Movies like The Spirit Is Willing (1967)
The best movies like The Spirit Is Willing (1967) are Scared Stiff (1953), The Time of Their Lives (1946) and Hold That Ghost (1941). If The Spirit Is Willing hooked you with its comedy and horror, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedScooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (2019)7.8/10 from 267 votes
- NewestMonkey’s Magic Merry Go Round (2026)Released 2026
Scared Stiff (1953)
A nightclub singer and his partner escape mobsters by fleeing to Cuba with a beautiful heiress, who has inherited a haunted castle on an isolated island. The trio hunt for a hidden treasure and encounter a ghost, a zombie, and a mysterious killer...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Time of Their Lives (1946)
Two ghosts, who were mistakenly branded as traitors during the Revolutionary War, return to 20th century New England to retrieve a letter from George Washington which would prove their innocence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHold That Ghost (1941)
Two bumbling service station attendants are left as the sole beneficiaries in a gangster's will. Their trip to claim their fortune is sidetracked when they are stranded in a haunted house along with several other strangers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTales of Terror (1962)
Three stories adapted from the work of Edgar Allen Poe: 1) A man and his daughter are reunited, but the blame for the death of his wife hangs over them, unresolved. 2) A derelict challenges the local wine-tasting champion to a competition, but finds the man's attention to his wife worthy of more dramatic action. 3) A man dying and in great pain agrees to be hypnotized at the moment of death, with unexpected consequences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGoosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)
Be careful what you wish for. With their after school junk business, best friends Sonny and Sam hope to find treasure in other people’s trash. But when cleaning out the old Stine house, they open a locked book that frees a supernatural nightmare – Slappy! Now, with the help of Sonny’s sister Sarah, they’re in a race against time to get the sinister dummy and all the creatures he’s brought to life back into the pages before he unleashes total pandemonium!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPhantom of the Megaplex (2000)
Pete Riley is a 17-year-old who lands a part-time job at a multiplex in his neighbourhood. He and his friends are excited when it's announced that the theatre will play host to the premier of a major motion picture, with a number of Hollywood celebrities in attendance. However, when the big night comes, Pete has to contend with disappearing staff, malfunctioning equipment, and a broken popcorn machine.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMr. 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 thisMostly 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 thisMonkey’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 thisScooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (2019)
Mystery Inc. withdraws from solving crimes after botching a case. When Vincent Van Ghoul contacts the gang about an unfinished investigation from Daphne, Shaggy and Scooby's past, the gang springs into action to finish the job that involves catching the 13th Ghost that escaped from the Chest of Demons and is still at large.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDeadsight (2018)
A man with partial blindness and a young pregnant police officer must work together to escape a deadly virus that has spread across Grey County.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost (1999)
Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Gang visit Oakhaven, Massachusetts to seek strange goings on involving a famous horror novelist and his ancestor who is rumored to have been a witch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisZ (2019)
A family find themselves terrorized by their eight-year-old son's imaginary friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Monsters (1989)
A young boy is scared of the monster under his bed. He asks his 6th grade brother to swap rooms for the night as a bet that the monster really exists. Soon the brother becomes friends with the monster and discovers a whole new world of fun and games under his bed where pulling pranks on kids and other monsters is the main attraction.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisRace with the Devil (1975)
Two couples vacationing together in an R.V. from Texas to Colorado are terrorized after they witness a murder during a Satanic ritual.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Shed (2019)
The story of Stan, an orphaned teenager stuck living with his abusive grandfather and tasked with routinely protecting his best friend from high school bullies. When Stan discovers a murderous creature has taken refuge inside the tool shed in his backyard, he tries to secretly battle the demon alone until his bullied friend discovers the creature and has a far more sinister plan in mind.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown (2017)
When the Scooby gang visits a dude ranch, they discover that it and the nearby town have been haunted by a ghostly cowboy, Dapper Jack, who fires real fire from his fire irons. The mystery only deepens when it’s discovered that the ghost is also the long lost relative of Shaggy Rogers!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSilent Zone (2025)
In a zombie-ravaged world, a resourceful teen and her protector fight for survival, facing relentless dangers and testing the limits of hope and loyalty.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCasper Meets Wendy (1998)
