Movies Like The Strange Thing About the Johnsons

Ranked by shared directors, cast, themes, genre, and era — not just generic recommendations.

Hereditary

2018·2h 8m·★ 7.3·Ari Aster

2 shared crewThemes: family drama, disturbedDir. Ari Aster

Midsommar

2019·2h 27m·★ 7.1·Ari Aster

2 shared crewDir. Ari AsterDP: Pawel Pogorzelski

Munchausen

2013·17m·★ 6.8·Ari Aster

2 shared crewDir. Ari AsterDP: Pawel Pogorzelski

Beau Is Afraid

2023·2h 59m·★ 6.6·Ari Aster

2 shared crewDir. Ari AsterDP: Pawel Pogorzelski

Basically

2014·15m·★ 6.2·Ari Aster

2 shared crewDir. Ari AsterDP: Pawel Pogorzelski

Hotel Rwanda

2004·2h 2m·★ 8.1·Terry George

Themes: desperate, ominousTMDB recommends

The Color Purple

1985·2h 34m·★ 7.7·Steven Spielberg

4 shared themes: desperate, ominous, harsh...Fans also liked

The Prince of Tides

1991·2h 12m·★ 6.8·Barbra Streisand

Themes: poet, rape of a male, distressingFans also liked

Apocalypse Now

1979·2h 27m·★ 8.4·Francis Ford Coppola

Themes: distressing, absurdTMDB recommends

Natural Born Killers

1994·1h 59m·★ 7.2·Oliver Stone

Themes: abuse, tenseTMDB recommends

The Revenant

2015·2h 37m·★ 8.0·Alejandro González Iñárritu

Themes: tragic, tense, shocking

Brave

2012·1h 33m·★ 7.1·Mark Andrews

Themes: disgusted, absurd, grim

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

1992·2h·★ 6.9·Chris Columbus

Themes: depressing, family relationships, shocking

A Nightmare on Elm Street

1984·1h 31m·★ 7.4·Wes Craven

Themes: desperate, grim, shocking

Happiness

1998·2h 20m·★ 7.7·Todd Solondz

Themes: disturbed, shockingFans also liked

Scream 7

2026·1h 54m·★ 5.5·Kevin Williamson

Themes: distressing, grim, shocking

A Quiet Place

2018·1h 31m·★ 7.5·John Krasinski

Themes: hostile, tenseHorror & Drama

Memento

2000·1h 53m·★ 8.4·Christopher Nolan

Themes: bewildered, disturbed

My Fault

2023·1h 56m·★ 6.1·Domingo González

Themes: disgusted, disturbed

The Shining

1980·2h 24m·★ 8.4·Stanley Kubrick

Themes: domestic violence, disturbed

How Good Is The Strange Thing About the Johnsons?

Ratings across IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and TMDB, plus our verdict.