47 Movies Like The Cabin in the Woods (2012) You Need to Watch Next
Updated August 2026
View The Cabin in the Woods details →Drew Goddard's 2012 feature takes the familiar setup of five friends heading to a remote cabin and turns it into a sly, self-aware experiment. Blending comedy, horror and mystery, it rewards viewers who know the genre's rules well enough to enjoy watching them dismantled. The dread builds slowly as the weekend curdles into something stranger, and the film keeps asking what exactly is pulling the strings. It suits anyone who likes their scares laced with wit and misdirection rather than pure gore, and who appreciates a story that questions its own conventions. Come for the cabin, stay for the trick beneath it. Best watched knowing as little as possible.
If you loved The Cabin in the Woods (2012) by Drew Goddard, here are 47 movies that share its content DNA. iRankMovies measures real similarity using cosine similarity across eight weighted dimensions — genre (50%), tone (12%), pace (10%), structure (8%), era (7%), theme (6%), audience (4%) and narrative perspective (3%) — not just the rating. The closest matches according to our analysis are In the Mouth of Madness, The Empty Man, Bodies Bodies Bodies. Every title is ranked by how closely it matches and backed by the iRank Score, a composite of IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic and TMDb across 12,000+ analysed titles.
The Best Movies Similar to The Cabin in the Woods
Selected for their real similarity in content, these are the movies that share the most with The Cabin in the Woods in terms of theme, narrative tone, and cinematic style. Every recommendation goes beyond genre — we evaluate the type of conflict, pacing, dramatic context, and the experience they create for viewers.
In the Mouth of Madness
1995 · John Carpenter
An insurance investigator visits a small town while looking into the strange disappearance of a popular horror novelist. He soon finds that the impact of the author’s books is far more than inspiratio
In common: Horror · Mystery
The Empty Man
2020 · David Prior
On the trail of a missing girl, an ex-cop comes across a secretive group attempting to summon a terrifying supernatural entity.
In common: Horror · Mystery
Bodies Bodies Bodies
2022 · Halina Reijn
In an isolated family mansion, a group of rich 20-somethings decides to play Bodies Bodies Bodies, a game where one of them is secretly a "killer" while the rest tries to "escape". Things take a turn
In common: Comedy · Horror · Mystery
Evil Dead II
1987 · Sam Raimi
Ash Williams and his girlfriend Linda find a log cabin in the woods with a voice recording from an archeologist who had recorded himself reciting ancient chants from "The Book of the Dead." As they pl
In common: Comedy · Horror
Event Horizon
1997 · Paul W. S. Anderson
In 2047, a group of astronauts are sent to investigate and salvage the starship Event Horizon which disappeared mysteriously seven years before on its maiden voyage. However, it soon becomes evident t
In common: Horror · Mystery
Happy Death Day
2017 · Christopher Landon
Caught in a bizarre and terrifying time warp, college student Tree finds herself repeatedly reliving the day of her murder, ultimately realizing that she must identify the killer and the reason for he
In common: Comedy · Horror · Mystery
Piranha 3D
2010 · Alexandre Aja
Each year the population of sleepy Lake Victoria, Arizona explodes from 5,000 to 50,000 residents for the annual Spring Break celebration. But then, an earthquake opens an underwater chasm, releasing
In common: Comedy · Horror
Saw X
2023 · Kevin Greutert
Between the events of 'Saw' and 'Saw II', a sick and desperate John Kramer travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer, only to discover
In common: Horror · Mystery
Last Shift
2014 · Anthony DiBlasi
Rookie police officer Jessica Loren has been assigned the last shift at a closing police station and must wait for a hazmat crew to collect biomedical evidence. Ordered not to leave the station under
In common: Horror · Mystery
The Babysitter
2017 · McG
When Cole stays up past his bedtime, he discovers that his hot babysitter is part of a Satanic cult that will stop at nothing to keep him quiet.
In common: Comedy · Horror
1408
2007 · Mikael Håfström
A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.
In common: Horror · Mystery
Oddity
2024 · Damian McCarthy
After the brutal murder of her twin sister, Darcy goes after those responsible by using haunted items as her tools for revenge.
In common: Horror · Mystery
Jigsaw
2017 · Michael Spierig
Law enforcement finds itself chasing the ghost of a man dead for over a decade, embroiled in a diabolical new game that's only just begun.
In common: Horror · Mystery
An American Werewolf in London
1981 · John Landis
American tourists David and Jack are savagely attacked by an unidentified animal while hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. After retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse to recuperate, David soon begins e
In common: Comedy · Horror
Braindead
1992 · Peter Jackson
When a Sumatran rat-monkey bites Lionel Cosgrove's mother, she's transformed into a zombie and begins killing (and transforming) the entire town while Lionel races to keep things under control.
In common: Comedy · Horror
The Ritual
2017 · David Bruckner
A group of college friends reunite for a trip to the forest, but encounter a menacing presence in the woods that's stalking them.
