20 terrifying films and TV shows about stalkers

The aptly named The Following  series stars Kevin Bacon as a former FBI agent, Ryan Hardy, who squares off against James Purefoy’s chilling but charismatic cult leader and serial killer, Joe Carroll. Purefoy gives one of the most memorable performances of his career, so much so that the audience fully believes that this is indeed a man who could convince his legions of followers to become a group of stalkers and killers. The story in The Following is tautly woven and compelling, drawing the viewer in despite the often-graphic violence on display, and the cat-and-mouse game that serves as the series’ narrative spine makes for deeply suspenseful viewing.

Ryan Murphy has created a number of beloved series, and one of the strangest would have to be The Watcher, which he created for Netflix. Based very loosely on a magazine article, it follows an unfortunate family whose seemingly ideal new home turns into something far more unpleasant when they receive letters from a figure known only as “The Watcher.” The series takes some twists and turns — many of which don’t make a lot of sense–but there’s still a lot of pulpy fun to be had. If nothing else, the series asks the viewer to just lean into the camp pleasure of it all, even if the revelation of the true identity of the Watcher seems like a bit of a let-down.

Even though Mike Flanagan is most famous these days for his high-profile series on Netflix, the filmmaker has several strong horror movies under his belt. Kate Siegel gives a remarkable performance as Maddie Young, a young woman who can neither hear nor speak and who is stalked in a remote cabin by a masked killer. The film unspools as a vicious and brutal game of cat-and-mouse, and its genius lies not just in Siegel’s performance but also in its ability to take the established conventions of the home invasion/stalker genre and turn them into something new, exciting, and full of terror.

The concept and story of the invisible man has been done many times in Hollywood, and in 2020, it was updated for the present. Elisabeth Moss stars as Cecilia Kass, whose husband begins to stalk her once he develops an optics technique that grants him invisibility. The film breathes fresh life into this well-established horror trope and figure, using it to explore contemporary issues concerning women and their control of their bodies. Moss brings her considerable acting talent to bear as the heroine. Oliver Jackson-Cohen is quite chilling and terrifying as Adrian Griffin, Cecilia’s manipulative yet oddly charismatic ex and the movie’s primary antagonist.   

Even though he has gone down in film history as one of his generation's great comedic talents, it is often accepted that Robin Williams was also chillingly effective in dramatic roles. In One Hour Photo, he used his considerable skills as Seymour "Sy" Parrish, a photo technician whose obsession with a family turns dangerous and sinister. Williams turns Sy into a figure worthy of pathos and pity, even as he also doesn't shy away from showing the character's darker and more obsessive side. In the end, One Hour Photo becomes that rare thing: a thriller that is as tragic and haunting as it is exciting to watch.

Though he got his start as an actor, Clint Eastwood has repeatedly shown that he also has remarkable chops when it comes to sitting in the director’s chair. In Play Misty for Me, he stars and directs, playing a disc jockey who is, of course, stalked by a fan. Eastwood is as compelling as always on-screen, but he’s more than matched by Jessica Walter’s obsessed fan, Evelyn Draper, who will stop at nothing to get the attention of the man she has decided she loves. It’s a thrilling and exciting piece of filmmaking and a pulse-pounding evocation of the dangers of desire.

Often regarded as one of the best films of the 1950s, All About Eve stars Bette Davis as Margo Channing, a fading theater actress who is essentially stalked by Anne Baxter’s Eve. Though Eve begins the film claiming to be one of Margo’s most ardent fans, it soon becomes clear that she has her eyes set on loftier things and wants to usurp Margo’s place. It’s a deliciously written film with some truly biting and venomous one-liners. It’s also a fascinating look at how various kinds of desire can turn to rather sinister ends, and both Davis and Baxter give some of their career-best performances.

Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall stars in The Fan, in which she plays an actress who, of course, is stalked by a murderous fan. Bacall is perfectly cast as actress Sally Ross, and her innate screen charisma is as undeniable as ever. Michael Biehn, though, is also superbly cast as Douglas Breen, the fan who makes Sally his object of desire, and he manages to make the character into far more than a one-dimensional threat. There are many times when the film slides, whether consciously or not, into the realm of camp pleasure, but that’s a key part of the fun.

Black Swan is the perfect meeting of directorial and star talent. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, it focuses on Natalie Portman’s ballet dancer Nina, particularly the toxic and potentially predatory relationship with Mila Kunis’ Lily. The beauty of Aronofsky’s film is that it leaves the viewer uncertain whether Lily is truly as nefarious and stalker-y as Nina believes or is just a figment of her rather unhinged imagination. Portman and Kunis give striking and raw performances, resulting in a film that explores the dark depths of artistic genius and obsession.

