Movies Like When I Was Scared of the Dark

If you liked When I Was Scared of the Dark (2023), a movie directed by Célia Tisserant and Arnaud Demuynck, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Ted (2012)
★ 6.5/10
John Bennett, a man whose childhood wish of bringing his teddy bear to life came true, now must decide between keeping the relationship with the bear or his girlfriend, Lori.
2
Little Monsters (1989)
★ 5.8/10
A young boy is scared of the monster under his bed. He asks his 6th grade brother to swap rooms for the night as a bet that the monster really exists. Soon the brother becomes friends with the monster and discovers a…
3
Imaginary (2024)
★ 5.9/10
When Jessica moves back into her childhood home with her family, her youngest stepdaughter Alice develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear named Chauncey she finds in the basement. Alice starts playing games with…
4
You Shall Not Sleep Tonight (2024)
★ 5.9/10
A boy is haunted by terrifying nightmares where a monster lurks inside the closet. To his relief, his father appears in the middle of the night helping him to face his fears. But the boy will begin to question the true…
5
Brother (2019)
★ 6.5/10
Because he wanted to protect his little brother, Teddy, a young man without a history, is accused of the murder of his father and sent to a closed educational center, waiting for his trial for parricide. He then…
6
Orion and the Dark (2024)
★ 6.5/10
A boy with an active imagination faces his fears on an unforgettable journey through the night with his new friend: a giant, smiling creature named Dark.
7
Dust Bunny (2025)
★ 6.7/10
Ten-year-old Aurora asks her hitman neighbor to kill the monster under her bed that she claims ate her family. To protect her, he must battle an onslaught of assassins while accepting that some monsters are real.
8
A Monster Calls (2016)
★ 7.3/10
12-year-old Conor encounters an ancient tree monster who proceeds to help him cope with his mother's terminal illness and being bullied in school.
9
Arcadian (2024)
★ 6/10
In the near future, on a decimated Earth, Paul and his twin sons face terror at night when ferocious creatures awaken. When Paul is nearly killed, the boys come up with a plan for survival, using everything their…
10
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)
★ 6.5/10
Mill Valley, Pennsylvania, Halloween night, 1968. After playing a joke on a school bully, Stella and her friends decide to sneak into a supposedly haunted house that once belonged to the powerful Bellows family…
11
Cobweb (2023)
★ 6.4/10
Eight year old Peter is plagued by a mysterious, constant tapping from inside his bedroom wall—one that his parents insist is all in his imagination. As Peter's fear intensifies, he believes that his parents could be…
12
The Boy Behind the Door (2020)
★ 6.2/10
Bobby tries to save himself and his best friend when they are kidnapped on their way home from school.
13
The Watchers (2024)
★ 6.3/10
A young artist gets stranded in an extensive, immaculate forest in western Ireland, where, after finding shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers, stalked by mysterious creatures each night.
14
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
★ 7.4/10
Teenagers in a small town are dropping like flies, apparently in the grip of mass hysteria causing their suicides. A cop's daughter, Nancy Thompson, traces the cause to child molester Fred Krueger, who was burned alive…
15
Nocturna (2007)
★ 7.1/10
An orphan boy named Tim is afraid of the dark. However, when the stars start going out in the sky, he finds himself exploring the world of the night, alongside his new friend, the Cat Shepherd.
16
The Bear (1988)
★ 7.1/10
An orphan bear cub hooks up with an adult male as they try to dodge human hunters.
17
Cold Skin (2017)
★ 6.3/10
A young man who arrives at a remote island finds himself trapped in a battle for his life.
18
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
★ 5.8/10
A teenage boy is haunted in his dreams by deceased child murderer Freddy Krueger, who is out to possess him in order to continue his reign of terror in the real world.
19
Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
★ 7.4/10
Jesse Aarons trained all summer to become the fastest runner in school. So he's very upset when newcomer Leslie Burke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and other differences including that she's rich, he's…
20
Before I Wake (2016)
★ 6.5/10
An orphaned child's dreams—and nightmares—manifest physically as he sleeps.