Best movies like The Babadook
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 243000
Genere: Horror, Mystery
Country: Australia, Canada
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: psychological, scary, tense, dark, suspense, suspenseful, psychological horror, spooky, dark fantasy, creepy
Best tv shows and movies like The Babadook (2014):
Similar in 80%
The Turning (2020)
Plot Summary:
A young governess is hired by a man who has become responsible for his young nephew and niece after the deaths of their parents. A modern take on Henry James' novella "The Turn of the Screw".
IMDB Rating: 3.9
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Country: India, USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: scary, gothic, suspense, bleak, dark, demonic, spooky, surprise ending, ambiguous ending, crying
Similar in 87%
The Changeling (1980)
Plot Summary:
A man staying at a secluded historical mansion, finds his life being haunted by the presence of a spectre.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 39000
Genere: Horror, Mystery
Country: Canada
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: scary, atmospheric, suspense, gothic, suspenseful, creepy, spooky, disturbing, cerebral, cult classic
Similar in 90%
Boogeyman (2005)
Plot Summary:
Every culture has one – the horrible monster fueling young children's nightmares. But for Tim, the Boogeyman still lives in his memories as a creature that devoured his father 16 years earlier. Is the Boogeyman real? Or did Tim make him up to explain why his father abandoned his family?.
IMDB Rating: 4.2
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, New Zealand, Germany
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: scary, psychological, suspense, suspenseful, creepy, atmospheric, christmas horror, slasher, demonic, teen horror
Similar in 88%
The Devil's Backbone (2001)
Plot Summary:
After losing his father, 10-year-old Carlos arrives at the Santa Lucia School, which shelters orphans of the Republican militia and politicians, and is taken in by the steely headmistress, Carmen, and the kindly professor, Casares. Soon after his arrival, Carlos has a run-in with the violent caretaker, Jacinto. Gradually, Carlos uncovers the secrets of the school, including the youthful ghost that wanders the grounds.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 70000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: Spain, Mexico
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, suspense, gothic, twist ending, tense, dark, suspenseful, scary, cult classic, intense
Similar in 86%
The Ring Two (2005)
Plot Summary:
Rachel Keller must prevent evil Samara from taking possession of her son's soul.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 100000
Genere: Horror, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: scary, suspense, psychological, creepy, stylized, suspenseful, intense, psychological thriller, demonic, spooky
Similar in 77%
Ring (1998)
Plot Summary:
A mysterious video has been linked to a number of deaths, and when an inquisitive journalist finds the tape and views it herself, she sets in motion a chain of events that puts her own life in danger.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 76000
Genere: Horror, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, scary, atmospheric, disturbing, splatter, creepy, suspense, psychological, twist ending, intense
Similar in 75%
Take Shelter (2011)
Plot Summary:
Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 106000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: psychological, bleak, ambiguous ending, suspense, psychological thriller, atmospheric, dark, disturbing, stylized, independent film
Similar in 87%
Dark Water (2005)
Plot Summary:
Dahlia Williams and her daughter Cecelia move into a rundown apartment on New York's Roosevelt Island. She is currently in midst of divorce proceedings and the apartment, though near an excellent school for her daughter, is all she can afford. From the time she arrives, there are mysterious occurrences and there is a constant drip from the ceiling in her daughter's bedroom.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 65000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: psychological, scary, suspense, suspenseful, disturbing, dark, creepy, psychological thriller, stylized, tense
Similar in 77%
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Plot Summary:
Lorraine and Ed Warren travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 294000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA, UK
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: scary, dark, atmospheric, suspenseful, creepy, splatter, demonic, christmas horror, psychological, cult classic
Similar in 84%
Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)
Plot Summary:
A twisted new tale of terror begins for a teenage girl and her family, predating the haunting of the Lambert family in the earlier movies and revealing more mysteries of the otherworldly realm The Further.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 116000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada, UK
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: scary, suspenseful, suspense, atmospheric, intense, psychological, rough, bleak, demonic, splatter
Similar in 79%
Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
Plot Summary:
The haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 186000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Canada
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: scary, suspenseful, mind bending, suspense, creepy, psychological, demonic, atmospheric, disturbing, intense
Similar in 82%
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Plot Summary:
After a young, middle class couple moves into a suburban 'starter' tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 253000
Genere: Horror, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: scary, suspense, suspenseful, dark, atmospheric, disturbing, creepy, psychological, demonic, splatter
Similar in 85%
Mama (2013)
Plot Summary:
Guillermo del Toro presents Mama, a supernatural thriller that tells the haunting tale of two little girls who disappeared into the woods the day that their parents were killed. When they are rescued years later and begin a new life, they find that someone or something still wants to come tuck them in at night.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 190000
Genere: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: Canada, Spain, Mexico
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: scary, suspense, gothic, splatter, frightening, dark, suspenseful, bad ending, atmospheric, intense
Similar in 88%
Goodnight Mommy (2014)
Plot Summary:
In the heat of the summer lays a lonesome house in the countryside where nine year old twin brothers await their mother’s return. When she comes home, bandaged after cosmetic surgery, nothing is like before and the children start to doubt whether this woman is actually who she says she is.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 59000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Austria
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: disturbing, psychological, suspense, twist ending, atmospheric, suspenseful, surreal, scary, tense, art house
Similar in 88%
Sinister (2012)
Plot Summary:
Found footage helps a true-crime novelist realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the path of a supernatural entity.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 274000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, Canada
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: scary, suspense, suspenseful, tense, disturbing, twist ending, rough, dark, creepy, sinister
Similar in 85%
The Witch (2015)
Plot Summary:
In 1630s New England, William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness, exiled from their settlement when William defies the local church. When their newborn son vanishes and crops mysteriously fail, the family turns on one another.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 291000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada, UK
