18 Movies Like ‘Get Out’
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Jordan Peele’s 2017 directorial debut, Get Out, changed the horror genre as we knew it. Instead of relying on overused slasher tropes or ghost stories, Peele turned inward and uncovered a reality more terrifying than any we could’ve dreamed of. Get Out starred Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington, a man in an interracial relationship. He and his girlfriend, Rose, decide to go upstate and spend time with her parents. But what should be a relaxing getaway takes a frightening turn when he realizes Rose’s family isn’t as friendly as it seems.
The film shocked viewers and critics alike, earning Peele an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2018. I won’t spoil the film’s third act, but Get Out proved that the most horrifying movies are rooted in truth. Below, we’ve rounded up 18 equally thrilling films that spotlight societal issues—and add a horrifying twist. From Rosemary’s Baby to The Menu to Parasite, these scary movies will make you question the world around you.
Rosemary’s Baby
Rosemary’s Baby stars Mia Farrow as Rosemary Woodhouse, a young woman who moves to the Upper West Side with her husband, Guy. Unbeknownst to her, their neighbors convince Guy to... impregnate her with Satan’s spawn. As Rosemary’s pregnancy progresses, she questions her autonomy—and when the baby is born, she senses something sinister. Through the topic of pregnancy, Rosemary’s Baby explores a woman’s right to her body, along with themes of gender roles and reproductive rights. In an interview with W magazine, Jordan Peele revealed that Rosemary’s Baby served as inspiration for Get Out. “The way some of my favorite movies—The Stepford Wives, Rosemary’s Baby—had dealt with gender was inspiring to me,” he said. “And I felt like it was time that there was a movie that dealt with race in a similar way.”
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Run
Like Get Out, Run does an excellent job of making an ordinary scenario downright eerie. The film stars Kiera Allen as Chloe, a teenage girl who’s been raised in near-total isolation. Chloe lives in a charming farmhouse with her mother, Diane (Sarah Paulson). Diane is a bit of a helicopter parent, but she masquerades her need for control as motherly love. As Chloe grows older, she begins to question why her mom is so protective. Is she just a concerned parent, or is there something Chloe doesn’t know? Over the course of the film, Run disrupts the notion of parenthood to explore the line between love and obsession.
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Us
Us is Jordan Peele’s second horror film (and my personal favorite from his filmography). The story follows Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o), who returns to her childhood beach house for a weekend with her family. Their vacation turns sour when masked strangers appear in their driveway. Somehow, the intruders look just like them and can anticipate their every move. Though Us is structured like a home-intruder story, the film is far from typical. While the Wilsons fight for their lives, they discover a horrifying secret between the haves and the have-nots.
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It Follows
When Jay sleeps with her boyfriend, Hugh, she unknowingly contracts a fatal curse. Like an STD, the curse is spread through sexual intercourse—and the only way to get rid of it is by passing it on to someone else. Over the course of the film, It Follows explores public paranoia about sexual health. It’s a bit literal, but if you look past that, the film provides an interesting perspective on a taboo topic.
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The Menu
The Menu doesn’t exactly deliver frights (you know, in a jump-scare kind of way), but its commentary on greed and consumerism is downright terrifying. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Margot, a young woman who’s whisked away to a private island for an elite dining experience. Her date is obsessed with the chef and insists they try his food. However, as the dinner unfolds, Margot realizes the menu is more than they had bargained for.
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American Psycho
American Psycho stars Christian Bale stars as Patrick Bateman, an investment banker by day—and a serial killer by night. This slasher examines American capitalism, privilege, and the ways we reward the upper class. It might seem like an ordinary slasher, but there’s so much more lying beneath the surface.
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Candyman
Candyman is a supernatural thriller about police brutality within the Black community. The original was released in 1992 and then reimagined for a modern audience in 2021. In the latest version, an artist named Anthony McCoy learns about Candyman—a neighborhood legend who was falsely persecuted and turned into a hook-handed spirit. As Anthony unpacks the ghost story, he unravels a mystery, tying the past to the present and signifying how little has changed.
