Movies Like Phenomena (1985)

Phenomena is a 1985 horror, thriller film from Dario Argento with a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Dirty Harry and Rings of Fear.

Horror Thriller

Dirty Harry

1971

When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath.

7.5

MagicScore

Rings of Fear

1978

Angela Russo, a sixteen-year-old girl, is found dead in a river, having been fatally violated with a large blunt instrument. Inspector Di Salvo is assigned to the case and focuses his investigations on St. Theresa's, the exclusive school where Angela boarded. Three of the murdered girl's classmates, Franca, Paola and Virginia (who call themselves "The Inseparables"), receive threatening poems from an individual using the name "Nemesis." Bizarre "accidents" start to befall the girls: Franca is injured when someone causes her horse to bolt and Virginia nearly breaks her neck on marbles left at the top of a staircase. But Di Salvo is determined to find the killer, even if it means using unorthodox methods. He is aided by Angela Russo's little sister Emily, whose helpful clues lead to a boutique owned by a dubious character and a vice ring where "rich influential men pay well for teenage favours..."

5.3

MagicScore

Shocker

1989

About to be electrocuted for a catalog of heinous crimes, the unrepentant Horace Pinker transforms into a terrifying energy source. Only young athlete Jonathan Parker, with an uncanny connection to him through bizarre dreams, can fight the powerful demon.

5.6

MagicScore

The Mask of Fu Manchu

1932

The villainous Dr. Fu Manchu races against a team of Englishmen to find the tomb of Ghengis Khan, because he wants to use the relics to cause an uprising in the East to wipe out the white race.

5.4

MagicScore

Torso

1973

A masked serial killer with psychosexual issues strangles female coeds with scarves before dismembering them. When a wealthy student identifies one of the scarves and thinks she has a lead on a suspect, she becomes the killer's next target, retreating to her family's remote cliffside villa with three of her girlfriends.

6.6

MagicScore

A Bay of Blood

1971

An elderly heiress is killed by her husband who wants control of her fortunes. What ensues is an all-out murder spree as relatives and friends attempt to reduce the inheritance playing field, complicated by some teenagers who decide to camp out in a dilapidated building on the estate.

6.6

MagicScore

The Initiation

1984

An amnesiac sorority member who has been plagued by a recurring nightmare is stalked alongside other coeds by a killer in a deserted department store where they are completing a hazing ritual.

5.4

MagicScore

New Year's Evil

1980

During a live punk-rock New Year's Eve TV programme, the presenter gets a phone call from a psycho calling himself "Evil" saying that when New Year's strikes in each US time zone, he will murder someone.

4.8

MagicScore

Splatter University

1984

A sociology instructor finds her new teaching duties at a private college interrupted by the presence of a killer.

4.2

MagicScore

#10

The Devil's Rejects

2005

The murderous, backwoods Firefly family take to the road to escape the vengeful Sheriff Wydell, who is not afraid of being as ruthless as his target.

6.8

MagicScore

#11

Wild Child

2008

Sixteen-year-old Poppy has everything her unlimited credit cards can buy, and a spoiled attitude to match. After a final thoughtless prank, her exasperated father ships her off to boarding school in England. There, Poppy meets her match in a stern headmistress and a class full of girls who will not tolerate her selfishness.

6.7

MagicScore

#12

Killing Words

2004

A mild-mannered psychopath plays mind-games with a woman he has tied to a chair in his basement.

6.5

MagicScore

#13

He Knows You're Alone

1980

A reluctant bride-to-be is stalked by a serial killer who only kills brides and the people around them. While her friends get whacked one by one, a hard-boiled renegade cop whose bride had been killed years before tries to hunt the killer down before it is too late.

5.0

MagicScore

#14

Cruising

1980

When New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who preys on patrons of the city's underground bars, young rookie Steve Burns infiltrates the S&M subculture to try and lure him out of the shadows.

6.6

MagicScore

#15

What a Girl Wants

2003

An American girl, Daphne, heads to Europe in search of the father she's never met. But instead of finding a British version of her bohemian mother, she learns the love of her mom's life is an uptight politician. The only problem now is that her long-lost dad is engaged to a fiercely territorial social climber with a daughter who makes Daphne's life miserable.

6.3

MagicScore

#16

Se7en

1995

Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.

8.4

MagicScore

#17

Freeway

1996

Following the arrest of her mother, Ramona, young Vanessa Lutz decides to go in search of her estranged grandmother. On the way, she is given a ride by school counselor Bob Wolverton. During the journey, Lutz begins to realize that Bob is the notorious I-5 Killer and manages to escape by shooting him several times. Wounded but still very much alive, Bob pursues Lutz across the state in this modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

6.5

MagicScore

#18

Identity

2003

Complete strangers stranded at a remote desert motel during a raging storm soon find themselves the target of a deranged murderer. As their numbers thin out, the travelers begin to turn on each other, as each tries to figure out who the killer is.

7.2

MagicScore

#19

Fallen

1998

Homicide detective John Hobbes witnesses the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese. Soon after the execution the killings start again, and they are very similar to Reese's style.

6.8

MagicScore

#20

The Ride to the Abyss

1992

‘La course à l’abîme’ is a depiction of the final ride into hell from ‘La Damnation de Faust’ (1846) by Hector Berlioz.

5.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Phenomena?

The top films similar to Phenomena by MovieMagicScore are Dirty Harry (7.5), Rings of Fear (5.3), Shocker (5.6). Each shares horror/thriller themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Phenomena worth watching?

Phenomena holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10 from 877 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Phenomena?

Phenomena (1985) is a horror, thriller film directed by Dario Argento, starring Jennifer Connelly, Daria Nicolodi, Fiore Argento.

Where can I find more recommendations like Phenomena?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more horror recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Dirty Harry Movies like Rings of Fear Movies like Shocker Movies like The Mask of Fu Manchu Movies like Torso Movies like A Bay of Blood

About movies like Phenomena

This ranked list pairs Phenomena (1985), a horror and thriller film from Dario Argento, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jennifer Connelly take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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