12 Movies Like 12 Monkeys You Need to Watch
Explore 12 gripping picks for fans of 12 Monkeys, from Looper to Timeless, with time-travel suspense, mystery, drama, and sci-fi twists.
If you want tense time-bending stories with mystery, sci-fi, and just enough emotional weight, this list is built for you. Fans of movies like 12 Monkeys usually want more than a simple time-travel gimmick, and picks such as Looper, The Tomorrow War, and Prometheus deliver that same mix of dread, big ideas, and momentum. You’ll also find smarter, slower-burn options like Continuum, Timeless, and The 12 from Oldenheim, which lean into investigation and character drama. For a darker, more unsettling edge, Norman and 12 Monkeys (2015) keep the tension high while shifting the mood in interesting ways. These titles give you a wide range of adventure, drama, mystery, sci-fi, and thriller storytelling without losing the twisty appeal that brought you here.
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01
Continuum
action · sci-fi · thriller
The series centers on the conflict between a group of rebels from the year 2077 who time-travel to Vancouver, BC, in 2012, and a police officer who accidentally accompanies them. In spite of being many years early, the rebel group decides to continue its violent campaign to stop corporations of the future from replacing governments, while the police officer endeavours to stop them without revealing to anyone that she and the rebels are from the future.
Directed by Pat Williams, David Frazee, William Waring, Mike Rohl, Amanda TappingCast Rachel Nichols, Victor Webster, Erik Knudsen, Stephen Lobo, Omari NewtonAmazon Prime VideoPeacock PremiumFreevee -
02
Looper
action · drama · sci-fi · thriller
In the year 2044, time travel has not yet been invented but in 30 years it will have been. When the mob wants to get rid of someone, they will send their target into the past where a looper, a hired gun, like Joe is waiting to mop up. Joe is getting rich and life is good until the day the mob decides to close the loop, sending back Joe's future self for assassination.
Directed by Rian JohnsonCast Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Noah SeganStarz -
03
The Tomorrow War
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi · thriller
The world is stunned when a group of time travelers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: Thirty years in the future, mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians from the present to be transported to the future and join the fight. Among those recruited is high school teacher and family man Dan Forester. Determined to save the world for his young daughter, Dan teams up with a brilliant scientist and his estranged father in a desperate quest to rewrite the fate of the planet.
Directed by Chris McKayCast Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam RichardsonAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
04
Timeless
action · adventure · drama · sci-fi
A mysterious criminal steals a secret state-of-the-art time machine, intent on destroying America as we know it by changing the past. Our only hope is an unexpected team: a scientist, a soldier and a history professor, who must use the machine's prototype to travel back in time to critical events. While they must make every effort not to affect the past themselves, they must also stay one step ahead of this dangerous fugitive. But can this handpicked team uncover the mystery behind it all and end his destruction before it's too late?
Directed by Greg Beeman, John F. Showalter, Holly Dale, Charles Beeson, Neil MarshallCast Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, Malcolm Barrett, Paterson Joseph, Sakina JaffreyAmazon Prime Video -
05
The 12 from Oldenheim
drama · mystery & thriller
Follow the lives of the inhabitants of Oldenheim, an ancient Dutch village where families have lived for generations. The terror is great when the inhabitants of the village are confronted with a series of mysterious disappearances.
Directed by Anne van der Linden, Remy van HeugtenCast Noortje Herlaar, Nasrdin Dchar, Reinout Bussemaker, Fedja van Huêt, Ko ZandvlietAmazon Prime VideoFreevee -
06
Prometheus
adventure · mystery · sci-fi
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Directed by Ridley ScottCast Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy PearcePeacock Premium -
07
Norman
adventure · sci-fi · thriller
A time traveler, Norman, and his A.I. companion, A.N.I., become trapped and isolated in the past, jeopardizing life in both the past and the future. They must invent a way back to the future before the world collapses.
Directed by Joel GuelzoCast Stephen Birge, Aric Burkert, Debbie Carlson, Jon Carlson, Jerry ChesserFreevee -
08
11.22.63
drama · mystery · romance · sci-fi · thriller
An English teacher travels back in time to prevent the Kennedy assassination, but discovers he is attached to the life he has made in a bygone era.
Directed by James Strong, Frederick E.O. Toye, John David Coles, James Franco, James KentCast James Franco, Sarah Gadon, George MacKay, Chris Cooper, Cherry JonesNetflix -
09
Resident Evil: Retribution
action · horror · sci-fi · thriller
The Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race’s last and only hope, Alice, awakens in the heart of Umbrella’s most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by new found allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The countdown has begun.
Directed by Paul W.S. AndersonCast Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Michelle Rodriguez, Aryana Engineer, Bingbing LiNetflix -
10
Manifest
drama · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
After landing from a turbulent but routine flight, the crew and passengers of Montego Air Flight 828 discover five years have passed in what seemed like a few hours. As their new realities become clear, a deeper mystery unfolds and some of the returned passengers soon realize they may be meant for something greater than they ever thought possible.
Directed by Romeo Tirone, Michael Smith, Dean White, Claudia Yarmy, Marisol AdlerCast Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Parveen KaurNetflix -
11
Station Eleven
adventure · drama · fantasy · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
The survivors of a devastating flu attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew – while holding on to the best of what’s been lost.
Directed by Jeremy Podeswa, Helen Shaver, Hiro Murai, Lucy TcherniakCast Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Matilda Lawler, David Wilmot, Nabhaan RizwanMax -
12
Terminator Genisys
action · adventure · sci-fi · thriller
The year is 2029. John Connor, leader of the resistance continues the war against the machines. At the Los Angeles offensive, John's fears of the unknown future begin to emerge when TECOM spies reveal a new plot by SkyNet that will attack him from both fronts; past and future, and will ultimately change warfare forever.
Directed by Alan TaylorCast Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. SimmonsParamount Plus
Wrapping Up
Whether you want a grounded thriller, a puzzle-box mystery, or a bigger sci-fi adventure, these picks make it easy to keep the momentum going. The best part is how each one approaches time, fate, or scientific danger from a slightly different angle, so the experience never feels repetitive. Save this page if you like having a reliable watchlist ready when you finish one series or film and want the next great option. We update this page regularly, so it’s worth checking back for fresh recommendations and new additions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes these movies similar to 12 Monkeys?
These picks were matched by tone, themes, and story style using a similarity model trained on plot synopses, genres, and cast — not just shared genre tags — so the connection runs deeper than a simple category match.
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Last updated: September 7, 2026