As with so many other psychological thrillers from the 1990s, the plot of Unlawful Entry  is relatively straightforward. A couple, played by Kurt Russell and Madeleine Stowe, end up being terrorized by a cop (played by Ray Liotta), who develops an obsession with the wife. It might take some liberties with how such a situation would play out in the real world, but it nevertheless taps into the very real fear of how easy it would be for a rogue member of law enforcement to use their power against a private citizen. Sometimes, the most dangerous and sinister stalkers are not those who work outside of the law but, instead, those inside of it.

Even though Netflix’s stalker melodrama thriller You  began its life on Lifetime, it has since become a true hit for the streamer. Stylish, sexy, and glossily produced, it stars Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, a serial killer and bookstore manager who develops an unhealthy and deadly obsession with a successive number of women in his life. Though You certainly makes its stalker main character into an object of desire, it also makes no secret that he is also a monster and that his actions are more than worthy of condemnation. 

Kathy Bates gives one of her most memorable and chilling performances in Misery, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. James Caan co-stars as Paul Sheldon, the writer of a popular series of novels who is rescued by a devoted fan who then essentially forces him to write a new version of what was supposed to be his final novel starring his beloved character Misery Chastain. It’s a chilling adaptation of the novel, and Bates is particularly frightening as a woman who has grown so obsessed with her favorite author that she is willing to destroy him rather than let him live life on his terms. 

Released in 1962, Cape Fear features a pair of thrilling and electric performances from big-screen greats Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. Peck plays a lawyer, Sam Bowden, who was key to the imprisonment of Mitchum’s character, Max Cady, and the plot is set in motion when the latter decides to track down the former and gain his revenge. Mitchum is perfectly cast as Cady, exuding a menacing energy that is impossible to look away from, and the film keeps the audience on the edge of their seat from the first frame to the list. Moreover, it inspired no less a series than The Simpsons to spoof it.

Martin Scorsese brings his considerable cinematic genius to the 1991 Cape Fear,  a remake of the film of the same name from several decades previous. This time, the roles of Max Cady and Sam Bowden are played by Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte, both of whom deliver their usual top-tier performances. De Niro is particularly terrifying as Cady, bringing a fervent intensity to his role that allows the audience to feel the same sense of fear as Nolte’s Bowden. This version also features a cameo from Robert Mitchum, who delivered a memorable performance in the original film.

Since its release in April 2024, Baby Reindeer has become a significant hit for Netflix. It’s easy to see why, as its mixture of black comedy and tragedy makes for a heady confection. It also features stunning performances from comedian Richard Gadd (upon whose one-person show the story is based) as Donny Dunn, a struggling comedian who Jessica Gunning’s Martha Scott stalks. The series deals with heady themes such as stalking, assault, and trauma, and the fact that it is based on a real incident in Gadd’s life gives it an extra layer of emotional resonance that is truly devastating and haunting.

Isabelle Huppert is one of the most highly regarded actresses of her generation, and she truly shines in Greta, in which she plays the title character, who develops a deadly obsession with Chloë Grace Moretz’s Frances. While Greta at first seems to take a motherly concern in the younger woman, it soon emerges that she is more than a little disturbed, leading to a cat-and-mouse game between the two. Huppert is chillingly precise in the role, giving the viewer a villain as compelling as she is terrifying. The film might stray into high camp, particularly in its climax, but that, in the end, is part of the fun.

The slasher experienced a renaissance in the late 1990s and into the 2000s, and one of the most notable examples is I Know What You Did Last Summer. In typical slasher fashion, it focuses on a group of teens who are slowly hunted down and murdered by an unknown assailant. As the noose tightens ever more about them, they have to grapple with the fact that, at the beginning of the film, they left a man to die. While it may not reinvent the slasher genre, it still has more than enough of its usual thrills to satisfy. 

Sleeping with the Enemy might not be regarded as one of Julia Roberts’ finest movies, but it still packs an emotional punch, focusing on a woman who tries to get away from her husband only for him to continue tormenting her. It’s very much in the exploitation mode, but this gives it its unique emotional charge. Moreover, it’s extraordinary to watch Roberts go from a woman who is subject to her husband’s wrathful abuse to someone who is more than capable of seizing control of her own destiny from male dominance.

The 1990s was a golden age for those who loved psychological thrillers, and they don’t come much more thrilling than The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. Annabella Sciorra plays Claire Bartel, a woman whose obstetrician sexually assaults her and then takes his own life to avoid culpability. His widow begins stalking Claire and her family, with horrifying results. Some of the twists in the plot may strain credulity, but it is still a very unsettling and powerful film, and it features some strong performances by Sciorra and Rebecca De Mornay, the latter of whom plays the demented widow.

The 1980s was a decade marked, among other things, by an obsession with neo-noir, and they don't come much more noirish than Fatal Attraction. The toxic and dangerous relationship between Michael Douglas' Dan Gallagher and his mistress, Glenn Close's Alex Forrest, is at the film's heart. When their affair ends, things turn for the worse as Alex begins to stalk Dan. In addition to being a stylish thriller of the era, it is also a fascinating look at the gender politics of the decade, in which women's desires were pathologized while men's desires were celebrated or normalized.