2010s because it didn’t get the same attention as some of the other films that were released back then. Nevertheless, the movie itself has a great plot that is set in a dystopian world where only those who are affluent enough are allowed to live in a space station where life is good and comfortable while the poor are left to live on a dying Earth. And it is up to the protagonist to find a way to allow everyone on Earth to get to the space station called Elysium.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Spiderhead doesn’t have the same kind of inequality aspects that Elysium has, but they are both sci-fi movies that have some similarities in the sense that they explore themes that are relevant to society. Of course, they also have great action stars that are also talented when it comes to different film genres.
10. Snowpiercer (2013)
Snowpiercer is an American film that was directed by the same man behind Parasyte. This is also a film that is able to capture inequality in a dystopian world very well as this sci-fi movie revolves around a large train where the survivors of the planet are forced to live due to the fact that the Earth has become too cold for people to inhabit. However, there is social inequality inside the train as the poor are forced to live in cramped cars and eat table scraps while the rich are allowed to live comfortable lives.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Snowpiercer probably doesn’t have too many similarities with Spiderhead. Other than the fact that they both star Chris actors who are also big names in Marvel movies, they are both sci-fi movies that are set in a world that is somewhat dystopian in nature. Snowpiercer also allows you to question some of your beliefs about society in the same way that Spiderhead makes you question certain things that you may believe about your own emotions.
9. The Platform (2019)
The Platform is one of the best movies that you can watch on Netflix and has a very imaginative plot that relies on a futuristic narrative. This movie revolves around a large vertical prison where inmates are forced to ration their food as the foot platform descends down to the lower levels. However, because those who are at the top tend to eat more than they can consume to the point that those at the bottom are left with scraps, things become quite problematic for the inmates.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Both The Platform and Spiderhead rely on a prison setup, even though the former talks more about inequality. However, the star of The Platform also begins to experience strange hallucinations after he volunteered to stay in the facility. This is much like how the characters of Spiderhead tend to experience mental problems as well after taking part in the experiment.
8. Fortress (1992)
Fortress is one of the older movies we have on this list, but it is a very underrated film that is able to capture a lot of different themes well in one film. The premise of this sci-fi prison movie revolves around a prisoner who is trapped in a max-security prison that’s located deep underground. He and his fellow inmates are monitored carefully through the CCTV system and with the use of devices that are implanted in their bodies that punish them whenever they behave poorly. In that regard, the star of the show seeks to escape from prison in an attempt to reunite with his wife, who is expecting a second child, which was illegal in the movie’s time period.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Like Spiderhead, Fortress explores a lot of different themes that are centered on questions about morality, considering that inmates are the topics in these movies. Of course, they are both sci-fi movies that dwell on the lives of prisoners who are trying to escape. Nevertheless, the reasons for escape are different in both films, as they are equally unique in their own right.
7. Escape From New York (1981)
Despite the fact that it was released in 1981, Escape From New York is still a groundbreaking and influential sci-fi prison movie that has continued to influence similar movies decades after it was released. The movie is set in the crime-ridden US, where Manhattan has been turned into a max-security prison. Federal prisoner Snake is tasked to save the US president in Manhattan as he has 24 hours to do so. And the cost of failure is his life because there is an implant that will kill him in case he fails to save the POTUS.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Escape From New York is very similar to Snakehead in the sense that they both focus on the sci-fi prison genre. In fact, there are those who say that Snakehead is actually influenced by Escape From New York, considering that the source material of Snakehead has a title that is very similar to this movie. And both of these films dwell on the morality of certain measures that are used on prison inmates.
6. 12 Monkeys (1995)
12 Monkeys is a movie that actually allows you to see one of the most vivid and weird portrayals of a sci-fi prison film in a story that is quite chaotic and frenetic in its pace. In fact, 12 Monkeys is so popular that it earned itself a series remake. The story revolves around a man who lives in a future that was devastated by a manmade virus as he is now tasked to go back in time to investigate the cause of the pandemic. However, instead, he was institutionalized in a mental facility because people believed that he was crazy.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Like Spiderhead, the key in 12 Monkeys is escape through volunteerism as the stars in both of these films seek to escape from prison in a sci-fi setting that is both mind-numbing and quite captivating. However, 12 Monkeys has the better delivery between the two because of its frenetic pace and chaotic narrative.
5. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
Nineteen Eighty-Four, aptly released in 1984, is one of George Orwell’s weirdest yet most eye-opening movies about a dystopian world where society itself now serves as the metaphorical prison that keeps people in line. The movie follows the story of a man who is looking to find freedom and love despite being monitored closely by an all-seeing ruler who controls society through fear. In that regard, it gives you an idea of how bad society can get if it ends up in a totalitarian regime where people are closely monitored.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Nineteen Eighty-Four is like Spiderhead before Escape From Spiderhead was even published or conceptualized. In this movie, society itself serves as the prison that keeps people in check, all while Big Brother is somewhere out there monitoring what every person is doing. And the goal here in Nineteen Eighty-Four is to find a way out of the metaphorical prison that people are forced to live in.
4. Dredd (2012)
Dredd is a great take on the Judge Dredd character where law enforcers are both the judge, jury, and executioners in society. In this movie, Dredd is the main character in a city that’s set in 2080, where violent crime is at its peak, and a drug is being misused by the general public. In that regard, it is up to Dredd to find a way to police society in his own way in a film that’s quite brutal, violent, and full of satire.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Both movies are from the sci-fi genre, and most people would think that the similarities between Dredd and Spiderhead end there. However, there are more similarities than what meets the eye because of the fact that we are looking at a movie that also dives deep into the psyche of people while following a narrative that involves policing the behavior of people. And Judge Dredd is the lawful evil that society needs to police itself against the chaotic evils of the world.
3. Outland (1981)
Outland is one of the most underrated sci-fi thrillers of all time because not a lot of people talk about it or rank it in their favorite sci-fi movies. Nevertheless, this is a classic in terms of its quality and plot as the movie focuses on a story where a Federal Marshall in a futuristic society is sent to Jupiter’s moon, Io, to patrol illegal activity that’s going on there. While on this moon, he ends up discovering a weird strain of drug that mysteriously killed the miners on the moon, and this all leads to a grand conspiracy that also endangers his life.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Like Spiderhead, the tension in Outland is palpable as you get to feel the suspense building with every scene. It is a hypnotically weird and odd sci-fi movie that manages to captivate you with its atmosphere in a manner that’s similar to the overall mind-numbing experience that you can get from a movie like Spiderhead.
2. Minority Report (2002)
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Minority Report was one of the best sci-fi movies of the 2000s as the movie was able to capture a story that explores concepts like privacy and safety almost perfectly well. This movie follows the story of a police chief in 2054 as he is able to arrest people before they commit a crime using Precrime, which makes use of certain algorithms and complex methods to tell whether a person is about to commit a crime before the crime is even committed. In that regard, the morality of this method is being questioned in this critically acclaimed movie.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: While both movies are already similar in the sense that they are both sci-fi films, Minority Report and Spiderhead are very similar in terms of their execution as well. Of course, there’s also the fact that both of these films explore the morality involved in how people use authority to their advantage, despite how “good” the ends might be. As such, Minority Report also has a story that can get as mind-numbing as Spiderhead.
1. Synchronic (2020)
Not a lot of people can appreciate Synchronic, but this is a criminally underrated sci-fi movie that doesn’t even make use of a huge budget to deliver its premise and message. The movie follows the story of two paramedics who encounter people who experienced violent deaths after taking a new drug called Synchronic. However, when the daughter of one of the paramedics disappeared due to the drug, one of them used the drug in an attempt to find out more about it and recover his friend’s daughter. What he experienced was unlike any other because the drug itself is capable of allowing a person to travel through space and time in a mind-numbing experience that may require you to pause for a second to understand what the movie is all about.
Why It’s Like Spiderhead: Simply put, both Synchronic and Spiderhead have drugs at the center of their premises, as both of the drugs in these movies are capable of altering the way a person thinks and perceives the world. Nevertheless, in Synchronic, the drug is capable of changing a person’s perception of time and space in a psychedelic trip that literally bends the laws of physics. And while both of these films are mind-numbing in their own way, Synchronic simply takes it to a different level.
