Movies like The Cradle (1987)
The best movies like The Cradle (1987) are Before I Disappear (2014), St. Vincent (2014) and The Ones Below (2016). If The Cradle hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedProtector (2026)8.4/10 from 648 votes
- NewestProtector (2026)Released 2026
Before I Disappear (2014)
At the lowest point in his life, Richie receives a call from his estranged sister, asking him to pick up his eleven-year-old niece from school. What begins as a simple favor turns into a nighttime odyssey through New York City, where the two form an unexpected bond.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSt. Vincent (2014)
A young boy whose parents just divorced finds an unlikely friend and mentor in the misanthropic, bawdy, hedonistic, war veteran who lives next door.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Ones Below (2016)
A young affluent couple expecting their first child hits it off with the new couple that moves in downstairs, until a dinner party between them ends in a shocking accident.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOrphan (2009)
After losing their baby, a married couple adopt 9-year old Esther, who may not be as innocent as she seems.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUnsane (2018)
A woman is involuntarily committed to a mental institution where she is confronted by her greatest fear.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Spy Next Door (2010)
Former CIA spy Bob Ho takes on his toughest assignment to date: looking after his girlfriend's three kids, who haven't exactly warmed to their mom's beau. And when one of the youngsters accidentally downloads a top-secret formula, Bob's longtime nemesis, a Russian terrorist, pays a visit to the family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSympathy for the Devil (2023)
After being forced to drive a mysterious passenger at gunpoint, a man finds himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where it becomes clear that not everything is as it seems.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisHeavy Metal (1981)
The embodiment of ultimate evil, a glowing orb terrorizes a young girl with bizarre stories of dark fantasy, eroticism and horror.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWendell & Wild (2022)
Two scheming demons strike a deal with a punk rock-loving teen so they can leave the Underworld and live out their dreams in the Land of the Living.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Truth About Emanuel (2013)
A troubled young woman becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl's dead mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)
Sue Ellen Crandell is a teenager eagerly awaiting her mother's summer-long absence. While the babysitter looks after her rambunctious younger siblings, Sue Ellen can party and have fun. But then the babysitter abruptly dies, leaving the Crandells short on cash. Sue Ellen finds a sweet job in fashion by lying about her age and experience on her résumé. But, while her siblings run wild, she discovers the downside of adulthood
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAdventures in Babysitting (1987)
When plans with her boyfriend fall through, high school senior Chris Parker ends up babysitting the Anderson kids, Brad and Sara. What should be a quiet night in, however, turns into a series of ridiculous exploits, starting when they leave the house to pick up Chris' friend Brenda. Soon, Brad's buddy Daryl is involved, and the group must contend with car thieves, blues musicians and much more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisProtector (2026)
Nikki's life is shattered when her daughter is kidnapped. Thrust into the criminal underworld while hunted by cops and military, she must fight to rescue her child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisA Thousand and One (2023)
Struggling but unapologetically living on her own terms, Inez is moving from shelter to shelter in mid-1990s New York City. With her 6-year-old son Terry in foster care and unable to leave him again, she kidnaps him so they can build their life together. As the years go by, their family grows and Terry becomes a smart yet quiet teenager, but the secret that has defined their lives threatens to destroy the home they have so improbably built.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUptown Girls (2003)
Molly Gunn, the freewheeling daughter of a deceased rock legend, is forced to get a job when her manager steals her money. As nanny to Ray - the precocious, oft-ignored daughter of a music executive - she learns what it means to be an adult while teaching Ray how to be a child.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFear of Rain (2021)
A teenage girl living with schizophrenia begins to suspect her neighbor has kidnapped a child. Her parents try desperately to help her live a normal life, without exposing their own tragic secrets, and the only person who believes her is Caleb – a boy she isn’t even sure exists.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEvil Nanny (2016)
A couple hires a live-in nanny to watch the offspring while they work. At first, everything goes perfectly, but when an unsafe incident means the parents no longer want the nanny around, they find out this nanny is savvy at not being evicted from her live-in situation. So savvy, in fact, that she can make these parents' lives a true nightmare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Cradle?
The closest matches to The Cradle are Before I Disappear (2014), St. Vincent (2014) and The Ones Below (2016). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Cradle?
Start with Before I Disappear (2014), the closest match to The Cradle.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Cradle?
Protector (2026), rated 8.4/10 by 648 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Cradle?
Protector (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Cradle?
Yes: Before I Disappear (2014), St. Vincent (2014) and The Ones Below (2016).
How are movies similar to The Cradle chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Cradle, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.