MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for White Sands

White Sands

1992 · 101 min

A dusty, twisty neo-noir that keeps you guessing as a decent man sinks deeper into a dangerous impersonation.

Directed by
Roger Donaldson
Genres
Crime, Thriller, Action
Tagline
The most dangerous way to solve a murder... become the victim.
Overview
A small southwestern town sheriff finds a body in the desert with a suitcase and $500,000. He impersonates the man and stumbles into an FBI investigation.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Add to a list: White Sands

You have no lists yet. Name one, and this title goes into it.

All your lists

In the USNot loaded yet.
Directed by
Roger Donaldson
Genres
Crime, Thriller, Action
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 1 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • deception
  • identity
  • corruption
  • crime
  • betrayal
Places
  • small town
  • countryside
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • twist ending
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action6
Horror2
Humour2
Realism7
Romance4
Tension7
Darkness7
Complexity7
Emotional weight5

More like this

Titles like White Sands

Movie

The Departed

2006

A tense, grim cat-and-mouse game where every conversation feels like a trap and trust is impossible.

Tense, dark · about deception and identity · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • identity
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
151 min
Details
The DepartedHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

No Way Out

1987

A taut, twisting thriller that keeps you guessing, blending political intrigue with a doomed romance and a final gut-punch.

Same director: Roger Donaldson · Tense, dark · about deception and identity · twist ending

Also
Same director: Roger Donaldson
Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • identity
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
114 min
Details
No Way OutHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

To Live and Die in L.A.

1985

A gritty, propulsive neo-noir that immerses you in a morally bankrupt Los Angeles, with visceral chases and a cold, cynical edge.

Tense, dark · about corruption and crime · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • corruption
  • crime
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
116 min
Details
To Live and Die in L.A.Hidden from your suggestions.
Movie

North by Northwest

1959

A sleek, witty chase that keeps you grinning and gripping the armrest as a wrong man darts across America.

Tense · about deception and identity · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • deception
  • identity
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
137 min
Details
North by NorthwestHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Usual Suspects

1995

A twisty, talky crime thriller that keeps you guessing, with a dark, brooding atmosphere and a killer final reveal.

Tense, dark · about deception and crime · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • crime
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
106 min
Details
The Usual SuspectsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Touch of Evil

1958

A grimy, shadowy border-town descent where corruption and menace tighten around you like a slow, queasy grip.

Tense, dark · about corruption and crime · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • corruption
  • crime
  • twist ending
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
111 min
Details
Touch of EvilHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Bank Job

2008

A gritty, twisty heist thriller that keeps you on edge with its blend of true-crime tension and 1970s London atmosphere.

Same director: Roger Donaldson · Tense, dark · about deception and corruption

Also
Same director: Roger Donaldson
Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • corruption
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
112 min
Details
The Bank JobHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Training Day

2001

A sweaty, nerve-jangling ride through LA's underworld that keeps you tense and morally off-balance from start to finish.

Tense, dark · about corruption and crime · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • corruption
  • crime
  • twist ending
Pacing
relentless
Attention
engaged
Runtime
122 min
Details
Training DayHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Jackie Brown

1997

A cool, unhurried crime story that savours its characters and conversations, building quiet tension and a wistful romantic streak.

Tense · about deception and crime

Via
  • tense
  • deception
  • crime
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
154 min
Details
Jackie BrownHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Sicario

2015

A relentless descent into moral ambiguity, suffocating tension, and grim procedural detail that leaves you shaken.

Tense, dark · about corruption

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • corruption
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
122 min
Details
SicarioHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Blood Simple

1984

A sweaty, slow-burning nightmare of mistrust and violence, full of tense set pieces and blackly funny touches.

Tense, dark · about deception and betrayal · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • deception
  • betrayal
  • twist ending
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
97 min
Details
Blood SimpleHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Rip

2026

A sweaty, paranoid pressure-cooker where every ally might be a thief, keeping you guessing and tense until the final standoff.

Tense, dark · about corruption and crime · twist ending

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • corruption
  • crime
  • twist ending
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
113 min
Details
The RipHidden from your suggestions.

Cast

Where to watch in the US

Change country

We have not loaded where to watch in the US for this title yet. Check again in a day or two.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
crime, thriller, action, adventure
Directed by
Roger Donaldson
Written by
Daniel Pyne
Starring
Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, M. Emmet Walsh, James Rebhorn, Maura Tierney, Beth Grant
Music
Patrick O'Hearn
Cinematography
Peter Menzies Jr.
Runtime
101 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.