5 movies like Polaroid that’ll haunt your camera roll

Polaroid is a supernatural horror film written by Blair Butler and directed by Lars Klevberg. Released in 2019, this creepy suspense thriller used a Polaroid camera as an imminent threat. The film's cast includes Kathryn Prescott, Samantha Logan, Javier Botet, Tyler Young, Mitch Pileggi, and more. Per IMDb, its official logline reads:

"High school loner Bird Fitcher has no idea what dark secrets are tied to the Polaroid camera she finds. It doesn't take long to discover that those who have their picture taken with it, soon die."

The film follows Bird as she learns the dark and mysterious history of the camera, which leads everyone it captures to death. Every click evokes an entity that operates nearly like how a photo develops. She learns more details about this strange camera as she enters a twisted journey. So, apart from supernatural horror, the film also operates like a suspense thriller about finding the truth about the grim camera and escaping its looming peril.

If you want to watch something similar to Polaroid, you should check out other horror and thriller films like Creep (2014), Paranormal Activity (2007), Camera Obscura (2017), Searching (2018), and Smile (2022).

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Here are five films similar to Polaroid:

5. Creep (2014)

Directed by and starring Patrick Brice, Creep is a found footage horror film that also uses a camera as a device of an endless threat and menace. Its logline reads:

"A young videographer answers an online ad for a one-day job in a remote town to record the last messages of a dying man. When he notices the man's odd behavior, he starts to question his intentions."

Brice plays Aaron, the videographer, who gets sucked into a series of delirious mind games as he decides to help Josef (Mark Duplass), a man dying because of an inoperable brain tumor.

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4. Paranormal Activity (2007)

Oran Peli's Paranormal Activity documents a horrifying chapter in a couple's lives that changes once they enter a new home. Its logline reads:

"After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence."

Much like Polaroid, a camera plays a crucial role in this story as the couple places security cameras across their house to record the potential evil forces inside the house. Its cast includes Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, and more.

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3. Camera Obscura (2017)

Upon Polaroid's release, some viewers cited its connection to the 2007 horror thriller flick, Camera Obscura. Its logline reads,

"A veteran war photographer with PTSD sees imminent deaths in his developed photos, questioning his already fragile sanity and putting the lives of those he loves in danger."

The film shows its characters discovering a strange camera that reveals premonitions about imminent deaths. So, this Aaron B. Koontz directorial taps into the same horrors explored in Polaroid.

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2. Searching (2018)

The logline for Aneesh Chaganty's Searching reads:

"After his teenage daughter goes missing, a desperate father tries to find clues on her laptop."

Although not a supernatural horror, Searching is a deeply unsettling psychological thriller that shows how the screens that make up most of our lives can be used to trick or manipulate us. In this case, technology can be a savior or a villain. So, even if a conventional camera is not involved in its production, it evokes a similar sense of dread and frustration as Lars Klevberg's film.

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1. Smile (2022)

Written and directed by Parker Finn, Smile follows a group of people who fall into the trap of the Grim Reaper once they catch a glimpse of its creepily smiling victims.

Its official logline reads:

"After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, a psychiatrist becomes increasingly convinced she is being threatened by an uncanny entity."

While based on a seemingly bizarre premise, Finn's film taps into the horrors hiding in everyday places and is a dreadful experience, much like Polaroid.