Fight Clubis an undeniable classic, and a movie that’s more than earned the right to be consideredone of the best of the 1990s. It’s one of those cult classics that took a little longer than most movies to get popular, but once it crossed a certain threshold, it became considered one of the greats. It’s also notable for being unique and even hard to define, given it’s a darkly comedic and satirical psychological drama/thriller about a seemingly ordinary man who becomes involved in an underground (and revolutionary) fight club.
It’s difficult to find movies that strike the same strange tone and feel present inFight Club, but there are plenty of movies that are comparable in broader ways.The following films demonstrate this well, as they either have similar themes, premises, twist-filled narratives, or darkly comedic outlooks on life that ensure they scratch a similar itch asFight Club.Any fan ofFight Clubshould track the following movies down and watch them, if they haven’t already.
10’American Psycho' (2000)
Directed by Mary Harron
Another cult classic that was one ofthe best movies of 2000(even though it took a while for it to become properly recognized),American Psychois a comedy so dark some might not even realize it’s a comedy. Of course, it also functions as a psychological thriller/horror/crime movie, and the humor is admittedly buried below a shocking story that revolves around a narcissistic investment banking executive who earns obscene amounts of money by day and (possibly) commits horrific crimes by night.
The psychological aspect of the film takes center stage as his crimes become more over-the-top, presenting the possibility that some - or even all - of them have merely been imagined.Delving into the mind of a tortured individual while depicting acts of violence within a satirical narrative makesAmerican Psychocomparable toFight Club, and fittingly, the movies were released just one year apart, too. It’s proven influential, with similar movies released after (and before, admittedly).
American Psycho
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9’Office Space' (1999)
Directed by Mike Judge
Fight Clubmight ultimately be more of a drama or a thriller than a broad comedy, and as far as comedies go,Office Space(another 1999 release) is quite broad.Office Spaceis enjoyable and easy to watch, with little-to-no violence and a premise surrounding a man who hates his job and antagonizes his superiors, only for his actions to get him promoted.
It was anotherfilm that took a while to get the recognitionit deserved, and while it belongs to a slightly different genre, the themes surrounding alienation, the apparent meaningless of life, and dissatisfaction with one’s current life are explored in both movies.Office Spacetakes a more light-hearted approach to such themes, sure, but it’s not too far-fetched to say it has similarities toFight Club.And as far as comedies go, it is undeniably consistently funny.
Office Space
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8’Joker' (2019)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Jokertackled alienation and lashing out against society in a way that was provocative enough to make it a surprisingly controversial movie. Maybe the controversy ended up helping it, as it earned a huge amount at the box office and even did well when award season came around, showing that people really can’t get enough of Batman’s most famous villain.
It’s something of an origin story for its titular character, showing the circumstances that led to him embracing a life of chaos while dealing violently with the things in life that led to his breakdown.The loneliness and the anger captured inJokeris similarly depicted inFight Club, with the movies having certain similarities, despite being released two decades apart. Whether or not you want to count it asa great superhero movie, it is undoubtedly a great psychological drama/thriller.
During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.
7’Brazil' (1985)
Directed by Terry Gilliam
Fight Clubundoubtedly sends its protagonist (and, by extension, the audience) on a remarkably disorientating trip that ultimately questions aspects of the reality that had previously been taken for granted. However, it’s unable to go quite as far as something likeBrazil, which is even more surreal and psychologically intense, as well as (arguably) funnier.
Brazilalso functions as a work of science-fiction, humorously depicting a dark dystopian world that pushes protagonist Sam Lowry to his mental and physical limits. It’s a movie that continually manages to be both ridiculous and quite awe-inspiring, and though it takes a while to reach its powerful conclusion, it does eventually get there with devastating results.Brazilis easy to recommend for those who appreciate the psychological aspects ofFight Club’sstory, and is up there as anall-time great science fiction movie.
A bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams.
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6’The Game' (1997)
Directed by David Fincher
David Fincherwas the director behindFight Club, but that 1999 film was far from the first time he made a compelling psychological thriller.The Game, released two years earlier, might not be quite as great, but it’s still very good, following a banker who’s swept up in a disorientating game filled with strange rules and tasks that make him start to question his sanity.
If anything,the thrills and themes ofThe Gamefeel like they were refined and reshaped by Fincher, and then incorporated into the superiorFight Club. Yet this earlier film from the director is still very much worth watching, capturing a similar visual style and level of intensity that returned even stronger in 1999, forFight Club.The Gameis able to suck you inas a viewer straight away, and it’s pretty easy to forgive some of its shortcomings as it goes along.
