Movies like A Scary Time (1960)
The best movies like A Scary Time (1960) are The Secret Life of Bees (2008), High Spirits (1988) and Night of the Living Dead (1990). If A Scary Time hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Secret Life of Bees (2008)7.5/10 from 603 votes
- NewestPractical Magic 2 (2026)Released 2026
The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
Set in South Carolina in 1964, this is the tale of Lily Owens a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother. To escape her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father, Lily flees with Rosaleen, her caregiver and only friend, to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHigh Spirits (1988)
When a hotelier attempts to fill the chronic vacancies at his castle by launching an advertising campaign that falsely portrays the property as haunted, two actual ghosts show up and end up falling for two guests.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisNight of the Living Dead (1990)
A ragtag group barricade themselves in an old Pennsylvania farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls ravaging the Northeast.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Best Friend Is a Vampire (1987)
Shortly after high school student Jeremy Capello goes on a hot date, he finds he can't stand garlic or see his reflection in mirrors.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNight of the Living Dead: Re-Animation (2012)
After inheriting the family mortuary, a pyrophobic mortician accidentally exposes hundreds of un-cremated bodies to toxic medical waste. As the corpses re-animate, the mortician's inheritance-seeking younger brother unexpectantly shows up, stumbling upon a full zombie outbreak!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLions Love (1969)
Three actors in Hollywood live and love together. A director comes from New York to make a movie about actors and Hollywood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisYou Cast A Spell On Me (2015)
Despite agreeing to an arranged marriage to a childhood friend, a successful businessman tries to track down a beautiful woman that he met at a Halloween party.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCelia (1989)
In 1950s Australia, young Celia is growing up with a sense of isolation and mistrust of the world that surrounds her. Her mother and father won't let her play with the kids next door because their parents are communists. Then her pet bunny is taken away because of rabbit overpopulation. And, more traumatizing yet, when her grandmother dies, she's the one to discover the corpse. To cope, she retreats into elaborate fantasies.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMostly Ghostly (2008)
Based on the successful book series by R.L. Stine, this spooky tale finds 11-year-old Max making a deal with the ghosts who haunt his home. If Max helps them find what was responsible for their parents' disappearance, they'll help him transform from a social nobody to the most popular kid in school.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHalloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge (2001)
The Cromwell clan lives in the real world, except for their grandmother who lives in Halloweentown, a place where monsters go to escape reality. But now the son of the Cromwells' old enemy Kalabar has a plan to use the grandmother's book to turn Halloweentown into a grey dreary version of the real world while transforming the denizens of the real world into monsters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChristmas on the Bayou (2013)
When successful New York marketing executive Katherine discovers her workaholic ways are taking a toll on her eight-year-old son, Zac, she decides to spend Christmas with him and her mother, Lilly in her home town on the bayou. When Caleb tries to rekindle a childhood romance and convince her to move back home, Katherine is torn between the bright lights of the big city and the quiet, gentler rhythms of her Southern roots. Only a Christmas miracle orchestrated by Papa Noel can steer her heart to her true home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPractical Magic 2 (2026)
The Owens sisters must confront the dark curse that threatens to unravel their family once and for all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022)
A Halloween-hating dad reluctantly teams up with his teenage daughter when an evil spirit wreaks havoc by making their town's decorations come to life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Craft: Legacy (2020)
An eclectic foursome of aspiring teenage witches get more than they bargained for as they lean into their newfound powers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Betelgeuse, Lydia's life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter, Astrid, accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHounddog (2008)
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNight of the Demons 2 (1994)
Angela, the hostess from hell, summons her army of teen demons when teenagers from St. Rita's High School decide to party at the haunted Hull House on Halloween.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLisa Frankenstein (2024)
In 1989, a misunderstood teenager has a high school crush — who just happens to be a handsome corpse! After a set of playfully horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness…and a few missing body parts along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
Washington Irving's tale of Ichabod Crane and the headless horseman is brought to life, narrated by Bing Crosby.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisButch Jamie (2008)
The film follows the story of Jamie, a struggling butch lesbian actress who gets cast as a man in a film. The main plot is a romantic comedy between Jamie's male alter-ego, "Male Jamie," and Jill, a heterosexual woman on set. The film's subplots include Jamie's bisexual roommate Lola and her cat actor Howard, Lola's abrasive butch German girlfriend Andi, and Jamie's gay Asian friend David.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Diablillos de arrabal (1940)
In a poor neighborhood in Mexico City, two gangs of kids fight for control of the center where they work as "boleros", musicians or announcers. "Completo" joins the gang led by "Rorro", a rival of the group headed by "Curricán".
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Cinderella (1947)
In the fairy kingdom live stepmother, her evil daughters — Anna and Maryana, a limp husband-forester and his daughter from his first marriage — Cinderella. The stepmother exploits the poor girl as a housekeeper. With the help of her godmother-fairy, Cinderella gets to the royal ball, where a beautiful and very kind prince falls in love with her. At midnight, the magic ends, and poor Cinderella has to return to her former life. But on the crystal shoe that Cinderella lost while fleeing the palace to the battle of the palace chimes, the prince searches for the bride.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Cry (2007)
In New York, detective Alex Scott is investigating with his partner Sergio Perez the disappearance of several children. When they visit the Mexican witch Gloria, the woman advises that a powerful evil force is chasing the reincarnation of her son and drowning the other children to bring pain to their mothers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Totems (1944)
For Indigenous peoples the totem pole is the symbol of life, portraying the relationship between humans and animals. Fitting into the landscape of British Columbia, these monuments, witnesses to an ancient and powerful culture, look down at us. The group "Indians of British Columbia" singing group provide a powerful soundtrack as Haida and Tsimshian people talk about poles in their communities.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Brownsville Bred (2025)
Set against the vibrant yet challenging backdrop of her urban neighborhood, the complexities of adolescence are explored as Elaine faces an unexpected upheaval in her life due to her father, Manny, an aspiring salsa musician whose struggles lead him away from his family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Outrageous Big Machines (2008)
Outrageous Big Machines features 4 captivating construction shows on 1 action packed DVD. Take your kid directly to the work site where they will help real construction workers clear the way for roads and blast away mountains of debris with awesome power. Better pack your hard hat - it's going to be a bumpy ride!
Why it matches: Similar story and style
MILF (2018)
Three childhood friends - Elise, Sonia and Cecile - leave for a summer in the South of France to help clear Cecile’s holiday house before it is put up for sale. There, they soon become the prime targets of three horny young men, for whom these single forty-year-old women are much more attractive than girls their age.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
SnoozefestMovies like thisChristopher Walken's Coffee Shop (2016)
Christopher Walken has branched out from his very successful acting career to pursue his true passion, creating artisanal coffee beverages and pastries, but be warned his concoctions have more than just meets the eye.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Jacob Have I Loved (1989)
In the early 1940s, a depressed young woman, who's been eclipsed all of her life by her beautiful twin sister, tries to overcome her low self-esteem with help from a crusty old sea captain.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like A Scary Time?
The closest matches to A Scary Time are The Secret Life of Bees (2008), High Spirits (1988) and Night of the Living Dead (1990). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after A Scary Time?
Start with The Secret Life of Bees (2008), the closest match to A Scary Time.
What is the highest-rated movie like A Scary Time?
The Secret Life of Bees (2008), rated 7.5/10 by 603 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like A Scary Time?
Practical Magic 2 (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like A Scary Time?
Yes: The Secret Life of Bees (2008), High Spirits (1988) and Night of the Living Dead (1990).
How are movies similar to A Scary Time chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside A Scary Time, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.