Are you a fan of the Insidious franchise and craving more supernatural scares? Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of the 18 best horror movies that deliver the same level of spine-tingling terror as Insidious. From haunted houses to demonic possessions, these films will keep you on the edge of your seat and sleeping with the lights on. Let’s dive in!
1. The Conjuring (2013)
Directed by James Wan, the mastermind behind Insidious, The Conjuring follows paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren as they help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Based on a true story, this film is packed with jump scares, eerie atmospherics, and a sense of dread that builds to a terrifying climax. If you enjoyed the supernatural elements and expert craftsmanship of Insidious, The Conjuring is a must-watch.
2. Sinister (2012)
Sinister stars Ethan Hawke as a true-crime writer who moves his family into a house where a gruesome murder took place, hoping to find inspiration for his next book. Instead, he discovers a box of disturbing home movies that unleash a supernatural force threatening his family. With a creepy villain, unsettling visuals, and a twist ending, Sinister delivers the same kind of scares as Insidious.
3. Paranormal Activity (2007)
Shot in a found-footage style, Paranormal Activity follows a young couple who set up cameras to capture evidence of a haunting in their home. As the activity escalates, they realize they’re dealing with a malevolent entity. Like Insidious, this low-budget indie horror relies on subtle scares and a growing sense of dread rather than gore.
4. The Others (2001)
Set in post-World War II England, The Others stars Nicole Kidman as a mother living in a darkened old house with her two photosensitive children. As strange events occur, she becomes convinced the house is haunted. With a gothic atmosphere, psychological tension, and a chilling twist, this classic ghost story shares Insidious‘ focus on a family in peril.
5. Oculus (2014)
Oculus tells the story of adult siblings trying to destroy an antique mirror they believe is responsible for the deaths and misfortune that their family suffered years ago. Seamlessly blending past and present, psychological terror and supernatural horror, Oculus keeps you guessing until the very end, much like the mind-bending plot of Insidious.
6. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
Presented as a documentary gone wrong, The Taking of Deborah Logan starts as a poignant look at Alzheimer’s disease before taking a terrifying turn into demonic possession. As an elderly woman exhibits increasingly bizarre and violent behavior, her daughter and a film crew race to uncover the chilling truth. Like Insidious, this film preys on the fear of a loved one becoming a monster.
7. It Follows (2014)
It Follows puts a fresh spin on the supernatural stalker trope, as a young woman is pursued by a malevolent entity after a sexual encounter. The entity can take the form of any person and relentlessly follows its target until it catches and kills them. With a retro synth score, striking visuals, and a pervasive sense of dread, It Follows is a stylish and unnerving horror experience in the same vein as Insidious.
8. Annabelle (2014)
A spin-off/prequel to The Conjuring, Annabelle explores the origins of the creepy doll featured in that film. Set in the 1960s, it follows a young couple who bring the vintage doll into their home, unleashing a string of terrifying paranormal events. While not quite as scary as its predecessor, Annabelle still delivers plenty of effective jump scares and an unsettling antagonist that will please fans of Insidious.
9. Grave Encounters (2011)
Grave Encounters is a found-footage film about a ghost-hunting reality show crew that gets more than they bargained for when they decide to spend the night locked inside a haunted psychiatric hospital. As they encounter increasingly hostile supernatural forces, the crew must fight for survival. With its claustrophobic setting, creepy ghosts, and descent into madness, Grave Encounters offers a similar haunted house thrill ride as Insidious.
10. Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)
The third installment in the Paranormal Activity franchise is actually a prequel set in 1988, following sisters Katie and Kristi as young girls living with their mother and her boyfriend. When strange occurrences escalate and an invisible entity named Toby starts tormenting the family, they set up cameras to capture the activity. Paranormal Activity 3 expands the series mythology while delivering some of the most memorable and terrifying scares in the franchise.
11. The Ring (2002)
Based on the Japanese horror classic Ringu, The Ring kicked off a wave of “J-horror” remakes in the early 2000s. It follows a journalist investigating a cursed videotape that causes the death of anyone who watches it. With its unsettling visuals, creepy kid, and iconic villain Samara, The Ring shares Insidious‘ knack for creating indelible nightmare fuel.
12. Poltergeist (1982)
A classic of the haunted house subgenre, Poltergeist follows a suburban family whose home is invaded by malevolent ghosts that abduct their youngest daughter. With its perfect blend of supernatural horror and Spielbergian wonder, Poltergeist set the template for many of the tropes Insidious would employ decades later, from the clairvoyant medium to the journey into another realm to save a child.
13. The Sixth Sense (1999)
While more of a supernatural drama than a straight horror film, M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense shares Insidious‘ focus on a gifted child plagued by terrifying visions. Bruce Willis stars as a child psychologist trying to help a troubled boy (Haley Joel Osment) who claims to see ghosts. With its emotionally resonant story, chilling atmosphere, and famous twist ending, The Sixth Sense is a must-see for any fan of smart, spooky storytelling.
14. The Orphanage (2007)
Produced by Guillermo del Toro, this Spanish gothic horror follows a woman who returns to her childhood home, an orphanage, with plans to reopen it. But soon her adopted son starts playing with an invisible friend and goes missing, drawing her into the house’s dark history. The Orphanage combines emotionally grounded human drama with supernatural chills, using the parent-child bond as the emotional core like Insidious does.
15. The Babadook (2014)
The Babadook is an Australian psychological horror film about a single mother struggling to deal with her troubled six-year-old son’s fear of a monster lurking in their house. When a sinister storybook called Mister Babadook appears, the line between reality and nightmare blurs. Using horror as a metaphor for grief and maternal anxiety, The Babadook is a thought-provoking and chilling film that, like Insidious, shows how the most frightening monsters often come from within.
16. Mama (2013)
Directed by Andy Muschietti (It) and produced by Guillermo del Toro, Mama stars Jessica Chastain as a woman who takes in her two young nieces after they spent five years living alone in the woods. The girls claim to have been cared for by a supernatural entity they call “Mama,” who follows them to their new home. Balancing fairy-tale wonder with horror, Mama delivers ghostly scares while telling a dark family drama not unlike Insidious.
17. The Haunting (1999)
Not to be confused with the classic 1963 film of the same name, this remake follows a group of insomniacs participating in a sleep study at a sprawling gothic mansion. But the house holds dark secrets and sinister spirits that prey on the participants’ minds. With its sumptuous production design, psychological scares, and CG ghosts, The Haunting is a fun, over-the-top haunted house romp in contrast to Insidious‘ more intimate chills.
18. The Woman in Black (2012)
Based on the novel by Susan Hill, The Woman in Black stars Daniel Radcliffe as a young lawyer who travels to a remote village to settle the estate of a recently deceased client. There he encounters the vengeful ghost of a woman terrorizing the locals. With its classic gothic atmosphere, period setting, and old-school scares, The Woman in Black is a traditional ghost story that should appeal to fans of Insidious‘ vintage chills.
So there you have it – 18 terrifying films to keep you up at night! Whether you’re in the mood for a supernatural slasher like It Follows, a found-footage freakout like Grave Encounters, or a gothic ghost story like The Woman in Black, there’s something here to satisfy every horror craving. Just don’t blame us if you need to sleep with the lights on after watching. Sweet dreams!