Movies like James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In (1976)
The best movies like James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In (1976) are Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993), Mater and the Ghostlight (2006) and Frankenweenie (1984). If James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In hooked you with its comedy and horror, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedLou (2017)7.5/10 from 441 votes
- NewestSketch (2025)Released 2025
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993)
On Halloween night, two precocious little girls try to save their parents from their nasty old capitalist aunt's greedy clutches. Magic abounds and they meet mysterious new friends along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMater and the Ghostlight (2006)
Mater, the rusty but trusty tow truck from Cars, spends a day in Radiator Springs playing scary pranks on his fellow townsfolk. That night at Flo's V8 Café, the Sheriff tells the story of the legend of the Ghostlight, and as everyone races home Mater is left alone primed for a good old-fashioned scare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFrankenweenie (1984)
When young Victor's pet dog Sparky (who stars in Victor's homemade monster movies) is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor's neighbors, he has to convince them (and his parents) that despite his appearance, Sparky's still the good loyal friend he's always been.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRecess: All Growed Down (2003)
T.J. and The Recess Gang are kidnapped by the Third Street School's kindergartners, who are in turn being bullied by a new kid in their class.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them - because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. So Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisSee Spot Run (2001)
A drug sniffing agent canine is a target for an assassin boss so the FBI calls Witness Protection to send him somewhere else. Meanwhile a single Mom puts her 6 year old boy James in the care of her irresponsible, mailman, neighbor, Gordon, when the babysitter bails on her. Meanwhile, an assassin mob boss hires 2 goons to kill Agent 11. But when 11 escapes from the van when they tried to kill him, he hides in Gordon's Mailtruck that James is in too. And guess what they name him. Spot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisParty Central (2014)
Mike and Sulley are back at Monsters University for a fun-filled weekend with their Oozma Kappa fraternity brothers. The gang is throwing their first party, but no one’s showing up. Luckily for them, Mike and Sulley have come up with a plan to make sure “Party Central” is the most epic party the school has ever seen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLou (2017)
A lost-and-found box holds a mysterious and unseen monster within.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Loud House Movie (2021)
The Loud family travel to Scotland and discover they are descendants of Scottish royalty as they move into their giant ancestral castle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNight of the Living Carrots (2011)
After a mutant peculiar pumpkin blows up on the Murphy’s carrot lawn, zombie green beans begin fighting the immediate place, and it’s up to the Creatures to preserve the evening again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Addams Family (2019)
The Addams family's lives begin to unravel when they face-off against a treacherous, greedy crafty reality-TV host while also preparing for their extended family to arrive for a major celebration.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCasper Meets Wendy (1998)
When a warlock threatens Wendy the Good Little Witch, she and her aunts hide out at a resort where Casper the Ghost is vacationing with his uncles. Although Casper and Wendy are told ghosts and witches don't get along, the two are kindred spirits! This spooky family-friendly adventure finds Casper and Wendy bridging the ghost-witch divide to battle the warlock who is intent on destroying Wendy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Mecha Mutt Menace (2013)
Mecha Mutt, a revolutionary remote-controlled lunar rover resembling a large canine, goes rogue at Houston's Annual Science Expo. Scooby-Doo! Mecha Mutt Menace is the fourth in a series of direct-to-video short films.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSketch (2025)
When a young girl’s sketchbook falls into a strange pond, her drawings come to life—chaotic, real, and on the loose. As the town descends into chaos, her family must reunite and stop the monsters they never meant to unleash.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSwitched (2020)
Tired of being bullied, Cassandra Evans prays that her nemesis, Katie Sharp, the queen bee of social media, would know what it’s like to walk a day in her shoes. Her prayer is answered in an unexpected way when they get switched.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Luck of the Irish (2001)
A teenager must battle for a gold charm to keep his family from being controlled by an evil leprechaun.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTokyo Mater (2008)
A routine tow lands Mater in Tokyo, where he is challenged to a drift-style race against a nefarious gang leader and his posse of ninjas. With the help of his friend, 'Dragon' Lightning McQueen, and some special modifications, Mater attempts to drift to victory and become Tow-ke-O Mater, King of all Drifters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMickey's House of Villains (2002)
The villains from the popular animated Disney films are gathered at the House of Mouse with plans to take over. Soon, the villains take over the house and kick out Mickey, Donald and Goofy. It's all up to Mickey and his friends to overthrow evil and return the House of Mouse to normal--or as close to normal as it gets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting (2020)
