7 disturbing movies with an eerie vibe like Sinister

Scott Derrickson's 2012 film Sinister starring Ethan Hawke, has remained an iconic title for years because of just how damn scary it is, particularly the movie's authentic-looking "snuff" film sections that include things like a grisly lawn mower death and a family killed via hanging.

In fact, a 2020 study reportedly found that Sinister is considered one of the scariest movies of all time. Given its persistent popularity throughout the years, many fans have made it their mission to find films similar to Sinister, or equally disturbing.

V/H/S franchise

The V/H/S films are probably going to be your best bet when looking for something that ventures into the same territory as Sinister. While these movies are 100% found footage, and some segments are better than others, the majority carry that same "I should not be watching this" vibe that people feel freaked out by in Sinister when the infamous tapes start playing in the movie. Plus, there are six movies to check out, with a seventh on the way this October, so this franchise will keep you busy for a while.

Censor (2021)

Set during the height of the "video nasty" era in the 1980s, Censor follows a woman whose job is to monitor and/or censor the violent content in movies before they can be released to the public. Outside of work, Enid (Niamh Algar) is tormented by the disappearance of her sister Nina, so when she stumbles on a movie where the actress bears a striking resemblance to Nina, she spirals down a dark rabbit hole leading into the world of rumored snuff films and banned content.

The Blackcoat's Daughter (2017)

If both Longlegs and Sinister succeeded in disturbing you, then look no further than Oz Perkins's other popular horror film The Blackcoat's Daughter, starring Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts. Shipka plays a slightly strange boarding school student who becomes stranded at school during a holiday weekend with one other student. They realize they're facing a very evil threat.

Creep (2014)

Another film entirely in the found-footage genre, Creep is an excellent horror film starring Mark Duplass as the central character, a very creepy guy who puts out a sketchy Craigslist ad looking for a videographer to film his life for a day so he can share the tape with his unborn son. But as the filming gets underway, the day starts taking increasingly disturbing turns. Creep 2 is also great and an anthology television series set in the same universe is in development.

8mm (1999)

8mm is a 1999 thriller film with a stacked cast that includes Nicolas Cage, Catherine Keener, Joaquin Phoenix, and more. In some ways, this film reminded me a little bit of Karin Slaughter's really dark and twisted crime novel Pretty Girls (which everyone should read). Similar to Censor, 8mm dives headfirst into the world of snuff movies and illegal adult films, centering on a private detective who gets caught up in it when a widow finds one of these movies among her husband's belongings.

The Killing of the Sacred Deer (2017)

This Yorgos Lanthimos film starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Farrell, and Barry Keoghan is an intense and disturbing psychological nightmare about a surgeon contending with a teenager who starts inserting himself into the doctor's life with increasing frequency. Ultimately, he demands that Steven (Farrell) make a truly horrific choice that all traces back to something that happened years before the film begins.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

I fully admit that I always seem to find a way to fit Tobe Hooper's 1974 classic into my recommendation lists, but I can't help that it's basically the perfect horror movie. And while it's obviously not a snuff film and doesn't feature creepy old tapes, the entire film still has that gross, grimy feeling. It plays out like a true crime story coming to life as we follow a group of teenagers terrorized and brutally murdered by Leatherface and his crazed family.