Movies like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
The best movies like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973) are Mr. Boogedy (1986), The Haunted (1991) and The Evil (1978). If Don't Be Afraid of the Dark hooked you with its horror and tv movie, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Conjuring (2013)7.5/10 from 13,298 votes
- NewestNever After Dark (2026)Released 2026
Mr. Boogedy (1986)
A novelty-salesman moves his family into a new house. Initially dismissing incidents as more of their father's practical jokes, the family soon learns that the house is haunted by people who lived in the house 300 years previously.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe 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
SnoozefestMovies like thisSuperstition (1982)
A witch put to death in 1692 swears vengeance on her persecutors and returns to the present day to punish their descendants.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnd Now the Screaming Starts! (1973)
In the late 18th century, two newlyweds move into the stately mansion of the Fengriffen family. The young bride is victim of terrifying visions and apparitions, threatening her very sanity. A London psychiatrist comes to her help and uncovers the terrible secret that haunts the estate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisParanormal 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 this825 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
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Cellar (2022)
When Keira Woods' daughter mysteriously vanishes in the cellar of their new house in the country, she soon discovers there is an ancient and powerful entity controlling their home that she will have to face or risk losing her family's souls forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYou're Not Alone (2020)
After the premature death of her estranged husband, Emma (Winter) regains custody of their young daughter Isla (Jones) and hopes to rebuild their relationship after many years apart. But when an evil entity begins to torment them, mother and daughter are forced to face the inexplicable presence that inhabits the walls of their new home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Haunted Palace (1963)
A man and his wife claim the mansion of his warlock ancestor burned alive in 1765.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Deliverance (2024)
Ebony Jackson, a struggling single mother fighting her personal demons, moves her family into a new home for a fresh start. But when strange occurrences inside the home raise the suspicions of Child Protective Services and threaten to tear the family apart, Ebony soon finds herself locked in a battle for her life and the souls of her children.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Look at the Demon (2022)
A spiritual medium leads a paranormal investigative TV crew to a haunted home only to discover that the evil spirit she’s facing holds the key to her troubled past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Conjuring (2013)
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHell House LLC (2015)
Five years after an unexplained malfunction causes the death of 15 tour-goers and staff on the opening night of a Halloween haunted house tour, a documentary crew travels back to the scene of the tragedy to find out what really happened.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBurnt Offerings (1976)
A family moves into a large old mansion in the countryside which seems to have a mysterious and sinister power over its new residents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInsidious (2011)
A family discovers that dark spirits have invaded their home after their son inexplicably falls into an endless sleep. When they reach out to a professional for help, they learn things are a lot more personal than they thought.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDC Showcase - Constantine: The House of Mystery (2022)
John Constantine wakes up in the eerie House of Mystery with no recollection of how he got there. Fortunately, Zatanna and his friends are all there. Unfortunately, they have a bad habit of turning into demons and ripping him to shreds, over and over again!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisundertone (2026)
The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInsidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
The haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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
SnoozefestMovies like thisHellraiser: Bloodline (1996)
Three generations of the same family deal with the consequences of unleashing the forces of hell.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisDoom (2005)
A team of space marines known as the Rapid Response Tactical Squad, led by Sarge, is sent to a science facility on Mars after somebody reports a security breach. There, they learn that the alert came after a test subject, a mass murderer purposefully injected with alien DNA, broke free and began killing people. Dr. Grimm, who is related to team member Reaper, informs them all that the chromosome can mutate humans into monsters -- and is highly infectious.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisPrince of Darkness (1987)
A priest discovers an ancient canister containing a strange liquid in an abandoned church. When a group of graduate students and scientists are tasked with studying it, they unknowingly unleash an evil force waiting to destroy all of humanity.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEight Legged Freaks (2002)
The residents of a rural mining town discover that an unfortunate chemical spill has caused hundreds of little spiders to mutate overnight to the size of SUVs. It's then up to mining engineer Chris McCormack and Sheriff Sam Parker to mobilize an eclectic group of townspeople, including the Sheriff's young son, Mike, her daughter, Ashley, and paranoid radio announcer Harlan, into battle against the bloodthirsty eight-legged beasts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisNever 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: Similar story and style · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Cave (2005)
After a group of biologists discovers a huge network of unexplored caves in Romania and, believing it to be an undisturbed eco-system that has produced a new species, they hire the best American team of underwater cave explorers in the world. While exploring deeper into the underwater caves, a rockslide blocks their exit, and they soon discover a larger carnivorous creature has added them to its food chain.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisFreak (2020)
A bloody legend becomes all too real for a group of kids heading out for a weekend of camping and partying. Will they survive what waits for them in the woods?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Pet Sematary (1989)
After the Creed family's cat is accidentally killed, a friendly neighbor advises its burial in a mysterious nearby cemetery.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFriendly Beast (2018)
A restaurant owner going over the edge when an armed robbery is attempted at his establishment. He holds everyone captive at gunpoint – criminals and customers alike – and situations corrode into a nightmare state, guided by manipulation and raw compulsion.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHellraiser (1987)
A hedonistic man finds a mysterious puzzle box that summons a group of gruesome beings known as the Cenobites. These otherworldly entities open the doors to a dominion where pain and pleasure are indivisible.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark?
The closest matches to Don't Be Afraid of the Dark are Mr. Boogedy (1986), The Haunted (1991) and The Evil (1978). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Don't Be Afraid of the Dark?
Start with Mr. Boogedy (1986), the closest match to Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.
What is the highest-rated movie like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark?
The Conjuring (2013), rated 7.5/10 by 13,298 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark?
Never After Dark (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark?
Yes: Mr. Boogedy (1986), The Haunted (1991) and The Evil (1978).
How are movies similar to Don't Be Afraid of the Dark chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.