Recruited by a secret society of babysitters, a high schooler battles the Boogeyman and his monsters when they nab the boy she's watching on Halloween.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnder Wraps (2021)
Three friends try to save their mummified friend, Harold, from greedy criminals by returning him to his resting place before midnight on Halloween.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVeggieTales: Lord of the Beans (2005)
Sunday morning values, Saturday morning fun! It’s a tale of good versus evil with beans! Lord of the Beans follows the fantastic journey of a Flobbit named Toto Baggypants (Junior Asparagus) who inherits a most unusual and powerful bean. With the help of his mentor Randall and a spirited group of friends, Toto embarks on a mission to discover how he should use his gift. On their quest, the group encounters many challenges, including crossing the mountains of Much-Snowia, and facing the dreaded Lord Scaryman – who seeks the bean for misguided, selfish reasons. Will Toto discover the purpose of his giver, or will the scary dude and his Spark army capture the bean and wield its awesome powers?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
The Milkman (2024)
Based on the short story by Stephen King, follow the morning delivery routine of the neighborhood's favorite milkman.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & comedy
JerryMaya's Detective Agency: The Mascot That Disappeared (2024)
On the eve of the annual Valleby Games, the competitors are injured one by one. The clues lead Jerry and Maya to a dark secret and an old myth about the games' mascot that is said to haunt the hall. Will Jerry and Maya find the solution before anyone else gets hurt and will their friendship survive the trials?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
VeggieTales: Robin Good and His Not So Merry Men (2012)
Robin Good is a successful fund raiser but when a nasty Prince starts stealing hams Robin's merry men conclude that robbery is quicker and decide to give it a try. Robin must get over his hurt and save the day.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Mad Love (2008)
A young woman named Her meets a stranger in the park named He, who recounts a surreal and melancholic past. They share stories and a strange connection. He’s deeply affected by a past relationship with a woman named Lucy, and her present life is marked by loneliness and regret.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Alice in Wonderland (1951)
On a golden afternoon, wildly curious young Alice tumbles into the burrow and enters the merry, madcap world of Wonderland full of whimsical escapades.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Night Flier (1997)
For cynical tabloid journo Richard Dees, facts are always stranger than fiction. Every headline is a dead-line. Serial killers, UFO abductions, tales of molestation, mayhem and murder. To some the tales are mere sleazy fantasy – but his faithful readers believe. And now there's a new story: The Night Flier. What is it that travels by night in a dark-winged Cessna, lands at secluded airfields and murders local residents? Dees begins to track the unknown killer in a Cessna of his own, uncovering clues that reveal a pilot more terrifying than he could have ever imagined.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlice in Wonderland (2010)
Alice, now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDesperation (2006)
When a sheriff arrests a writer, a family, a couple, and a hitchiker and throws them in a jail cell in the deserted town of Desperation, they must fight for their lives.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisVeggieTales: The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's (2007)
Meet Darby (Junior Asparagus), the son of a Kansas floss farmer who, more than anything else in the world, just wants to have fun. When he learns about the Wonderful Land Of Ha's - an amusement park with all the fixin's - and its mysterious Wizard who promises to make his dreams come true, Darby is determined to go. But when his father tells him he's needed to help with the harvest, Darby decides that nothing is going to stop him and he makes a choice that will change his life forever. With his pet dog Tutu by his side, Darby flees the farm and sets off to find the Wonderful Land Of Ha's. Along the way he meets a bored scarecrow (Mr. Lunt), a tin man (Larry the Cucumber) who wants to ride roller coasters and a lion (Pa Grape) that craves cotton candy. Each with their own dreams, they set off to see the Wizard.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Like James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In?
The closest matches to James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In are Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993), Mater and the Ghostlight (2006) and Frankenweenie (1984). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In?
Start with Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993), the closest match to James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In.
What is the highest-rated movie like James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In?
Lou (2017), rated 7.5/10 by 441 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In?
Sketch (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In?
Yes: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble (1993), Mater and the Ghostlight (2006) and Frankenweenie (1984).
How are movies similar to James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside James Thurber’s The Night the Ghost Got In, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.