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Eraserhead poster

Movies that feel likeEraserhead (1977)

First-time father Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.

If you loved Eraserhead, the closest films we have are Scanners (1981), Altered States (1980) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). All three share Eraserhead's dread and unsettling feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Poison for the Fairies (1986).

πŸ… 87% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.2 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. David Lynchdreadunsettlingcerebraldreamlike
9 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max Β· Amazon Prime Video Β· Hulu

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If Eraserhead hit the spot, these will too

Scanners poster
Scanners
1981 Β· dir. David Cronenberg
πŸ… 69%β˜… 6.7science fiction Β· horrorMax

One thread runs through both: body horror

The difference: Trades the dream logic of Eraserhead for an angle of its own

A scientist trains a man with an advanced telepathic ability called 'scanning' to stop a dangerous Scanner with extraordinary psychic powers from waging war against non-Scanners.

Altered States poster
Altered States
1980 Β· dir. Ken Russell
πŸ… 85%β˜… 6.9horror Β· science fiction Β· thriller

The same mix in both: dread, then unease

The difference: Leans harder into thriller than Eraserhead does

A research scientist explores the boundaries and frontiers of human consciousness. Using sensory deprivation and hallucinogenic mixtures from Native American shamans, he explores these altered states of cognizance and finds that memory, time, and reality itself are states of mind.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers poster
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1978 Β· dir. Philip Kaufman
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.4science fiction Β· horror

Cerebral horror in both cases

The residents of San Francisco are becoming drone-like shadows of their former selves, and as the phenomenon spreads, two Department of Health workers uncover the horrifying truth.

The Incredible Shrinking Man poster
The Incredible Shrinking Man
1957 Β· dir. Jack Arnold
πŸ… 83%β˜… 7.6science fiction Β· adventure Β· horror

The same two preoccupations: surrealism, and black and white

The difference: Sits closer to adventure than Eraserhead does

A dangerous combination of radiation and insecticide causes the unfortunate Scott Carey to shrink, slowly but surely, until he is only a few inches tall. His home becomes a wilderness where he must survive everything from spiders living in the cellar to his beloved cat.

Phantasm poster
Phantasm
1979 Β· dir. Don Coscarelli
πŸ… 72%β˜… 6.6horror Β· science fictionPrime Video

Dread-soaked science fiction, and it commits to that

A teenage boy and his friends face off against a mysterious grave robber, known only as the Tall Man, who employs a lethal arsenal of unearthly weapons.

The Fly poster
The Fly
1986 Β· dir. David Cronenberg
πŸ… 82%β˜… 7.6horror Β· science fictionHuluPeacock

Common ground: mutant

When brilliant, eccentric scientist Seth Brundle makes a huge technological breakthrough in teleportation, he decides to test it on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a common housefly manages to get inside the device and the two become one.

Phase IV poster
Phase IV
1974 Β· dir. Saul Bass
πŸ… 50%β˜… 6.4horror Β· science fiction

Horror with a pulse of unease, in both cases

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

Arizona ants mock the food chain on their way to a desert lab to get two scientists and a woman.

A Nightmare on Elm Street poster
A Nightmare on Elm Street
1984 Β· dir. Wes Craven
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.4horrorMax

Both keep coming back to the same thing: nightmare

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 by angry parents many years before. Krueger has now come back in the dreams of his killers' children, claiming their lives as his revenge. Nancy and her boyfriend, Glen, must devise a plan to lure the monster out of the realm of nightmares and into the real world...

Poison for the Fairies poster
Poison for the Fairies
1986 Β· dir. Carlos Enrique Taboada
β˜… 7.2fantasy Β· horror

Both lean on dream logic more than on science fiction

In 1965 Mexico City, Flavia, a wealthy yet lonely schoolgirl, befriends Veronica, a young orphan girl who has a fascination with witchcraft. Veronica convinces Flavia that she is a real witch and forces her to be her assistant. The children's games gradually become more serious and Veronica demands more from Flavia.

Videodrome poster
Videodrome
1983 Β· dir. David Cronenberg
πŸ… 83%β˜… 7.2horror Β· science fiction Β· mysteryPrime Video

Both are built on the same subject: surrealism

As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought.

Seconds poster
Seconds
1966 Β· dir. John Frankenheimer
πŸ… 79%β˜… 7.6science fiction Β· thriller Β· horror

The same preoccupation in both: black and white

An unhappy middle-aged banker agrees to a procedure that will fake his death and give him a completely new look and identity; one that comes with its own price.

Son of Frankenstein poster
Son of Frankenstein
1939 Β· dir. Rowland V. Lee
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.1horror Β· science fiction

Horror built on ideas, twice over

The difference: 38 years apart, and the 1930s show

One of the sons of late Dr. Henry Frankenstein finds his father's ghoulish creation in a coma and revives him, only to find out the monster is controlled by Ygor who is bent on revenge.

In the mood for more dread?

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The best-reviewed films that share Eraserhead’s defining feeling.