Movies like When a Stranger Calls (2006)
The best movies like When a Stranger Calls (2006) are When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), Barbarian (2022) and Don't Let Go (2019). If When a Stranger Calls hooked you with its horror and mystery, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedScream (1996)7.4/10 from 8,402 votes
- NewestThe Millwood Murders: Buried Truth (2026)Released 2026
When a Stranger Calls Back (1993)
Jill Johnson, now a crisis center counselor, reunites with retired detective John Clifford to hunt a killer stalking a coed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisBarbarian (2022)
In town for a job interview, a young woman arrives at her Airbnb late at night only to find that it has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to stay the night anyway.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Let Go (2019)
A detective suffering from a personal loss receives a call from his recently deceased niece. Being able to communicate across time, the two work together to try and stop the crime before it occurs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Caller (2011)
Troubled divorcee Mary Kee is tormented by a series of sinister phone calls from a mysterious woman. When the stranger reveals she's calling from the past, Mary tries to break off contact. But the caller doesn't like being ignored, and looks for revenge in a unique and terrifying way...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Dogs (2025)
After fleeing his psychotic father, a young teen and his mom seek refuge in a remote farmhouse, only to face a pack of ferocious dogs and the sinister spirits that haunt the property.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Inhabitant (2022)
Like any other teenage girl, Tara is just surviving high school — yet her father and mother seem strangely distant. Amidst a nearby spree of gruesome ax murders, Tara has sightings of terrifying entities, forcing her to question her own sanity and shocking ancestry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Tall Man (2012)
When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCase 39 (2009)
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.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScream (1996)
A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBrahms: The Boy II (2020)
After a family moves into the Heelshire Mansion, their young son soon makes friends with a life-like doll called Brahms.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisHide and Seek (2005)
David Callaway tries to piece together his life in the wake of his wife's suicide and has been left to raise his nine-year-old daughter, Emily on his own. David is at first amused to discover that Emily has created an imaginary friend named 'Charlie', but it isn't long before 'Charlie' develops a sinister and violent side, and as David struggles with his daughter's growing emotional problems, he comes to the frightening realisation that 'Charlie' isn't just a figment of Emily's imagination.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVivarium (2019)
A young woman and her fiancé are in search of the perfect starter home. After following a mysterious real estate agent to a new housing development, the couple finds themselves trapped in a maze of identical houses and forced to raise an otherworldly child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
Father and son coroners receive a mysterious unidentified corpse with no apparent cause of death. As they attempt to examine the "Jane Doe," they discover increasingly bizarre clues that hold the key to her terrifying secrets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNo One Gets Out Alive (2021)
An immigrant in search of the American dream is forced to take a room in a boarding house and soon finds herself in a nightmare from which she can't escape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Children (2008)
A relaxing Christmas vacation turns into a terrifying fight for survival as the children begin to turn on their parents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Legend of Hell House (1973)
A team consisting of a physicist, his wife, a young female psychic, and the only survivor of the previous visit are sent to the notorious Hell House to prove or disprove survival after death. Previous visitors have either been killed or gone mad, and it is up to the team to survive a full week in isolation, and solve the mystery of the Hell House.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhen a Stranger Calls (1979)
A student babysitter has her evening disturbed when the phone rings. So begins a series of increasingly terrifying and threatening calls that lead to a shocking revelation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNight of the Reaper (2025)
College student Deena visits home and is roped into babysitting. The local sheriff is mailed a piece of evidence and is led on a scavenger hunt to reveal the killer of another babysitter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFright (1971)
Young babysitter Amanda arrives at the Lloyd residence to spend the evening looking after their young son. Soon after the Lloyds leave, a series of frightening occurrences in the gloomy old house have Amanda's nerves on edge. The real terror begins, however, when the child's biological father appears after recently escaping from a nearby mental institution.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhisper (2007)
Sinister things begin happening to kidnappers who are holding a young boy for ransom in a remote cabin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHouse of Wax (2005)
A group of unwitting teens are stranded near a strange wax museum and soon must fight to survive and keep from becoming the next exhibit.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOpera (1987)
A young opera singer is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her to claim her for himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
An American writer living in Rome witnesses an attempted murder that is connected to an ongoing killing spree in the city and conducts his own investigation, despite him and his girlfriend being targeted by the killer.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFisher (2021)
A naive teenage girl who catfishes people online for gifts attracts the attention of the wrong person, setting off a chain of events that puts her and her friends in danger.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & mystery
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
Ever since killing the Fisherman one year ago, Julie James is still haunted by images of him after her. When her best friend Karla wins free tickets to the Bahamas, Julie finds this a perfect opportunity to finally relax. But someone is waiting for her. Someone who she thought was dead. Someone who is out again for revenge.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Breed (2006)
Brothers John and Matt have inherited an island cabin from their recently deceased uncle. Along with Matt's girlfriend, Nicki, and other mutual friends, the siblings travel to the cabin for a relaxing weekend getaway. But, not long after arriving, the group is besieged by ravenous dogs. They watch in horror as another vacationer, Luke, is eaten alive. Soon, they discover a training facility where the dogs have been bred to kill.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Forgotten (2004)
Telly Paretta is a grieving mother struggling to cope with the loss of her 9-year-old son. She is stunned when her psychiatrist reveals that she has created nine years of memories about a son she never had. But when she remembers a man who had a similar experience, Telly embarks on a search to prove her son's existence, and her sanity.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Millwood Murders: Buried Truth (2026)
A prosecutor condemns her husband as the Millwood Murderer. Years later, as his execution nears, their daughter disappears after finding evidence of his innocence - and the real killer still free.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Half Light (2006)
Rachel Carson, a best-selling crime novelist, is devastated and filled with guilt over the accidental death of her son. Hoping that a change of scenery will help alleviate her suffering, she leaves her home in the city and moves into a vacant country house owned by a friend and begins a relationship with charming local Angus. But, just as her life is taking a turn for the better, Rachel realizes she's being romanced by a ghost, leading her to doubt her own sanity.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDo Unto Others (2023)
A community is shocked when the bodies of an elderly man and the manager of a home-visit nursing centre are found. The passing of 42 elderly patients is connected to Shiba, a caretaker recognised for his affection and dedication.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Like When a Stranger Calls and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like When a Stranger Calls?
The closest matches to When a Stranger Calls are When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), Barbarian (2022) and Don't Let Go (2019). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after When a Stranger Calls?
Start with When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), the closest match to When a Stranger Calls.
What is the highest-rated movie like When a Stranger Calls?
Scream (1996), rated 7.4/10 by 8,402 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like When a Stranger Calls?
The Millwood Murders: Buried Truth (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like When a Stranger Calls?
Yes: When a Stranger Calls Back (1993), Barbarian (2022) and Don't Let Go (2019).
How are movies similar to When a Stranger Calls chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside When a Stranger Calls, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.