Films like Black Swan
15 picks with a similar feel
What defines Black Swan, going by its Boxlist taste profile: A fresh horror film that is heavy, stirring and morally murky. Best if you like surprises over comfort. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of self-destruction, competition and troubled leads, plus tags such as heartbreak, dancer and ballet.
Here are 15 films with a similar feel, ranked by how closely they match that profile. Treat them as picks to try, not a definitive list.
Based on Black Swan (2010).
- 1
The Shining (1980)
Film8.2
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and inventive, with themes of self-destruction and troubled leads. Common ground: psychological horror, psychological thriller.
- 2
Suspiria (1977)
Film7.6
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and inventive, with themes of troubled leads and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: ballet, psychological horror.
- 3
The Lighthouse (2019)
Film7.5
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and inventive, with themes of self-destruction and troubled leads. Common ground: madness, psychological horror.
- 4
Midsommar (2019)
Film7.1More intricate
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and inventive, with themes of self-destruction and troubled leads. Common ground: psychological horror, paranoia.
- 5
Funny Games (1997)
Film7.3
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and dark, with themes of competition and troubled leads. Common ground: psychological thriller.
- 6
In the Mouth of Madness (1995)
Film7.2More intricate
Why it's like Black Swan: Also inventive and weighty, with themes of self-destruction and troubled leads. Common ground: insanity, paranoia.
- 7
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Film7.4More intricate
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and inventive, with themes of self-destruction and troubled leads. Common ground: psychological horror.
- 8
Climax (2018)
Film7.1
Why it's like Black Swan: Also emotional and weighty, with themes of self-destruction and troubled leads. Common ground: paranoia.
- 9
Pi (1998)
Film7.1More intricate
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and dark, with themes of self-destruction and troubled leads. Common ground: insanity, paranoia.
- 10
Deep Red (1975)
Film7.8
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and inventive, with themes of troubled leads and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: psychological horror.
- 11
Us (2019)
Film7.0More intricate
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and inventive, with themes of troubled leads and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: psychological horror, psychological thriller.
- 12
mother! (2017)
Film7.0
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and inventive, with themes of troubled leads and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: psychological horror.
- 13
Antichrist (2009)
Film6.7
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and dark, with themes of troubled leads and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: psychological thriller.
- 14
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Film8.3More intricate
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and dark, with themes of troubled leads and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: psychological thriller.
- 15
Hereditary (2018)
Film7.2More intricate
Why it's like Black Swan: Also weighty and inventive, with themes of troubled leads and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: psychological horror.
Boxlist compares Black Swan with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point. Ratings are TMDB audience scores out of 10.
Which of these suit you?
Take the taste test and every pick shows how well it matches you.
Take the taste testQuestions
- What should I watch if I like Black Swan?
- Picks with a similar feel include The Shining, Suspiria, The Lighthouse and Midsommar. Each shares part of Black Swan's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 15 films.
- How are these films like Black Swan chosen?
- Boxlist compares Black Swan with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point.