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Jacob's Ladder poster

Movies that feel likeJacob's Ladder (1990)

After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie, and ex-wife, Sarah, try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis, fails to reach him as he descends into madness.

If you loved Jacob's Ladder, the closest films we have are A Dark Song (2016), A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) and Absentia (2011). All three share Jacob's Ladder's twisty and dread feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Next of Kin (1982).

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If Jacob's Ladder hit the spot, these will too

A Dark Song poster
A Dark Song
2016 Β· dir. Liam Gavin
πŸ… 91%β˜… 6.2horror Β· fantasy Β· mystery

The same mix in both: twists, then dread

The difference: Trades the stillness of Jacob's Ladder for an angle of its own

A determined young woman and a damaged occultist risk their lives and souls to perform a dangerous ritual that will grant them what they want.

A Tale of Two Sisters poster
A Tale of Two Sisters
2003 Β· dir. Kim Jee-woon
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7.1drama Β· horror Β· mystery

Both land stillness and unease at once

The difference: Easier on the dream logic than Jacob's Ladder

Two sisters return home after a stay in a mental institution, only to face disturbing events and a strained relationship with their stepmother. As eerie occurrences unfold, dark family secrets begin to surface, blurring the line between reality and nightmare.

Absentia poster
Absentia
2011 Β· dir. Mike Flanagan
πŸ… 87%β˜… 5.8horror Β· mystery

One thread runs through both: grief

The difference: Made in the 2010s, in a different era of the craft

Tricia's husband has been missing for seven years. Her younger sister Callie comes to live with her as the pressure mounts to finally declare him 'dead in absentia'. Tricia is reluctant, always holding out hope, but Callie is practical and wants her to move on. As Tricia sifts through the wreckage and tries to move on with her life, Callie finds herself drawn to an ominous tunnel near the house.

Next of Kin poster
Next of Kin
1982 Β· dir. Tony Williams
πŸ… 100%β˜… 6.2horror Β· mystery

Mystery with a pulse of dream logic, in both cases

The difference: Reviewed even better

After Linda inherits a retirement home, she witnesses a series of strange events which seem connected to a dark and unspeakable evil.

The Ritual poster
The Ritual
2017 Β· dir. David Bruckner
πŸ… 74%β˜… 6.4horror Β· mysteryNetflix

Both keep coming back to the same thing: nightmare

A group of college friends reunite for a trip to the forest, but encounter a menacing presence in the woods that's stalking them.

Smile 2 poster
Smile 2
2024 Β· dir. Parker Finn
πŸ… 86%β˜… 6.7horror Β· mysteryNetflixPrime Video

New York City shapes both of them

About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.

Alone poster
Alone
2007 Β· dir. Banjong Pisanthanakun
β˜… 6.4horror Β· mystery Β· drama

Melancholy drama in both cases

When Pim and Ploy, twins conjoined at the stomach, are separated, the operation leaves Pim the surviving sister, haunted by Ploy's vengeful ghost.

Don't Look Now poster
Don't Look Now
1973 Β· dir. Nicolas Roeg
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.1thriller Β· drama Β· horror

Common ground: hallucination

The difference: Leans harder into thriller than Jacob's Ladder does

While grieving a terrible loss, a married couple meet two mysterious sisters, one of whom gives them a message sent from the afterlife.

The Last Wave poster
The Last Wave
1977 Β· dir. Peter Weir
πŸ… 78%β˜… 6.9drama Β· mystery Β· horrorMax

Both are built on the same subject: paranoia

A Sydney lawyer defends five Aboriginal people in a ritualised taboo murder and in the process learns disturbing truths about himself and premonitions.

1408 poster
1408
2007 Β· dir. Mikael HΓ₯fstrΓΆm
πŸ… 80%β˜… 6.8horror Β· mystery

Twisty horror, and it commits to that

A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.

The Sentinel poster
The Sentinel
1977 Β· dir. Michael Winner
πŸ… 45%β˜… 6.3horror Β· mystery Β· fantasyNetflix

Both lean on dread more than on mystery

As a young girl, Alison Parker attempted suicide after being traumatized by her father's sexual exploits. Now an elite fashion model, she moves to a Brooklyn Heights apartment building where she encounters a number of bizarre, eccentric tenants and attempts to uncover the building's sinister secret.

Good Manners poster
Good Manners
2018 Β· dir. Juliana Rojas
πŸ… 96%β˜… 6.7fantasy Β· horror Β· mystery

Drama built on stillness, twice over

Clara, a lonely nurse from the outskirts of SΓ£o Paulo, is hired by mysterious and wealthy Ana as the nanny for her unborn child. The two women develop a strong bond, but soon Clara discovers a terrifying secret about the child.

In the mood for more contemplative?

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The best-reviewed films that share Jacob's Ladder’s defining feeling.