Movies like Penumbra (2021)
The best movies like Penumbra (2021) are Dark Light (2019), The Invisible Man (2020) and Containment (2015). If Penumbra hooked you with its science fiction and horror, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Invisible Man (2020)7.1/10 from 6,562 votes
- NewestPlay Dead (2025)Released 2025
Dark Light (2019)
A woman returns to her family home and discovers it to be inhabited by monsters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Invisible Man (2020)
When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisContainment (2015)
Neighbors in a block wake one morning to find they have been sealed inside their apartments. Can they work together to find out why? Or will they destroy each other in their fight to escape?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisZygote (2017)
The two remaining crew members of a mining operation in the Arctic Circle fight to survive against an alien creature.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSomeone's Watching Me! (1978)
A young woman moves to a high-rise apartment building and soon begins to be tormented by an unknown stalker who seems to know her every move.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTerrifier (2011)
After witnessing a brutal murder on Halloween night, a young woman becomes the next target of a maniacal entity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnsane (2018)
A woman is involuntarily committed to a mental institution where she is confronted by her greatest fear.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSaw (2003)
David, an orderly at a hospital, tells his horrific story of being kidnapped and forced to play a vile game of survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
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 thisA Knight's War (2025)
A fearless knight braves a deadly realm to save the Chosen One’s soul. Facing witches, demons, and brutal foes, he discovers her return could ignite chaos and doom humanity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCurve (2016)
Clinging to a smooth, curved surface high above a sentient abyss, a woman tries to cover the few feet back to safety without losing purchase and falling to her death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPlay Dead (2025)
A woman wakes up injured in a basement surrounded by corpses. To survive, she pretends to be dead while a grotesque ritual unfolds in the house above.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOther Side of the Box (2018)
A couple receives a mysterious package from an old friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDC Showcase: The Phantom Stranger (2020)
Jess joins her friends at a party in a dilapidated mansion hosted by the mysterious Seth. When odd things begin to happen to Jess and her friends, the Phantom Stranger intervenes to save her from a dreary fate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNight of the Hunted (2023)
When an unsuspecting woman stops at a remote gas station in the dead of night, she's made the plaything of a sociopath sniper with a secret vendetta. To survive, she must not only dodge his bullets and fight for her life, but also figure out who wants her dead and why.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNever Let Go (2024)
As an evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Unhealer (2021)
A botched faith healing bestows supernatural Shaman powers on a bullied teenager. When his lifelong tormentors pull a prank that kills someone he loves, he uses his powers for revenge and goes on a bloody rampage to settle the score.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Tall Man (2012)
When her child goes missing, a mother looks to unravel the legend of the Tall Man, an entity who allegedly abducts children.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShades of Desire (2023)
After her twin sister Aubrey goes missing, Jennifer uncovers the scandalous, secret double-life that Aubrey leads - and that has put both of them in danger.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNightbreed (1990)
A troubled young man is drawn to a mythical place called Midian where a variety of friendly monsters are hiding from humanity. Meanwhile, a sadistic serial killer is looking for a patsy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Thing from the Shed (2016)
Carly has a new house guest, from her shed!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Ki or Breathing (1980)
'Ki or Breathing' is a spare concoction assembled from slow motion shots of nature and set to a score by the much-acclaimed Tohru Takemitsu.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Save the Green Planet! (2003)
A young man believes that his country's leaders are actually toxic reptilian aliens sent down to launch a takeover of his beloved Earth. So he decides to abduct them and force the truth out on camera in his basement that doubles as a film studio and torture chamber.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhat We Found Out There (2021)
Two friends find more than they bargained for while hiking out in the treacherous wilderness.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
The Amphibian (1991)
In a dark subterranean landscape, the Amphibian has lost its way.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Wolfman vs. Baragon (1972)
Wolfman instantly appears from behind some trees where he is reputedly abused by armed Japanese army tanks, he allegedly flees and later battles Baragon at a burning construction site.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Eddie (2016)
Deep underground, a lone scientist mans a discarded research facility struggling to deal with extreme boredom, a desperate voiceless companion and a mystery he'd really rather not have to solve.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Origin (2019)
An astronaut from an interstellar colony returns to Earth to determine why they lost contact.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Devin (2019)
A typical day gets turned on its head for your average ghost when 4 unexpected visitors decide to barge in to his decaying home. See how Devin deals with his company in a freakishly funny way!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
A Guads Neix Joah (2005)
A pair of friends just want to start New Year's Eve party as the dispute over a bottle of wine escalates...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Like Penumbra and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Penumbra?
The closest matches to Penumbra are Dark Light (2019), The Invisible Man (2020) and Containment (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Penumbra?
Start with Dark Light (2019), the closest match to Penumbra.
What is the highest-rated movie like Penumbra?
The Invisible Man (2020), rated 7.1/10 by 6,562 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Penumbra?
Play Dead (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Penumbra?
Yes: Dark Light (2019), The Invisible Man (2020) and Containment (2015).
How are movies similar to Penumbra chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Penumbra, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.