15 Best Movies Like Insidious

To this day, James Wan's "Insidious" remains one scary movie. It's not only the way in which Wan and company utilize convincing practical effects, an ominous score, and a suffocating environment to terrifying success. It's also in the personable and relatable story that chills to the bone. There's also a strong thread about Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai Lambert (Rose Byrne) fighting to save the soul of their son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), who finds his consciousness drifting around in the darkest corner of the spirit realm known as "The Further." How do they save their boy and bring him back home? And what's the Lambert family's eerie connection to this astral plane?

While "Insidious" has had its fair share of prequels and sequels (with even more to come), there are also many other films like it. So, if your watchlist looks a little bare right now, prepare to fill it up with an onslaught of spooky treats. Here are the best movies like "Insidious."

In "Insidious," danger awaits those who fall asleep and project their consciousness to the spirit realm, specifically the part known as "The Further." That isn't too different from Wes Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm Street," where terror waits if you fall asleep and enter the dream world. That's where Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) can't wait to get his filthy, sharp claws on you. What's even more unsettling about this movie is that it's impossible to function without sleep for an extended period of time, which makes Freddy a frightening inevitability for these teenage characters at some point.

Another similarity between "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Insidious" is how the teenagers uncover the truth about Freddy Krueger and his link to their parents, learning that there's an awful reason for him targeting them in the first place. In the end, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp) learns that the only way to handle Freddy is to not be afraid of him. That's only momentary salvation, unfortunately. Yeah, he returns, because all the cash from the sequels is too sweet to ignore.

Based on Stephen King's short story and directed by Mikael Håfström, "1408" sees author Mike Enslin (John Cusack) receive a postcard for the Dolphin hotel with the message to not enter room 1408. So, what does Mike do? He goes to the hotel and asks for 1408. Some people, right? The hotel manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), tells him that no one has survived a stay in the dreaded rental, but Mike is someone who tries to disprove supernatural occurrences, so he takes the challenge and enters the room. Needless to say, he regrets it when the room comes alive to torment him.

Much like "Insidious," "1408" works hard to deliver a claustrophobic atmosphere. The protagonist gets trapped with the demons of his past — and a few new ones, too — making him desperate to escape this fresh hell. "1408" also keeps the viewer on their toes as they become invested in a chance to find out more about both Mike and this mysterious room that could be the Overlook Hotel's long-lost cousin. Hands down, it's one of the best movies based on Stephen King's stories.

Paco Plaza's "Veronica" may come across as just another possession film, but this one crawls under the skin and gnaws on the nerves. Plaza produces spine-chilling visuals and haunting moments as the story follows the teenaged Verónica (Sandra Escacena), and her two pals Rosa (Ángela Fabián) and Diana (Carla Campra), as they mess around with a Ouija board during a solar eclipse. The reason for this? Verónica wants to speak with her deceased father, while Diana wants to reach out to her dead boyfriend. What starts off as a well-intentioned ploy to reconnect with the dearly departed turns into mayhem that wrecks Verónica's family. An evil spirit attaches itself to her during the ritual and it's showtime from there!

In the same vein as "Insidious," "Veronica" knows how to craft a foreboding ambience through sensational cinematography and believable practical effects. The story might not be the most original ever produced, but its execution delivers an instant classic for anyone who wants to experience a fright night in.

Tobe Hooper's "Poltergeist" changed the ghost story genre in 1982. Suspenseful and spooky, viewers can't look away as apparitions run amok in the Freeling home, targeting the youngest child, Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke). Oh, it isn't only a case of things going bump in the night, either, as these spooks hop around and possess a disgusting clown doll and a tree that tries to eat Carol Anne's brother, Robbie (Oliver Robins). Yep, this is the movie that'll make you side-eye the talking trees in "The Lord of the Rings" the next time you see them on screen.

It isn't too difficult to see the influence of "Poltergeist" in "Insidious" either. The storyline of a family dealing with troublesome specters to the visuals of the paranormal disturbances in the house is familiar, as is as the presence of the parapsychologist Martha Lesh (Beatrice Straight) and her team. There's no doubt that "Insidious" director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell watched Hooper's film and took a few notes of their own.

This entry could have easily belonged to Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," but its sequel, Mike Flanagan's "Doctor Sleep," edged it out for a single reason: there are a lot of similarity between Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) and Josh Lambert from "Insidious." Dan continues to run from the ghosts of his past while dealing with his gift (the shine) which could also be seen as a curse. He meets a young girl named Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), whose shine is stronger than his, and Dan helps her as a group of psychic vampires known as the True Knot work to hunt her down.

