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Movies that feel like Thesis (1996)

If you loved Thesis, the closest films we have are Split (2017), The Conjuring (2013) and Creep (2014). All three share Thesis's dread and unsettling feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 9 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on HBO Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and others, checked against today's data.

While working on a thesis about audiovisual violence, film student Ángela finds a snuff video where a girl is tortured until death. Soon she discovers that she was a former student in her university, and that the authors of the video are not very far either.

🍅 86% Rotten Tomatoes7.4 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Alejandro Amenábardreadunsettlingtense

When is Thesis streaming? →

If Thesis hit the spot, these will too

Split poster
Split
2017 · dir. M. Night Shyamalan
🍅 79%7.3horror · thriller

Kidnapping is the engine of both

The difference: 21 years apart, and the 2010s show

Though Kevin has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher, there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey, Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him — as well as everyone around him — as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

Feels alike?
The Conjuring poster
The Conjuring
2013 · dir. James Wan
🍅 86%7.5horror · thriller

The same mix in both: dread, then unease

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.

Feels alike?
Creep poster
Creep
2014 · dir. Patrick Brice
🍅 91%6.3horror · thriller

Both circle psychopath and murder

Looking for work, Aaron comes across a cryptic online ad: “$1,000 for the day. Filming service. Discretion is appreciated.” Low on cash and full of naiveté, he decides to go for it. He drives to a cabin in a remote mountain town where he meets Josef, his cinematic subject for the day. Josef is sincere and the project seems heartfelt, so Aaron begins to film. But as the day goes on, it becomes clear that Josef is not who he says, and his intentions are not at all pure.

Feels alike?
Halloween poster
Halloween
1978 · dir. John Carpenter
🍅 97%7.7horror · thriller

Both built around serial killer

Fifteen years after murdering his sister on Halloween Night 1963, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital and returns to the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois to kill again.

Feels alike?
Orphan poster
Orphan
2009 · dir. Jaume Collet-Serra
🍅 59%7horror · thriller

Horror with a pulse of tension, in both cases

The difference: Critics were much harder on this one

After losing their baby, a married couple adopt 9-year old Esther, who may not be as innocent as she seems.

Feels alike?
Insidious poster
Insidious
2011 · dir. James Wan
🍅 66%6.8horror · thriller

Both trade on dread more than on being thriller

A family discovers that dark spirits have invaded their home after their son inexplicably falls into an endless sleep. When they reach out to a professional for help, they learn things are a lot more personal than they thought.

Feels alike?
Drag Me to Hell poster
Drag Me to Hell
2009 · dir. Sam Raimi
🍅 92%6.6horror · thriller

Unsettling horror in both cases

After denying a woman the extension she needs to keep her home, loan officer Christine Brown sees her once-promising life take a startling turn for the worse. Christine is convinced she's been cursed by a Gypsy, but her boyfriend is skeptical. Her only hope seems to lie in a psychic who claims he can help her lift the curse and keep her soul from being dragged straight to hell.

Feels alike?
Halloween poster
Halloween
2018 · dir. David Gordon Green
🍅 79%6.5horror · thriller

Murder sits at the heart of each

Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

Feels alike?
The Visit poster
The Visit
2015 · dir. M. Night Shyamalan
🍅 68%6.3horror · thriller

Thriller built on tension, twice over

A brother and sister are sent to their grandparents' remote Pennsylvania farm for a week, where they discover that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing.

Feels alike?
Insidious: Chapter 2 poster
Insidious: Chapter 2
2013 · dir. James Wan
🍅 38%6.6horror · thriller

Dread-soaked horror, and it commits to that

The haunted Lambert family seeks to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world.

Feels alike?
Lake Mungo poster
Lake Mungo
2009 · dir. Joel Anderson
🍅 92%6.2horror · thriller

Unsettling thriller in both cases

After 16-year-old Alice Palmer drowns at a local dam, her family experiences a series of strange, inexplicable events centered in and around their home. Unsettled, the Palmers seek the help of a psychic and parapsychologist, who discovers that Alice led a secret, double life. At Lake Mungo, Alice's secret past emerges.

Feels alike?
The Innkeepers poster
The Innkeepers
2012 · dir. Ti West
🍅 81%5.5horror · thriller

Both run tense where it counts

During the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotel's haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in for a stay.

Feels alike?

In the mood for more dread?

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The best-reviewed films that share Thesis's defining feeling.