If you loved the heart-pounding suspense and chilling atmosphere of “A Quiet Place”, you’re probably craving more movies that deliver a similar experience. The 2018 horror hit directed by John Krasinski captivated audiences with its unique premise – blind monsters that hunt by sound in a post-apocalyptic world. It was a fresh take on the creature feature that relied on building tension through silence rather than cheap jump scares.
While “A Quiet Place” stands out as one of the most original horror films in recent years, there are plenty of other movies that share some of its best qualities. Whether you’re looking for more “sensory horror”, claustrophobic survival thrillers, or family dramas with a sci-fi/horror twist, this list has you covered. Here are the 20 best movies to watch next if you’re a fan of “A Quiet Place”:
1. Don’t Breathe (2016)
Don’t Breathe is probably the closest you’ll get to the “A Quiet Place” experience. It’s not a creature feature, but it is an intense, mostly silent thriller about a group of thieves who break into a blind man’s house, thinking he’ll be an easy target. Big mistake. Turns out the blind man (played by Stephen Lang) is a war veteran with deadly skills and some dark secrets.
Like “A Quiet Place”, Don’t Breathe masterfully uses lack of sound to ratchet up the tension and suspense. The characters have to stay completely silent as they try to escape the house undetected. It’s a nail-biter from start to finish with some shocking twists along the way. If you want another movie that will make you hold your breath, this is it.
2. Bird Box (2018)
Bird Box came out the same year as “A Quiet Place” and drew a lot of comparisons for its similar premise. In this Netflix original movie, Sandra Bullock stars as a mother trying to protect her children in a world overrun by monsters. The key difference is that in Bird Box, the monsters cause people to go insane and kill themselves if they look at them. So the characters have to navigate the world blindfolded.
While it may not be quite as effective as “A Quiet Place” overall, Bird Box still delivers plenty of chilling moments and a strong lead performance from Bullock. The river rapids sequence is especially intense. If you want another high-concept horror movie about a family facing an incomprehensible threat, give Bird Box a watch.
3. Hush (2016)
Hush is another innovative home invasion thriller that plays with sound in interesting ways. Kate Siegel stars as a deaf writer living in an isolated house in the woods. One night, a masked killer begins stalking her and she must fight for survival.
Since the main character is deaf, the movie often goes completely silent, putting you in her perspective as she tries to outwit the intruder without being able to hear him coming. Hush is a lean, mean suspense machine anchored by a great performance from Siegel, who also co-wrote the script. It’s a perfect choice if you’re looking for another movie that weaponizes silence to terrifying effect.
4. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
10 Cloverfield Lane may be set in the same universe as the found-footage monster movie Cloverfield, but it’s a very different type of film. This claustrophobic thriller stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a young woman who wakes up in an underground bunker after a car accident. Her “savior” (John Goodman) tells her that the outside world has been attacked by an unknown threat and they must stay inside to survive.
The movie is a masterclass in slowly building tension and paranoia. You’re never quite sure what’s really happening or who to trust. While the final act opens things up a bit, the bulk of the movie is an acting showcase set in a single pressure-cooker location. If you liked the family dynamics and sense of constant threat in “A Quiet Place”, you’ll be riveted by this one.
5. It Comes At Night (2017)
It Comes At Night is a bleak, minimalist horror film that’s light on plot but heavy on dread-soaked atmosphere. Joel Edgerton stars as a man living in a remote cabin with his wife and son after a mysterious plague has wiped out much of humanity. When another desperate family shows up seeking shelter, paranoia takes hold as the two clans try to figure out how to coexist.
Like “A Quiet Place”, it’s a movie about the lengths people will go to protect their loved ones in a world gone mad. It’s a slow burn, but the sense of creeping unease is palpable in every frame. If you want a horror film that’s more unsettling than outright scary, It Comes At Night is a must-watch.
6. The Silence (2019)
The Silence is probably the most blatant “A Quiet Place” imitator on this list, but it’s still an effective chiller in its own right. Stanley Tucci and Kiernan Shipka star as a father and daughter trying to survive in a world overrun by blind, bat-like monsters that hunt by sound.