In "Insidious," after Josh finds out about his ability to astral project, he ventures into "The Further" to save his son, Dalton, who possesses the same gift as him. Like Dan, he must confront his past to help someone he cares for. While the ending of "Insidious" proves to be a tad more sinister than that of "Doctor Sleep," there are a lot of parallels that can be drawn from these two stories about facing the past to handle the present.

From a story perspective, Parker Finn's "Smile" possesses similar eldritch elements as "Insidious," but the films otherwise aren't too narratively alike. In "Smile," therapist Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) witnesses a patient smile at her before a traumatic event. Rose becomes haunted by visions and supernatural occurrences thereafter, believing she's losing her mind in the process. Eventually she discovers that she's been cursed by a "Smile Entity" that's addicted to trauma.

Where "Smile" might appeal to fans of "Insidious," though, is in its creepy visuals. There's something disturbing about watching a person beam at you before something bad happens. A smile is meant to be a physical representation of happiness and joy, but this film flips that upside down and makes you fear it. The same happens in "Insidious," especially in the case of the Bride in Black (Philip Friedman). She can't hide her silly, giant grin as the entity, through the possession of Josh Lambert's body, strangles Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) to death.

The biggest connection between "The Conjuring" and "Insidious" is probably the fact that James Wan directs and Patrick Wilson stars in both films. The stories aren't too dissimilar either. In "The Conjuring," the Perron family seeks out the help of demonologists Ed (Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) after they move into a new home and discover there's a ghoul already squatting there. While they do the smart thing and move out, it's too late. This malevolent spirit has attached itself to Carolyn Perrin (Lili Taylor) and tries to destroy the family, no matter where they go.

In "Insidious," the Lamberts experience paranormal activity in their home after Dalton goes into a coma following his joyride into the spirit realm. The Lamberts also do the wise thing and move out, but it doesn't help matters much. Like the Perrons, they need to face the evil that's trying to destroy them head on, because it isn't confined to the walls of a single house.

"Insidious" doesn't feature a homicidal sewer clown (Bill Skarsgård, as pictured) who dances like no one's watching and carries around balloons. Still, the Stephen King-created Pennywise is another hostile supernatural entity, and this is its chosen form in Andy Muschietti's "It." At its core, though, this is a story about the Losers Club, a group of outcast children coming together to battle evil when no one else will do it for them. The only way they can succeed is if they face their greatest fears and work together to defeat this demonic clown.

In a way, isn't that what "Insidious" is about, too? In order to save Dalton, the Lambert family, as well as Elise Rainier and her team, need to put their trust and faith in each other to overcome the dark spirits from "The Further." There's a heart to both "Insidious" and "It" that's undeniable, showcasing the power of good to triumph over evil. Plus, both films also deliver their seismic share of jump scares that'll require a change of underwear. Plus, like "Insidious," the Pennywise train won't stop coming: whether HBO Max's "Welcome to Derry" is a quality hit or not, there's lots more of this evil clown to come.

Oh, look! Another movie based on a Stephen King story. It's a trend, right? Directed by Rob Savage, "The Boogeyman" centers around a family whose lives are changed for the worse once Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian) passes an evil presence over to them like a hot potato. The Boogeyman (Michael Bekemeier) has the ability to imitate voices well enough to fool everyone in the house, and it loves nothing more than to latch onto fearful people who have experienced grief. It's all scares and nightmares as the Harpers try to rid themselves of this unwelcome houseguest.

Much like "Insidious," "The Boogeyman" loves its red-hued cinematography, and to play with shadows in order to unsettle the viewer and ratchet up the tension. A shroud of movie darkness envelopes the audience, creating a scenario where you don't know what's lurking behind every corner. In turn, this creates a haunted house effect. It's scary but also exciting to step into the unknown to find out what happens next in the movie, but at least it's just a movie.

Takashi Shimizu's "The Grudge" is a remake of his own Japanese horror hit. The film follows the Williams, an American family who moves to Tokyo, Japan because of family dad Matt's (William Mapother) new job. They quickly discover that their home is a hotbed of paranormal activity. The big revelation here is that when someone dies in a fiery hot rage, the place where they perish becomes cursed for anyone else who comes across it. "The Grudge" also features one of the creepiest attics in horror movies.

