2021 horror movie The Night House follows a grieving widow (Rebecca Hall) who starts seeing unsettling visions around her house. When she grows anxious about the realities of these dreams and visions, she starts digging into her husband’s things to uncover his hidden secrets. Although a slower and overly complex story, the film has several tense and compelling moments, and Hall delivers a powerful, chilling performance.
The Night House is not like any usual horror film as it covers themes of loss, grief, and death. However, there are a handful of great movies that explore similar themes while still providing plenty of thrills and chills.
10 Ghost (1990) – Available On Netflix & Paramount+
In Ghost, a widow (Demi Moore) copes with the death of her husband (Patrick Swayze) after he was murdered. However, his spirit lives on as he seeks justice for his death with help from a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) and protects his grieving wife.
Ghost is not a horror movie, but its themes center on loss and death, as seen in The Night House. The 1990 film also follows the spirit’s motivation of unfinished business, a common trope for films with ghosts. Ghost is a sentimental romantic drama that incorporates comedy and mystery into a heartfelt story. Over 30 years later, it is still considered a classic.
9 Hereditary (2018) – Available On FuboTV, Kanopy, & Spectrum
In Hereditary, a family is grieving over the loss of a daughter (Milly Shapiro) after a tragic accident. Soon after, secrets about the family’s shocking history unfold.
Hereditary is one of the best horror movies of the 21st century due to its ominous tone, jaw-dropping plot twist, and brilliant performances from the cast, especially Toni Collette. Like The Night House, Hereditary covers themes of loss, but it is much more nuanced with its story, and the ending will leave many viewers in chills.
8 You Should Have Left (2020) – Available On Peacock
You Should Have Left follows a couple (Kevin Bacon and Amanda Seyfried) who take a vacation in the Welsh countryside with their daughter (Avery Essex). As the family tries to enjoy their holiday, spooky things happen in the house that are hard to explain.
Like The Night House, You Should Have Left takes place in a spooky location that is rife with deeper meaning. Although not everyone will find this 2020 movie satisfying, it will provoke much thought after the end credits roll.
7 Doctor Sleep (2019) – Available To Rent On AppleTV, Amazon, & Google Play
Decades since the events at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) is all grown up, but he still lives with the past trauma. He soon meets a young girl (Kyliegh Curran) who shares the same power, and they work together to fend off a cult group, True Knot.
Like The Night House, Doctor Sleep has aspects of a haunting house location, but the plot is a bit more complex as it incorporates cults and mysticism. Doctor Sleep received positive reviews by critics, and many people found Mike Flanagan’s direction as a worthy sequel to The Shining.
6 1408 (2007) – Available To Rent On AppleTV, Amazon, & Google Play
In 1408, author Mike Enslin (John Cusack) stays in a creepy hotel room to prove it is not haunted. However, he soon comes to regret this decision as he witnesses true terror.
As one of the scariest horror movie hotels, 1408 echoes much of the story, themes, and character development of The Night House. Not only does that film follow a haunted location, but it also focuses on the character’s arc of confronting loss and death. 1408 is a must-watch as it has all the thrill factors, and Cusack gives an emotional performance.
5 Premonition (2007) – Available On Netflix & Tubi
In Premonition, a widow (Sandra Bullock) grieves for her husband (Julian McMahon), who has died in a car accident. She starts seeing things, and although she assumes they are dreams, they are something more.
Premonition parallels everything about The Night House, from its story, themes, and character arc. Both grieving widows experience odd visions that motivate them to find the truth and confront the strange beings. Although not the best horror film, Premontion is still an entertaining and thought-provoking story.
4 The Gift (2000) – Available On Hulu & Paramount+
In The Gift, a woman (Cate Blanchett) can see things in the future. It is a powerful gift that may help to track down a missing person.
The Gift also showcases supernatural aspects like projections and extrasensory perception to highlight the ominous tone and enigmatic situations. The film serves as a thrilling whodunit, but it is just as entertaining and harrowing to watch, with brilliant performances from the cast, including Blanchett. She anchors this film much in the same way Hall does in The Night House.
3 Gothika (2003) – Available On HBO Max
A psychiatrist (Halle Berry) ends up in a psychiatric hospital after she had gotten in a car accident and was accused of murdering her husband (Charles S. Dutton). She attempts to escape from the facility to prove her innocence and learn the truth.
Gothika‘s premise is similar to The Night House, but it digs deep into the mystery with Hitchcock vibes. The film is filled with many plot twists and shocking revelations that can be unsettling. Nevertheless, Berry delivers a noteworthy performance in this horror-thriller.
2 The Sixth Sense (1999) – Available On Peacock
A young boy (Haley Joel Osment) is fearful of the ghosts who keep visiting him, so he speaks to a child psychologist (Bruce Willis), who tries to help him with his situation and unfold the circumstances of his supernatural abilities.
The Sixth Sense has one of the best plot twists of M. Night Shyamalan’s movies. Like The Night House, it also incorporates supernatural elements like ghosts and spirits, but it is even more thrilling.
1 The Invisible Man (2020) – Available HBO Max
In The Invisible Man, a woman (Elisabeth Moss) escapes her abusive boyfriend (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), only to see that he takes his life days later. However, it appears it is all staged as an invisible person terrorizes her.
The Invisible Man is a refreshing adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel. The film has plenty of thrills and a mystery that has viewers guessing, an experience similar to The Night House. Moss’ lead performance grounds to movie similar to Hall’s.
About The Author
