Best movies like Poltergeist
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Steve Freeling lives with his wife, Diane, and their three children, Dana, Robbie, and Carol Anne, in Southern California where he sells houses for the company that built the neighborhood. It starts with just a few odd occurrences, such as broken dishes and furniture moving around by itself. However, when he realizes that something truly evil haunts his home, Steve calls in a team of parapsychologists led by Dr. Lesh to help before it's too late.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 177000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: scary, psychological, suspense, suspenseful, rough, disturbing, cult classic, creepy, terrifying, splatter
Best tv shows and movies like Poltergeist (1982):
Similar in 89%
Poltergeist III (1988)
Plot Summary:
Carol Anne has been sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle in an effort to hide her from the clutches of the ghostly Reverend Kane, but he tracks her down and terrorises her in her relatives' appartment in a tall glass building. Will he finally achieve his target and capture Carol Anne again, or will Tangina be able, yet again, to thwart him?.
IMDB Rating: 4.7
IMDB Votes: 20000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: scary, psychological, splatter, classic horror, terrifying, atmospheric, serious, suspenseful, psychotronic, spooky
Similar in 85%
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
Plot Summary:
The Freeling family move in with Diane's mother in an effort to escape the trauma and aftermath of Carol Anne's abduction by the Beast. But the Beast is not to be put off so easily and appears in a ghostly apparition as the Reverend Kane, a religeous zealot responsible for the deaths of his many followers. His goal is simple - he wants the angelic Carol Anne.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: scary, suspense, psychological, classic horror, splatter, spooky, atmospheric, rough, serious, suspenseful
Similar in 81%
The Fog (1980)
Plot Summary:
Strange things begin to occurs as a tiny California coastal town prepares to commemorate its centenary. Inanimate objects spring eerily to life; Rev. Malone stumbles upon a dark secret about the town's founding; radio announcer Stevie witnesses a mystical fire; and hitchhiker Elizabeth discovers the mutilated corpse of a fisherman. Then a mysterious iridescent fog descends upon the village, and more people start to die.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 82000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: slasher, creepy, atmospheric, suspenseful, grindhouse, cult classic, surprise ending, gothic, suspense, splatter
Similar in 89%
The Evil (1978)
Plot Summary:
Shortly after moving into a dark, brooding mansion, a psychologist and his co-workers are terrorized by a horrible evil being.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, suspense, slasher, grindhouse, independent film, scary, psychological, tense, rough, serious
Similar in 86%
Under the Shadow (2016)
Plot Summary:
As a mother and daughter struggle to cope with the terrors of the post-revolution, war torn Tehran of the 80s, a mysterious evil begins to haunt their home.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller, War
Country: UK, Jordan, Qatar, Iran
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: atmospheric, suspense, intense, stylized, scary, psychological thriller, disturbing, creepy, post-horror, spooky
Similar in 88%
The Gate (1987)
Plot Summary:
Three young children accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backyard. What follows is a classic battle between good and evil as the three kids struggle to overcome a nightmarish hell that is literally taking over the Earth.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Fantasy, Horror
Country: Canada
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: scary, slasher, satanic, suspense, splatter, teen, lovecraft, classic horror, spooky, independent film
Similar in 85%
Cujo (1983)
Plot Summary:
A friendly St. Bernard named "Cujo" contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 50000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: scary, tense, bad ending, suspense, natural horror, serious, psychological, splatter, creepy, cult classic
Similar in 81%
Poltergeist (2015)
Plot Summary:
Legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi and director Gil Kenan reimagine and contemporize the classic tale about a family whose suburban home is invaded by angry spirits. When the terrifying apparitions escalate their attacks and take the youngest daughter, the family must come together to rescue her.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 61000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 93 min
Plot tags: scary, psychological, intense, suspense, suspenseful, serious, splatter, psychotronic, psychological thriller, spooky
Similar in 88%
The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
Plot Summary:
When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history: not only was the house a transformed funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner's clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 65000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: scary, intense, gothic, creepy, suspenseful, suspense, psychological, disturbing, demonic, atmospheric
Similar in 85%
Child's Play (1988)
Plot Summary:
A single mother gives her son a beloved doll for his birthday, only to discover that it is possessed by the soul of a serial killer.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 114000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: slasher, scary, suspense, bloody, frightening, christmas horror, cult classic, classic horror, demonic, dark fantasy
Similar in 84%
Ouija (2014)
Plot Summary:
A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.
