Movies Like Poltergeist (1982)

Poltergeist is a 1982 horror film from Tobe Hooper with a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Poltergeist II: The Other Side and Poltergeist III.

Horror

Poltergeist II: The Other Side

1986

The Freeling family move in with Diane's mother in an effort to escape the trauma and aftermath of Carol Anne's abduction by the Beast. But the Beast is not to be put off so easily and appears in a ghostly apparition as the Reverend Kane, a religious zealot responsible for the deaths of his many followers. His goal is simple - he wants the angelic Carol Anne.

6.0

MagicScore

Poltergeist III

1988

Carol Anne has been sent to live with her Aunt and Uncle in an effort to hide her from the clutches of the ghostly Reverend Kane, but he tracks her down and terrorises her in her relatives' appartment in a tall glass building. Will he finally achieve his target and capture Carol Anne again, or will Tangina be able, yet again, to thwart him?

5.2

MagicScore

Iron Lung

2026

In a post-apocalyptic future where an event known as "The Quiet Rapture" caused all known stars and habitable planets in the universe to disappear, a convict is sent to search an ocean of blood discovered on a desolate moon, using a small submarine nicknamed the "Iron Lung".

6.9

MagicScore

The Legacy

1978

A couple attempts to unravel a sinister plot within the English countryside estate of a dying man who has gathered an eclectic and notable group of house guests.

5.4

MagicScore

Anonymous Animals

2021

The balance of power between man and animal is reversed. In a remote countryside, any encounter with the dominant can become hostile. At the crossroads of fantastic and suspense kind, Anonymous Animals questions the place of animals in our societies.

6.3

MagicScore

Ghost House

2017

A young couple go on an adventurous vacation to Thailand only to find themselves haunted by a malevolent spirit after naively disrespecting a Ghost House.

5.6

MagicScore

Night of the Living Dead

1968

A ragtag group barricade themselves in an old Pennsylvania farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls ravaging the Northeast.

7.6

MagicScore

The Amityville Horror

1979

George Lutz, his wife Kathy, and their three children have just moved into a beautiful, and improbably cheap, Victorian mansion nestled in the sleepy coastal town of Amityville, Long Island. However, their dream home is concealing a horrific past and soon each member of the Lutz family is plagued with increasingly strange and violent visions and impulses.

6.3

MagicScore

The Fly

1986

When Seth Brundle makes a huge scientific and technological breakthrough in teleportation, he decides to test it on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a common housefly manages to get inside the device and the two become one.

7.4

MagicScore

#10

Marley & Me

2008

A newly married couple, in the process of starting a family, learn many of life's important lessons from their trouble-loving retriever, Marley. Packed with plenty of laughs to lighten the load, the film explores the highs and lows of marriage, maturity and confronting one's own mortality, as seen through the lens of family life with a dog.

7.2

MagicScore

#11

Pet Sematary

1989

After the Creed family's cat is accidentally killed, a friendly neighbor advises its burial in a mysterious nearby cemetery.

6.6

MagicScore

#12

The Dark

2005

In an attempt to pull her family together, Adèlle travels with her young daughter Sarah to Wales to visit her father. The morning after they arrive, Sarah mysteriously vanishes in the ocean. Not long after, a little girl bearing a striking resemblance to their missing daughter reveals that she has retuned from the dead — and that Sarah has been taken to the Welsh underworld.

5.7

MagicScore

#13

Shutter

2008

A newly married couple discovers disturbing, ghostly images in photographs they develop after a tragic accident. Fearing the manifestations may be connected, they investigate and learn that some mysteries are better left unsolved.

5.6

MagicScore

#14

Suspiria

2018

A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.

6.9

MagicScore

#15

The Sentinel

1977

As a young girl, Alison Parker attempted suicide after being traumatized by her father's sexual exploits. Now an elite fashion model, she moves to a Brooklyn Heights apartment building that houses a number of bizarre, eccentric tenants. After experiencing a string of disturbing occurrences, she attempts to uncover the building's sinister secret.

6.1

MagicScore

#16

Lonesome Ghosts

1937

On a dark and stormy night, four bored ghosts decide to have some fun by calling the Ajax Ghost Exterminators.

6.9

MagicScore

#17

The Other

1972

A series of gruesome accidents plague a small American farming community in the summer of 1935, encircling two identical twin brothers and their family.

6.5

MagicScore

#18

Dark Waters

2019

A tenacious attorney uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths to one of the world's largest corporations. In the process, he risks everything — his future, his family, and his own life — to expose the truth.

7.5

MagicScore

#19

An American Werewolf in London

1981

American tourists David and Jack are savagely attacked by an unidentified animal while hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. After retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, David soon begins experiencing disturbing changes to his body and mind.

7.4

MagicScore

#20

Leave the World Behind

2023

A family's getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices—and two strangers appear at their door.

6.4

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Poltergeist?

The top films similar to Poltergeist by MovieMagicScore are Poltergeist II: The Other Side (6.0), Poltergeist III (5.2), Iron Lung (6.9). Each shares horror themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Poltergeist worth watching?

Poltergeist holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10 from 3,192 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Poltergeist?

Poltergeist (1982) is a horror film directed by Tobe Hooper, starring JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Beatrice Straight.

Where can I find more recommendations like Poltergeist?

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 Poltergeist II: The Other Side Movies like Poltergeist III Movies like Iron Lung Movies like The Legacy Movies like Anonymous Animals Movies like Ghost House

About movies like Poltergeist

This ranked list pairs Poltergeist (1982), a horror film from Tobe Hooper, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of JoBeth Williams 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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