Movies like The Sandman (2017)
The best movies like The Sandman (2017) are The Fly (1986), The Kindred (1987) and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010). If The Sandman hooked you with its horror, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Fly (1986)7.5/10 from 5,258 votes
- NewestClayface (2026)Released 2026
The Fly (1986)
When brilliant, eccentric scientist Seth Brundle makes a huge technological breakthrough in teleportation, he decides to test it on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a common housefly manages to get inside the device and the two become one.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Kindred (1987)
Amanda's deathbed request to her son, John, was for him to destroy all the lab notes etc. from her last experiment. She also blurts out he had a brother. At the funeral John meets Melissa, who claims to be his mother's biggest fan. Together with some of John's friends they go to Amanda's house, but none are prepared for what they find there.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
A young girl sent to live with her father and his new girlfriend discovers creatures in her new home who want to claim her as one of their own.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisIt's Alive (1974)
The Davises are expecting a baby, which turns out to be a monster with a nasty habit of killing people whenever scared. And it's easily scared.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBring Her Back (2025)
Following the death of their father, a brother and sister are sent to live with a foster mother, only to learn that she is hiding a terrifying secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisClayface (2026)
Matt Hagen's meteoric rise from Gotham street kid to Hollywood leading man is tragically cut short when a local crime boss's actions leave him horribly disfigured. Abandoned by his team and with nothing left, Matt seeks out a cutting edge treatment that miraculously returns him to his former self… but also unexpectedly affects his grip on reality, spiraling him down a destructive path of all-consuming revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCome Play (2020)
Oliver, a lonely autistic boy, seeks solace and refuge in his ever-present cell phone and tablet. When a mysterious creature uses the boy's devices against him, his parents must fight to save their son from the monster beyond the screen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStephanie (2017)
After a mysterious global crisis, a young girl is left alone to hide from a malevolent power that stalks her home. Her parents eventually return and the struggle begins to save their daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop's daughter, Nancy Thompson, traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger, who was burned alive by angry parents many years before. Krueger has now come back in the dreams of his killers' children, claiming their lives as his revenge. Nancy and her boyfriend, Glen, must devise a plan to lure the monster out of the realm of nightmares and into the real world...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChild's Play 2 (1990)
Chucky is reconstructed by a toy factory to dispel the negative publicity surrounding the doll, and tracks young Andy Barclay to a foster home where the chase begins again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHidden (2015)
A family takes refuge in a fallout shelter to avoid a dangerous outbreak.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPlease Don't Feed the Children (2025)
After a viral outbreak ravaged the country’s adult population, a group of orphans heads south in search of a new life, only to find themselves at the mercy of a deranged woman harboring a dangerous secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDust Bunny (2025)
Ten-year-old Aurora asks her hitman neighbor to kill the monster under her bed that she claims ate her family. To protect her, he must battle an onslaught of assassins while accepting that some monsters are real.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYou Shall Not Sleep Tonight (2024)
A boy is haunted by terrifying nightmares where a monster lurks inside the closet. To his relief, his father appears in the middle of the night helping him to face his fears. But the boy will begin to question the true nature of these apparitions, having to face the truth about his father's destiny and the evil force that threatens to consume him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
Father and son coroners receive a mysterious unidentified corpse with no apparent cause of death. As they attempt to examine the "Jane Doe," they discover increasingly bizarre clues that hold the key to her terrifying secrets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last House (2026)
A family suddenly sealed inside their home must work together to survive against dwindling resources and the ominous threat keeping them trapped.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSlapface (2022)
A boy deals with the loss of his mother by creating a relationship with a dangerous monster.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisAlligator (1980)
A baby alligator is flushed down a toilet and survives by eating discarded lab animals that have been injected with growth hormones. The now gigantic animal escapes the city sewers and goes on a rampage, pursued by a cop and a big-game hunter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisImaginary (2024)
When Jessica moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice starts playing games with Chauncey that begin playful and become increasingly sinister. As Alice’s behavior becomes more and more concerning, Jessica intervenes only to realize Chauncey is much more than the stuffed toy bear she believed him to be.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisSplinter (2008)
When their plans for a nature trip go awry, Polly and boyfriend Seth decide to check into a motel. On their way, they're carjacked and kidnapped by low-rent crooks Dennis and Lacey, who take the victims and their SUV to a nearby gas station. Along the way, they encounter an increasingly terrifying horde of parasites, and if any of them intend to survive, they'll have to outsmart the deadly organisms.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGremlins (1984)
After receiving an exotic small animal as a Christmas gift, a young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet, which unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous creatures on a small town.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Young sweethearts Billy and Kate move to the Big Apple, land jobs in a high-tech office park and soon reunite with the friendly and lovable Gizmo. But a series of accidents creates a whole new generation of Gremlins. The situation worsens when the devilish green creatures invade a top-secret laboratory and develop genetically altered powers, making them even harder to destroy!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Host (2006)
A teenage girl is captured by a giant mutated squid-like creature that appears from Seoul's Han River after toxic waste was dumped in it, prompting her family into a frantic search for her.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Recall (2017)
When five friends vacation at a remote lake house, they expect nothing less then a good time, unaware that Earth is under attack by an alien invasion and mass-abductions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Consumer (TBA)
Anna invites something sinister into her home when her online shopping obsession leads to a mysterious late-night delivery.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Gappa, the Triphibian Monster (1967)
An expedition in the South Pacific lands on a tropical island where the natives worship the mysterious deity Gappa. An earthquake opens up an underground cavern and a baby reptile is discovered inside. The natives warn the foreigners to leave the hatching alone, but they don't listen and take it back to a zoo in Japan. Soon after, moma and papa Gappa start smashing Tokyo looking for their kidnapped child.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisJacob's Ladder (1990)
After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie, and ex-wife, Sarah, try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis, fails to reach him as he descends into madness.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Feral Man (2002)
A young man believes he's turning into a werewolf after being attacked by an unseen assailant.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Voyage To The Planet Of Teenage Cavewomen (2012)
Two planets on a collision course with Earth are discovered to be populated by teenage cave-women and sinister creatures known as Bavans.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Daisy Derkins, Dogsitter of the Damned (2013)
A hot young college girl takes a gig dogsitting for the mysterious SILAS KILLINGTON. But hours have gone by, and she hasn't seen the dog. And the news of an escaped serial killer has her on edge. She calls some friends over, but their Ouija board session causes a blackout. Or does it? And why is some freak outside the window singing "I'm in the Mood for Love"? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE???
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Like The Sandman and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Sandman?
The closest matches to The Sandman are The Fly (1986), The Kindred (1987) and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Sandman?
Start with The Fly (1986), the closest match to The Sandman.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Sandman?
The Fly (1986), rated 7.5/10 by 5,258 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Sandman?
Clayface (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Sandman?
Yes: The Fly (1986), The Kindred (1987) and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2010).
How are movies similar to The Sandman chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Sandman, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.