Yes, the premise is nearly identical, but The Silence puts its own spin on things by adding a creepy cult into the mix. Shipka’s character is deaf, which adds another interesting layer to the sound-based scares. It may not be as memorable as “A Quiet Place”, but it’s a solid watch for fans of the subgenre.
7. The Mist (2007)
Based on a Stephen King novella, The Mist is a creature feature with a Lovecraftian twist. Thomas Jane stars as a father trapped in a supermarket with his young son and other townspeople when a strange mist rolls into town, bringing with it deadly monsters from another dimension.
Like “A Quiet Place”, much of the movie is confined to a single location as the characters try to survive and figure out what’s happening. The monsters are used sparingly but effectively, and the human drama is just as compelling as the horror elements. But be warned: the ending is a real gut-punch.
8. Cargo (2017)
Cargo is a unique take on the zombie genre that shares some key themes with “A Quiet Place”. Martin Freeman stars as a father infected with a zombie virus who has 48 hours to find someone to protect his infant daughter before he turns.
Set in the Australian outback, the movie has a gritty, realistic feel and takes its time developing the central relationship between father and child. Like “A Quiet Place”, it’s ultimately a story about the sacrifices parents make for their children in a hostile world. It’s a fresh, emotionally resonant spin on a well-worn genre.
9. Annihilation (2018)
Annihilation is more sci-fi than horror, but it delivers some of the most unsettling and surreal imagery in recent memory. Natalie Portman stars as a biologist who joins an expedition into a mysterious “shimmer” zone where the laws of nature have been twisted into something alien and incomprehensible.
Like the characters in “A Quiet Place”, Portman’s team is venturing into uncharted territory and facing an enemy they can barely comprehend. The movie is a mind-bending trip with stunning visuals and big ideas about self-destruction and transformation. If you want a more cerebral take on sci-fi horror, this is a great pick.
10. The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter’s The Thing is a stone-cold classic of the genre that laid the groundwork for many of the movies on this list. Kurt Russell stars as a member of an Antarctic research team infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien that can perfectly imitate any living being.
Like “A Quiet Place”, it’s a master class in tension and paranoia, as the characters try to suss out who is human and who is a deadly imposter. The icy, isolated setting is the perfect backdrop for the escalating mistrust and dread. With groundbreaking practical effects and an all-timer of an ending, The Thing is essential viewing for any horror fan.
11. Ravenous (1999)
Ravenous is a darkly comedic horror film set in a remote military outpost in the 1840s Sierra Nevada. Guy Pearce stars as a disgraced soldier who encounters a stranger (Robert Carlyle) with a taste for human flesh and a belief in the mythical power of cannibalism.
Like “A Quiet Place”, the movie makes great use of its isolated, rustic setting to build an eerie atmosphere. The small cast of characters is trapped together, unsure who to trust as things spiral out of control. With gallows humor, shocking gore, and a unique score by Michael Nyman and Damon Albarn, Ravenous is an underrated gem that’s ripe for rediscovery.
12. The Descent (2005)
The Descent is a claustrophobic nightmare of a movie that follows an all-female group of spelunkers who get trapped in an uncharted cave system and encounter hungry subterranean predators.
Like “A Quiet Place”, the movie wrings a lot of tension out of an inherently scary location. The cave setting is incredibly effective, all tight spaces and oppressive darkness. And the monsters, once revealed, are genuinely frightening. But the movie is also a compelling character study about grief, guilt, and the will to survive. It’s a visceral, pulse-pounding experience from start to finish.
13. Pitch Black (2000)
Pitch Black is a lean, mean sci-fi horror flick that introduced the world to Vin Diesel’s iconic antihero Riddick. Diesel stars as a dangerous convict who becomes the unlikely protector of a group of space travelers stranded on a desert planet with some nasty nocturnal predators.
The movie makes great use of its day/night cycle gimmick, with the characters racing against time to escape before the sun sets and the monsters come out to play. Like Emily Blunt’s character in “A Quiet Place”, Riddick has to use all his wits and skills to keep himself and others alive against impossible odds. It’s a fun, pulpy ride with some genuine scares.
