The Black Phone was released in 2021 and was directed by Scott Derrickson. The movie starred Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, and Ethan Hawke. The Black Phone is an adaptation of a 2004 short story sharing the same name, which was produced by Joe Hill.
The film follows a teenager who gets kidnapped by a stranger as he uses a mysterious telephone to contact several others who also have been abducted. The movie grossed over $161 million and was a success both critically and commercially.
Best Movies Like The Black Phone
The Black Phone was praised for the performances of its actors and its faithfulness to the source material. A potential sequel is also rumored to be in the books, as the first movie was just too good, and the fans want more. Here are some movies that viewers can consider watching if they liked The Black Phone.
Malignant
Malignant was released in 2021 and was directed by James Wan. The movie was well-liked by critics and audiences alike. Dread Central even said the movie was the ‘best horror movie of the year.
The movie follows a woman who begins to have visions of people being killed. It later comes to the knowledge of the woman that what she believes are ‘visions’ are events that are occurring in real life.
Annabelle Wallis starred as the lead character in the movie, and Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michele Briana White, and Jacqueline McKenzie donned the roles of other major characters. The roles of supporting characters were performed by Mckenna Grace, Jean Louisa Kelly, Madison Wolfe, Susanna Thompson, Jake Abel, Christian Clemenson, Amir Aboulela, Ingrid Bisu, Ruben Pla, Josh Rutgers, Jon Lee Brody, and Andy Bean, along with several others.
The Purge Franchise
The original film “The Purge,” which was released in 2013, served as the catalyst for The Purge’s promotion. The Return of the Archons episode of Star Trek: The Original Series served as inspiration for James DeMonaco’s series. There are a total of five films, with the most recent one coming out in 2021. The same-named franchise’s TV series is also accessible for consumers to binge.
The films in the series are set in a future America with no crime, where there is a national holiday called “the Purge” where all crimes, including murder, are legal for one day. Anyone seeking to bite their nails and be scared out at the same time should watch this series of movies.
The franchise has received accolades for its idea, the actors’ performances throughout the films, and the action scenes. It is also safe to state that the franchise has been successful at the box office because it has made over $450 million in revenue while only spending $53 million on production for all of its films.
Doctor Sleep
Directed by Mike Flanagan, Doctor Sleep was released in 2019 and starred Ewan McGregor in the leading role. The supernatural horror film is based on a novel sharing the same name, which was written by Stephen King in 2013.
Doctor Sleep is the sequel to the popular 1980 film- The Shining. The plot of Doctor Sleep is set several decades into the 1980 film and focuses on a man with metaphysical abilities who are struggling with trauma from his childhood.
Rebecca Ferguson, Kyleigh Curran, Cliff Curtis, and Carl Lumbly were cast as other major characters in the film, and Dakota Hickman, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood, Jocelin Donahue, Cliff Curtis, Robert Longstreet, Zackary Momoh, Henry Thomas and Jacob Tremblay portrayed the supporting characters. The movie has received good feedback and was praised for its screenplay and performances of the cast and is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
The Babadook
Jennifer Kent’s 2014 film The Babadook immediately became a box-office success. Everyone loved the story of the movie, which is why it received positive reviews from critics. The movie earned six nominations for the AACTA Awards, including the prize for best film, and was also the best-reviewed horror film of 2014.
The movie focuses on a mother and son duo, where the mother must help her son as he is scared of some evil force present in their house. Assuming the roles of the main characters, Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Barbara West, Hayley McElhinney, Daniel Henshall, and Ben Winspear made appearances in the film. The 2005 short film “Monster” by Jennifer Kent serves as the basis for the movie.
Split
Split follows three teenage girls who get kidnapped by a man with a dissociative identity disorder. The man has 23 frickin’ distinct personalities, and they await the arrival of ‘The Beast, an entity who intends to eat these girls.
James McAvoy starred as Kevin Wendell Crumb, the man with the identity disorder, and Anya Taylor-Joy, Harley Lu Richardson, and Jessica Sula starred as the three teenage girls who get kidnapped by Kevin. Other members of the cast include Izzie Coffey, Bethy Buckley, Sebastian Arcelus, Brad Willian Henke, Neal Huff, Lyne Renee, M. Night Shyamalan, Bruce Willis, and Rosemary Howard.