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His House
His House explores immigration, focusing on a couple who escape South Sudan for England. They find refuge in a small apartment, but their peace is threatened by spirits lurking in the walls. As they struggle to acclimate to their new surroundings, they’re haunted by a ghost who doesn’t want them there. With its clever yet terrifying plot, His House provides an unnerving look at the refugee experience.
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Parasite
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite is an Oscar-winning film about class. The movie follows two families on opposite sides of the economic spectrum. The Parks are exceptionally wealthy—and the Kims are not. Desperate for a win, the Kims devise an elaborate plan to infiltrate the Parks’ home, but they uncover a grisly secret along the way. As the events in Parasite unfold, the film reveals a horrifying truth about how we treat each other.
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Monkey Man
Peele worked with Dev Patel to produce Monkey Man, which critiques politics and religious fanaticism through a story of vengeance. Patel stars as Kid, a young man whose mother was killed by a cult. Years later, her murderer gains political power, which inspires Kid to avenge her death. Monkey Man is gruesome and unflinching in its portrayal of corrupt systems—and the great lengths people go to uphold them.
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Saltburn
Saltburn stars Barry Keoghan as Oliver Quick, a new student at Oxford University. He’s a social pariah, but that changes when his popular classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi) takes an interest in him. Eventually they form a unique friendship and Felix invites Oliver to his family’s estate, sparking a yearslong obsession. As Oliver entrenches himself into Felix’s family, he grows intoxicated by their hedonistic lifestyle. Some viewers gave Saltburn a bad rap for its wackiness (and, ahem, explicitness)—but at its core, the film explores how greed can warp your mind.
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The Truman Show
The Truman Show is a classic mind-fuck. The film stars Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, a man who doesn’t know his life is a television show. Every moment of Truman’s existence is broadcast to the world while he racks up a legion of fans. But when it comes time for Truman to reclaim his life, the producers aren’t happy about it. The Truman Show raises questions of voyeurism—which has only become more relevant as social media gives us constant access to other people’s lives.
Antebellum
Janelle Monáe’s Antebellum reimagines slavery as a modern export. Monet stars as Veronica Henley, an author who’s on tour to promote her latest book. During the trip, she’s kidnapped and jolted into an alternate reality where slavery is still commonplace. As she struggles to make it back home, Veronica must find the ties between the past and the present. Her horrifying adventure makes for an extreme example of America’s lack of progress.
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The Stepford Wives
Peele’s directing style hearkens back to The Stepford Wives, which used an ordinary setting (i.e., the American household) to unearth a dark truth. Nicole Kidman stars as Joanna Eberhart, who—along with her husband—ditches New York City for a quiet suburb in Connecticut. As they spend more time in the neighborhood, Joanna gets the sense that her neighbors are harboring a dark secret.
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Fresh
Fresh uses—wait for it—cannibalism to explore the dangers of dating. It sounds crazy, but stick with me! The plot follows Daisy Edgar-Jones’s Noa, a young woman who meets a charming man at the grocery store. He’s handsome and seemingly harmless. Jackpot! Well, it would be if he didn’t have the biggest red flag known to man. Let’s just say he has an insatiable appetite.
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Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Before Get Out, there was Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner—an equally awkward but less terrifying film about race. Similar to Peele’s film, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner follows a Black man who meets his white girlfriend’s family. Things go awry when her family’s liberal views are challenged. They deem themselves progressives, but to their surprise, they’re not as open-minded as they think.
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Nope
The less I tell you about Nope, the better, but there’s no way I’m omitting Peele and Kaluuya’s collaboration after Get Out. (Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun are also incredible in this film, by the way.)
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Don’t Worry Darling
Don’t Worry Darling stars Harry Styles and Florence Pugh as Alice and Jack—a young couple living in an idyllic 1950s community. The men leave their wives each day to work on a secret project while the women enjoy their suburban paradise. After a while, Alice grows bored of their routine and starts asking questions. Her inquisitiveness uncovers a sinister secret that threatens to change everyone’s lives. Though Don’t Worry Darling received mixed reviews, the film showcases a clever depiction of gender roles and the lengths people will go to maintain them.
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