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 Obsession and Backrooms.

Horror

Obsession

2026

After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.

8.0

MagicScore

Backrooms

2026

A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom.

6.8

MagicScore

Scary Movie

2026

Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer, the Core Four are back in the killer's crosshairs and no horror movie IP is safe.

5.5

MagicScore

Deep Water

2026

A group of international passengers on a flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters. The terrified group is forced to work together and overcome their differences if they hope to escape their sinking plane and the frenzy of sharks drawn to the wreckage.

6.2

MagicScore

Bhooth Bangla

2026

A man inherits a palace in rural Mangalpur and plans his sister's wedding there, but strange supernatural events and panicked locals force him to investigate the property's mysterious past.

5.5

MagicScore

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

2026

The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.

8.0

MagicScore

El mal

2026

“El mal is basically a suspense story, where the audience senses that something disturbing is going to happen, but doesn't know how or when. But it also aims to get the viewer to question their own certainties, their capacity to love and to accept their own dark side.”

6.0

MagicScore

Chum

2026

A newlywed couple joins friends on a Mediterranean yacht excursion, only to find themselves caught between a predatory shark and a psychopathic killer in their midst-transforming a sun-drenched escape into a fight for survival.

4.8

MagicScore

Hokum

2026

When novelist Ohm Bauman retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents' ashes, he is consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance forces him to confront dark corners of his past.

6.9

MagicScore

#10

Apex

2026

A grieving woman pushing her limits on a solo adventure in the Australian wild is ensnared in a twisted game with a cunning killer who thinks she's prey.

6.8

MagicScore

#11

Victim

2010

After being mysteriously kidnapped by a Doctor and his violent henchman, a young man is held captive in the converted cellar of an old mansion. For reasons unknown, he's forced to endure heinous physical and psychological torture, but slowly realizes the worst is yet to come when the Doctor's brutal plan for him is finally revealed….

4.8

MagicScore

#12

Transylvania 6-5000

1985

Two reporters travel to a strange castle in Transylvania to investigate the apparent reappearance of Frankenstein, and encounter the sensitive Wolfman, the Vampiress Odette and a whole cast of other weirdos.

5.3

MagicScore

#13

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2

2000

A group of college students decide to take part in a witch hunt tour inspired by a horror movie. As the adventure goes awry, the students realise that an evil being has followed them home.

4.3

MagicScore

#14

The Guard Post

2008

The plot concerns Guard Point 506, where an entire squad of soldiers have been killed in mysterious circumstances, bar one survivor who's in a coma. Military Investigators are dispatched to the base, and discover they're dealing with a virus that turns humans into ravenous flesh-eating killers!

5.5

MagicScore

#15

The Amityville Terror

2016

When a new family moves to an old house in Amityville, they are tormented and tortured by an evil spirit living in the home while trapped by the malicious townspeople who want to keep them there.

5.0

MagicScore

#16

Midnight Matinee

1988

Even though a devastating murder took place during a small town's horror film festival two years earlier, townspeople want another festival.

5.4

MagicScore

#17

Frenzy

1972

London is terrorized by a vicious sex killer known as The Necktie Murderer. Following the brutal slaying of his ex-wife, down-on-his-luck Richard Blaney is suspected by the police of being the killer. He goes on the run, determined to prove his innocence.

7.1

MagicScore

#18

Wolves at the Door

2016

Four friends gather at an elegant home during the Summer of Love, 1969. Unbeknownst to them, deadly visitors are waiting outside. What begins as a simple farewell party turns to a night of primal terror as the intruders stalk and torment the four, who struggle for their lives against what appears to be a senseless attack.

4.9

MagicScore

#19

Hot Line

2025

Malena, a woman who divides her life between two jobs: by night she's a dancer in a cabaret and by day she answers a "Hot Line," an erotic telephone line. However, her routine turns into a nightmare when a serial killer begins calling her, recounting his crimes in chilling detail and announcing that she will be his next victim. This is a clear homage to the Italian Giallo.HoH

10.0

MagicScore

#20

Patient 001

2018

A young-wife desperate to give her beloved comatose and dying husband a child considers her only option: cloning. Giving birth to a son fulfills her dream of having a family. But the arrival of the baby awakens a supernatural presence unleashing unexpected results. The family must make an impossible choice and live with a secret forever. (DCIFF)

2.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Poltergeist?

The top films similar to Poltergeist by MovieMagicScore are Obsession (8.0), Backrooms (6.8), Scary Movie (5.5). 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 Obsession Movies like Backrooms Movies like Scary Movie Movies like Deep Water Movies like Bhooth Bangla Movies like Lee Cronin's The Mummy

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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