The movie was directed by M. Night Shyamalan and was released in 2016. Split served as a standalone sequel to Shyamalan’s 2000 movie Unbreakable. The movie performed rather well at the box office, too, grossing over $278 million while being on a $9 million production budget. Another film, Glass, was released in 2019, which saw actors returning, and the movie concluded Shyamalan’s Unbreakable trilogy.
Summer of 84
Summer of 84 was directed by François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell and was released in 2018. The movie starred Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Gruter-Andrew, Jason Gray-Stanford, Tiera Skovbye, and Rich Sommer in the leading roles. The supporting cast includes Shauna Johannesen, J. Alex Brinson, Harrison Houde, Mark Brandon, Susie Castillo, and William MacDonald.
The movie was well-lauded and praised for its direction, the actor’s performances, and its dark humor, and some critics even called the movie ‘one of the best horror films of 2018’. Thirteen teenage guys had vanished in all in Cape May, Oregon, where the movie is set.
Davey, one of four teens, believes that his neighbor Wayne Mackey, who also happens to be a highly well-liked police officer, is the kidnapper. Since Mackey is the ideal neighbor, no one believes him, but the reality is more terrifying than even Davey can fathom.
10 Cloverfield Lane
10 Cloverfield Lane centers on Howard, who “rescues” Michelle after she is involved in a vehicle accident. Inside his bunker, she awakens. According to Howard, he brought him there because unfiltered air from the outside has been exposed to some sort of biological attack that will kill everyone who breathes it.
Emmett, who lives in the bunker and claims to have voluntarily entered after helping Howard build it and watching the attack, also resides there. But as time goes by, it becomes more and more clear that Howard isn’t as friendly as he seems to be and that he has some very unsettling problems.
The movie was released in 2016 and was directed by Dan Trachtenberg. 10 Cloverfield Lane was originally developed from a script but was later turned into a successor to the 2008 film Cloverfield.
The movie was a big hit at the box office as it grossed over $110 million while being produced only on a $15 million budget. A successor to the movie titled “The Cloverfield Paradox” was also released in 2018. The movie is a great choice for a scary and creepy movie night.
Sinister
Directed by Scott Derrickson, Sinister was released in 2012 and was a hit at the box office immediately. The movie was well-praised for its actors’ performances, its music, and its cinematography. Sinister developed a reputation for its scariness and later became a cult classic. The movie’s plot revolves around a struggling crime writer who finds out about the evil history of his new house and the efforts he makes to protect his family.
Sinister starred Ethan Hawke as the crime writer in the leading role. Juliet Rylance, Fred Thompson, James Ransome, Clare Foley, and Michael Hall D’Addario were other cast members who played prominent roles.
The film has been named to be the scariest movie ever made by a study in 2020 conducted by Broadband Choices which analyzed the heart rates of the viewers who watched the movie. Anyone looking for a monstrous horror movie should definitely consider watching Sinister.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street was directed by Samuel Bayer and was released in 2010. The movie starred Jackie Earle Haley, Kyle Gallner, Thomas Dekker, Rooney Mara, Katie Cassidy, and Kellan Lutz in the leading roles as the major characters.
The film is a remake of the 1984 film of the same name and is the ninth film in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The movie is set in a fictional town in Ohio and revolves around a group of teenagers who get murdered in their dreams by a disfigured man.
The film was a success at the box office and grossed over $117 million, and became the highest-grossing film in the franchise. A Nightmare on Elm Street is surely recommended for a creepy movie night.
It Follows
David Robert Mitchell directed the hugely well-liked movie It Follows, which came out in 2014. In addition to Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Lili Sepe, and Olivia Luccardi, who played supporting roles, Maika Monroe played the lead in the film. The film received high praise from critics for its inventiveness and the cast’s performances.
The story of movie follows a girl who has a sexual encounter with her lover and then discovers that she is being followed by an unusual entity. She discovers that the only way to get rid of the paranormal entity is by mating with someone else, making the new partner the entity’s target.
Sounds creepy enough, right? It is quite unsettling to be followed by someone who wants to kill you; therefore, the movie is definitely worth seeing. Prime Video has the movie available for viewing.
The Conjuring Series
The Conjuring Series was created by James Wan and kickstarted its run with the release of “The Conjuring” in 2013. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators, and authors associated with prominent cases of haunting. The Warrens come to the aid of the Perron family, a family being chased by an evil entity.