14. Green Room (2015)
Green Room is a brutally intense siege movie that traps a punk band in a remote neo-Nazi clubhouse fighting for survival. Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, and Patrick Stewart star in this gritty, no-holds-barred thriller.
Like “A Quiet Place”, the movie makes you feel the characters’ desperation as they improvise weapons and plan their escape from a seemingly inescapable situation. It’s a violent, uncompromising film that doesn’t let up once it gets going. If you want a movie that will leave you breathless and shaken, this is it.
15. Crawl (2019)
Crawl is a surprisingly effective creature feature that does for alligators what “Jaws” did for sharks. Kaya Scodelario stars as a collegiate swimmer trying to rescue her father from their Florida home during a Category 5 hurricane, only to get trapped in the flooding crawl space with some very hungry gators.
The movie milks its simple premise for all its worth, delivering a tense and tightly paced survival thriller. Like “A Quiet Place”, it shows how a few key elements – a compelling lead performance, a scary antagonist, and a confined setting – can be combined for maximum impact. It’s a lean, mean, reptilian scream machine.
16. The Shallows (2016)
The Shallows is another lean survival thriller that strands Blake Lively on a rock just a few hundred yards from shore – and just out of reach of a hungry great white shark. With a ticking clock in the form of the rising tide, Lively’s character must use her wits and resourcefulness to make it back to the beach alive.
Like “A Quiet Place”, the movie wrings maximum tension out of a minimalist scenario. Lively is in nearly every frame, often alone, selling her character’s desperation and determination. It’s a showcase for her talents and a masterclass in sustained suspense. If you want to see how much can be done with a single location and a committed lead performance, check this one out.
17. The Ritual (2017)
The Ritual is a folk horror film that follows a group of friends on a hiking trip in the Swedish wilderness as they mourn a recent tragedy. When they take a shortcut through the forest, they awaken an ancient evil that has been lying in wait.
Like “A Quiet Place”, the movie uses its remote, forbidding setting to great effect, creating a sense of isolation and vulnerability. The character dynamics are well-drawn, with the central trauma hanging over everything. And when the scares do come, they’re surreal and nightmarish. It’s a slow burn, but the payoff is worth it.
18. Overlord (2018)
Overlord is a gleefully over-the-top genre mash-up that blends a World War II men-on-a-mission movie with zombie horror. Jovan Adepo and Wyatt Russell star as American soldiers who discover hideous Nazi experiments while on a mission to destroy a German radio tower on the eve of D-Day.
The movie is just nonstop, giddy mayhem, full of gory practical effects and explosive action. But like “A Quiet Place”, it also takes time to develop its characters and their relationships so that you care about their fates. It’s a wild ride that delivers on its B-movie premise and then some.
19. Train to Busan (2016)
Train to Busan is a South Korean zombie movie that traps a group of passengers on a speeding bullet train during a viral outbreak. Gong Yoo stars as a workaholic father trying to protect his young daughter and other survivors as the infection spreads car by car.
The movie is a masterclass in escalating tension and creative action set-pieces. The confined train setting is used to brilliant effect, with each new obstacle ratcheting up the stakes. But like “A Quiet Place”, it’s also a moving family drama, with Gong Yoo’s character learning to be a better father in the face of unimaginable horror. It’s a near-perfect blend of heart and horror.
20. The Night Eats the World (2018)
The Night Eats the World is a French zombie movie with a unique twist: it’s almost entirely a one-man show. Anders Danielsen Lie stars as a musician who wakes up after a party to find that Paris has been overrun by the undead overnight. Barricaded alone in an apartment building, he must find a way to survive both the zombies and the crushing loneliness.
The movie is a minimalist character study, relying on Danielsen Lie’s committed performance to hold the audience’s attention. Like “A Quiet Place”, it’s a showcase for the power of a confined setting and a small cast to create tension and emotion. It’s a slow, meditative film that still manages to pack a punch.
So there you have it – 20 movies to satisfy your craving for more high-stakes horror and suspense in the vein of “A Quiet Place”. Whether you want more monsters, more thrills, or more intimate family drama, there’s something on this list for every taste. So grab some popcorn, turn off the lights, and get ready to be on the edge of your seat. Just remember – in these movies, making a sound could be the last thing you ever do!
