Movies Like
Movies Like A Quiet Place: Suspenseful Horror
By Jordan A. · · 2 min read
A Quiet Place is John Krasinski's movie about a family surviving in silence because making sound means death. It barely talks and it doesn't need to. The threat is communicated through editing and sound design and the way people move. If you want more innovative horror that uses minimal dialogue and maximum tension to keep you on edge, here's the list.
These are the horror movies that understand that what you don't see is scarier than what you do.
More John Krasinski
A Quiet Place Part II is bigger and more ambitious but the first one is still the master.
A Quiet Place: Day One is the prequel. Michael Sarnoski directing and it's actually good.
For the silent horror
Hush is Mike Flanagan and a deaf woman surviving a home invasion. The sound design works against itself.
The Silence is another creature-feature about not making noise. Less effective than Quiet Place but similar premise.
It Comes at Night is Trey Edward Shults and paranoia and family breakdown. Minimalist and disturbing.
For the innovative creature design
Annihilation is Alex Garland and extraterrestrial horror that looks like something else entirely.
A Dark Song is a movie that shouldn't work but does. Occult horror shot like a spiritual journey.
Under the Skin is Jonathan Glazel and Scarlett Johansson. Alien on Earth and it's terrifying because it's quiet.
For the family survival
10 Cloverfield Lane is Dan Trachtenberg and John Goodman in a bunker. Claustrophobia as a weapon.
A Quiet Place Part II should have gone here. The kids are learning to survive.
Extinction is aliens and a family on the run. Lesser-known but solid.
Bird Box is not a movie but the Netflix series with Sandra Bullock is about not looking and survival.
For the tension through editing
Don't Breathe is Fede Alvarez and sensory deprivation. A blind veteran in the dark.
M3GAN is AI horror that's smarter than it looks. Tense and funny.
X is Ti West doing slasher as artistic expression. The editing is impeccable.
For the minimal dialogue horror
Nosferatu is the silent classic. Shadows and dread and Count Orlok.
The Lighthouse is barely dialogue but it's not horror. Close though.
Eraserhead is David Lynch and you're never sure what's happening but you're terrified.
For the body-horror specificity
Tusk is Kevin Smith and Justin Long becoming a walrus. Deeply uncomfortable.
The Fly is David Cronenberg and Jeff Goldblum. Gross and sad and brilliant.
The Babadook is Australian horror about grief and monsters. The editing is perfect.
If you want to find the ones that will actually scare you, BingeNext will rank them. A Quiet Place is the anchor. Everything else is about understanding that silence can be louder than anything.
The best horror respects the audience's imagination. These movies know how to use it against you.
Topics covered: horror, thriller, suspense, innovative, family-drama, contemporary
About the author
Jordan A., Founder, BingeNext
Jordan A. is the founder of BingeNext and writes every guide on this site. He built the recommendation engine after one too many nights lost to the streaming menu, and he still tests every pick the hard way: by watching it.