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Movies like The Invitation (2003)

The best movies like The Invitation (2003) are The Dark Stranger (2016), Retreat (2011) and Long Lost (2019). If The Invitation hooked you with its horror and drama, these 29 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Dark Stranger (2016)

    Haunted by a terrifying spirit out of her graphic novel, a young artist struggles to overcome her psychosis before it destroys her.

    Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller

  2. Retreat (2011)

    Kate and Martin escape from personal tragedy to an Island Retreat. Cut off from the outside world, their attempts to recover are shattered when a man is washed ashore, with news of airborne killer disease that is sweeping through Europe.

    Why it matches: Fans watch both · both horror & drama

  3. Long Lost (2019)

    When Seth receives a mysterious letter inviting him to spend the weekend at a secluded mansion in the country, he soon realizes the people inside the house may know him better than he knows himself.

    Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & drama

  4. Bottom of the World (2017)

    On their road trip through the southwestern desert, Alex and his girlfriend Scarlett arrive in a town in the middle of nowhere and take a room in a mysterious hotel so that Scarlett, who is feeling increasingly ill, can get some rest.

    Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & thriller

  5. Desolation (2017)

    A mother takes her son on a trip into remote wilderness to scatter his father's ashes; they must confront their worst fears when a lone hiker begins following them.

    Why it matches: Fans watch both · both horror & drama

  6. 6:45 (2021)

    A couple embarks on a weekend getaway only to find the island curiously deserted. After stumbling upon the town’s dark secret, they trigger a time loop, forcing them to relive a demented cycle of terror with seemingly no means of escape.

    Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller & horror

  7. The Beach House (2020)

    A romantic getaway for two troubled college sweethearts turns into a struggle for survival when unexpected guests – and the surrounding environment – exhibit signs of a mysterious infection.

    Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & horror

  8. They Remain (2018)

    Two scientists investigate the root of environmental changes and strange animal behavior at a remote site where a cult committed atrocities. The isolated location, the unraveling of their relationship, and the biome itself begin to lead them down a path of doom where primeval forces threaten to consume them. An adaptation of Laird Barron's short story "–30–".

    Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & horror

  9. Sacrifice (2016)

    Sacrifice is the story of consultant surgeon, Tora Hamilton, who moves with her husband, Duncan, to the remote Shetland Islands, 100 miles off the north-east coast of Scotland. Deep in the peat soil around her new home, Tora discovers the body of a young woman with rune marks carved into her skin and a gaping hole where her heart once beat. Ignoring warnings to leave well alone, Tora uncovers terrifying links to a legend that might never have been confined to the pages of the story-books.

    Why it matches: Fans watch both · both thriller

  10. The Last Thing Mary Saw (2021)

    Winter, 1843. A young woman is under investigation following the mysterious death of her family's matriarch. Her recollection of the events sheds new light on the ageless forces behind the tragedy.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Caged (2021)

    An African American male is imprisoned and placed in solitary confinement after being found guilty of murdering his wife, as he's haunted by internal demons and his dead wife, and pushed to the breaking point by an abusive female guard.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Werewolf: The Beast Among Us (2012)

    Set in a 19th century village, a young man studying under a local doctor joins a team of hunters on the trail of a wolf-like creature.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & horror

  13. Raging Grace (2023)

    An undocumented Filipina immigrant lands a job as a careworker for a seemingly terminal old man, securing a better life for her and her daughter. But a dark discovery threatens to destroy everything she’s strived for and holds dear.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. Intruders (2015)

    Anna suffers from agoraphobia so crippling that when a trio of criminals break into her house, she cannot bring herself to flee. But what the intruders don't realize is that agoraphobia is not her only psychosis.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

  15. The Parts You Lose (2019)

    An unlikely friendship unfolds between a young deaf boy, Wesley, and a fugitive criminal who takes refuge in an abandoned barn on the family’s rural North Dakota farm.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Older Gods (2023)

    After the disappearance of his troubled friend, American Chris Rivers travels to the remote Welsh countryside to investigate what happened – leading him to a dark apocalyptic cult.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Frank and Penelope (2022)

    A tale of love and violence when a man on his emotional last legs finds a savior seductively dancing in a run-down strip club. And a life most certainly headed off a cliff suddenly becomes redirected - as everything is now worth dying for.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. The Public Eye (1992)

    A crime photographer gets involved in a conspiracy.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. The Hideout (2007)

    A mystery-thriller about an Italian woman who moves to Davenport to open a restaurant. After her husband commits suicide, she spends fifteen years recovering at a Minnesota mental hospital. When she builds herself up enough to begin another restaurant, she discovers that a murder took place there fifty years earlier. She decides to investigate and finds a secret plot.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Suburbicon (2017)

    In the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and murder.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama

  21. Nocebo (2022)

    A fashion designer suffers from a mysterious illness that puzzles her doctors and frustrates her husband until help arrives in the form of a Filipino caregiver who uses traditional folk healing to reveal a horrifying truth.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  22. Bone Lake (2025)

    A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. In this darkly hilarious and seductive horror story, a dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller

  23. Blindfire (2020)

    A police officer who while responding to a violent hostage call, kills the African American suspect only to later learn of his innocence. Sensing this was a set-up, and facing repercussions, he must track down the person responsible while examining his own accountability and the ingrained racism which brought him to this point.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  24. King Ivory (2025)

    Based on extensive research involving law enforcement and gang members, a never-before-seen, authentic look inside the underworld of fentanyl trafficking from gangs inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester a.k.a. "Big Mac."

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  25. Containment (2015)

    Neighbors in a block wake one morning to find they have been sealed inside their apartments. Can they work together to find out why? Or will they destroy each other in their fight to escape?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror

  26. Hunting Season (2025)

    When a reclusive survivalist and his daughter rescue a mysterious, wounded woman from a river, they become entangled in a deadly web of violence and revenge, forcing them to confront a brutal criminal to survive.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & thriller

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  27. Shimmer Lake (2017)

    Shot in reverse day-by-day through a week—a local sheriff embarks on a quest to unlock the mystery of three small-town criminals and a bank heist gone wrong.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  28. Maniac (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 & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  29. Devil's Pond (2003)

    After a brief courtship, Julianne marries her handsome boyfriend, Mitch. To celebrate their honeymoon, the couple travel to a remote cabin on a small island. When they arrive, however, Mitch becomes aggressive and physically abusive, and Julianne soon realizes he's not the ideal husband she once thought he was. Knowing that Mitch doesn't plan on ever letting her leave the island, Julianne, who is afraid of water, must find a way to escape.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like The Invitation and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Invitation?

The closest matches to The Invitation are The Dark Stranger (2016), Retreat (2011) and Long Lost (2019). Below are 26 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Invitation?

People who watched The Invitation most often go on to The Dark Stranger (2016), Retreat (2011) and Long Lost (2019).

What is the highest-rated movie like The Invitation?

Hunting Season (2025), rated 7.4/10 by 490 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Invitation?

Hunting Season (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The Invitation?

Yes: The Dark Stranger (2016), Retreat (2011) and Long Lost (2019).

How are movies similar to The Invitation chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Invitation, 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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