Film

Odd Thomas

Name: Odd Thomas
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Released: 2013
Cast: Anton Yelchin, Addison Timlin, Willem Dafoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nico Tortorella

Odd Thomas is a supernatural thriller about a small-town fry cook who sees dead people and must prevent a massacre. It's earnest, zippy, and pleasantly weird—less gory than you'd expect, more about character than shocks. For fans of Stephen King who like their darkness cut with humour and heart.

TMDb rating

3.5

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like supernatural mysteries that blend small-town warmth, deadpan humour and a sincere love story, and you enjoy a short-order cook who sees ghosts being the most grounded person in the room.

Skip it if you want a tightly plotted thriller with steady dread, since this one wanders into sweet, goofy detours and its scares arrive in gentle bursts.

What it asks of you: A brisk 97 minutes with a sunny, patient rhythm that lets jokes breathe before the darker material closes in, and it rewards full attention.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

The Sixth Sense1999

A masterclass in building dread around clairvoyance. Haley Joel Osment's performance is extraordinary, and the twist lands because the film has earned your investment in every scene before it.

But The ending overshadows everything that comes before it for some viewers, and if you've seen it, there's less reason to revisit.

Insomnia2002

Christopher Nolan's remake is tense, intelligent, and anchored by Al Pacino and Robin Williams in a rare dramatic pairing. It takes its premise seriously without pretension.

But It's darker and slower than Odd Thomas, with less levity. Some find it bleak rather than gripping.

The Gift2015

Joel Edgerton's thriller about suburban paranoia and supernatural intuition. Clever plotting, genuine scares, and a protagonist you're never quite sure about.

But The third act shifts tone in ways some find frustrating. It's also more interested in moral ambiguity than clear answers.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Odd Thomas

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

A Matter of Life and Death1946

Both films treat the supernatural as a lens for examining love and connection rather than pure horror. Both ask: what would you do to save the person you love?

A Powell and Pressburger masterpiece about a bomber who cheats death and must argue his case in the afterlife. Visually sumptuous, philosophically generous, and surprisingly funny. It's about love and meaning, not jump scares.

But It's in black and white (then colour), from 1946, and moves at its own unhurried pace. The whimsy won't land if you're not in the mood for it.

Poltergeist1982

Spielberg's haunted-house film channels dread through a family under siege. The special effects still work, and the script has wit alongside genuine terror.

But It's from 1982, so the pacing is deliberate. The final act leans into spectacle in ways that can feel dated.

Don't Look Now1973

Roeg's masterpiece weaves clairvoyance, grief, and Venice into something hypnotic and devastating. Every frame is composed like a painting.

But It's slow, ambiguous, and emotionally bruising. The ending won't resolve neatly, and that's the point.

The Invisible Man2020

A smart reframing of a classic tale as a thriller about gaslighting and invisible threats. Elisabeth Moss is magnetic, and the sound design creates unbearable tension.

But It's more conceptual thriller than horror, and the social commentary can feel heavy-handed at moments.

A Dark Song2016

An Irish film about a woman and an occultist attempting a dangerous supernatural ritual. Intimate, strange, and genuinely moving—a real oddity that respects its premise.

But It's very slow and very sad. The budget is tiny, so you're watching two people talk in rooms for most of it.

Shutter Island2010

Scorsese's labyrinth of a thriller keeps you guessing about what's real. DiCaprio and Ruffalo play off each other beautifully in an atmosphere thick with dread.

But Once you see the twist, it collapses. Some feel manipulated rather than surprised by the reveal.

The Ninth Gate1999

Polanski's occult mystery is stylish, strange, and genuinely eerie. Depp hunts rare books and dark secrets across Europe in a film that trusts the audience to stay uncertain.

But It's deliberately oblique and slow. The supernatural elements remain unexplained, which frustrates viewers wanting clarity.

Pushing Daisies2007

Like Odd Thomas, it's a supernatural romance about a lonely person with an impossible gift, told with more style than sentimentality. Both love their protagonists without excusing their isolation.

A pie-maker who can revive dead things solves murders with his revived childhood sweetheart. It's visually delirious, wildly inventive, and balances whimsy with genuine darkness. Every episode is a small miracle.

But The twee aesthetic is relentless, and it was cancelled after two seasons. The tonal shifts between cozy and melancholy won't suit everyone.

Carnival of Souls1962

Both centre on a protagonist marked by death who moves through the normal world carrying knowledge others can't. Both suggest the real horror is loneliness, not the supernatural itself.

A low-budget indie about a woman haunted after a car accident, drifting through a bleak American landscape. It's eerie, human, and builds its horror from mood rather than budget. Influenced everything that came after.

But It's obscure for a reason: the acting is stiff, the plot is thin, and nothing is explained. You're watching an atmosphere, not a story.