In common: Horror · Mystery
Spiral: From the Book of Saw
2021 · Darren Lynn Bousman
Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran, brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks and his rookie partner take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the c
In common: Horror · Mystery
Little Shop of Horrors
1986 · Frank Oz
Seymour Krelborn is a nerdy orphan working at Mushnik's; a flower shop in urban Skid Row. He harbors a crush on fellow co-worker, Audrey Fulquard, and is berated by Mr. Mushnik daily. One day, Seymour
In common: Comedy · Horror
The Frighteners
1996 · Peter Jackson
Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But
In common: Comedy · Horror
The Babysitter: Killer Queen
2020 · McG
Two years after defeating a satanic cult led by his babysitter Bee, Cole's trying to forget his past and focus on surviving high school. But when old enemies unexpectedly return, Cole will once again
In common: Comedy · Horror
Fright Night
1985 · Tom Holland
Charley Brewster, a high school student, accidentally discovers the true and creepy nature of Jerry Dandrige, his dashing and enigmatic new neighbor; but no one seems willing to believe him.
In common: Comedy · Horror
Evil Dead
2013 · Fede Álvarez
Mia, a drug addict, is determined to kick the habit. To that end, she asks her brother, David, his girlfriend, Natalie and their friends Olivia and Eric to accompany her to their family's remote fores
In common: Horror
The Evil Dead
1981 · Sam Raimi
In 1979, a group of college students find a Sumerian Book of the Dead in an old wilderness cabin they've rented for a weekend getaway.
In common: Horror
Ready or Not
2019 · Tyler Gillett
A young bride's wedding night turns into her worst nightmare when her ridiculously rich in-laws force her to play a gruesome game of hide-and-seek.
In common: Comedy · Horror
Jennifer's Body
2009 · Karyn Kusama
Jennifer, a gorgeous, seductive cheerleader takes evil to a whole new level after she's possessed by a sinister demon. Now it's up to her best friend to stop Jennifer's reign of terror before it's too
In common: Comedy · Horror
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
2015 · Christopher Landon
Three scouts and lifelong friends join forces with one badass cocktail waitress to become the world’s most unlikely team of heroes. When their peaceful town is ravaged by a zombie invasion, they’ll f
In common: Comedy · Horror
Tusk
2014 · Kevin Smith
When his best friend and podcast co-host goes missing in the backwoods of Canada, a young guy joins forces with his friend's girlfriend to search for him.
In common: Comedy · Horror
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
2016 · André Øvredal
Father and son coroners receive a mysterious unidentified corpse with no apparent cause of death. As they attempt to examine the "Jane Doe," they discover increasingly bizarre clues that hold the key
In common: Horror · Mystery
Barbarian
2022 · Zach Cregger
In town for a job interview, a young woman arrives at her Airbnb late at night only to find that it has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better jud
In common: Horror · Mystery
The Ring
2002 · Gore Verbinski
Journalist Rachel Keller investigates a strange videotape that may be behind the untimely deaths of four teenagers. There is an urban legend about this tape: the viewer will die seven days after watch
In common: Horror · Mystery
It Follows
2015 · David Robert Mitchell
A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.
In common: Horror · Mystery
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
2019 · André Øvredal
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 Bell
In common: Horror · Mystery
The Menu
2022 · Mark Mylod
A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
In common: Comedy · Horror
Murder Mystery
2019 · Kyle Newacheck
On a long-awaited trip to Europe, a New York City cop and his hairdresser wife scramble to solve a baffling murder aboard a billionaire's yacht.
In common: Comedy · Mystery
Shaun of the Dead
2004 · Edgar Wright
Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenu
In common: Comedy · Horror
Army of Darkness
1992 · Sam Raimi
Ash, a handsome, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed department store clerk, is time warped backwards into England's Dark Ages, where he romances a beauty and faces legions of the undead.
In common: Comedy · Horror
Prometheus
2012 · Ridley Scott
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future
In common: Horror · Mystery
The Thing
1982 · John Carpenter
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
In common: Horror · Mystery
The Innocents
1961 · Jack Clayton
In a mid-19th century Essex country house, a young governess for two children becomes convinced that the house and grounds are haunted by ghosts and that the children are being possessed.
In common: Horror · Mystery
Zombieland: Double Tap
2019 · Ruben Fleischer
Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.
In common: Comedy · Horror
Goosebumps
2015 · Rob Letterman
After moving to a small town, Zach Cooper finds a silver lining when he meets next door neighbor Hannah, the daughter of bestselling Goosebumps series author R.L. Stine. When Zach unintentionally unle
In common: Comedy · Horror
Jacob's Ladder
1990 · Adrian Lyne
After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around hi
In common: Horror · Mystery
Session 9
2001 · Brad Anderson
Tensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.
In common: Horror · Mystery
Suspiria
2018 · Luca Guadagnino
A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the night
In common: Horror · Mystery
Anaconda
2025 · Tom Gormican
A group of friends facing mid-life crises head to the rainforest with the intention of remaking their favorite movie from their youth, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natura
In common: Comedy · Horror
Zombieland
2009 · Ruben Fleischer
Columbus has made a habit of running from what scares him. Tallahassee doesn't have fears. If he did, he'd kick their ever-living ass. In a world overrun by zombies, these two are perfectly evolved su
In common: Comedy · Horror
Midsommar
2019 · Ari Aster
Several friends travel to Sweden to study as anthropologists a summer festival that is held every ninety years in the remote hometown of one of them. What begins as a dream vacation in a place where t
In common: Horror · Mystery
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