The Conjuring is considered the epitome of the horror genre, and rightfully so. The film raised the bar in ways few others have ever managed. Its scares are intense enough to rattle even the most seasoned horror fans.
But there's a downside to watching The Conjuring - it sets your expectations so high that most other horror films just don’t hit the same. So that brings us to the question: what’s next? Are there any other movies out there that can match its level of terror? Well, there are, and quite a few.
In this article, we’ve listed 7 of the best horror movies like The Conjuring that fans shouldn’t miss.
Insidious
Insidious is one of the few horror films that truly matches the terror of The Conjuring. While The Conjuring follows a more straightforward story, Insidious feels a bit tricky to understand, especially when it explores the dimension of "The Further." Like The Conjuring, this movie also has a big fan following and has become a favorite among horror lovers.
The acting is solid throughout, especially from Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, who really make you feel the fear. The horror scenes are creative and smart, like the sudden red-faced demon jump scare that still haunts many fans. The story follows a couple whose son falls into a mysterious coma, and they soon find out that evil spirits are trying to trap him in another world.
Sinister
Sinister is creepy, like really creepy. While The Conjuring scares you with ghosts and spirits, Sinister goes even darker. It shows the kind of punishments in the form of video tapes that make your skin crawl. If you’re into scary movies like The Conjuring, this one will definitely mess with your head.
The background music is super unsettling, and that alone can give you chills. Horror fans loved the movie so much that it even got a sequel, which is equally good. The story follows a true-crime writer who moves into a new house with his family and finds old tapes of horrible crimes. What starts as research quickly turns into a nightmare when something evil begins to follow them.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
First things first, The Exorcism of Emily Rose is based on a true story, and that alone makes it super scary. Watching how Emily suffers with the spirits inside her really makes you think what the real Emily must’ve gone through. Her case was so horrifying, that it also became an eye-opener for the court, mixing horror with real-life courtroom drama.
It’s still considered one of the greatest exorcism stories ever made into a film. One of the most chilling scenes is when Emily screams and bends her body in ways that don’t even seem human. The story is simple; a priest who’s taken to court after a young girl dies during an exorcism.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
The Autopsy of Jane Doe takes place almost entirely in one room but still freaks you out completely. Directed by André Øvredal, who also made Trollhunter, the movie starts off like a basic autopsy, just another day at the morgue. But soon, the supernatural stuff kicks in, and the mystery behind the body gets darker and darker.
The ending hits you with a twist you don’t see coming, and that’s what makes it so good. Even the legend of the horror genre, Stephen King praised the movie. The story follows a father-son duo of coroners who get a nameless body to examine, but nothing about it adds up. If you're looking for movies similar to The Conjuring on Netflix, this one should be high on your list.
The Babadook
The Babadook hits different, as it goes far from your regular jump scares and creepy shadows. The movie makes us realize that sometimes, evil doesn’t go away; you just learn to live with it. The film gets seriously scary in parts, especially that scene where the book suddenly starts showing twisted images that weren’t there before.
Essie Davis plays the lead and absolutely nails the role of a struggling mother trying to protect her son while losing her grip on reality. The movie plays out like a slow-burning nightmare, where a mysterious book introduces The Babadook, a dark figure that slowly takes over their lives.
The Others
The Others has that classic horror movie setup - an old mansion, creepy servants, and a whole lot of fog. At first glance, it might seem like your typical ghost story, the kind we’ve seen a hundred times. But trust us, the twist at the end flips everything upside down. You won’t see it coming, and that’s what makes it unforgettable.
Directed by Alejandro Amenábar, who also made Open Your Eyes, the film stars Nicole Kidman, who delivers one of her best performances. She plays a mother living in a secluded house with her two kids who are sensitive to light. As strange things begin to happen, the tension builds slowly, pulling you in deeper.
Veronica
Veronica has a lot in common with The Conjuring, a possessed girl, a struggling family, and a supernatural force that just won’t back off. Both movies build their horror slowly and hit hard when you least expect it. Similar to The Conjuring, Veronica is based on a real case from Madrid in the '90s, and that alone adds more to the fear.
Critics called it one of the scariest Netflix horror films when it came out, and some viewers even claimed they couldn’t finish it in one go. It was directed by Paco Plaza, the same guy who made the [REC] series, so you know he knows his way around horror. The story revolves around a teenage girl who tries to contact her dead father with a Ouija board, and things go downhill real fast from there.