9 Best Horror Thrillers Like Lights Out

Movies Like Lights Out

The Lights Out movie is a horror-thriller film released in 2016, directed by David F. Sandberg and produced by James Wan. The movie revolves around a supernatural entity that can only be seen in the dark, and it terrifies a family and their friends.

The primary themes of the Lights Out movie are fear, anxiety, and the power of light over darkness. The movie explores the primal fear of the unknown and the terrifying notion that something can be lurking in the shadows. It also highlights the importance of light as a symbol of safety and security.

People love the Lights Out movie because it offers a unique twist on the classic horror genre. The concept of a creature that can only be seen in the dark is both original and terrifying. The movie also uses jump scares effectively, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

The Lights Out movie has gained popularity due to its innovative storyline, excellent direction, and strong performances by the cast. The movie was a commercial success, grossing over $148 million worldwide against a production budget of $4.9 million. It also received critical acclaim, with praise for its pacing, atmosphere, and scares.

Other interesting facts about the Lights Out movie include that it was based on a short film by the same director, which went viral on YouTube. The movie was produced by James Wan, the creator of the hugely popular horror franchise, “The Conjuring.” Additionally, the film’s soundtrack was composed by Benjamin Wallfisch, who went on to score other popular horror movies such as “It” and “Annabelle: Creation.”

In summary, the Lights Out movie is a horror-thriller film that explores primal fears and the power of light over darkness. People love it for its innovative storyline, effective jump scares, and strong performances. The movie’s popularity is due to its critical and commercial success, as well as its ties to other popular horror franchises.

  1. The Babadook (2014) – This Australian horror film follows a single mother and her son who are haunted by a mysterious creature from a children’s book.
  2. It Follows (2014) – This supernatural horror movie follows a young woman who is stalked by a shape-shifting creature after a sexual encounter.
  3. The Conjuring (2013) – Directed by James Wan, this movie tells the story of paranormal investigators who help a family being haunted by a malevolent entity.
  4. Don’t Breathe (2016) – This thriller movie follows a group of teenagers who break into the home of a blind man, only to find themselves trapped and hunted.
  5. The Ring (2002) – This American supernatural horror film tells the story of a cursed videotape that leads to a gruesome death for those who watch it.
  6. A Quiet Place (2018) – This post-apocalyptic horror film follows a family who must remain silent to avoid being hunted by monsters with hypersensitive hearing.
  7. Sinister (2012) – This supernatural horror film follows a true-crime writer who moves his family into a house where a family was murdered, only to discover a supernatural presence.
  8. The Others (2001) – This psychological horror film tells the story of a woman who believes her house is haunted by mysterious entities, only to discover a shocking truth.
  9. Hereditary (2018) – This supernatural horror film follows a family who must confront their dark past and a malevolent supernatural entity after the death of their grandmother.

1. The Babadook (2014)

The Babadook is an Australian psychological horror movie directed by Jennifer Kent. The movie follows a widowed mother, Amelia, and her son, Samuel, who are haunted by a monster from a children’s book called “The Babadook.” The movie begins with the death of Amelia’s husband in a car accident, and the story picks up six years later when Amelia is struggling to raise her son alone. Samuel is plagued by nightmares and becomes convinced that a monster is lurking in their house. As the movie progresses, Amelia also begins to see and experience strange and terrifying occurrences that suggest the Babadook is real and has come to take over their lives.

The Babadook is similar to Lights Out in that both movies explore the theme of a malevolent entity that exists in the darkness and preys on human fears. However, while Lights Out is more of a jump-scare horror movie, The Babadook is a psychological horror movie that focuses on the characters’ emotional and psychological states.

2. It Follows (2014)

It Follows is an American supernatural horror movie written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. The movie follows a young woman, Jay, who becomes the target of a supernatural entity after a sexual encounter with her boyfriend. The entity follows Jay relentlessly, taking on different forms and disguises, until it catches and kills its prey. Jay and her friends must figure out how to stop the entity before it’s too late.

It Follows is similar to Lights Out in that both movies explore the theme of a malevolent entity that cannot be stopped or reasoned with. However, while Lights Out is more of a traditional horror movie, It Follows is a more stylistic and atmospheric movie that uses suspense and dread to build tension.

3. The Conjuring (2013)

The Conjuring is an American supernatural horror movie directed by James Wan. The movie follows paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, as they help a family being haunted by a malevolent entity in their farmhouse. The entity terrorizes the family, causing physical harm and playing mind games with them. Ed and Lorraine must use their expertise and faith to rid the family of the entity before it’s too late.

