Best movies like Effects
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Some crew members of a company shooting a horror film begin to suspect that the "killings" in the movie are real, and that they are actually making a "snuff" film.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 955
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: slasher, grindhouse, independent film, scary, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, psychotronic
Best tv shows and movies like Effects (1979):
Similar in 78%
The Black Room (1982)
Plot Summary:
A room gets put up for rent following the mysterious murder of its previous tenant. When an apartment-hunting man sees the deal the brother and sister landlords are offering, he immediately puts down the first month's rent and starts spending his days there, even though he has a home to spend his nights at with his wife. When he comes home, he tells his wife about the fantasies he has of having sex with various women each day in his new apartment. His wife goes along with it for a while, but when she discovers that her husband's stories are much more than just fantasies, she starts to do some investigating.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 477
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min
Plot tags: slasher, sexy, gothic horror, grindhouse, classic horror, independent film, scary, mind bending, serious, realistic
Similar in 85%
Exit to Hell (2013)
Plot Summary:
A group of stick-up kids rob a mafia run strip club and head for the border but when they enter the town of Redstone, they find that crime is a dish best served cold! Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th, Hatchet) takes the title role as Sheriff Slade Sickle, a man with a true appetite for justice! The film co-stars Tiffany Shepis (Nightmare Man, Dark Reel) and Rena Riffel (Showgirls, Mulholland Dr.) in this carnage-filled tribute to American Grind-House cinema. Horror Legend Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th, Hatchet) is Sheriff Slade Sickle, and when a group of stick up kids arrive in his town, they find that justice is a dish best served cold. Expect buckets of blood, bullets and mayhem in this tribute to American Grindhouse. - Written by Anonymous (IMDb).
IMDB Rating: 3.5
IMDB Votes: 434
Genere: Action, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min
Plot tags: slasher, rough, serious, realistic, suspenseful, psychotronic, scary, exciting, humorous, grindhouse
Similar in 83%
Don't Hang Up (1974)
Plot Summary:
A dutiful grand-daughter goes home to take care of her elderly grandmother. Once there, she finds herself trapped inside the house with a homicidal maniac.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 633
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: slasher, gothic horror, grindhouse, classic horror, independent film, scary, psychological, mind bending, serious, realistic
Similar in 78%
The Unseen (1980)
Plot Summary:
Freelance reporter Jennifer and her two friends, Karen and Vicki, accept an invitation for cheap room and board in a large farmhouse offered by a friendly, but shady, museum owner named Ernest Keller since all the motels in and around town are booked for a holiday parade fair Jennifer is covering. But unknown to the women, some unseen "thing" has been living in the basement of the house for over 20 years and is looked after by Keller and his shy sister Virginia, in which the "thing" soon gets out and begins harassing and killing the women one by one in various violent, but seemingly accidental, means.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: slasher, scary, rough, serious, suspenseful, bloody, independent film, realistic, psychotronic, spooky
Similar in 90%
Zombie Island Massacre (1984)
Plot Summary:
Americans on vacation in the Caribbean take a tour of a nearby island at night and watch a local voodoo ritual. Soon after, they find themselves stranded on the island and under attack by unseen foes. One by one they meet violent ends.
IMDB Rating: 3.3
IMDB Votes: 992
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: slasher, horror comedy, independent film, scary, rough, offbeat, serious, psychotronic, grindhouse, campy
Similar in 79%
American Nightmare (2002)
Plot Summary:
A deranged female serial killer stalks seven young people whom phone a radio call-in show to discuss their darkest fears and a night-long game of cat-and-mouse is put into motion by the darkly sinister-looking murderess.
IMDB Rating: 3.8
IMDB Votes: 645
Genere: Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: slasher, suspenseful, scary, serious, realistic, psychotronic, independent film, cult film
Similar in 80%
Ring Around the Rosie (2006)
Plot Summary:
While spending time at her grandparent's secluded summerhouse to clean up the place after her grandmother's death, a young woman is plagued by horrible visions and dreams of tragic past events.
IMDB Rating: 3.2
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: scary, serious, suspenseful, brutal, suspense, slasher, awful
Similar in 80%
Nite Tales: The Movie (2008)
Plot Summary:
Actors: Flavor Flav, Dante Basco, Chico Benymon, Andrea Bogart, James Ferris.
IMDB Rating: 4.0
IMDB Votes: 339
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: suspense, slasher, suspenseful, anthology, tense, psychological, scary, rough, serious, realistic
Similar in 81%
Slink (2013)
Plot Summary:
In the rural town of Wickenhaven, a psychotic tanning salon owner is responsible for the disappearances of many young, innocent girls, while his wife, an exotic purse designer, is willing to overlook his evil nature.
