Dynamic Watchlist Hub: Jan 19, 2026

10 Best Movies Like Papillon

If you loved Papillon, we've curated the perfect watchlist for you based on shared genres, themes, and directorial style.

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Expert Review & Ratings

See our full critical analysis and audience score for Papillon.

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#1
Papillon

Papillon

1973★ 7.8

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Papillon for fans of Crime & Drama. It captures a similar emotionally gripping atmosphere.

A man befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence on a dreadful prison island, which inspires the man to plot his escape....

#2
Salyut-7

Salyut-7

2017★ 7.1

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Papillon for fans of Adventure & Drama. It captures a similar adrenaline-pumping atmosphere.

USSR, June 1985. After contact with the Salyut 7 space station is lost, cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Viktor Savinykh dock with the empty, frozen craft, and bring her back to...

#3
A Prayer Before Dawn

A Prayer Before Dawn

2018★ 6.7

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Papillon for fans of Crime & Drama. It captures a similar adrenaline-pumping atmosphere.

The amazing true story of Billy Moore, an English boxer incarcerated in Thailand’s most notorious prison. Thrown into a world of drugs and violence, he finds his best chance to esc...

#4
Mile 22

Mile 22

2018★ 6.2

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Papillon for fans of Action. It captures a similar adrenaline-pumping atmosphere.

An elite group of American operatives, aided by a top-secret tactical command team, must transport an asset who holds life-threatening information to an extraction point 22 miles a...

#5
Smoke & Mirrors

Smoke & Mirrors

2016★ 6.5

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Papillon for fans of History. It captures a similar compelling atmosphere.

A tale of cheats and impostors, taking its inspiration from true facts and from one of the most intriguing characters of recent decades: the spy Francisco Paesa....

#6
Black Tide

Black Tide

2018★ 5.7

Why watch this? A perfect follow-up to Papillon for fans of Thriller. It captures a similar compelling atmosphere.

When a teenager suddenly disappears without a trace, the case is assigned to an alcoholic police officer who maintains a complicated relationship with his own troubled teenage son,...