Film
The Girl We Let In
A psychological horror about a family who adopts their teenage babysitter, only to discover she's harboring a dangerous secret. It's a tense, claustrophobic thriller that mines dread from the violation of domestic safety—that unsettling question of how well you really know someone living in your home. For viewers who enjoy paranoia-driven narratives and aren't squeamish about darker turns.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like slow-burning domestic horror where the dread lives in ordinary kitchens and family dinners, and a suspicious mind is more fun than a jump scare.
Skip it if you want fast scares or a lean runtime, since at over two hours it lingers on the household's routines and the building unease between its moments.
What it asks of you: Settle in for a long, patient stretch that trades momentum for mounting tension, with a dark tone and your full attention on small domestic details.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Orphan2009
A similar adoption-gone-wrong premise that executes its twist with genuine shock value. The slow revelation of what's really happening will keep you guessing, and the film commits fully to its darkness without apology.
But The final act veers into territory some find exploitative. It's also visually darker than many thrillers, which can make it harder to follow in certain scenes.
We Need to Talk About Kevin2011
Explores the horror of raising a child you fundamentally cannot understand or control. It's a slow-burn psychological investigation into family trauma that prioritizes dread over jump scares, with phenomenal performances.
But It's deliberately paced and punishing. The subject matter—a mother grappling with her son's violence—can feel heavy and uncomfortable in ways that linger.
The Good Girl2002
A taut domestic thriller about secrets within a family structure and the question of whether anyone is who they seem. It has that same unsettling energy of trust being systematically dismantled.
But It's quieter and more psychologically focused than outright horror. If you want visceral scares rather than creeping dread, you might find it slow.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Girl We Let In
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Come True2020
Both trap a young person in a situation where their autonomy is gradually eroded by forces they don't fully understand, turning intimate spaces (home, body) into sites of terror.
A sci-fi horror film about a homeless teenager enrolling in a sleep study that spirals into body horror and existential dread. It's visually experimental and utterly original, with a synth score that becomes its own character. The alienation and violation you feel watching it is precisely calibrated.
But It's abstract and deliberately unexplained. If you need clear answers or conventional narrative structure, this will frustrate you deeply.
More like this (7)
Goodnight Mommy2015
An Austrian horror film that's genuinely unsettling about children, parental authority, and the gap between appearance and reality. The twist reshapes everything you've watched, and it's visually gorgeous and disturbing.
But It's experimental and bleak, with an aesthetic that can feel cold. The violence involving children will alienate some viewers, fairly.
Stoker2013
Park Chan-wook's American debut about a mysterious uncle arriving after a funeral, infecting a family dynamic with dangerous sexuality and hidden motives. It's gorgeously composed psychological horror with real menace.
But It's stylistically demanding and moves at its own pace. The sexual undercurrents might feel gratuitous depending on your tolerance.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer2017
An unsettling meditation on family secrets and the price of transgression, with a young person at the center of the horror. It's methodical, deeply strange, and keeps you off-balance throughout.
But It's deliberately artificial in tone and pacing, which some find pretentious. The premise itself is downright bleak and doesn't resolve neatly.
Hereditary2018
A masterclass in dread that uses family dynamics as its primary terror engine. It's visually stunning and emotionally devastating, with scares that emerge from character relationships rather than cheap tricks.
But It's deeply distressing and doesn't offer catharsis. Some sequences are genuinely difficult to watch, and the film demands a lot from its audience.
The Invisible Guest2017
A Spanish thriller about a man accused of murder who hires a lawyer, built on secrets and revelations that keep reframing what you thought you knew. Intricate plotting that actually holds up.
But It's dialogue-heavy and relies on exposition. If you prefer atmosphere over mechanics, the constant explanation might feel exhausting.
Shutter Island2010
A psychological mystery about a detective investigating a hospital for the criminally insane, with mounting unreliability and paranoia. It's a puzzle box that rewards attention and rewatch.
But The twist has become somewhat famous, which dulls its impact. Some find Scorsese's approach overly melodramatic compared to subtler psychological horror.
Under the Skin2014
A mysterious figure has infiltrated human family/social spaces with hidden predatory intent, forcing us to question what's actually happening beneath domestic normalcy.
An avant-garde science-fiction horror film about an alien predator in human form hunting in Scotland. It's hypnotic and deeply alien, with minimal dialogue and maximum atmosphere. Scarlett Johansson in a role that couldn't be further from her image.
But It's glacially paced and demands patience. Long stretches involve mundane footage that tests whether you can find horror in the banal. Many find it pretentious or boring.
People
Cast
Veronika BabinaSophie Tatum
Olivia MignoneHope Tatum
Ryan CallawayJeremiah Tatum
Clementine BenstockCandace Tatum
Winnie PenkethmanBrooke Castelli
Sasha PearsonKayla Mitchell
Hiram OrtizDr. Simmons
Denise Marie WhalenMelissa Castelli
Kailee McGuireElla Ingraham
Adrian EspinalDexter- Hannah LemkeBrittany Etters