IMDB Rating: 4.5
IMDB Votes: 56000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: spooky, scary, splatter, demonic, suspenseful, psychotronic, psychological, slasher, suspense, dark
Similar in 89%
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Plot Summary:
Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artifacts room in their home, placing her “safely” behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest’s holy blessing. But an unholy night of horror awaits as Annabelle awakens the evil spirits in the room, who all set their sights on a new target—the Warrens' ten-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 85000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: scary, suspense, demonic, suspenseful, saga, splatter, esoteric, spooky, psychotronic, bleak
Similar in 82%
Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
Plot Summary:
In 1988, evil begins to terrorize young sisters Katie and Kristi for the first time when an invisible entity resides in their home.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 99000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 83 min
Plot tags: scary, suspense, tense, suspenseful, mockumentary, creepy, psychological, disturbing, stylized, serious
Similar in 81%
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
Plot Summary:
In 1965 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their séance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home. When the youngest daughter is overtaken by the merciless spirit, this small family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 72000
Genere: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: scary, suspense, psychological, dark, spooky, disturbing, atmospheric, suspenseful, stylized, creepy
Similar in 77%
The Grudge 2 (2006)
Plot Summary:
In Tokyo, a young woman is exposed to the same mysterious curse that afflicted her sister. The supernatural force, which fills a person with rage before spreading to its next victim, brings together a group of previously unrelated people who attempt to unlock its secret to save their lives.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 51000
Genere: Horror, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: scary, suspense, psychological, suspenseful, disturbing, rough, serious, demonic, brutal, slasher
Similar in 80%
The Amityville Horror (1979)
Plot Summary:
George Lutz and his wife Kathleen, move into their Long Island dream house with their children only for their lives to be turned into a hellish nightmare. The legacy of a murder committed in the house gradually affects the family and a priest is brought in to try and exorcise the demonic presence from their home.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 44000
Genere: Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: scary, suspenseful, grindhouse, creepy, demonic, suspense, slasher, disturbing, psychotronic, cult classic
Similar in 82%
The Amityville Horror (2005)
Plot Summary:
A family is terrorized by demonic forces after moving into a home that was the site of a grisly mass-murder.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 116000
Genere: Horror
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: scary, suspense, suspenseful, creepy, demonic, splatter, stylized, rough, psychological, slasher
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 85%
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 75%
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
Plot Summary:
A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 50000
Genere: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Country: USA, Australia, Mexico
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: gothic, scary, suspenseful, suspense, dark, dark fantasy, intense, creepy, stylized, demonic
Similar in 76%
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 77%
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 75%
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 90%
Stir of Echoes (1999)
Plot Summary:
After being hypnotized by his sister in law, Tom Witzky begins seeing haunting visions of a girl's ghost and a mystery begins to unfold around her.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 86000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: psychological, twist ending, suspense, atmospheric, scary, disturbing, sexy, dark, psychological thriller, surprise ending
Similar in 85%
The Grudge (2004)
Plot Summary:
American nurse, Karen Davis moves to Tokyo and encounters a vengeful supernatural spirit known as The Grudge that often possesses its victims. When a series of horrifying and mysterious deaths occur – with the spirit passing its curse onto each victim - Karen must find away to break the spell before she becomes the spirit's next victim.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 150000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: scary, suspenseful, psychological, creepy, atmospheric, suspense, gothic, terrifying, slasher, stylized
Similar in 83%
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 82%
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 80%
The Others (2001)
Plot Summary:
Grace is a religious woman who lives in an old house kept dark because her two children, Anne and Nicholas, have a rare sensitivity to light. When the family begins to suspect the house is haunted, Grace fights to protect her children at any cost in the face of strange events and disturbing visions.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 387000
Genere: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Spain, USA, France, Italy
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: twist ending, surprise ending, scary, suspense, atmospheric, psychological, gothic, dark, enigmatic, psychological thriller
Similar in 77%
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 90%
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