Netflix introduced us to Joe Goldberg/Will Bettleheim and his charming yet deadly tendencies in the show YOU. Penn Badgley, former Gossip Girl star stars in as the everyday man who is secretly a stalking psychopath and he wows and even surprises audiences with his justification of his actions.
After two seasons, the show doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon as it has been highly rated and coveted. At the end of season 2, we were left with a cliffhanger that led us to believe there would definitely be a season 3. For those that can’t wait, here are 10 movies you would love if you like YOU.
Gone Girl (2014)
The first movie on this list is the psychological thriller that left us wondering who to root for, much like in YOU. Rosamund Pike plays Amy who grows tired of her husband’s games and plans to bring him down for his infidelity. She fakes her murder and even leads the audience into thinking she’s dead until she comes back into the picture more than halfway through the movie.
The movie has a similar tone and style as YOU and really has us questioning people’s true intentions and motives.
NightCrawler (2014)
Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is not a killer, at first, he’s just a guy trying to get by and become something of himself. At least that’s how he justifies petty theft and scavenging. When he learns about the world of Nightcrawling, he gets obsessed, doing anything to catch a story, even if that means creating one.
Like Joe, Louis doesn’t see his psychotic tendencies and tries to justify them by saying his actions are for a greater good. Unlike Joe though, Louis is creepy both inside and out, often making everyone around him uncomfortable.
The Boy Next Door (2015)
When a forbidden relationship between a professor and her neighbor half her age goes too far, she tries to end it. Unlucky for her, the 19-year-old neighbor isn’t having it and starts to become obsessed with her and shows his violent tendencies.
Like Joe, the neighbor is obsessive, doing anything he can for love, no task is too small. He makes you wonder about what really goes in on in someone’s head and if the closest people to you are actually who they say they are.
Single White Female (1992)
Like YOU, Single White Female was a novel first before becoming a critically acclaimed psychological thriller. The movie revolves around a young woman who looks for a new friend after the end of her relationship and finds a new roommate she starts obsessing over.
She develops an unhealthy muse for her roommate and like any normal person, her roommate gets freaked out and refuses to be any part of her little game.
The movie has all the twists and turns and all the questionable moves from our protagonists.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Starring Leo Dicaprio and Tom Hanks, the movie is a retelling of a real-life conman (DiCaprio ) who spends years outrunning an FBI Agent (Hanks) and wowing the crowds on his way to notoriety.
Like Joe, DiCaprio plays a charming yet complex character with a troubled past and a knack for being personable, even all the way to his arrest. If you liked the thrill of the protagonist being chased and you also like the cat and mouse games played by the protagonist, you will love Catch me if you Can.
Cold Pursuit (2019)
Starring Liam Neeson, this next movie eerily resembles the plot of Taken but instead of losing his daughter and rescuing her, he must investigate the death of his son after the police have given up.
Like Joe, Neeson starts off as a modest man, working shoveling snow in the harsh Colorado winters and living a normal life, but unlike Joe, Neeson wasn’t as calculated and in turn, got into some trouble with a crime lord who stops at nothing to try to take down the man who’s been killing his.
Neeson isn’t a bad guy but he does a lot of bad things to people and he doesn’t seem to have a lot of remorse for it.
Red Eye (2005)
People often befriend the people sitting next to them on a plane, rarely fall in love but it’s not impossible. For Lisa (Rachel McAdams) she thinks its luck when she meets a seemingly successful and handsome businessman on her flight but she quickly finds out that he’s not who he says he is.
The movie takes a crazy turn for the worst and leaves the audience mouths agape as the revelations come out and all the clues were right in front of us the whole time.
Like Joe, the man is handsome, charming, and has a way with words that can easily manipulate the unsuspecting target.
Ingrid Goes West (2017)
In the first season of YOU, Joe uses social media to know Beck’s every move and keep track of her whereabouts when he can’t follow her. Unbeknownst to her, Joe basically made himself a part of her life by always being there when she turned around and always knowing about her secrets.
Ingrid Goes West plays on a similar concept, showing the dangers of social media when Ingrid (played by Aubrey Plaza) moves to Los Angeles to stalk and attempt to befriend her idol, Taylor Sloane.
Like Joe, Ingrid makes her target feel like she’s just a good friend, always there for her when in reality she had much more sinister plans for her.
One-Hour Photo (2002)
Starring the late and great Robin Williams, this next movie is as psychological and as thrilling as YOU. The movie follows a photo studio employee who obsesses over a family who comes in regularly and he builds on his obsession when he suspects the husband is having an affair. Like Joe, he takes matters into his own hands and shows no mercy to his victims.
Robin Williams was normally known for his comedic performances and in this one, he took a darker turn but mastered it beautifully. This movie is definitely worth watching if you’re a fan of the show or if you’re a Robin Williams fan.
Psycho (2000)
This movie is eerily similar to Joe and his personality as the main character Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale) plays a charming and intelligent banker by day and serial killer by night. You couldn’t tell by looking at him but Bateman would absolutely drive an ax through your skull and sleep like a baby.
Like Joe, Bateman was careful and usually erased all evidence of his murders as well as continued to play the victim even when his bat was against the wall.
Like YOU, Psycho is told from the murderer’s point of view so we can really see how the killer’s mind really works.