IMDB Rating: 2.5
IMDB Votes: 579
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: scary, rough, serious, realistic, psychotronic, slasher
Similar in 79%
XII (2008)
Plot Summary:
A man found guilty of a crime against a minor is released from prison and returns to get revenge on the jury who sent him there.
IMDB Rating: 4.3
IMDB Votes: 611
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min
Plot tags: slasher, suspenseful, tense, captivating, suspense, psychological, christmas horror, scary, rough, serious
Similar in 84%
Lake Dead (2007)
Plot Summary:
Three sisters and a group of their friends take a trip to the home of the recently deceased grandfather -- who died a particularly grisly death -- to learn more about the promise of an inheritance, only to encounter a family of psychos who have taken up residence in the old man's cabin.
IMDB Rating: 4.1
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: slasher, suspense, rough, suspenseful, disturbing, erotic, perverse, serious, independent film
Similar in 79%
The Choke (2006)
Plot Summary:
A band playing their final gig in a former meat packing factory find themselves being stalked by a psychopath.
IMDB Rating: 3.4
IMDB Votes: 395
Genere: Thriller, Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: slasher, suspense, scary, serious, suspenseful, realistic
Similar in 82%
Dead in 3 Days 2 (2008)
Plot Summary:
One year ago, Nina survived the attacks of a serial killer. She wants to flee from these memories but one call at night recalls all memories and she is again in the middle of a murder mystery.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 800
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: Austria
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: slasher, scary, serious, realistic, suspenseful, bloody, rough
Similar in 86%
Animus (2013)
Plot Summary:
Hoping to find proof of the paranormal, five film students set out to document the legendary Copper Queen Hospital. But as the sun goes down, they experience something far worse than they ever could have imagined and they find themselves pursued by a blood thirsty maniac.
IMDB Rating: 2.8
IMDB Votes: 582
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: slasher, scary, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 89%
Fall Down Dead (2007)
Plot Summary:
A metropolitan city is in the grip of fear when rolling blackouts bring out a serial killer dubbed The Picasso Killer. One night, in the middle of a blackout, seven strangers become trapped in an office building as the killer hunts for Christie Wallace, the woman that can identify him.
IMDB Rating: 3.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, christmas horror, bleak, tense, captivating, suspense, slasher, scary, rough, serious
Similar in 79%
The Bates Haunting (2012)
Plot Summary:
One year ago, Agnes Rickover attended opening night at the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride to see her best friend Lily's dramatic debut. A horrific accident resulted in Agnes witnessing Lily's fiery death in a spectacle gone wrong. After a year of obsessing over a murder investigation everyone else thinks is open and shut, Agnes goes to work at the Haunt in an attempt confront her trauma. Horrific events begin to claim the lives of her coworkers and Agnes must figure out what is behind all of the "accidents" before more people die.
IMDB Rating: 3.2
IMDB Votes: 614
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 76 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, suspenseful, slasher, tense, suspense, captivating, realistic
Similar in 79%
Shallow Ground (2004)
Plot Summary:
A naked teenage boy covered in blood appears at a remote sheriff's station one year after the brutal unsolved murder of a local girl. Now Sheriff Jack Shepherd, guilt ridden over the girl's murder, must confront his own demons as he desperately searches for the boy's true identity and possible victims. Little does Jack realize that he has started down a path that will bring him face to face with an unthinkable horror. Before sunrise the living will pay for the pain the dead have suffered.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: psychological, rough, serious, suspenseful, suspense, slasher, disturbing, scary, spooky, surprise ending
Similar in 88%
No One Can Hear You (2001)
Plot Summary:
Families are dying and reporter Trish (Kelly McGillis) finds herself reporting on a serial killing spree. After her daughter Lisa's (Kate Elliott) best friends are killed, she fears that her family may be on the killers list. Sheriff Webster (Barry Corbin) is not listening to her concerns, which leads Trish to wonder is he or his deputy might be involved. Then Lisa, her boyfriend Ben and her sister Amy receive threats.
IMDB Rating: 4.4
IMDB Votes: 390
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: rough, serious, suspenseful, slasher, suspense, independent film, tense, realistic
Similar in 90%
Dark Asylum (2001)
Plot Summary:
Asylum is a taut psychological thriller about a deranged fearsome killer running lose in an abandoned high security Asylum. Pitting the county psychiatrist Dr. Maggie Belham against the psychotic maniac, Dr Belham is trapped in a maze of corridors, and her only help is the janitor, Quitz who may in fact be a forgotten asylum inmate.
