Top 10 Horror Copycat Movies

What happens when two different people possess the same idea around the same time? Which one is ripping off the other? Well, both “The Cave” and “The Descent” were released in 2005. However, the former was released a month after the latter, meaning that “The Cave” was always going to live in the shadow (pun intended) of its forebear. This isn’t to say that “The Cave” is a bad movie, per se, since it also possesses a claustrophobic sense of dread, and nightmarish creatures to boot. Yet, the sad reality of the matter is that most movie fans are more likely to know “The Descent” rather than “The Cave.”

What makes this seem like a rip-off of “Evil Dead?” Maybe the demons, a dilapidated old house, and a couple of artifacts that are DEFINITELY not inspired by the Kandarian Daggers from the 1981’ horror classic. “Demon Wind” is a very strange horror hodgepodge, a cult video rental that’s certainly not lacking in entertainment. The film adapts much of its story from the aforementioned "Evil Dead," together with 1988’s "Night of the Demons" for good measure. The special effects are wild, the acting amateurish but not without charm and, “Demon Wind” is made all the better for it.

2018’s “A Quiet Place” received positive attention placed towards its treatment of human drama amid the backdrop of a horrific, monstrous apocalypse. A year later, the Netflix film “The Silence” would do something similar…only they wouldn’t forget to make their version violent and disturbing AF, to boot. Yep, diehard horror fans might actually prefer to watch “The Silence” over “A Quiet Place,” particularly if a more reckless vibe is what’s desired. Simply said, “The Silence” goes for it in a manner that differentiates itself from “A Quiet Place” enough to earn it a spot on your watchlist.

The Italian genre film cycles of the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s made a killing on the copycat game, tackling every conceivable genre with aplomb and reckless abandon. “Beyond the Door” was one of that country’s numerous rip-offs of “The Exorcist,” but it also enjoyed financial success when exported abroad. The film relentlessly toured the drive-in and grindhouse circuits, shocking audiences not only with its creepy possession scenes but also its surprisingly funky soundtrack! “Beyond the Door” also tackles the “satanic offspring” plot thread of “Rosemary’s Baby,” to boot, making this something of a “perfect storm” in the realm of sleazy horror copycats.

Italy isn’t the only country to have taken inspiration from huge American horror franchises over the years. “Mahakaal” is perhaps one of the most infamous copycat flicks to come out of India, although the film’s singing and dancing approach definitely distances itself from its source material, “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Indeed, this 1993 Bollywood joint began production in the late eighties, and looks every inch of the part. There’s a full, Freddy Krueger-inspired bad guy here, as well as a comic relief character with a serious Michael Jackson fetish. Yet, this film from the famed Ramsay Brothers also possesses some legitimately atmospheric lighting and set-pieces amid all of the musical numbers. “Mahakaal” is absolutely worth a watch.

It may seem reductive to label 1989’s “Intruder” as merely a clone of “Halloween” from 1978. After all, the simple fact that they’re both slashers doesn’t necessarily make them similar films. And in deference to “Intruder,” director Scott Spiegel utilizes the novel location of a grocery store for his film’s setting. “Intruder” also had its origins in “Night Crew,” an earlier Super-8 work from Spiegel in which the killer had even more in common with “Halloween.” “Intruder” takes a variety of “Halloween” tropes and goes heavy on the practical gore effects. The end results are a messy and tense little slasher flick that’s worth a look.

Ridley Scott’s “Alien” wasn’t the first science fiction horror film, but it arguably set a mighty high bar for success in its wake. “Inseminoid” was just one of the gory and disturbing interstellar horror released in a post “Alien” world, a British/Hong Kong co-production with a memorable twist. Here, the aliens not only aren’t friendly…they also want to procreate. As a result, “Inseminoid” delivers graphic content with an equally messy pay-off, as poor Judy Geeson delivers bloodthirsty alien offspring. It’s honestly as gross as it sounds, made all the more uneasy by the film’s bleak electronic score. “Inseminoid” goes there.

Every horror fan out there probably has their favorite post “Gremlins” copycat film. Maybe you’re a “Ghoulies” gal. Or maybe a “Hobgoblins” kinda guy. For our money, however, there’s just something special about 1986’s “Critters.” For starters, their creature design is different enough from both the Mogwai and fully-formed Gremlins to stand out from the pack. Additionally, there’s a wicked sense of humor that runs through all four canonical films, as well as the 2019 reboot, “Critters Attack!” The first “Critters” film possesses a great electronic score (complete with a memorable metal theme song), quick-moving action and an atmosphere that’s just scary enough for younger kids that are new to horror. It’s highly recommended.

The aforementioned Italian genre film industry didn’t just stop at copying established horror franchises. They also excelled in legally gray retitlings of movies, in order to tenuously attach them to said franchises. Director Lucio Fulci was a respected maestro who was known as Italy’s “Godfather of Gore,” and his 1979 film “Zombie,” a.k.a. “Zombie Flesh Eaters” was also released under the title of “Zombi 2.” This was due to the fact that George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead” was issued in Italy under the title of, you guessed it, “Zombi.” The two films only possess a passing resemblance to each other in other respects, with Fulci’s tropical setting (and infamous “zombie vs. shark” sequence) helping it stand on its own two rotting feet.

The horror movie world is a much better place, thanks to the copious amount of copycat films released in the aftermath of 1975’s “Jaws.” You wanna see a giant bear attack? Check out “Grizzly” from 1976. A killer whale more your style? Then 1976’s “Orca” is for you. That said, there are few “when animals attack” films quite like Joe Dante’s “Piranha.” This 1978 effort for producer Roger Corman brought with it Dante’s trademark zaniness and penchant for self-referential humor. Of course, “Piranha” also contained plenty of gratuitous skin and violence, but what Dante did best was tie all of these exploitable elements together to make a FUN movie.