10 Best Movies Like Lights Out (Ranked & Where to Watch)

Ari Aster's Hereditary isn't just a horror film; it's a raw, visceral exploration of inherited trauma and the insidious nature of grief. While it lacks a creature explicitly tied to darkness, its profound psychological dread and the suffocating atmosphere of a family unraveling under a sinister supernatural influence makes it a spiritual successor to Lights Out's familial terror. The entity's rules and the overwhelming sense of inescapable doom echo the relentless pursuit of Diana, but with an added layer of devastating emotional complexity that leaves a far deeper scar.

James Wan's The Conjuring set a new benchmark for modern ghost stories, presenting a truly terrifying demonic entity within the confines of a besieged family home. Its classic haunted house tropes are executed with such precision and atmospheric tension that it consistently delivers chilling scares. Like Lights Out, it grounds its supernatural threat in a domestic setting, featuring a malevolent force with distinct rules of engagement and a clear intention to harm, creating an oppressive sense of dread that is both familiar and utterly petrifying.

Insidious, another masterwork from James Wan, delves into the terrifying concept of astral projection and a demonic entity's relentless pursuit of a child. The film establishes a horrifying otherworld, "The Further," from which malevolent spirits actively seek to cross over. Its blend of domestic terror, unsettling creature designs, and jump scares that truly earn their impact makes it a perfect companion to Lights Out. The fear of an unseen entity preying on the vulnerable in their own home is palpable, echoing Diana's sinister presence.

Parker Finn's Smile delivers a chillingly effective take on entity-driven horror, where trauma itself becomes a contagious curse. Its central premise—an entity that feeds on fear and spreads through witnessing a traumatic event—creates a relentless, inescapable dread similar to the unyielding nature of Diana in Lights Out. The protagonist's desperate battle against an unseen force that manipulates her reality, forcing her to confront her own psychological demons, makes Smile a modern standard-bearer for intelligent, high-concept creature horror.

The iconic Poltergeist stands as a foundational text for domestic supernatural horror. Its story of a suburban family whose home becomes a portal for malevolent spirits, particularly targeting their young daughter, resonates deeply with the themes of Lights Out. It’s a masterclass in building tension through unexplained phenomena, making everyday objects terrifying and demonstrating how quickly the sanctuary of home can become a battleground against unseen forces, capturing the primal fear of what lurks just beyond our perception.

Come Play offers a contemporary twist on the "creature bound by specific rules" trope, much like Lights Out. Here, a lanky entity named Larry manifests through screens and preys on a lonely, non-verbal boy. The film brilliantly updates the fear of the dark by tying the monster's appearance to digital devices and the light they emit. Its exploration of isolation and the desperate need for connection amidst terrifying supernatural encounters makes it a poignant and genuinely scary experience, echoing Lights Out's clever creature mechanic.

Cobweb masterfully crafts a sense of claustrophobic dread around a young boy who hears unsettling tapping from inside his bedroom wall, a sound his parents dismiss as imagination. This film channels the "fear of the unknown in your own home" aspect of Lights Out by slowly revealing a horrifying entity that has always been present but concealed. The psychological torment of being disbelieved, combined with the gradual, chilling reveal of a monstrous secret, builds to a genuinely terrifying and unexpected conclusion, making it a standout domestic horror.

Barbarian blindsides its audience with a brilliant pivot from a tense home invasion setup to a shocking subterranean creature feature. While not directly about darkness in the same explicit way as Lights Out, its primary antagonist, "The Mother," is a monstrous, feral entity that thrives in the hidden, lightless depths beneath a seemingly innocuous house. The film excels at creating an atmosphere of unsettling uncertainty and primal fear, making you constantly question what horrors lurk just out of sight, deep within the shadows.

The Entity delves into the chilling real-life account of a woman terrorized by an invisible, malevolent force. The film expertly balances the psychological torment of its victim, who is disbelieved and diagnosed with mental illness, against the undeniable, terrifying reality of a supernatural presence. This echoes Lights Out's exploration of mental health intertwined with a tangible monster. The sheer terror of an unseen assailant that cannot be fought directly creates a suffocating sense of helplessness, making it a deeply disturbing and impactful horror experience.

Insidious: Chapter 2 continues the terrifying saga of the Lambert family, directly exploring the aftermath of their encounter with the entities from "The Further." It expands upon the lore of the spirit world and the family's deep-seated connection to it, providing a richer narrative context for the haunting. The film maintains the domestic dread and creature-centric horror of its predecessor, delving into possession and the psychological toll of such encounters. It reinforces the idea of a family battling an ancient, persistent evil, much like the enduring threat of Diana.