The second movie, titled ‘The Conjuring 2’, was released in 2016 and followed the Warrens as they helped to help the Hodgson family, who were sensing supernatural forces inside their home. A third movie was released in 2021 and was named The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. A fourth movie is also said to be in development.
All the movies in the franchise are based on real-life events that the Warrens faced during their lifetime, and all of them were big hits. The movies have been praised by audiences and should be a must-watch on anybody’s and everybody’s list of horror movies.
Eli
Eli was released in 2019 and was directed by Ciaran Foy. The movie focuses on a young boy, Eli, whose parents take him to a private hospital facility to be cured of a disease that is only special to him. The boy starts to experience supernatural occurrences as he stays at the facility, and the climax just blows everyone’s mind away (not to be disclosed????).
Kelly Reilly, Charlie Shotwell, Max Martini, Lili Taylor, and Sadie Sink were the leading members of the cast who played the major characters in the movie, and Deneen Tyler, Katia Gomez, Austin Foxx, Kailia Posey, Parker Lovein, Lou Beatty and Jared Benkens starred as members in the supporting roles along with several others. The movie was praised for its screenplay and is available to be streamed on Netflix.
Fear Street series
Fear Street series comprises three movies- Fear Street Part One: 1994, Fear Street Part Two: 1978, and Fear Street Part Three: 1666. The central plot of the movie series’ story revolves around a group of teenagers who wish to break a curse that has been lingering over their native town for centuries.
The movies were released on a weekly basis on Netflix in July 2021. There are some more movies said to be in development from the trilogy. All three movies are absolutely great ones and are surely recommended for anyone looking to watch some serious horror movies.
No One Gets Out Alive
Directed by Santiago Menghini, No One Gets Out Alive was released in 2021 and was based on a 2014 novel by Adam Nevill, sharing the same name. The movie starred Cristina Rodio and Marc Menchaca as the leading characters, and David Figlioli, David Barrera, Moronke Akinola, Phil Robertson, Joana Borja, Victoria Alcock, Mitchell Mullen, Vala Noren, Alejandro Akara and Jeff Mirza in the supporting roles.
The movie follows a Mexican woman who moves into a boarding house in Cleveland and starts feeling paranormal activities in residence. The movie gets creepy as hell at one point, making it a super-horror movie. No One Gets Out Alive is a great movie and is available on Netflix.
The Ring
Gore Verbinski directed The Ring, a horror film that has gained a lot of popularity around the world. The 2002 release is a remake of the Japanese horror film “Ring,” which was based on a Koji Suzuki novel.
The story centers on a journalist who is looking into a purportedly “cursed” videotape that, according to reports, kills viewers exactly seven days after they see it. Critics gave the film very high marks, praising the cast’s acting and the film’s graphics in particular.
The principal actors in the movie, in addition to a few others, are Naomi Watts, Brian Cox, David Dorfman, Lindsay Frost, Martin Henderson, Shanon Cochran, Jane Alexander, and Daveigh Chase.
A sequel to the first film was also released in 2005, and a third one was produced in 2017. The film also had a successful run at the box office. Because it provides a unique experience, the series is a must-watch.
Annabelle
The Annabelle movies are well-known throughout the globe. The original movie, Annabelle, was released in 2014 and was directed by John R. Leonetti. The movie starred Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, and Alfre Woodard in the leading roles.
Leonetti’s Annabelle served as the prequel to the popular 2013 film ‘The Conjuring’ and was inspired by the true story of a possessed doll in possession of the Warrens- the famous exorcists. The movie was a massive hit at the box office, as it grossed over $257 million while being produced at a budget of only $6.5 million.
A prequel titled Annabelle: Creation was released in 2017, which portrayed the origin of the renowned ‘evil doll.’ Another movie, a sequel to the 2014 film titled Annabelle Comes Home, was released in 2019. The movie series is surely a good series for anyone into possessed dolls.
The Nun
The Nun was directed by Corin Hardy and released in 2018. The movie follows a Catholic priest and a nun as they battle an evil force and uncover an unholy secret in an old abbey in Romania.
The film served as a spinoff/prequel to the 2016 film- The Conjuring 2 and starred Taissa Farmiga, Demián Bichir, and Jonas Bloquet, with Bonnie Aarons in the major roles. The Nun was a massive hit at the box office, as it grossed over $356 million and was also well-praised for its atmosphere and the performances of the actors. A sequel titled The Nun 2 is also said to be in development. The Nun is available to watch on Netflix and is a must-watch.
