Movies like As Darkness Sets In (1984)
The best movies like As Darkness Sets In (1984) are The Leopard Man (1943), The Dark Mirror (1946) and The Wailer (2006). If As Darkness Sets In hooked you with its horror, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMichael Jackson's Thriller (1983)8.2/10 from 814 votes
- NewestMonkey’s Magic Merry Go Round (2026)Released 2026
The Leopard Man (1943)
When a leopard escapes during a publicity stunt, it triggers a series of murders.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Dark Mirror (1946)
A sister and her disturbed twin are implicated in a murder and a police detective must figure out which one's the killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Wailer (2006)
On their way to Mexico, six students are stranded in a small town where years before a tragedy took place.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Jester (2016)
The Jester is the titular main antagonist of the horror/thriller analogy short films of the same name. He is an enigmatic and malevolent being who enjoys inducing suffering to individuals he comes across who don't appreciate his own tricks or break the rules of Halloween.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMonkey’s Magic Merry Go Round (2026)
After a mysterious bout of amnesia, a beloved children’s television host struggles to piece together his fractured memories, only to find his once-cheerful puppet co-stars behaving with sinister intent. As reality unravels, the line between performance and nightmare begins to blur.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Night Strangler (1973)
After being run out of Las Vegas, reporter Carl Kolchak heads for Seattle and another reporting job with the local paper. It's not long before he’s on the trail of another string of bizarre murders. It seems that every 21 years, for the past century, a killer murders a certain number of people, drains them of their blood, and then disappears into the night. Kolchak is on his trail, but can he stop him?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCurse of the Blair Witch (1999)
A mockumentary exploring the legend of the Blair Witch and the case of the three missing student filmmakers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisManiac (1963)
When a stranger enters a quiet, country town and is seduced by a sensuous married woman he unwittingly finds himself at the centre of a storm of sexual guilt and murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Cabinet of Caligari (1962)
A delirious young woman feels trapped in a remote mansion at the mercy of a madman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRace with the Devil (1975)
Two couples vacationing together in an R.V. from Texas to Colorado are terrorized after they witness a murder during a Satanic ritual.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Night Stalker (1972)
Wisecracking reporter Carl Kolchak investigates a string of murders in Las Vegas and suspects the culprit is a vampire. His editor thinks he's crazy and the police think he's a nuisance, so Kolchak takes matters into his own hands.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912)
Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisDeadsight (2018)
A man with partial blindness and a young pregnant police officer must work together to escape a deadly virus that has spread across Grey County.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Invisible Man Returns (1940)
The owner of a coal mining operation, falsely imprisoned for fratricide, takes a drug to make him invisible, despite its side effect: gradual madness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMichael Jackson's Thriller (1983)
A night at the movies turns terrifying when Michael and his date are attacked by zombies.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisGrip of the Strangler (1958)
A researcher investigating a notorious serial killer who was hanged 20 years earlier seemingly becomes possessed by the long dead strangler.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Flesh and the Fiends (1960)
Edinburgh surgeon Dr. Robert Knox requires cadavers for his research into the functioning of the human body; local ne'er-do-wells Burke and Hare find ways to provide him with fresh specimens...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhat's the Matter with Helen? (1971)
Two middle-aged women move to Hollywood after their sons are convicted of a notorious murder and open a dance school for children eager to tap their way to stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Shed (2019)
The story of Stan, an orphaned teenager stuck living with his abusive grandfather and tasked with routinely protecting his best friend from high school bullies. When Stan discovers a murderous creature has taken refuge inside the tool shed in his backyard, he tries to secretly battle the demon alone until his bullied friend discovers the creature and has a far more sinister plan in mind.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGigantis, the Fire Monster (1959)
A prehistoric monster called Gigantis emerges alongside another creature named Angurus.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChild's Play 2 (1990)
Chucky is reconstructed by a toy factory to dispel the negative publicity surrounding the doll, and tracks young Andy Barclay to a foster home where the chase begins again.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChild's Play 3 (1991)
Eight years after seemingly destroying the killer doll, teen Andy Barclay is placed in a military school, and the spirit of Chucky returns to renew his quest and seek vengeance after being recreated from a mass of melted plastic.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisHunting Terror (2020)
When a young girl is murdered in Lakewood Park a group of journalists by the names of Alex, Josh and Luke venture into the woods to find evidence and take their journalism experience to new heights. However, as things in Lakewood Park become more and more sinister, the trio of investigators begin to believe they are getting more than they bargained for in this bloody broad daylight nightmare.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Seed of Chucky (2004)
This time around, Chucky and his homicidal honey, Tiffany, are brought back to life by their orphan offspring, Glen. Then the horror goes Hollywood as Chucky unleashes his own brand of murderous mayhem!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Jolly Monkey (2025)
40 years ago, families disappeared near the isolated Jolly Monkey motel. Today, the family of the owners return to discuss what to do with the place. One by one they are killed by a someone dressed as the motel's mascot and need to escape.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)
When their bus is crippled on the side of a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discover an opponent they cannot defeat – and may not survive.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)
A demonic force has chosen Freddy Krueger as its portal to the real world. Can Heather Langenkamp play the part of Nancy one last time and trap the evil trying to enter our world?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLeprechaun (1993)
A demonic leprechaun terrorizes a group of young people whom he believes stole his gold.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisPlaying with Dolls: Havoc (2017)
When serial killer Havoc escapes from his prison, there is no holding back. He descends upon unsuspecting lovers in their cabin get away. The world's most brutal killer is loose and his thirst for blood cannot be stopped.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Hatchet (2006)
When a group of tourists on a New Orleans haunted swamp tour find themselves stranded in the wilderness, their evening of fun and spooks turns into a horrific nightmare.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like this
Like As Darkness Sets In and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like As Darkness Sets In?
The closest matches to As Darkness Sets In are The Leopard Man (1943), The Dark Mirror (1946) and The Wailer (2006). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after As Darkness Sets In?
Start with The Leopard Man (1943), the closest match to As Darkness Sets In.
What is the highest-rated movie like As Darkness Sets In?
Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983), rated 8.2/10 by 814 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like As Darkness Sets In?
Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like As Darkness Sets In?
Yes: The Leopard Man (1943), The Dark Mirror (1946) and The Wailer (2006).
How are movies similar to As Darkness Sets In chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside As Darkness Sets In, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.