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: disturbing, atmospheric, dark, suspenseful, scary, gothic, psychological, suspense, satanic, enigmatic
Similar in 80%
The Uninvited (2009)
Plot Summary:
Anna returns home after spending time in a psychiatric facility following her mother's tragic death and discovers that her mother's former nurse, Rachel, has moved into their house and become engaged to her father. Soon after she learns this shocking news, Anna is visited by her mother's ghost, who warns her that Rachel has evil intentions.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 84000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada, Germany
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: scary, twist ending, surprise ending, psychological thriller, suspense, slasher, suspenseful, psychological, gothic, creepy
Similar in 87%
Insidious (2010)
Plot Summary:
A family discovers that dark spirits have invaded their home after their son inexplicably falls into an endless sleep. When they reach out to a professional for help, they learn things are a lot more personal than they thought.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 334000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: scary, suspenseful, twist ending, atmospheric, disturbing, dark, intense, tense, clever, creepy
Similar in 76%
Hereditary (2018)
Plot Summary:
After their reclusive grandmother passes away, the Graham family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun the sinister fate they seem to have inherited.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 364000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: psychological horror, disturbing, psychological, suspense, bleak, spooky, atmospheric, satanic, mind bending, dark
Similar in 84%
Antichrist (2009)
Plot Summary:
A grieving couple retreats to their cabin 'Eden' in the woods, hoping to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 134000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Country: Denmark, Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Poland
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: disturbing, psychological, scary, atmospheric, psychological thriller, bleak, art house, minimal cast, sexy, dark
Similar in 88%
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
Plot Summary:
A college-age brother and sister get more than they bargained for on their road trip home from spring break. When the bickering siblings witness a creepy truck driver tossing body bags into a sewer near an abandoned church, they investigate. Bad move! Opening a Pandora's Box of unspeakable evil, the pair must flee for their lives -- with a monstrous "shape" in hot pursuit.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 140000
Genere: Horror, Mystery
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: slasher, scary, suspenseful, disturbing, dark, atmospheric, bloody, road movie, suspense, creepy
Similar in 75%
Case 39 (2009)
Plot Summary:
In her many years as a social worker, Emily Jenkins believes she has seen it all, until she meets 10-year-old Lilith and the girl's cruel parents. Emily's worst fears are confirmed when the parents try to harm the child, and so Emily assumes custody of Lilith while she looks for a foster family. However, Emily soon finds that dark forces surround the seemingly innocent girl, and the more she tries to protect Lilith, the more horrors she encounters.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 92000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Canada, USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: scary, suspenseful, psychological, gloomy, atmospheric, serious, suspense, disturbing, psychological thriller, intense
Similar in 89%
The Orphanage (2007)
Plot Summary:
A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, which used to be an orphanage, intent on reopening it. Before long, her son starts to communicate with a new invisible friend.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 162000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Spain, France, Belgium
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: scary, twist ending, psychological, surprise ending, gothic horror, atmospheric, disturbing, serious, suspense, dark
Similar in 85%
The Shining (1980)
Plot Summary:
Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.
IMDB Rating: 8.4
IMDB Votes: 11000000
Genere: Drama, Horror
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 146 min
Plot tags: psychological, suspense, scary, atmospheric, psychological thriller, intense, disturbing, psychedelic, psychological horror, demonic
Similar in 77%
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Plot Summary:
A traumatized Vietnam war veteran finds out that his post-war life isn't what he believes it to be when he's attacked by horned creatures in the subway and his dead son comes to visit him.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 116000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: surreal, twist ending, psychological, disturbing, scary, bleak, surprise ending, atmospheric, psychedelic, psychological thriller
Similar in 86%
The Conjuring (2013)
Plot Summary:
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 545000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: scary, dark, atmospheric, suspenseful, frightening, psychological, terrifying, creepy, demonic, splatter
Similar in 80%
Annabelle (2014)
Plot Summary:
John Form has found the perfect gift for his expectant wife, Mia - a beautiful, rare vintage doll in a pure white wedding dress. But Mia's delight with Annabelle doesn't last long. On one horrific night, their home is invaded by members of a satanic cult, who violently attack the couple. Spilled blood and terror are not all they leave behind. The cultists have conjured an entity so malevolent that nothing they did will compare to the sinister conduit to the damned that is now... Annabelle.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 172000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: scary, tense, suspenseful, atmospheric, suspense, splatter, intense, demonic, spooky, esoteric
Similar in 90%
Orphan (2009)
Plot Summary:
A married couple with a rocky past adopt 9-year old, Esther to fill the void created by a recently-stillborn baby. However, Esther is not quite who she seems.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 247000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada, Germany, France
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: suspense, scary, psychological, twist ending, suspenseful, surprise ending, frightening, creepy, disturbing, serious
Similar in 80%
It Follows (2014)
Plot Summary:
For 19-year-old Jay, fall should be about school, boys and weekends out at the lake. But a seemingly innocent physical encounter turns sour and gives her the inescapable sense that someone, or something, is following her. Faced with this burden, Jay and her teenage friends must find a way to escape the horror that seems to be only a few steps behind.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 263000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, psychological, scary, suspense, disturbing, atmospheric, dark, psychological horror, independent film, creepy
Similar in 86%
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
Plot Summary:
After her son Kevin commits a horrific act, troubled mother Eva reflects on her complicated relationship with her disturbed son as he grew from a toddler into a teenager.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 165000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK, USA, Spain
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: psychological, disturbing, bleak, depressing, suspense, surreal, gloomy, independent film, thought provoking, tense