feelsalike.com

Movies that feel like Island of Lost Souls (1932)

If you loved Island of Lost Souls, the closest films we have are Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), The Most Dangerous Game (1932) and The Invisible Man (1933). All three share Island of Lost Souls' dread and unsettling feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 7 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video and Peacock Premium and others, checked against today's data.

An obsessed scientist conducts profane experiments in evolution, eventually establishing himself as the self-styled demigod to a race of mutated, half-human abominations.

πŸ… 88% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.4 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Erle C. Kentoncerebraldreadunsettling

Not on subscription streaming right now. Rent or buy below.

See it on the map

When is Island of Lost Souls streaming? β†’

If Island of Lost Souls hit the spot, these will too

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde poster
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1931 Β· dir. Rouben Mamoulian
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.6horror Β· science fiction Β· drama

Both are built on the same subject: pre-code

The difference: Sits closer to drama than Island of Lost Souls does

Dr. Henry Jekyll believes that there are two distinct sides to men: one that is good and one that is evil. He believes that by separating the two, man can become liberated. He succeeds in his experiments with chemicals to accomplish this and transforms into Hyde to commit horrendous crimes. When he discontinues use of the drug, it is already too late.

Feels alike?
The Most Dangerous Game poster
The Most Dangerous Game
1932 Β· dir. Irving Pichel
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.1thriller Β· adventure Β· horror

The same two preoccupations: stranded, and remote island

The difference: Missing the ideas of Island of Lost Souls

When legendary hunter Bob Rainsford is shipwrecked on the perilous reefs surrounding a mysterious island, he finds himself the guest of the reclusive and eccentric Count Zaroff. While he is very gracious at first, Zaroff eventually forces Rainsford and two other shipwreck survivors, brother and sister Eve and Martin Towbridge, to participate in a sadistic game of cat and mouse in which they are the prey and he is the hunter.

Feels alike?
The Invisible Man poster
The Invisible Man
1933 Β· dir. James Whale
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.6horror Β· science fiction

The same preoccupation in both: mad scientist

After experimenting on himself and becoming invisible, scientist Jack Griffin, now aggressive due to the drug's effects, seeks a way to reverse the experiment at any cost.

Feels alike?
Frankenstein poster
Frankenstein
1931 Β· dir. James Whale
πŸ… 94%β˜… 7.7drama Β· horror Β· science fiction

Both keep coming back to the same thing: mad doctor

Henry Frankenstein pieces together body parts in the hope of bringing a human-like creature to life. The mad scientist’s dreams are shattered by his monstrous creation awakening with rage to a world that hates and fears him.

Feels alike?
Son of Frankenstein poster
Son of Frankenstein
1939 Β· dir. Rowland V. Lee
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7horror Β· science fiction

Both land ideas and dread at once

One of the sons of late Dr. Henry Frankenstein finds his father's ghoulish creation in a coma and revives him, only to find out the monster is controlled by Ygor who is bent on revenge.

Feels alike?
Bride of Frankenstein poster
Bride of Frankenstein
1935 Β· dir. James Whale
πŸ… 98%β˜… 7.8horror Β· science fiction

Common ground: mad scientist

Dr. Frankenstein and his monster both turn out to be alive after being attacked by an angry mob. The now-chastened scientist attempts to escape his past, but a former mentor forces him to assist with the creation of a new creature.

Feels alike?
White Zombie poster
White Zombie
1932 Β· dir. Victor Halperin
πŸ… 77%β˜… 6.2horror

One thread runs through both: pre-code

The difference: None of the ideas Island of Lost Souls is built on

A wealthy landowner living in Haiti convinces a sorcerer to lure the woman he has fallen for away from her fiancΓ©. The madman later betrays their agreement by keeping the woman for himself…as a zombie.

Feels alike?
The Phantom of the Opera poster
The Phantom of the Opera
1925 Β· dir. Rupert Julian
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.5horror

Horror with a pulse of unease, in both cases

The deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star.

Feels alike?
The Thing from Another World poster
The Thing from Another World
1951 Β· dir. Christian Nyby
πŸ… 87%β˜… 7drama Β· horror Β· science fiction

Both lean on ideas more than on science fiction

Scientists and US Air Force officials fend off a blood-thirsty alien organism while investigating at a remote arctic outpost.

Feels alike?
Phase IV poster
Phase IV
1974 Β· dir. Saul Bass
πŸ… 50%β˜… 6.4horror Β· science fiction

Dread-soaked science fiction in both cases

The difference: Critics were much harder on this one

Arizona ants mock the food chain on their way to a desert lab to get two scientists and a woman.

Feels alike?
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky poster
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
1991 Β· dir. Lam Ngai Kai
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7action Β· science fiction Β· horror

Both keep coming back to the same thing: held captive

The difference: 59 years apart, and the 1990s show

In 2001, where all correctional facilities have been privatized, martial artist Ricky finds himself victim to the corrupt system, found "guilty" of the manslaughter of an infamous crime boss.

Feels alike?
The Black Cat poster
The Black Cat
1934 Β· dir. Edgar G. Ulmer
πŸ… 89%β˜… 6.9horror Β· thriller

Horror built on unease, twice over

After a road accident in Hungary, the American honeymooners Joan and Peter and the enigmatic Dr. Werdegast find refuge in the house of the famed architect Hjalmar Poelzig, who shares a dark past with the doctor.

Feels alike?

In the mood for more cerebral?

all cerebral movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Island of Lost Souls’ defining feeling.