Lights Out was a breakout horror movie that came from relatively humble origins, having been adapted from a short film from the movie’s director, David F. Sandberg, who has since used its popularity to build a successful career helming blockbusters both in and out of the genre.
A lot of what helped the movie to stand out from so many other similar supernatural horror titles was its high-concept premise but there are a number of other terrifying films out there that either draw from the same sources as Lights Out or even directly inspired it.
Ringu (1998)
● Available on Tubi
A classic J-horror movie guaranteed to make fans’ skin crawl even today–that got one of the relatively few great English-language remakes as well–Ringu is a movie that still packs a lot of punch despite its central concept revolving around an essentially outmoded piece of technology.
The premise is that a mysterious VHS videotape curses all those who watch it to die a horrible death seven days later, with a woman desperately trying to discover the truth behind its origins in an attempt to save both her and her son. The remake captures everything great about the original and arguably even amplifies all of those qualities, but Lights Out fans will likely appreciate the lower-budget feel to the original a bit more.
Oculus (2013)
● Available on Starz
Alongside directors like David F. Sandberg, there have been many other standout names to emerge from modern low-budget horror filmmaking that Lights Out fans should be aware of. Writer, director, and editor Mike Flanagan expanded one of his earlier shorts as Sandberg did with Lights Out to make his own highly-praised supernatural horror feature.
Oculus revolves around a cursed mirror that gradually works on the minds of those around it, distorting reality and twisting them into committing unthinkable acts. Lights Out fans will have a blast with it, not just for its revamping of classic horror concepts but for the execution. Tension, shocks, violence, and drama are all expertly measured here.
Candyman (1992)
● Available on Tubi
A true ’90s classic that takes the metaphorical power of supernatural horror to its apex, Candyman is sadly often remembered as just another slasher movie featuring a killer with a quirk. But the thoughtful story of the movie delves into ideas as complex as the purpose of urban legends and their influence on the perception of reality while still being a satisfyingly blood-soaked campfire tale itself.
The central concept, which has survived more strongly than anything else about the movie, involves a simple curse that people place on themselves by looking into a mirror and saying the name of the terrifying killer “Candyman” five times. It’s a simple idea that sticks with the audience long after the credits roll as, like with the fear of the dark in Lights Out, doing routine things, like flipping a light switch or looking into a mirror, can remind fans about the movie’s scariest moments.
It Follows (2014)
● Available on Tubi, Pluto TV, and Vudu
High concepts from modern horror movies don’t come more famous than the central idea at play in It Follows. The movie follows a young woman whose life is upended when she discovers that she has inherited a supernatural curse passed to her through intercourse. Now, unless the curse is successfully passed on to a living person through intercourse again, she will be slowly stalked by an unstoppable force that takes the appearance of random people so it can appear out of nowhere at almost any moment.
Fans of the slow-burning horror in Lights Out should definitely seek this movie out as the impending dread of the next inevitable attack adds so much intensity to its unique look.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
● Available on HBO Max
Back in the 1980s, horror movie fans were wowed by the concept at play in Wes Craven’s iconic slasher success. In it, a group of teens is haunted by a disgusting figure who appears in their dreams but his ability to hurt them crosses over into reality. So now, the next time the characters fall asleep, they could never wake up again.
Like in Lights Out, the protagonist is faced with a seemingly unbeatable enemy but doesn’t take it lying down, with her instead fighting back and attempting to find a way to defeat the villain once and for all. There’s also a lot of interesting overlap between the two movies in terms of generational curses and family secrets, making it a must-see for fans interested in the development of high-concept stories in horror movies.
The Babadook (2014)
● Available on DirecTV and AMC+
A struggling widowed mother begins to see the unnerving specter from an ominously dark children’s book appearing in real life, threatening the life of her son, in this more intimate take on supernatural horror.
Fans of the more psychological aspects of the horror in Lights Out are likely to get a lot out of the story, as it delves into the mental and emotional state of its main character, eliciting horror from very real feelings as well as sudden surprises from a malevolent presence.
The Empty Man (2020)
● Available on Spectrum TV
A massively overlooked cult horror gem from recent years, the plot of The Empty Man itself revolves around a shadowy cult that worships an otherworldly entity with the obsessive nature of the story and the characters proving contagious.
Like many supernatural horror movies, the experience is broken up into stages, and fans of Lights Out should not be disappointed by the restraint used to keep the film’s scariest ideas in the imagination of the audience. It’s a smart tactic employed by an all-around intelligent movie that has some surprisingly thought-provoking conversations dotted amongst its seemingly conventional plot about a cop looking into the cult at the heart of the story.
Shutter (2004)
● Available on Netflix and Vudu
In a similar vein to the original Ringu, this Thai horror hit has a similar premise about a ghostly woman haunting a group of young people but revolves around the more timeless process of photography and incorporates tat into the concept rather than a dated technology like VHS.
Remade multiple times in multiple languages, including English, Shutter is a certifiable pillar of modern supernatural horror movies and the scenes where the main characters are pursued by the ghoulish figure at the heart of the story are sure to entertain fans of Lights Out.
The Invisible Man (2020)
● Available on Max Go
A modern update of Universal’s classic take on the self-explanatory H.G. Wells story, The Invisible Man struck a chord with critics by taking the Blumhouse studio approach to horror, allowing a more conservatively scaled story to highlight the plentiful moments of quiet tension.
The movie also has plenty of its own metaphorical value too, shifting the focus of the story away from the monster and putting on his biggest victim, exploring how abusive relationships can impact people long after they’ve ended. Fans of Lights Out will certainly get a kick out of the many scenes where they’ll strain their eyes looking for the next jump scare, at the very least.
Insidious (2010)
● Available on Netflix
Before the even greater success of the director’s Conjuring movies, James Wan struck horror movie gold with this modern revamping of the classic haunted house story, weaving a new universe of supernatural beings in the process.
Insidious follows a young family plagued by ghostly apparitions in their home, only for them to discover that the forces befalling them have deeper ties to the family than they realized. The movie establishes a clear set of high-concept rules for how its paranormal worlds work but Lights Out fans will mostly enjoy the crowd-pleasing build-up and payoff in the scares here.
