Movies Like China Lake

If you liked China Lake (1983), a thriller and horror movie directed by Robert Harmon, 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
Maniac (1963)
★ 6.2/10Also horror and thriller
When a stranger enters a quiet, country town and is seduced by a sensuous married woman he unwittingly finds himself at the centre of a storm of sexual guilt and murder.
2
No Name on the Bullet (1959)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller
When hired killer John Gant rides into Lordsburg, the town's folk become paranoid as each leading citizen has enemies capable of using the services of a professional killer for personal revenge.
3
Black Widow (1987)
★ 6.2/10Also thriller
Federal agent Alexandra Barnes believes that Catherine Petersen is a serial killer who marries rich men and then murders them for their money. But since Catherine is seemingly a master of disguise and has multiple…
4
The Lady Vanishes (2013)
★ 6.3/10Also thriller and horror
Young socialite Iris Carr befriends an older woman while traveling solo by train. When Iris wakes from a nap, the woman is gone and other passengers claim she never existed.
5
The Shed (2019)
★ 6/10Also horror and thriller
The story of Stan, an orphaned teenager stuck living with his abusive grandfather and tasked with routinely protecting his best friend from high school bullies. When Stan discovers a murderous creature has taken refuge…
6
What's the Matter with Helen? (1971)
★ 5.9/10Also thriller and horror
Two middle-aged women move to Hollywood after their sons are convicted of a notorious murder and open a dance school for children eager to tap their way to stardom.
7
Race with the Devil (1975)
★ 6.4/10Also horror and thriller
Two couples vacationing together in an R.V. from Texas to Colorado are terrorized after they witness a murder during a Satanic ritual.
8
The Blue Lamp (1950)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller
P.C. George Dixon is a long-serving traditional copper who is due to retire shortly. He takes a new recruit under his aegis and introduces him to the easy-going night beat. Dixon is a classic ordinary hero but also…
9
Conflict (1945)
★ 6.7/10Also thriller
Unhappily married Richard Mason concocts a meticulous scheme to kill his shrewish wife so that he'll be free to marry her sister.
10
Z (2019)
★ 6.5/10Also horror and thriller
A family find themselves terrorized by their eight-year-old son's imaginary friend.
11
Basilisk: The Serpent King (2006)
★ 6.2/10Also horror
Two millennia ago, a Lybian king has a basilisk (snake-shaped dragon), which petrifies people, subjected to the same fate with a golden scepter during a solar eclipse. Both these and several victims are dug up by…
12
Nightfall (1956)
★ 6.9/10Also thriller
An innocent man turns fugitive as he reconstructs events that implicate him for a murder and robbery he did not commit.
13
Ghosts (1997)
★ 8.1/10Also horror
In the town of Normal Valley, an eccentric magician named Maestro entertains the local children every day in his spooky mansion. One stormy night, the town's mayor leads a group of angry citizens to the mansion in an…
14
The Night Stalker (1972)
★ 6.9/10Also horror and thriller
Wisecracking reporter Carl Kolchak investigates a string of murders in Las Vegas and suspects the culprit is a vampire. His editor thinks he's crazy and the police think he's a nuisance, so Kolchak takes matters into…
15
The Dark Mirror (1946)
★ 7/10Also thriller and horror
A sister and her disturbed twin are implicated in a murder and a police detective must figure out which one's the killer.
16
Oscar Shaw (2026)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller
After retiring from the police force, a relentless detective haunted by the tragic loss of his closest friend sets out on a perilous quest for vengeance, seeking redemption and fighting to restore justice to the…
17
The Glass Key (1942)
★ 6.7/10Also thriller
A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.
18
Pickup on South Street (1953)
★ 7.4/10Also thriller
In New York City, an insolent pickpocket, Skip McCoy, inadvertently sets off a chain of events when he targets ex-prostitute Candy and steals her wallet. Unaware that she has been making deliveries of highly classified…
19
The Mechanic (1972)
★ 6.7/10Also thriller
Arthur Bishop is a veteran hit man who, owing to his penchant for making his targets' deaths seem like accidents, thinks himself an artist. It's made him very rich, but as he hits middle age, he's so depressed and…
20
He Ran All the Way (1951)
★ 7.2/10Also thriller
A crook on the run hides out in an innocent girl's apartment.