"Insidious" takes notes from "The Grudge" in how it portrays angry spirits who refuse to quit. In addition to this, both films know how to use practical effects and makeup to turn the actors into demonic creations, instead of relying on CGI. It is a testament to each filmmakers' vision and hard work that, while "Insidious" and "The Grudge" aren't new films by any means, these scares and devilish designs hold up great.

Roman Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby" sees Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) prepare to become a mom, as her neighbors, the Castevets, take an unnatural — and creepy — interest in her upcoming baby. Since the film is over 50 years old, it's probably okay to drop spoilers: Rosemary is carrying the Antichrist inside of her, and the Castevets are Satanists who can't wait to see the Devil's child enter the world. It's all about the execution, and "Rosemary's Baby" is a hot watch even if you know the story beats.

Now, what does "Rosemary's Baby" have in common with "Insidious"? Well, both films know how to make the things left unsaid more frightening than what's shown on screen. They allow the viewer's mind to run wild and to fill in the blanks where necessary, as terror lingers in the air. In addition, there's a fight for the soul of Rosemary's newborn baby, much like how there's one taking place for Dalton Lambert's in "Insidious." Wicked forces do everything in their power to tear apart both the Lambert family and Rosemary Woodhouse. In the case of "Rosemary's Baby," they succeed. Mostly.

David Robert Mitchell's "It Follows" is one of our scariest movies of all time. The reason for this is due to its harrowing premise: Jay Height (Maika Monroe) sleeps with her boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), for the first time, and he then reveals that he passed on a curse to her. She's doomed to be followed by a being that only she can see until she sleeps with someone else and passes on the curse to them. If this being catches her, though, it's curtains for Jay.

"It Follows" turns everyone paranoid, because you never know if the person following is actually real or an evil entity. It's a neat filmmaking trick, because it doesn't make it obvious whom the viewer should be wary of. Consequently, there's never a moment's rest here. While "Insidious" isn't exactly the same in its execution, it also features paranormal presences that refuse to go away. Once they latch on, they plan on sticking around for a long time.

There's horror, and then there's Scott Derrickson's "Sinister." If this movie doesn't send shivers down a viewer's spine, check their pulse to see if they're still alive. Seriously, "Sinister" is our choice for the scariest movie ever made, and we're happy to explain why. In this film, Ethan Hawke plays true crime writer Ellison Oswalt. He moves into a new home with his family and discovers a box of video tapes in the attic. Ellison does what anyone else in his position would do, and he settles in to watch these home videos. Unfortunately, he soon discovers that they're all ghastly snuff films. His curiosity gets the best of him as he continues to search for answers about the people in these videos, leading to personal danger.

"Insidious," like "Sinister," features a thread of intrigue that begs to be unraveled. However, when someone tugs on it, a world of trouble lands on their head. In these types of situations, it's often better to not mess with unseen supernatural forces. They always seem to hold an advantage over us mortals.

Nicholas McCarthy's "The Prodigy" twists and turns its way into everyone's nightmares. If anything, the film proves to be an interesting take on the evil child subgenre of horror. It toys with the two usual story angles — possession and reincarnation — as deceased serial killer Edward Scarka (played as an adult by Paul Fauteux) tries to take over eight-year-old Miles Blume's (Jackson Robert Scott) body and life. Miles' parents try to figure out what's happening to their boy, but can they do something to save him before Edward takes over entirely? 

In "Insidious," something similar happens to Dalton Lambert after he astral travels to "The Further." While Lambert's parents believe him to be in a comatose state, they come to realize that he's trapped in this realm, as the evil spirits want to use his body as a vessel to enter the world. "Insidious" and "The Prodigy" also share a composer, as Joseph Bishara (who also plays the Lipstick-Face Demon in the "Insidious" franchise) provides the petrifying score for both of these horror spectacles.

One of the core themes in the "Insidious" franchise surrounds generational trauma. Dalton Lambert repeats what his father, Josh, did when he was younger, hence the ghouls in "The Further" rubbing their hands in glee that they have two family members to terrorize.

Ari Aster's "Hereditary" looks at generational trauma through a different lens, as Annie Graham (Toni Collette) uncovers startling secrets about her estranged mother's life after her death. Yet these revelations come at a cost, as the worst kind of paranormal activity enters Annie's life. It'll destroy everything she holds dear, especially her marriage and children.

Not only is "Hereditary" one of the best movies like "Insidious," but it might also be a more horrifying experience overall. This movie isn't for the queasy, scared, or easily offended, because there are some visceral scenes in this film that will burn into your memory. Having said that, Collette delivers an all-time great performance here. You'll never think about a mother's grief the same way.