Movies like Desolation (2016)
The best movies like Desolation (2016) are The Cabinet of Caligari (1962), Heidi (2014) and Curse of the Blair Witch (1999). If Desolation hooked you with its horror, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedPeeping Tom (1960)7.4/10 from 950 votes
- NewestMonkey’s Magic Merry Go Round (2026)Released 2026
The Cabinet of Caligari (1962)
A delirious young woman feels trapped in a remote mansion at the mercy of a madman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHeidi (2014)
After discovering a mysterious doll in an attic, two high school friends are increasingly plagued by a series of disturbing and unexplained events.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCurse of the Blair Witch (1999)
A mockumentary exploring the legend of the Blair Witch and the case of the three missing student filmmakers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlood of the Vampire (1958)
A man and wife are terrorized by Mad Scientist Dr. Callistratus who was executed but has returned to life with a heart transplant. Along with his crippled assistant Carl, the 'anemic' Mad Scientist, believed to be a vampire, conducts blood deficiency research on the inmates of a prison hospital for the criminally insane to sustain his return to life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Wailer (2006)
On their way to Mexico, six students are stranded in a small town where years before a tragedy took place.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBe My Cat: A Film for Anne (2015)
An aspiring filmmaker goes to shocking extremes to convince Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway to star in his film. First entry in Adrian Țofei's spiritual trilogy which includes We Put the World to Sleep and Pure.
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 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 thisCranston Academy: Monster Zone (2020)
An intelligent 15-year-old high school student is unexpectedly transferred to a boarding school where he opens a portal of monsters from another dimension.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mummy (1959)
One by one the archaeologists who discover the 4,000-year-old tomb of Princess Ananka are brutally murdered. Kharis, high priest in Egypt 40 centuries ago, has been brought to life by the power of the ancient gods and his sole purpose is to destroy those responsible for the desecration of the sacred tomb. But Isobel, wife of one of the explorers, resembles the beautiful princess, forcing the speechless and tormented monster to defy commands and abduct Isobel to an unknown fate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Night Stalker (1972)
Wisecracking reporter Carl Kolchak investigates a string of murders in Las Vegas and suspects the culprit is a vampire. His editor thinks he's crazy and the police think he's a nuisance, so Kolchak takes matters into his own hands.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Night Strangler (1973)
After being run out of Las Vegas, reporter Carl Kolchak heads for Seattle and another reporting job with the local paper. It's not long before he’s on the trail of another string of bizarre murders. It seems that every 21 years, for the past century, a killer murders a certain number of people, drains them of their blood, and then disappears into the night. Kolchak is on his trail, but can he stop him?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDead of Night (1945)
An architect, visiting an English country house, realizes the other guests are familiar from his recurring nightmare. When they share their tales of the supernatural, he is filled with a growing dread.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Invisible Man Returns (1940)
The owner of a coal mining operation, falsely imprisoned for fratricide, takes a drug to make him invisible, despite its side effect: gradual madness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnseen (2023)
Sam receives a call from Emily, a near blind woman who is running from her murderous ex in the woods. Can she survive using Sam as her eyes via video call?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIsland of Lost Souls (1932)
An obsessed scientist conducts profane experiments in evolution, eventually establishing himself as the self-styled demigod to a race of mutated, half-human abominations.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAngels Fallen: Warriors of Peace (2024)
When an Iraq War veteran receives a calling from a higher power, he embarks on a mission to stop a fallen angel from raising an army of the dead to take over the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisNight of the Demon (1957)
American professor John Holden arrives in London for a conference on parapsychology only to discover that the colleague he was supposed to meet was killed in a freak accident the day before. It turns out that the deceased had been investigating a cult lead by Dr. Julian Karswell. Though a skeptic, Holden is suspicious of the devil-worshiping Karswell. Following a trail of mysterious manuscripts, Holden enters a world that makes him question his faith in science.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPeeping Tom (1960)
Loner Mark Lewis works at a film studio during the day and, at night, takes racy photographs of women. Also he's making a documentary on fear, which involves recording the reactions of victims as he murders them. He befriends Helen, the daughter of the family living in the apartment below his, and he tells her vaguely about the movie he is making.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Conspiracy (2012)
A documentary about conspiracy theories takes a horrific turn after the filmmakers uncover an ancient and dangerous secret society.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisDark Web: Unsearchable Horror Darkness Videos (2019)
A dark world that cannot be searched with a browser - that is the "dark web". The Internet that has become indispensable in modern society. However, did you know that there is a dark world that ordinary people cannot search or view? In this work, we will monitor the "dark web" and gather information, and deliver the "dark web" that cannot be seen by the world to the viewers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
The Houses October Built 2 (2017)
Recovering from the trauma of being kidnapped last Halloween by the Blue Skeleton - a group who take "extreme haunt" to another level - five friends decide they must face their fears in order to move on. Heading back out on the road to visit more haunted house attractions, signs of the Blue Skeleton start appearing again and a new terror begins.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisCCTV (2026)
On November 2nd, 2019, a young woman vanished from a small Italian town, leaving no trace behind. These are the last moments captured by surveillance cameras.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Legends of Burkittsville: 3 Days Before Heather Left (2021)
Lonnie is a video store clerk desperately trying to make his way into the film business. His former collaborator, Heather Donahue, is Hell-bent on making her documentary about a local witch that haunts the Black Hills of Maryland. But before she heads out to film, she enlists Lonnie's help in tracking down the elusive map that details those very woods, promising him a future. What happens next is a spine-tingling addition to the Blair Witch saga.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Jaret's 2022 Halloween Special (2022)
In October of 2022, two student filmmakers and a viral YouTube and Tik Tok sensation disappeared in the woods near Harrisville RI. This footage was found at the scene.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Documenting the Witch Path (2018)
Documenting the Witch Path is a documentary film that is testing the limits of three young documentary filmmakers. They find out about a place called the Witch Path that leads out to the lake known as the Witch Lake. It's where they drowned innocent women in the 17th century because they were accused of witchery. All because the people blindly listened to the priests. Nowadays, the path and the lake is closed off by the township. No one wants to answer why, but these filmmakers will find out the horrifying truth about it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Erasmus (2016)
Montse just wanted to make a documentary about partying at the Barcelona night clubs. But what begins as a fun evening out turns into hours of unending terror as Montse's video cameras capture a mysterious fiend killing off her friends one by one.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Spree (2020)
Desperate for an online following, a rideshare driver has figured out a deadly plan to go viral and he will stop at nothing to get his five minutes of fame.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDiary of the Dead (2007)
A group of young filmmakers encounter real zombies while filming a horror movie of their own.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Desolation?
The closest matches to Desolation are The Cabinet of Caligari (1962), Heidi (2014) and Curse of the Blair Witch (1999). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Desolation?
Start with The Cabinet of Caligari (1962), the closest match to Desolation.
What is the highest-rated movie like Desolation?
Peeping Tom (1960), rated 7.4/10 by 950 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Desolation?
Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Desolation?
Yes: The Cabinet of Caligari (1962), Heidi (2014) and Curse of the Blair Witch (1999).
How are movies similar to Desolation chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Desolation, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.