Movies like The Babadook
The Babadook is most extreme on TONE — a bleak, unforgiving tone at 014. Everything below is a movie that lands near it on the same six axes, which is a different question from "what else is tagged horror". Ranked by distance, closest first.
That is The Babadook’s fingerprint. The list below is scored against it, not against genre.
It Follows
David Robert Mitchell · 2014 · Film
Shares a bleak, unforgiving tone.
93% shared signal
The Witch
Robert Eggers · 2015 · Film
Shares modern craft.
88% shared signal
A Dark Song
Liam Gavin · 2016 · Film
Shares slow-burn dread.
87% shared signal
Oculus
Mike Flanagan · 2013 · Film
Shares a bleak, unforgiving tone.
83% shared signal
The Ring
Gore Verbinski · 2002 · Film
Shares restraint over gore.
81% shared signal
Hereditary
Ari Aster · 2018 · Film
Shares modern craft.
80% shared signal
Sinister
Scott Derrickson · 2012 · Film
78% shared signal
Let the Right One In
Tomas Alfredson · 2008 · Film
Shares slow-burn dread.
78% shared signal
Skinamarink
Kyle Edward Ball · 2022 · Film
Shares restraint over gore.
76% shared signal
The Lighthouse
Robert Eggers · 2019 · Film
76% shared signal
Paranormal Activity
Oren Peli · 2007 · Film
75% shared signal
Ringu
Hideo Nakata · 1998 · Film
74% shared signal
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