The Curse of La Llorona
The Curse of La Llorona was released in 2019 and was directed by Michael Chaves. The movie’s plot revolves around a mother who must protect her children from an evil spirit trying to steal her children.
The movie starred Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, and Patricia Velásquez in the major roles and Roman Christou, Marisol Ramirez, Sean Patrick Thomas, Irene Keng, Oliver Alexander, and John Marshall Jones, alongside various others in supporting roles.
The movie was a hit at the box office and grossed over $123 million, and it was produced on a budget of only $9 million. It is surely recommended for anyone looking to scare the hell out of themselves.
Don’t knock twice
Directed by Caradog W. James, Don’t Knock Twice was released in 2016 and starred Katee Sackhoff, Lucy Boynton, Javier Botet, Nick Morgan, Jordan Bolger, Pooneh Hajimohammadi, Richard Mylan, Ania Marson, and Callum Griffiths in the major roles of the film.
The movie is about a mother who makes some wrong decisions as she looks desperately for ways to reconnect with her alienated daughter. The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video and is a great choice for anything scary.
Before I Wake
Before I Wake, directed by Mike Flanagan and released in theatres in 2016, is also referred to as Somnia in some regions. Leading roles in the movie were played by Kate Bosworth, Thomas Jane, Topher Bousquet, Jacob Tremblay, Annabeth Gish, and Dash Mihok.
The narrative centers on a parent couple who adopt an orphan after the death of their baby boy. However, the parents later learn that while the youngster is sleeping, his fantasies come true in the real world. The film earned favorable reviews from critics because it shows that occasionally kids tell the truth when they say something is hurting them.
The Grudge Series
“The Grudge,” the first installment in the Grudge series, debuted in 2004. A sequel was released in 2006, and a third one was released in 2009. The first film in the series, i.e., The Grudge, was actually a remake of the well-liked Japanese movie Ju-On: The Grudge. Although they still incorporate some of the plots from the Japanese films, the second and third movies each have their own distinct stories.
A curse that links its victims to it until they pass away and spreads the curse to anybody who gets exposed to it in any manner is the central theme of the movie series’ narrative, which centers on people whose lives have been affected by the curse.
The Exorcist
Who doesn’t know this movie? Directed by William Friedkin, The Exorcist was released in 1973 and was based on a 1971 novel sharing the same name, which was written by William Peter Blatty.
Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Jason Miller, and Linda Blair starred as major characters in the film. The film follows a young girl who gets possessed by a demon and her mother’s attempt to rescue her. The mother reaches out to an exorcist as she wishes to see her daughter in good health once again.
The Exorcist became the first ever entry as horror film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, and such was the quality of the movie. To this date, whenever a horror movie releases, comparisons are drawn with the 1973 horror film, which speaks volumes about the film’s impact on the world.
Veronica
2017 saw the release of Paco Plaza’s film Veronica. In addition to Iván Chavero, Ana Torrent, Claudia Placer, and Bruna González playing significant roles, the cast of the movie included Sandra Escacena, who played the title character. Sonia Almarcha, Leticia Dolera, Maru Valduvielso, Consuelo Trujillo, Angela Fabián, Samuel Romero, and Carla Campra all portrayed supporting characters in the film.
The 1991 case of a girl who utilized an Ouija board and was later discovered dead for unidentified reasons is somewhat the inspiration for the film. The story of the movie centers on a young woman who recently lost her father and used an Ouija board to try to contact his ghost.
But it turns out that instead of her father, another being with bad intentions has arrived. Additionally, it has been revealed that a prequel to the movie is now in development. The movie is on Netflix and is absolutely worth watching.
Goodnight Mommy
Goodnight Mommy was released in 2022 and was directed by Matt Sobel. The script, the direction, and the character performances were all simply too superb for the critics not to give the movie positive reviews.
The film is a remake of a 2014 film of the same name that has Austrian roots. The movie starred Naomi Watts, Cameron Crovetti, and Nicholas Crovetti in the lead roles Peter Hermann, Crystal Lucas-Perry, and Jeremy Bobb in the supporting roles.
The movie centers on twin brothers who believe their mother was switched with someone else during a surgery that she underwent and think she is not the same loving mother she once was. The problems that result from their assumptions are also the focus of the movie. The scary film has a really unsettling vibe and is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
Scream
Kevin Williamson founded the Scream franchise, which has been the subject of five films to date (the sixth, an untitled film, is thought to be in production), with the most recent one hitting the theatres in 2022.
