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Movies like The Demon (1981)

The best movies like The Demon (1981) are The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), Doctor X (1932) and Lady in White (1988). If The Demon hooked you with its thriller and horror, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

    Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren encounter what would become one of the most sensational cases from their files. The fight for the soul of a young boy takes them beyond anything they'd ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. Doctor X (1932)

    A wisecracking reporter investigates the cannibalistic 'Moon Killer' murders tied to a medical academy, culminating in a chilling reenactment experiment.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller

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  3. Lady in White (1988)

    Locked in a school closet during Halloween 1962, young Frank witnesses the ghost of a young girl and the man who murdered her years ago.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & horror

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  4. Barbarian (2022)

    In town for a job interview, a young woman arrives at her Airbnb late at night only to find that it has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to stay the night anyway.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

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  5. The Children (2008)

    A relaxing Christmas vacation turns into a terrifying fight for survival as the children begin to turn on their parents.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

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  6. Wer (2013)

    A defense attorney begins to suspect that her client, who is charged with the murders of a vacationing family, might be more than meets the eye.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

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  7. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)

    What starts as a poignant medical documentary about Deborah Logan's descent into Alzheimer's disease and her daughter's struggles as caregiver degenerates into a maddening portrayal of dementia at its most frightening, as hair-raising events begin to plague the family and crew and an unspeakable malevolence threatens to tear the very fabric of sanity from them all.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. The Entity (1982)

    A single mom is raped by an invisible force. Her psychiatrist believes the experience stems from childhood trauma, while she knows something supernatural is at play.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026)

    The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Crescent City (2024)

    When a ruthless serial killer terrorizes a small Southern town, everyone becomes a suspect -- including local authorities. As the body count rises and the dark mystery deepens, the chief detective becomes haunted by the horrors of his past.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & mystery

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  11. Paranormal 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 & mystery

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  12. Grindhouse (2007)

    Grindhouse combines Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, a horror comedy about a group of survivors who battle zombie-like creatures, and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, an action thriller about a murderous stuntman who kills young women with modified vehicles. It is presented as a double feature with fictitious exploitation trailers preceding each segment.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. Tightrope (1984)

    Wes Block is a detective who's put on the case of a serial killer whose victims are young and pretty women. The murders are getting personal when the killer chooses victims who are acquaintances of Block. Even his daughters are threatened.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & thriller

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  14. Malignant (2021)

    Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities with a mysterious tie to her past.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Until Dawn (2025)

    One year after her sister Melanie mysteriously disappeared, Clover and her friends head into the remote valley where she vanished in search of answers. Exploring an abandoned visitor center, they find themselves stalked by a masked killer and horrifically murdered one by one...only to wake up and find themselves back at the beginning of the same evening.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. The Prodigy (2019)

    A mother concerned about her young son's disturbing behavior thinks something supernatural may be affecting him.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Scream (1996)

    A year after the murder of her mother, a teenage girl is terrorized by a masked killer who targets her and her friends by using scary movies as part of a deadly game.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. Splinter (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 & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Happy Birthday to Me (1981)

    Virginia is proud that she belongs to a clique. The best students at a private school. But before her 18th birthday, a gruesome set of murders take place and her friends are the ones who are falling prey. Could it be her? She suffers from blackouts due to a freak accident one year earlier. We soon learn the truth behind her accident and what is going on.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Hidden (2015)

    A family takes refuge in a fallout shelter to avoid a dangerous outbreak.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. Woodland Grey (2022)

    When a man living alone in the woods saves the life of a young woman, they are forced to coexist. Chaos ensues when the woman makes a terrifying discovery in the woods behind the man's home and unleashes something truly haunting.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller

  22. Khawarij (TBA)

    A man and his wife attempt to escape from an extremist Islamic cult known as the Khawarij, led by his own father, the village chief. They are haunted by demons conjured by black magic practitioners among the villagers.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller

  23. The 'Burbs (1989)

    When secretive new neighbors move in next door, suburbanite Ray Peterson and his friends let their paranoia get the best of them as they start to suspect the newcomers of evildoings and commence an investigation. But it's hardly how Ray, who much prefers drinking beer, reading his newspaper and watching a ball game on the tube expected to spend his vacation.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  24. Cut Bank (2014)

    25-year-old Dwayne McLaren, a former athlete turned auto mechanic, dreams of getting out of tiny Cut Bank, Montana the coldest town in America. But his effort to do so sets in motion a deadly series of events that change his life and the life of the town forever...

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery & thriller

  25. Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)

    The making of a horror movie takes on a terrifying reality for students at the most prestigious film school in the country. At Alpine University, someone is determined to win the best film award at any cost - even if it means eliminating the competition. No one is safe and everyone is a suspect.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & mystery

  26. The Corruption of Chris Miller (1973)

    Chris Miller, living with her stepmother in a large secluded mansion, finds her isolation interrupted by the arrival of an unknown scythe-wielding killer.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller

  27. Pathology (2008)

    Medical student Ted Grey graduates at the top of his class and quickly joins an elite pathology program, whose top students invite him into their circle. There he uncovers a gruesome secret: They play a game in which one tries to commit the perfect, undetectable murder, then the others compete to determine the victim's cause of death.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller

  28. Edge of Darkness (2010)

    As a seasoned homicide detective, Thomas Craven has seen the bleakest side of humanity. But nothing prepares him for the toughest investigation of his life: the search for his only daughter Emma's killer. Now, he is on a personal mission to uncover the disturbing secrets surrounding her murder, including corporate corruption, government collusion and Emma's own mysterious life.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery & thriller

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  29. Death Will Return (1961)

    Adapted from Nikos Foskolos’ theatrical play. On a terribly stormy night, in a secluded hotel, the owner, Brigadier Norton, is murdered. Prime suspects: his daughter Elena, his second wife Liza, Liza’s niece and her fiancé, Norton’s physician, and the hotel staff. Inspector Fox and his assistant, policeman Petridis, are assigned the investigation of the crime. While the suspects’ questioning is under way, some more people arrive at the hotel: detective Tilemachos Christofis with his assistant Aliki, and lieutenant Karalis, a sworn enemy of the victim, complicating things even more.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery

  30. The Pink Panther (2006)

    When the coach of the France football team is killed by a poisoned dart in the stadium at the end of a game, and his huge, expensive ring with the Pink Panther diamond disappears, the ambitious Chief Inspector Dreyfus assigns the worst police inspector – Jacques Clouseau – to the case.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery

Like The Demon and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Demon?

The closest matches to The Demon are The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), Doctor X (1932) and Lady in White (1988). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Demon?

Start with The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), the closest match to The Demon.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Demon?

Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026), rated 7.8/10 by 2,858 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Demon?

Lee Cronin's The Mummy (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The Demon?

Yes: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021), Doctor X (1932) and Lady in White (1988).

How are movies similar to The Demon chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Demon, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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