The inner workings of the newspaper industry might not seem like the most exciting subject, but we’ve got ten investigative movies like The Post that prove otherwise.
Steven Spielberg’s gripping political thriller saw a crack team of journalists look to publish the incendiary Pentagon Papers in 1971, putting their careers and freedom at risk.
Thrillers set in the world of journalism often boast star-studded casts and an abundance of intelligence and insight, making it one of the industry’s most vastly underrated sub-genres.
10 Investigative Thriller Movies Like The Post
1. All the President’s Men (1976)
Arguably the single greatest political thriller in history, Alan J. Paluka’s classic finds two rookie reporters stumbling upon a series of events that cracked the Watergate scandal wide open.
Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford live up to their reputations as two of their generation’s best actors, anchoring the relentlessly exhilarating story through each new twist, turn, and revelation.
When it comes to movies like The Post, they don’t come much closer than All the President’s Men, which essentially tells the story from a completely different but just as phenomenal angle.
2. Spotlight (2015)
Movies like The Post aren’t always designed to find the biggest audience, and a plot following a group of journalists investigating systemic child abuse by the Catholic church is far from accessible.
However, thanks to authentic performances from an A-list ensemble, whip-smart dialogue, and a staunch refusal to shy away from the difficult subject matter, Spotlight was an engrossing watch.
Oscar wins for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay were the icing on the cake for a drama that was ten times more exciting than the majority of Hollywood thrillers.
3. The Conversation (1974)
Francis Ford Coppola cemented his reputation as a titan of 1970s cinema by following up The Godfather with another one of the decade’s defining movies, the very same year The Godfather Part II was released.
Gene Hackman heads up the cast as Harry Caul, a surveillance expert facing a moral dilemma after being hired to listen in on a young couple before quickly becoming obsessed with his findings.
An increasing sense of paranoia, never-ending tension, and haunting undertones permeate every frame of The Conversation, making it an uneasy and yet absolutely essential watch.
4. The Insider (1999)
Michael Mann’s most underrated movie spins a fictional twist on the true-life story of whistle-blowing in the tobacco industry and the resultant fallout.
Arriving a year before Gladiator, The Insider was Russell Crowe’s true breakout role, with the actor landing an Oscar nod for Best Actor in what can still be called the best performance of his career.
Veterans Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer, and Phillip Baker Hall bring the required gravitas to a story of corporate espionage that’s a lot glossier and more stylish than a lot of movies like The Post.
5. The Report (2019)
A dogged FBI agent launches a decade-long investigation into the military’s reported use of torture on terror suspects in one of Amazon Prime’s best original movies.
Regular Steven Soderbergh collaborator Scott Z. Burns directs the challenging political drama, with Adam Driver on imperious form as main character Daniel Jones, backed by a stacked supporting ensemble.
Not strictly a movie about journalism, but the plot beats and narrative thrust of The Report will appeal directly to viewers looking for more movies like The Post.
6. Network (1976)
Sidney Lumet’s satirical black comedy about a fictional news station struggling with poor ratings is rightly lauded as one of the finest movies ever made, not to mention one of the most iconic.
Network might focus on televised news rather than the printed page, but it still shares a lot of narrative and thematic ground with movies like The Post, as well as having much sharper edges.
Frustration and fury boils to the surface in a superbly-executed take-down of both the television industry and Americana that remains relevant to this day.
7. Zodiac (2007)
As a serial killer stalks the streets of San Franciso, a determined band of investigative journalists look to crack the case that has everybody else stumped in David Fincher’s modern classic.
With one of the best directors in the business behind the camera and Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. heading up the cast, greatness was the least to be expected from Zodiac.
Dialogue-driven and informative without slowing down, set in the 1970s and hailing from a top tier director; Zodiac is exactly what fans of movies like The Post are looking for.
8. State of Play (2009)
Based on the British TV miniseries of the same name, State of Play takes the core concept of the original and filters it through the studio system to deliver a star-powered political thriller.
A journalist digs into the suspicious death of a Congressman’s mistress, with Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck playing the two leads in an ensemble loaded with heavy hitters like Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Jeff Daniels, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis and Robin Wright.
If you want movies like The Post that stretch the limits of plausibility without losing any entertainment value, then State of Play is just the ticket.
9. The Paper (1994)
Movies like The Post don’t always have to be talky dramas with layers of intrigue, and director Ron Howard’s depiction of 24 hours in the life of a newspaper editor leans heavily into the comedic aspect.
Michael Keaton is at his enthusiastic and exuberant best as the central character, and The Paper is part throwback to the golden age of screwball comedy, but also a cautionary tale of a man who lives for nothing but his work.
One of the more unsung entries in the filmography of both Howard and Keaton, The Paper is the best sort of combination of classic tropes bolted onto a recognizably modern setup.
10. Bridge of Spies (2015)
The true-life tale of a Cold War prisoner exchange isn’t focused on journalism or an investigation, but the presence of director Steven Spielberg and star Tom Hanks make it an appealing prospect for fans of movies like The Post.
Mark Rylance won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in the awards season favorite, as Spielberg once again proved himself capable of tackling any genre and making a great movie.
A relatively dry story on paper, Bridge of Spies is brought to vivid life on the big screen thanks to sharp directing, a fantastic script and powerhouse performances from the two leads.