Movies like Understanding Friend (2013)
The best movies like Understanding Friend (2013) are The Bad Seed Returns (2022), When a Stranger Calls Back (1993) and The Bad Seed (2018). If Understanding Friend hooked you with its horror and thriller, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Bad Seed (2018)7.0/10 from 368 votes
- NewestThe Bad Seed Returns (2022)Released 2022
The Bad Seed Returns (2022)
Several years after the murderous events of the first movie left her father dead, Emma is now living with her aunt Angela and navigating high school. Angela’s husband begins to suspect that Emma may not be as innocent as she appears and suggests sending her off to boarding school. Meanwhile, a new girl at school seems to know Emma’s secrets, leaving Emma no choice but to slip back to her old ways and take care of her enemies by any means necessary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhen 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 & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Bad Seed (2018)
A widower suspects that his seemingly perfect adolescent daughter is a heartless killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies 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 & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPooka Lives! (2020)
A group of thirty-something friends from high school create their own Creepypasta about Pooka for laughs, but are shocked when it becomes so viral on the internet that it actually manifests more murdererous versions of the creature.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Fair Haired Child (2006)
A creepy couple kidnaps a teenage outcast and locks her in their basement with their seemingly kindhearted adolescent son - who harbors a terrifying secret involving the forces of evil.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisStalked by My Doctor (2015)
When a teenage girl is miraculously saved by a heart surgeon, the doctor begins to flirt with her. Her father doesn’t believe her and unbeknownst to all, the doctor is obsessed with the girl.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMegaboa (2021)
On a trip to Colombia, a group of college students encounter a fifty-foot boa constrictor, hungry for blood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisInfidelity in Suburbia (2017)
With her husband away at work, and her son at school, Laura dreams of a home-renovation project to supplant her restless days. Elliott, her irresistibly hot private contractor, soon fulfills her more forbidden dreams.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmerican 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
SnoozefestMovies like thisStalked by My Doctor: The Return (2016)
Dr. Beck, who has changed his name, saves a young teenage girl drowning in Mexico, whom he falls in love with. As always, there are some complications in his way, but he has plans to possibly get past them and get the girl of his dreams.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSecrets at the Lake (2019)
A group of teens make a pact that has deadly consequences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Very Foul Play (2019)
At a gathering of mystery and true crime fans, Aurora Teagarden’s nephew, Phillip, is accused of murder when an unplanned onstage blackout during the play in which he is performing ends, revealing Phillip holding the bloody knife that has just killed one of the other performers. 12th installment in Aurora Teagarden Mysteries
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTwisted (2018)
Kara and Tyler are close to marriage when Tyler’s dangerous ex-girlfriend returns from rehab, and is adamant on winning him back, pulling Kara into a twisted game of cat and mouse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMommy Would Never Hurt You (2019)
Riley wants to rebuild her relationship with her mother and little sister, who are shut-ins due to her sister's illness. When Riley realizes her sister may not be sick, her mother will stop at nothing to keep her daughters with her forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like this4 Horsemen: Apocalypse (2022)
A small team of scientists must race against time to stop what seems to be a cascade of global disasters signaling the possible apocalypse and end of days.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisHostage House (2021)
A realtor and her daughter are taken hostage by armed robbers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRoadkill (2011)
Six young friends on a road trip in Ireland run afoul of gypsies who curse them for accidentally running down an old woman. The curse takes the form of a terrifying flying beast that tries killing them all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Understanding Friend?
The closest matches to Understanding Friend are The Bad Seed Returns (2022), When a Stranger Calls Back (1993) and The Bad Seed (2018). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Understanding Friend?
Start with The Bad Seed Returns (2022), the closest match to Understanding Friend.
What is the highest-rated movie like Understanding Friend?
The Bad Seed (2018), rated 7.0/10 by 368 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Understanding Friend?
The Bad Seed Returns (2022) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Understanding Friend chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Understanding Friend, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.