After a wealthy San Francisco banker is given an opportunity to participate in a mysterious game, his life is turned upside down as he begins to question if it might really be a concealed conspiracy to destroy him.
5’God Bless America' (2011)
Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait
God Bless Americacan be lumped in with the aforementioned films that deal with lashing out at areas of society, often in ways that are dangerous and/or violent. The plot of this 2011 film follows two people who hate the world they live in, and so decide to go on a killing spree, murdering those they deem cruel and/or stupid, even if they’re not “criminals,” legally speaking. It’s safe to say thatGod Bless Americais a piece of media that wants to create controversy, and it’s one that’ll possibly offend some viewers.
The result isa very dark comedythat’s also super on-the-nose, but those who don’t mind their satire broad and obvious should have a good time here.Fight Clubhandles the premise of a violent modern-day revolution (of sorts) with more finesse, butGod Bless Americadoes still work as a darkly comedic crime/thriller.
God Bless America (2012)
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4’Taxi Driver' (1976)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Ahighlight ofMartin Scorsese’s phenomenal filmography,Taxi Driverstands as one of the greatest films of its decade. The premise is simple, though the character exploration it provides runs deep, given it takes viewers inside the mind of a Vietnam War veteran who suffers from insomnia and finds himself alienated from the world after he takes a job driving a taxi in New York City.
It’s a slow-burn movie, with its lead character - Travis Bickle - lashing out in progressively dangerous ways as it goes on. It’s remarkable how well it’s written as a whole, because it’s easy to imagineTaxi Driverfalling apart in many ways, in lesser hands. It’s a difficult but compelling film that does an excellent job of exploring a disturbed mind,excelling as a psychological deep-dive of its protagonist, just likeFight Clubdoes for its main character.
Taxi Driver
3’Falling Down' (1993)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Falling Downis very entertaining and quite silly at times, being just about as over-the-top as satire can get without also functioning as a full-on comedy. The narrative follows a middle-aged man who snaps one day, and decides he’s fed up with the rules that control his life, and so he goes on a one-man crime spree against the things he doesn’t like. It might not bea perfect movie from the 1990s, but it still has a good deal to offer for those willing to give it a try.
The movie follows him as he rebels, seemingly empowered by a new lack of caring about what anyone else thinks, all the while law enforcement tracks him and tries to prevent further destruction. Once again,it’s a movie that explores the consequences of lashing out in frustration against society, with its dark and probably intentionally satirical look at such a thing being comparable toFight Club.
Falling Down
Falling Down follows an ordinary man who, overwhelmed by daily frustrations and societal flaws, begins a descent into violence and chaos. As he lashes out against perceived injustices, the narrative explores themes of societal pressure and personal breakdown, creating a tense examination of urban discontent.
2’Donnie Darko' (2001)
Directed by Richard Kelly
Donnie Darkois another beloved cult classic, and a film that became appreciated more in the years after its initial release. It’s adark and often intense psychological thrillerabout a teenage boy who survives a freak accident, and then finds his life shaped by visions of a giant rabbit, with said rabbit telling him to perform various dangerous acts. From there, things get memorably twisty and strange, with it riding the line between confusing yet ultimately rewarding just right.
The dynamic between the title character here and a creepy rabbit is similar to the dynamic betweenFight Club’sprotagonist and the mysterious Tyler Durden, given the latter encourages the former to do risky things in both instances.Donnie Darko, likeFight Club, is also moody and intense while also sometimes being quite funny, and is a comparably impressive and hard-to-forget cult classic.
Donnie Darko
1’Gone Girl' (2014)
The 2000s saw David Fincher branching out a little more from psychological thrillers, but then again, a movie like 2014’sGone Girlshows that he’s apparently not planning to distance himself from the genre entirely.Just asFight Clubis one of the best psychological thrillers of the 1990s,Gone Girlis one of the best of the genre when it comes to the 2010s, and is the kind of intense thriller David Fincher has proven himself making into the 2020s, too, as seen with 2023’sThe Killer.
The plot follows a woman’s mysterious disappearance and the complications that arise when her husband begins being blamed (mostly via the media) for her vanishing. It unfolds in a wholly unexpected way, with its dark thrills and well-executed plot twists making it one of Fincher’s best films, alongsideFight Club.
