12 Movies Like Picnic at Hanging Rock You Need to Watch
Discover eerie, atmospheric films and series with mystery, drama, and suspense, including Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018), Marianne, and more.
If you’re searching for movies like Picnic at Hanging Rock, you probably want stories that feel eerie, elegant, and a little unresolved. This list leans into that same atmosphere with titles such as Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018), Disappearance at Clifton Hill (2019), and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: The Murder at Road Hill House (2011), all of which mix mystery with slow-building tension. You’ll also find darker, more psychological picks like Marianne (2019) and Spinning Man (2018), plus newer options such as Wayward (2025) and Adoration (2024). Whether you’re drawn to period detail, romantic unease, or a crime story with a haunting edge, these films and series capture that same sense of beautiful dread.
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01
Disappearance at Clifton Hill
drama · mystery · thriller
Following the death of her mother, a young woman returns home to Niagara Falls and becomes entangled in the memory of a kidnapping she claims to have witnessed as a child.
Directed by Albert ShinCast Addison Tymec, Mikayla Radan, Tim Beresford, Janet Porter, Colin McLeodHulu -
02
Picnic at Hanging Rock
drama · mystery
In the early 1900s, Miranda attends a girls boarding school in Australia. One Valentine's Day, the school's typically strict headmistress treats the girls to a picnic field trip to an unusual but scenic volcanic formation called Hanging Rock. Despite rules against it, Miranda and several other girls venture off. It's not until the end of the day that the faculty realizes the girls and one of the teachers have disappeared mysteriously.
Directed by Peter WeirCast Rachel Roberts, Vivean Gray, Helen Morse, Kirsty Child, Tony Llewellyn-JonesMax -
03
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: The Murder at Road Hill House
crime · drama · mystery
In 1860, Inspector Jack Whicher of Scotland Yard is sent to rural Wiltshire to investigate the murder of the three-year-old boy Saville Kent, who was snatched from his bed at night and murdered.
Directed by James HawesCast Paddy Considine, Peter Capaldi, Tom Georgeson, William Beck, Emma FieldingPeacock Premium -
04
Marianne
drama · horror · mystery · thriller
When a novelist realizes her terrifying stories are coming true, she returns to her hometown to face the demons from her past that inspire her writing.
Directed by Samuel BodinCast Victoire Du Bois, Lucie Boujenah, Tiphaine Daviot, Ralph Amoussou, Bellamine AbdelmalekNetflix -
05
Spinning Man
drama · mystery · thriller
Evan Birch is a family man and esteemed professor at a distinguished university. When a female student goes missing, police Detective Malloy has reason to be suspicious when crucial evidence makes Evan the prime suspect in her disappearance.
Directed by Simon KaijserCast Guy Pearce, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver, Alexandra Shipp, Odeya RushFreevee -
06
Wayward
drama · mystery · thriller
A small-town cop suspects that the local school for troubled teens — and its dangerously charismatic founder — may not be all it seems.
Directed by Euros Lyn, John Fawcett, Renuka JeyapalanCast Mae Martin, Sarah Gadon, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Sydney Topliffe, Toni ColletteNetflix -
07
Capitani
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
In a Luxembourg village where everyone is keeping secrets, gruff police inspector Luc Capitani investigates the suspicious death of a 15-year-old girl.
Directed by Christophe WagnerCast Luc Schiltz, Sophie Mousel, Brigitte Urhausen, Joe Dennenwald, Konstantin RommelfangenNetflix -
08
Adoration
crime · drama · mystery
When a 16-year-old girl vanishes, secrets come to light and disrupt a small community as her friends and family try to re-create her last movements.
Directed by Stefano MordiniCast Noemi Magagnini, Alice Lupparelli, Beatrice Puccilli, Penelope Raggi, Luigi BrunoNetflix -
09
Taboo
drama · mystery · thriller
Adventurer James Keziah Delaney returns to London from Africa in 1814 along with fourteen stolen diamonds to seek vengeance after the death of his father.
Directed by Anders Engström, Kristoffer NyholmCast Tom Hardy, David Hayman, Jonathan Pryce, Oona Chaplin, Richard DixonPeacock PremiumFreevee -
10
The Last Anniversary
drama · mystery
A mystery that touches on family matters, motherhood and those women whose legacy defines the generations that blossom after them.
Directed by John PolsonCast Teresa Palmer, Miranda Richardson, Danielle Macdonald, Claude Scott-Mitchell, Helen ThomsonAmazon Prime VideoAMC+ -
11
Lizzie
biography · crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Massachusetts, 1892. An unmarried woman of 32 and a social outcast, Lizzie lives a claustrophobic life under her father's cold and domineering control. When Bridget Sullivan, a young maid, comes to work for the family, Lizzie finds a sympathetic, kindred spirit, and a secret intimacy soon blossoms into a wicked plan.
Directed by Craig William MacneillCast Chloë Sevigny, Kristen Stewart, Jeff Perry, Fiona Shaw, Jamey SheridanPeacock PremiumFreevee -
12
La Jauría
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Blanca, student leader of the feminist movement in an occupied school, goes missing: hours later, a video of a group raping the girl goes viral. In their aim to find her, a police squad formed by three women puts their lives and that of their families at risk. As they look for Blanca and investigate, they will find out that behind this gender crime there is much more than just one offender.
Directed by Nicolás Puenzo, Marialy Rivas, Sergio Castro San Martín, Lucía PuenzoCast Antonia Zegers, María Gracia Omegna, Daniela Vega, Paula Luchsinger, Mariana Di GirólamoMax
Wrapping Up
What makes these picks worth watching is the way they balance mood, secrets, and suspense without rushing the payoff. From historical mysteries to modern thrillers, each title offers a different route into that unsettling, dreamlike feeling fans keep coming back for. If you enjoyed this guide, bookmark it and return whenever you want another atmospheric watch. The page is updated regularly, so there’s always something new to add to your list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes these movies similar to Picnic at Hanging Rock?
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 9, 2026