Movies like Diary of the Dead (1976)
The best movies like Diary of the Dead (1976) are Woman of Straw (1964), Perfect Sisters (2014) and Carolina Caroline (2026). If Diary of the Dead hooked you with its thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedPsycho (1960)8.4/10 from 11,442 votes
- NewestCarolina Caroline (2026)Released 2026
Woman of Straw (1964)
Anthony Richmond schemes to get the fortune of his tyrannical, wheelchair-using tycoon uncle Charles Richmond by persuading Maria, a nurse he employs, to marry him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPerfect Sisters (2014)
Tired of their mother's alcoholism and a string of her abusive boyfriends, two sisters plot to kill her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisCarolina Caroline (2026)
A young woman, desperate to leave her small town, runs away with a charming con man, embarking on a crime and passion-filled journey through the Southeast to find her estranged mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisParanoiac (1963)
Eleven years ago, the wealthy Ashby family was shattered when Mr and Mrs Ashby died in an airplane crash and their grieving son Tony committed suicide. All who remains is cruel Simon, an alcoholic in desperate need of funds; his mentally fragile sister Eleanor; and his protective aunt Harriet. Simon is just weeks away from receiving his inheritance, but there's a hitch in his plans when the long-believed dead Tony suddenly arrives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisObsession (1976)
A wealthy New Orleans businessman becomes obsessed with a young woman who resembles his late wife.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlack Widow (1987)
Federal agent Alexandra Barnes believes that Catherine Petersen is a serial killer who marries rich men and then murders them for their money. But since Catherine is seemingly a master of disguise and has multiple identities, Alexandra can't prove anything with conventional detective work. With no other option, she goes undercover, pursuing the same man as Catherine, and hoping that Catherine will slip up and reveal her true identity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Invitation (2016)
Will and his new girlfriend Kira are invited to a dinner with old friends at the house of Will’s ex Eden and her new partner David. Although the evening appears to be relaxed, Will soon gets a creeping suspicion that their charming host David is up to something.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Seven-Ups (1973)
A tough detective who is part of an elite New York City unit is trying to find out who killed his partner, but uncovers a plot to kidnap mobsters for money.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Big Fix (1978)
Private detective Moses Wine is hired by his former college girlfriend to investigate a political smear campaign and he sets out to find out who is responsible, with deadly results.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisSafe Haven (2013)
A young woman with a mysterious past lands in Southport, North Carolina where her bond with a widower forces her to confront the dark secret that haunts her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe '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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Caveman's Valentine (2001)
Romulus, a misunderstood musician turned recluse hiding from personal demons in a New York City cave, finds the frozen body of a young drifter in a tree. The authorities, including his police officer daughter, claim the death is accidental. Romulus is convinced the man was murdered by a prominent art photographer but how can he prove he's right when everyone thinks he's insane?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisLady in a Cage (1964)
A woman trapped in a home elevator is terrorized by a group of vicious hoodlums.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKillers (2010)
When an elite assassin marries a beautiful computer whiz after a whirlwind romance, he gives up the gun and settles down with his new bride. That is, until he learns that someone from his past has put a contract out on his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNight Watch (1973)
A woman recovering from a nervous breakdown tries to convince her husband and and the local London police that she has witnessed a murder in the abandoned house next door.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKiller's Kiss (1955)
Davey Gordon, a New York City boxer at the end of his career, falls for dancer Gloria Price. However, their budding relationship is interrupted by Gloria's violent boss, Vincent Rapallo, who has eyes for Gloria. The two decide to skip town, but before they can, Vincent and his thugs abduct Gloria, and Davey is forced to search for her among the most squalid corners of the city, with his enemy hiding in the shadows.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBurnt Offerings (1976)
A family moves into a large old mansion in the countryside which seems to have a mysterious and sinister power over its new residents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMan in the Shadow (1957)
In a modern cow town, the powerful ranch owner’s henchmen kill a ranch hand, prompting the sheriff to investigate despite facing strong opposition. He finds an unlikely ally in the rancher's overprotected daughter, but their quest for justice puts them both in danger.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Prowler (1951)
Los Angeles, California. A cop who, unhappy with his job, blames others for his work problems, is assigned to investigate the case of a prowler who stalks the home of a married woman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThrow Momma from the Train (1987)
Larry Donner, an author with a cruel ex-wife, teaches a writing workshop in which one of his students, Owen, is fed up with his domineering mother. When Owen watches a Hitchcock classic that seems to mirror his own life, he decides to put the movie's plot into action and offers to kill Larry's ex-wife, if Larry promises to murder his mom. Before Larry gets a chance to react to the plan, it seems that Owen has already set things in motion.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDial M for Murder (1954)
When her American lover visits London, a wealthy woman’s jealous husband hatches a plan to murder her and inherit her fortune.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisPsycho (1960)
When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSpy No. 13 (1964)
During World War II, spy Wu Lai-sheung is instructed by her superior Fan Yeung-shan to murder spy number 13 Cheung Chi-ping. While Wu establishes a relationship with Sakei, the assistant general of the Japanese army, she also gets acquainted with Cheung. Cheung and Wu fall in love. Wu recommends Cheung to become Sakei's driver. Cheung pretends to court the Japanese spy Siu-kuen, but Siu-kuen arranges to kill the spies contacting with him. Cheung has seen through Kuen's identity for long. When Kuen is going to kill Wu, Cheung kills Kuen, Fan compels Wu to kill Cheung. Wu follows the instruction to murder Cheung. After the murder, Wu disappears. After the war, Fan discovers Wu ends up in asylum. When he visits Wu, he tells her of Cheung's innocence. This breaks Wu's heart. Cheung turns out to have seen through Wu's identity for a long time and pretended to have been killed to cover up his identity and facilitate his work. With the truth known and the war ended, Cheung and Wu married.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Joshua (2007)
The arrival of a newborn girl causes the gradual disintegration of the Cairn family; particularly for 9-year-old Joshua, an eccentric boy whose proper upbringing and refined tastes both take a sinister turn.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisI Blame Society (2020)
A struggling filmmaker senses her peers are losing faith in her ability to succeed, so she decides to prove herself by finishing her last abandoned film and committing the perfect murder.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Vishaka Express (2008)
Visakha Express is a Suspense Thriller Movie. The basic plot of the story is taken from Strangers On A Train, which is about the two strangers and exchange of murders.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Over the Wire (1996)
Bruce is a telephone lineman who accidentally overhears a murder plot. When 911 informs him that there is nothing that they can do about it, he takes matters into his own hands, and gets entangled in a world of sex and mystery.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)
Concentration camp survivor Victoria Kowelska finds herself involved in mystery, greed, and murder when she assumes the identity of a dead friend in order to gain passage to America.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Shadow of the Cat (1961)
Tabitha, once the placid, gentle and devoted pet, adopts all the characteristics of a ferocious, wild animal following the murder of her mistress. The three guilty people are all trapped by the cat's power and each will come to untimely deaths of horrific proportions without anyone being able to solve the mystery that surrounds their brutal death.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Diary of the Dead?
The closest matches to Diary of the Dead are Woman of Straw (1964), Perfect Sisters (2014) and Carolina Caroline (2026). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Diary of the Dead?
Start with Woman of Straw (1964), the closest match to Diary of the Dead.
What is the highest-rated movie like Diary of the Dead?
Psycho (1960), rated 8.4/10 by 11,442 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Diary of the Dead?
Carolina Caroline (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Diary of the Dead?
Yes: Woman of Straw (1964), Perfect Sisters (2014) and Carolina Caroline (2026).
How are movies similar to Diary of the Dead chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Diary of the Dead, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.