Up to the release of Halloween in 2018, all of the movies had box office success, with the original film holding the record for the highest-earning
slasher film globally for 22 years.
The film series centers on a young woman and the struggles she has to overcome while battling a group of killers who hunt and kill their victims while wearing ghost masks. The girl continues to receive assistance from the neighborhood police, her friends, lovers, and a few other acquaintances, which keeps the story running. Any horror movie fan should unquestionably add the Scream series to their must-watch list.
Hereditary
Hereditary was released in 2018 and was directed by Ari Aster. The film starred Toni Collette, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, and Gabriel Byrne as the characters in the leading roles. Hereditary enjoyed a very good stint at the box office, as the movie was a financial success because it grossed over $80 million.
As a result of the film’s widespread popularity, Hereditary is regarded as one of the best horror films ever made. Particularly for the acting work of the cast, the film received high praise from critics.
A family who has lost member is the main subject of the film. But as bad things start happening as a result of the family being tormented by an unidentified entity, the family eventually learns about its ancestry. The movie will undoubtedly make viewers feel spooked, but if a horror film doesn’t make you jump out of your skin, what’s the point? The movie is available to be streamed on Netflix.
The Unholy
The Unholy, a 2021 film directed by Evan Spiliotopoulos, is an adaptation of James Herbert’s 1983 book “Shrine.” Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Katie Aselton, William Sadler, Cricket Brown, Diogo Morgado, and Cary Elwes all had significant roles in the movie. Danny Corbo, Sonny Corbo, Gisela Chipe, Marina Mazepa, Christine Adams, Bates Wilder, and Dustin Tucker all had minor roles.
The story follows a journalist on a quest for redemption as he stumbles upon a series of holy miracles taking place in a tiny village. He quickly learns, however, that an evil entity is actually at work behind these seemingly miraculous marvels. The movie has a Netflix streaming option and had a successful run in theatres.
The Possession of Hannah Grace
A former police officer is the subject of The Possession of Hannah Grace, a story about how she must fight to survive after coming into contact with wicked supernatural forces while working at a mortuary.
Shay Mitchell, Max McNamara, Kirby Johnson, Jacob Ming-Trent, Stana Katic, Louis Herthum, and Grey Damon were among the cast members who had significant roles in the movie. Diederik van Rooijen, who also served as the director, put out the movie in 2018. The film did exceptionally well at the box office, earning $43 million against an estimated $7 million production budget.
It
It was published in 2017 and is based on Stephen King’s book It. Andy Muschietti was the film’s director. The main characters in the film are portrayed by Bill Skarsgard, Finn Wolfhard, Jackson Robert Scott, Jaeden Lieberher, Chosen Jacobs, Wyatt Oleff, Sophia Lillis, Jack Dylan Grazer, Nicholas Hamilton, and Jeremy Ray Taylor.
The plot of the film, which is set in the made-up town of Derry, centers on a group of friends who battle a strange entity that appears as a clown. The film performed really well at the box office and was met with praise by critics and viewers alike.
Chapter Two, a 2019 release that was set 27 years after the first film, was the sequel to the original. In the second film, the now-adult children gather to finally get rid of the clown, which is the central theme of the plot.
The movie, which also starred James Ransone, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, Bill Skarsgard, Andy Bean, and Bill Hader, was once again a success at the box office. It also starred Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy. The performers’ performances and the concepts of the many moments in the film both got high praise. To sum up, the It series is unquestionably a fantastic pick for a horror movie night.
Ouija: Origin of Evil
The 2016 film Ouija: Origin of Evil, which was directed by Mike Flanagan, cost about $12 million to make yet brought in a staggering $81 million at the box office. The movie is a prequel to the critically acclaimed 2014 movie “Ouija,” which was also a box-office hit. The critics gave the supernatural horror film high marks as well; it has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 126 reviews.
In the movie, a family introduces an Ouija board and tries to assist people in need in moving on with their life. When they learn that one of their family members has been taken over by a spirit, however, all hell breaks loose.
Ele Keats, Kate Siegel, Halle Charlton, Doug Jones, Lin Shaye, Alexis G. Zall, Parker Mack, Michael Weaver, and Sam Anderson played the supporting characters, while Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Annalise Basso, and Henry Thomas played the key roles. On Netflix, viewers may watch the film in a streaming format.