The Conjuring is similar to Lights Out in that both movies explore the theme of a malevolent entity that preys on human fears. However, The Conjuring is a more traditional horror movie that uses jump scares and special effects to create terror, whereas Lights Out is a more psychological horror movie that relies on tension and atmosphere. Additionally, both movies feature strong performances by their respective casts and are directed by skilled horror filmmakers.

4. Don’t Breathe (2016)

Don’t Breathe is an American thriller movie directed by Fede Alvarez. The movie follows a group of friends who break into the house of a blind man in order to steal his money. However, they soon realize that the man is not as helpless as they thought, and he begins to hunt them down. As the movie progresses, the characters must navigate the darkness of the man’s house and avoid making any noise in order to stay alive.

Don’t Breathe is similar to Lights Out in that both movies explore the theme of being trapped in darkness with a malevolent entity. However, while Lights Out is a supernatural horror movie, Don’t Breathe is a more grounded and realistic thriller. Additionally, both movies rely heavily on tension and atmosphere to create a sense of dread and suspense.

5. The Ring (2002)

The Ring is an American supernatural horror movie directed by Gore Verbinski. The movie follows a journalist, Rachel Keller, who investigates a cursed videotape that leads to the death of anyone who watches it. As Rachel delves deeper into the mystery, she realizes that the tape is connected to a vengeful ghost who will stop at nothing to claim more victims.

The Ring is similar to Lights Out in that both movies explore the theme of a malevolent entity that preys on human fears. However, while Lights Out is more focused on the supernatural, The Ring is a more psychological horror movie that explores the effects of trauma and grief. Additionally, both movies use darkness and shadows to create a sense of unease and tension.

6. A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place is an American post-apocalyptic horror movie directed by John Krasinski. The movie follows a family who must remain silent in order to avoid being hunted by monsters with hypersensitive hearing. As the family struggles to survive in a world where sound is deadly, they must also confront their own personal demons and secrets.

A Quiet Place is similar to Lights Out in that both movies explore the theme of a malevolent entity that preys on human senses and vulnerabilities. However, while Lights Out is more focused on the fear of the dark, A Quiet Place is more focused on the fear of sound. Additionally, both movies use tension and atmosphere to create a sense of dread and suspense, and both movies feature strong performances from their respective casts.

7. Sinister (2012)

Sinister is an American supernatural horror movie directed by Scott Derrickson. The movie follows true crime writer Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) who moves into a new house with his family to write his next book. While there, he discovers a box of old home movies that reveal a dark and terrifying secret. As Ellison delves deeper into the mystery, he realizes that he and his family are in grave danger.

Sinister is similar to Lights Out in that both movies explore the theme of a malevolent entity that preys on human fear. However, while Lights Out is more focused on the fear of the dark, Sinister is more focused on the fear of the unknown and the supernatural. Additionally, both movies use tension and atmosphere to create a sense of dread and suspense.

8. The Others (2001)

The Others is a Spanish-American supernatural horror movie directed by Alejandro Amenábar. The movie follows Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman) who lives in a secluded mansion with her two children who suffer from a rare photosensitivity disease. As strange events begin to occur in the house, Grace begins to suspect that they are not alone.

The Others is similar to Lights Out in that both movies explore the theme of a malevolent entity that preys on human fear. However, while Lights Out is more focused on the fear of the dark, The Others is more focused on the fear of the unknown and the supernatural. Additionally, both movies use tension and atmosphere to create a sense of dread and suspense.

9. Hereditary (2018)

Hereditary is an American supernatural horror movie directed by Ari Aster. The movie follows the Graham family who are haunted by a sinister presence following the death of their grandmother. As the family’s dark secrets are revealed, they must confront their own demons and the malevolent force that seeks to destroy them.

Hereditary is similar to Lights Out in that both movies explore the theme of a malevolent entity that preys on human fear. However, while Lights Out is more focused on the fear of the dark, Hereditary is more focused on the fear of the unknown and the supernatural. Additionally, both movies use tension and atmosphere to create a sense of dread and suspense, and both movies feature strong performances from their respective casts.

Here is a table with the IMDb ratings and Rotten Tomatoes scores for the movies you requested:

MovieIMDb RatingRotten Tomatoes Score
Lights Out6.376% (audience score)
The Babadook6.891%
It Follows6.896%
The Conjuring7.586%
Don’t Breathe7.188%
The Ring7.171%
A Quiet Place7.595%
Sinister6.863%
The Others7.683%
Hereditary7.389%

Note that the Rotten Tomatoes score represents the percentage of positive reviews from critics, and in the case of Lights Out, the audience score is used as there is no critic score available.

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