Top 5 movies to watch if you enjoyed watching Fight Club, ranked

The iconic David Fincher film, Fight Club, has had a loyal fan base over the years. It has also emerged to be a cultural phenomenon as well. The film is joined by prominent actors Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter.

Released back in 1999, Fight Club follows the plot of two men who befriend and create a covert club. They create a space where they channelise and process their emotions through physical combat. However, a shocking revelation takes place in the end.

The plotline of Fight Club, as per Rotten Tomatoes, goes by:

A depressed man (Edward Norton) suffering from insomnia meets a strange soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and soon finds himself living in his squalid house after his perfect apartment is destroyed. The two bored men form an underground club with strict rules and fight other men who are fed up with their mundane lives. Their perfect partnership frays when Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), a fellow support group crasher, attracts Tyler's attention.

Fight Club touches upon various themes and issues in its storytelling, which strikes conversations about masculinity, mental health, and capitalism.

If you have enjoyed watching Fight Club, here is a list of 5 films that you can certainly add to your watchlist.

Disclaimer: This article contains the author's opinions. Reader discretion is advised.

Top 5 movies to watch if you enjoyed watching ***Fight Club*, ranked**

1) Donnie Darko, by Richard Kelly (2001)

15th Anniversary Theatrical Re-Release Of "Donnie Darko" - Source: Getty

A directorial by Richard Kelly, Donnie Darko follows the plot of a teenage boy named Donnie who is a troubled soul and hallucinates an enigmatic entity named Frank, that resembles a rabbit.

In the story, Frank has power over Donnie and compels him to cause havoc around him. Frank tells him bizarre things resembling a divine revelation, which includes warning him that the world shall collapse within a given period of time.

In both Fight Club and Donnie Darko, these characters are manifestations of a person's psyche. The characters are dangerous, which provoke them to do things that they otherwise might not do at their own will.

In both of these stories, the complex psychology of the central characters has been explored. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, and many others.

2) Jacob's Ladder, by Adrian Lyne (1990)

Jacob's Ladder follows the plot of a military man named Jacob Singer, who is experiencing post-war trauma and distress. He arrives in his homeland after the Vietnam War, and his world falls apart bit by bit.

Jacob experiences hallucinations, so much so that he is unable to differentiate between what is real and what is not. He comes across groundbreaking revelations about the events of the war that led to the death of Jacob's associates, as well as the reason behind his visions.

The story of Jacob's Ladder lies somewhere between the binary of life and death, of what is real and what is not. This is yet another film exploring how trauma manifests in a person's psychological state, similar to that of Fight Club.

Jacob's Ladder is joined by an ensemble of promising actors including Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello and many more.

3) Joker, by Todd Phillips (2019)

A cafe bringing together cartoon and movie characters in Turkiye's capital Ankara - Source: Getty

One of the most celebrated movies of all time, Joker, by Todd Phillips, is bound to be added to this list.

Joker dwells on themes such as mental health, capitalism, social isolation and anarchy. It explores the plot of Arthur Fleck, a clown who is collapsing as he faces othering by his immediate surroundings, along with economic struggles.

However, as his inner chaos engulfs him slowly, he causes havoc in the city by resorting to violence.

Same happens with The Narrator in Fight Club, who, by experiencing repression and isolation day by day, ultimately takes up the most primal and dangerous means to claim his space in the oppressive system.

Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and many more.

4) The Game, by David Fincher (1997)

The Game is yet another venture by David Fincher, who is also the director of Fight Club.

It follows the plot of an investment banker named Nicholas, who is dealing with his own demons. He gets embroiled in chaos as he partakes in a set of games, as Conrad, his alienated brother, startles him with it on the occasion of his birthday.

These games initially do not look as lethal, but soon, these make Nicholas pay a hefty price. It also has themes related to an individual's agency and control in life, along with facing one's demons, like that of Fight Club.

The Game stars Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger, and many others.

5) Office Space, by Mike Judge (1999)

This satirical flick talks about a corporate employee named Peter Gibbons, who is sick and tired of his worklife.

Before his whole life gets sucked out by his uneventful job, him and his colleagues use their skills to join forces. They attempt to revolt and get back to the oppressive system.

Office Space deals with these important themes with a more upbeat approach. It does not take the gritty, intense road like Fight Club, but there is a thread that connects both these films.

In both of these films, the central characters question power, authority, and injustice in the system, even if it's in totally different ways. And most importantly, these questions are provoked by the very people from whom one least anticipates to.

The film stars Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, David Herman and many others.