IMDB Rating: 4.1
IMDB Votes: 931
Genere: Thriller, Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: slasher, psychological, serious, suspenseful, scary, independent film
Similar in 78%
Little Erin Merryweather (2003)
Plot Summary:
Once upon a time, death preyed upon a New England college campus. Rumors swirl that "if you see a flash of red, you're dead!" Local golden boy, Peter Bloom (David Morwick) investigates the grisly killings until the stakes grow higher and the body count mounts. Suddenly, Peter's search becomes a fight for survival in a fairy tale world full of nightmares.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 660
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: suspense, slasher, scary, serious, suspenseful, fairy tale, psychological thriller
Similar in 76%
X-Ray (1981)
Plot Summary:
While receiving a routine check-up, a beautiful woman is stalked by a maniac out to avenge a childhood Valentine's Day humiliation.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA, Israel
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: slasher, suspenseful, scary, rough, serious, medical horror, grindhouse, psychotronic, bloody, atmospheric
Similar in 85%
New Year's Evil (1980)
Plot Summary:
During a New Year's Eve celebration, a punk-rock singer gets a phone call saying that when New Year's strikes in each time zone, someone will be murdered--and she will be the last one.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: slasher, christmas horror, suspenseful, scary, rough, bloody, grindhouse, cult classic, independent film, serious
Similar in 78%
Frost: Portrait of a Vampire (2003)
Plot Summary:
San Diego, present day: The murders are starting again. A girl has been found with two holes in her neck and her body totally drained of blood. Lt Dan Richardson [Shane Pliskin] knows what it is but doesn't believe it, so he calls in blind art-dealer Micah [Gary Busey]. Micah confirms the lieutenant's suspicion that a vampire is at work and reminds him of the previous lesson learned by Jack Frost, who was forced to kill his best friend Nat McKenzie when Nat became a vampire.
IMDB Rating: 2.4
IMDB Votes: 374
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: scary, serious, slasher, suspenseful, realistic, psychotronic, cult film
Similar in 88%
San Franpsycho (2006)
Plot Summary:
Two detectives hunt a serial killer who is sending cryptic messages about his crimes to a local reporter.
IMDB Rating: 2.5
IMDB Votes: 719
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: psychological, rough, suspenseful, scary, serious, realistic, independent film
Similar in 84%
Skeleton Crew (2009)
Plot Summary:
Back in the early 1970s, at a mental institution near the Russian border, a crazed doctor, Dr. Anderson assumed the persona of "the Auteur," and began murdering his patients while filming the atrocities. Thirty years later, an American film crew has arrived at the hospital to shoot a horror film based on those awful events. The director, Steven, is determined to make the film as realistic as possible, a goal that doesn't seem too far-fetched when his Finnish sound men discover a hidden room in the hospital basement. There, perfectly preserved, are the original snuff films shot by "the Auteur". As Steven's obsession grows, his cast and crew begin to fear for his sanity. But this is only the beginning, because when Steven discovers actual camera used by "the Auteur", he assumes the role of the murderous doctor and the real slaughter begins.
IMDB Rating: 3.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: Finland
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: slasher, scary, rough, serious, realistic, meta, retro, splatter, low-budget
Similar in 77%
The Woods Have Eyes (2007)
Plot Summary:
When a group of young campers wander into the backwoods of upstate New York to see if Cappy's Cabin--a place they think exists only in urban legend--is real, they find themselves in a twisted game of predator and prey as night begins to fall. All they have to do is survive until dawn, but Cappy is very, very real, and night has only just begun.
IMDB Rating: 3.6
IMDB Votes: 516
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: slasher, rough, serious, suspenseful, scary, suspense
Similar in 87%
Long Distance (2005)
Plot Summary:
When a young, lonely woman misdials a phone number by one digit, calling into a serial killing in progress, the killer latches onto her and involves her telephonically in a string of murders as he heads closer and closer to her home in Boston.
IMDB Rating: 5.2
IMDB Votes: 903
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: suspense, serious, suspenseful, scary, slasher, realistic
Similar in 77%
Wreckage (2010)
Plot Summary:
Jared, Kate, Rick, and Jessica find themselves stranded in a wreckage yard after their car breaks down during a drag race. Meanwhile, the sheriff's office receives notice that a convict escaped from a local state prison. As the teenagers mysteriously disappear one by one, the killer grows hungry and the thriller continues to unravel.
IMDB Rating: 4.2
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: slasher, scary, serious, suspenseful, realistic, surprise ending
Similar in 84%
Shiver (2012)
Plot Summary:
Wendy Alden, a young secretary in Portland lacking in self- confidence becomes victim of a savage killer who has claimed the lives of a number of other women. Somehow Wendy finds the resources of courage to fight back and escape.
IMDB Rating: 4.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: rough, suspenseful, scary, bleak, realistic, slasher, psychological, bloody, independent film, serious
Similar in 80%
Nightstalker (2009)
Plot Summary:
Richard Ramirez, dubbed "The Night Stalker" by the media, a serial killer who killed somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 souls during his reign of terror in Los Angeles back in the Eighties.
IMDB Rating: 1.9
IMDB Votes: 319
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: scary, rough, serious, realistic, suspense, slasher