When a warlock threatens Wendy the Good Little Witch, she and her aunts hide out at a resort where Casper the Ghost is vacationing with his uncles. Although Casper and Wendy are told ghosts and witches don't get along, the two are kindred spirits! This spooky family-friendly adventure finds Casper and Wendy bridging the ghost-witch divide to battle the warlock who is intent on destroying Wendy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisScooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost (2018)
The Scooby gang visits a culinary resort run by Fred's uncle, Bobby Flay. While enjoying the sights, a ghost attacks the guests and destroys the resort, leaving the gang to put a stop to its threat.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBuffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
Blonde, bouncy Buffy is your typical high school cheerleader. But all that changes when a strange man informs her she's been chosen by fate to kill vampires.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisKishkindhapuri (2025)
A ghost walking tour group visits an abandoned radio station, inadvertently awakening a vengeful spirit.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & comedy
Pretham Undu Sookshikkuka (2017)
A haunted mansion amidst Kingini Nagar Housing Colony is converted into a police station. Ghosts in the mansion get provoked by the intrusion of the police. To overcome the horrible night duties, cops take the help of Babu, an outlaw yet sincere guy. Will Babu and his gang be able to solve the mystery behind the haunted mansion?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & horror
Polterguest (2022)
When Halloween enthusiasts JESS and ZACH BRYER move into their new home, they focus their attention on transforming it into a spectacular haunted house as per their family tradition. As they continue to move in, Jess begins to notice odd disturbances regarding a family photo that came with the house. This culminates in the revelation that a pair of ghosts, ROBERT and MARGE occupy the residence. Though the ghosts clearly dislike the new occupants, Jess and Zach take this as a good omen. Jess and Zach beg the ghosts to help haunt their haunted house to which Robert and Marge take even more offense, and refuse the offer. Through trial and error, the humans attempt to scare the ghosts into helping them, though nothing works. At her breaking point, Jess destroys the ghost's picture frame, leading them into a fit of rage in which they resort to their supernatural powers. Impressed by their abilities, the humans flatter the ghosts into working with them, and the haunted house is a success.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & comedy
Dwelling (2025)
After a young Black couple buys their first home, their American Dream quickly becomes a nightmare when they’re tormented by the ghost of the racist former owner. And when an ill-equipped deacon attempts to expel the ghost, they’re left in even more danger than before.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & comedy
Jason Lives - Friday the 13th Part VI (1986)
Tommy Jarvis, tormented by the fear that maybe Jason isn't really dead, unwittingly resurrects the mass murderer for another bloody rampage.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLady and the Tramp (1955)
Lady, a golden cocker spaniel, meets up with a mongrel dog who calls himself the Tramp. He is obviously from the wrong side of town, but happenings at Lady's home make her decide to travel with him for a while.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Legend of Viper's Hill (2006)
A woman is raped by a transient and later commits suicide, cursing the then with her last breath. Years later, the victim's granddaughter returns to town to debunk the story and sell the house, but the ghosts have different ideas.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Workaholic Jim Evers and his wife/business partner Sara get a call one night from a mansion owner, Edward Gracey, who wants to sell his house. Once the Evers family arrive at the mansion, a torrential thunderstorm of mysterious origin strands them with the brooding, eccentric Gracey, his mysterious butler, and a variety of residents both seen and unseen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Wanderers: The Quest of The Demon Hunter (2018)
A hardened vampire hunter and a journalist travel to a village in Transylvania to investigate a mysterious event that happened in Zalesky Castle. The duo are guided by a young Romanian girl and joined by a Korean television reality show team as they attempt to untangle the community’s secrets.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Like The Spirit Is Willing and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Spirit Is Willing?
The closest matches to The Spirit Is Willing are Scared Stiff (1953), The Time of Their Lives (1946) and Hold That Ghost (1941). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Spirit Is Willing?
Start with Scared Stiff (1953), the closest match to The Spirit Is Willing.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Spirit Is Willing?
Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (2019), rated 7.8/10 by 267 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Spirit Is Willing?
Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Spirit Is Willing?
Yes: Scared Stiff (1953), The Time of Their Lives (1946) and Hold That Ghost (1941).
How are movies similar to The Spirit Is Willing chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Spirit Is Willing, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.