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Movies like They Are/Were Watching (2023)

The best movies like They Are/Were Watching (2023) are The Woman in Black (1989), The Evil (1978) and Paranormal Activity (2009). If They Are/Were Watching hooked you with its horror, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Woman in Black (1989)

    A lawyer travels to a small seaside town to settle the estate of a recently deceased woman, but soon becomes ensnared in something much more sinister.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

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  2. The Evil (1978)

    Shortly after moving into a dark, brooding mansion, a psychologist and his co-workers are terrorized by a horrible evil being.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

  3. Paranormal Activity (2009)

    After a young, middle-class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be demonic, but is certainly the most active in the middle of the night.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. American Horror House (2012)

    On Halloween night, a sorority house is overrun with ghosts, while a vengeful housemother goes on a killing spree.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

  5. The Ghost Within (2023)

    A young woman revisits her family home desperate to discover her sister Evie's murderer 20 years before. After a series of terrifying encounters with Evie's ghost at 09:09pm, Margot knows she must fight to learn the truth once and for all.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

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  6. Lady in White (1988)

    Locked in a school closet during Halloween 1962, young Frank witnesses the ghost of a young girl and the man who murdered her years ago.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

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  7. Monkey’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 this
  8. Nightmare Cinema (2018)

    A series of down-on-their-luck individuals enter the decrepit and spine-chilling Rialto theater, only to have their deepest and darkest fears brought to life on the silver screen by The Projectionist – a mysterious, ghostly figure who holds the nightmarish futures of all who attend his screenings.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

  9. 825 Forest Road (2025)

    After a family tragedy, Chuck Wilson hopes to start a new life in Ashland Falls with his wife Maria and little sister Elizabeth, but he quickly discovers that the town has a dark history of being haunted by a ghostly woman who drives residents to suicide.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

  10. Terrifier (2011)

    After witnessing a brutal murder on Halloween night, a young woman becomes the next target of a maniacal entity.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. The 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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. The Kindred (2021)

    After her father’s suicide, a young mother investigates what led to his death. But when she is haunted by spirits and unearths an unsolved mystery from 30 years ago, she discovers a dark family history that could prove deadly for her child.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. The Haunted (1991)

    When the Smurl family moves into a duplex, they find out it's haunted. When the Catholic Church is no help, they reach out to famous demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

  14. The Curse of Buckout Road (2017)

    A college class project on creation and destruction of modern myth, turns terrifying when a trio of young people come to realize the urban legends surrounding the famed Buckout Road may, in fact, be REAL.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Oddity (2024)

    After the brutal murder of her twin sister, Darcy goes after those responsible by using haunted items as her tools for revenge.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Daddy's Head (2024)

    A boy and his stepmother fear for their safety after an eerie creature resembling the boy's recently deceased father visits them.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

  17. The Boogeyman (2023)

    Still reeling from the tragic death of their mother, a teenage girl and her younger sister find themselves plagued by a sadistic presence in their house and struggle to get their grieving father to pay attention before it’s too late.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Never After Dark (2026)

    A traveling psychic who helps lost souls cross over encounters a powerful entity at a remote house. While investigating its origins, she uncovers dark secrets and faces a deadly threat from an unexpected source.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. Mostly Ghostly 3: One Night in Doom House (2016)

    Just one enchanted jewel stands between earth and an army of evil spirits led by the devious ghoul, Phears. With the help of his new girlfriend and ghost pals, Max Doyle races to find the crystal and save the world.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. The Vigil (2020)

    A man providing overnight watch to a deceased member of his former Orthodox Jewish community finds himself opposite a malevolent entity.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror

Like They Are/Were Watching and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like They Are/Were Watching?

The closest matches to They Are/Were Watching are The Woman in Black (1989), The Evil (1978) and Paranormal Activity (2009). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after They Are/Were Watching?

Start with The Woman in Black (1989), the closest match to They Are/Were Watching.

What is the highest-rated movie like They Are/Were Watching?

Oddity (2024), rated 6.7/10 by 971 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like They Are/Were Watching?

Never After Dark (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there Japanese movies like They Are/Were Watching?

Yes: Never After Dark (2026).

How are movies similar to They Are/Were Watching chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside They Are/Were Watching, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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