Movies like The Bad Seed Returns (2022)
The best movies like The Bad Seed Returns (2022) are The Bad Seed (2018), When a Stranger Calls Back (1993) and Stalked by My Doctor (2015). If The Bad Seed Returns hooked you with its horror and thriller, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDeep Water (2026)7.4/10 from 722 votes
- NewestDeep Water (2026)Released 2026
The Bad Seed (2018)
A widower suspects that his seemingly perfect adolescent daughter is a heartless killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhen a Stranger Calls Back (1993)
Jill Johnson, now a crisis center counselor, reunites with retired detective John Clifford to hunt a killer stalking a coed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisStalked by My Doctor (2015)
When a teenage girl is miraculously saved by a heart surgeon, the doctor begins to flirt with her. Her father doesn’t believe her and unbeknownst to all, the doctor is obsessed with the girl.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wrath of Becky (2023)
Two years after she escaped a violent attack on her family, 16-year-old Becky attempts to rebuild her life in the care of an older woman -- a kindred spirit named Elena. However, when a violent group known as the Noble Men break into their home, attack them and take their beloved dog, Becky must return to her old ways to protect herself and her loved ones.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBad Sister (2015)
As a top student at St. Adeline's Catholic Boarding School, Zoe senses that something is not quite right about the school's new nun-- a sense proven to be true when it is revealed the "good' nun is an imposter with a fatal attraction to Zoe's brother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMegaboa (2021)
On a trip to Colombia, a group of college students encounter a fifty-foot boa constrictor, hungry for blood.
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 & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGoodnight Mommy (2022)
When twin brothers arrive home to find their mother’s demeanor altered and face covered in surgical bandages, they begin to suspect the woman beneath the gauze might not be their mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDangerous Game: The Legacy Murders (2022)
A family reunion at a remote mansion takes a lethal turn when they are trapped inside and forced to play a deadly survival game where only one will make it out alive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVicious (2025)
When Polly receives a mysterious box, it comes with one rule: place inside something she needs, something she hates, and something she loves. If she doesn’t obey, it will consume everything—and everyone—she’s ever known.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Town that Dreaded Sundown (2014)
A masked maniac terrorizes the same small community where a murderer known as the Phantom Killer struck decades earlier.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisBloodline (2019)
Evan values family above all else, and anyone who gets between him, his wife, and newborn son learns that the hard way. But when it comes to violent tendencies, it seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisF (2010)
A group of teachers must defend themselves from a gang of murderous kids when their school comes under siege after hours.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Strangers: Chapter 2 (2025)
After learning that one of their victims, Maya, is still alive, The Strangers return to finish the job. With nowhere to run and no one to trust, Maya soon finds herself in a brutal fight for survival against psychopaths more than willing to kill anyone who stands in their way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAzrael (2024)
In a world where no one speaks, a devout female hunts down a young woman who has escaped her imprisonment. Recaptured by its ruthless leaders, Azrael is due to be sacrificed to pacify an ancient evil deep within the surrounding wilderness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Substitute 2: School's Out (1998)
When teacher Randall Thomasson is killed during a carjacking, an unexpected visitor shows up at his funeral - his estranged brother, Karl Thomasson. An ex-Green Beret turned mercenary, Karl signs on as a new substitute teacher in order to investigate Randall's murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thriller & horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisBlack Rainbow (1989)
Martha Travis is a medium who makes contact with spirits "on the other side" and connects them with their loved ones still alive, in public performances. Trouble begins when she gives a message to Mary Kuron from her husband, Tom. But Tom isn't dead... yet. And Martha not only knows he will die, she also knows who killed him. And the murderer knows she knows...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Hunt (2020)
Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don't know where they are—or how they got there. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, ruthless elitists gather at a remote location to hunt humans for sport. But their master plan is about to be derailed when one of the hunted turns the tables on her pursuers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both thriller & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeep Water (2026)
A group of international passengers on a flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters. The terrified group is forced to work together and overcome their differences if they hope to escape their sinking plane and the frenzy of sharks drawn to the wreckage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & thriller
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBroken Ties (2023)
Selma killed her husband, a crooked cop, in self-defense. She takes refuge with her estranged sister Madison without telling her the whole truth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Accused at 17 (2009)
A teenager is accused of murdering a classmate and claims that she was framed by her best friend. Her mother must try to find the truth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
I Am Your Biggest Fan (2025)
An obsessive fan kidnaps a former child star to live out the fantasy of having her character as a best friend.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
A Mother Knows Worst (2020)
Tragedy strikes when Olivia and Harry Davis’ newborn baby doesn’t survive the birth. 6 months later the young couple have come to terms with their loss and are rebuilding their lives, they may even be ready to try again for a family soon. But when Olivia meets glamourous Brooke Marsden and her baby girl, she is overwhelmed by a feeling of love and longing. She quickly becomes obsessed with Brooke and her baby, which worries Harry. Is Olivia going crazy’ Or is a mother’s instinct always right’ Katie Leclerc and Jeff Schine star.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Kidnapped in a Small Town (2025)
On a road trip to drop her daughter Ruby off at college, Sarah's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. A passing driver, Allie, offers a ride into town for help, and though hesitant, Sarah lets Ruby go while she waits for a tow truck. But when Sarah arrives at a nearby diner to meet them, Ruby is missing, and Allie claims they've never met.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
There's No Way Out (2025)
When two sisters emerge from the woods under mysterious circumstances, nurse Shannon River's life is upended as she decides to take them in under temporary foster care. She is plunged into a world of legal disputes and threats from their biological parents, as the secrets of the girls' past are slowly revealed. Together they will learn to navigate trust and fear, as they confront the demons of their past.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Abduction Runs in the Family (2022)
Alyssa Manning was abducted as a small child and spent seven years living with her kidnapper before she was returned safely to her parents.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
It Chapter Two (2019)
27 years after overcoming the malevolent supernatural entity Pennywise, the former members of the Losers' Club, who have grown up and moved away from Derry, are brought back together by a devastating phone call.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & thriller
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPlaying with Fire (2025)
After a near-fatal house fire, Natalie and Loughlin, a struggling married couple, are manipulated by an obsessive firefighter named Jack, who schemes to pit the couple against each other to win Natalie's affections for himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both thriller
Acceptance (2009)
A comedic, sometimes poignant look at the absurdity of today's college-applications process for parents and teens. Joan Cusack stars as a stressed-out mom who is trying to get her teen daughter into college.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Bad Seed Returns?
The closest matches to The Bad Seed Returns are The Bad Seed (2018), When a Stranger Calls Back (1993) and Stalked by My Doctor (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Bad Seed Returns?
Start with The Bad Seed (2018), the closest match to The Bad Seed Returns.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Bad Seed Returns?
Deep Water (2026), rated 7.4/10 by 722 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Bad Seed Returns?
Deep Water (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Bad Seed Returns?
Yes: The Bad Seed (2018), When a Stranger Calls Back (1993) and Stalked by My Doctor (2015).
How are movies similar to The Bad Seed Returns chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Bad Seed Returns, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.