For decades, movie studios have memorably told stories of stalkers and obsessive love, providing audiences with thrills and chills along the way. Some of the most famous (and oftentimes infamous) B-movies feature this edgy and pulse-pounding trope, which inevitably leads to destruction and an epic final act. Whether it is intensely unrequited love, extreme infatuation, revenge upon rejection, or someone who just won’t take no for an answer, the cinema has been the home of some pretty creepy flicks. Despite the genre being recycled countless times in Hollywood, moviegoers keep returning to the idea of thrilling romantic obsession. A multitude of some of the finest A-list talent have headlined such films, often with fruitful and distinct results.


Updated September 19, 2022: If you can’t get enough of gripping stories of unrequited love and obsession, you’ll be happy to know we’ve updated this article with additional binge-worthy films that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

1987’s Fatal Attraction was notorious for breathing new life into the stalker-centric genre, with the iconic Michael Douglas and Glenn Close picture leading to a rise in psychological thrillers during the latter part of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The highly renowned Martin Scorsese masterfully remade the 1962 classic thriller Cape Fear in 1991, with the great Robert De Niro going disturbingly deep into his performance as the vicious, revenge-seeking stalker Max Cady. Film producers have realized the appeal and marketability of such electrifying projects, and appear to have no plans of slowing down releasing such flicks. These are the creepiest movies about stalkers or romantic obsession.

10 Fear

Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon star in the psychological thriller Fear from 1996, which revolves around a wealthy Seattle family whose seemingly perfect life is threatened when their teenage daughter begins to date a mysterious young man. In his first feature film lead, Wahlberg portrays David McCall, the handsome and charming guy Nicole Walker (Witherspoon) falls in love with; it doesn’t take long until David’s dark and obsessive side is revealed, with frightening results. David is a violent and dangerous sociopath who will do anything to keep Nicole–even kill.

Featuring William Peterson as Nicole’s workaholic and suspicious father Steven, Fear is a mental battle of wits between David and Steven and demonstrates the lengths a father will go to in order to protect his own. The creepy and thrilling film is both sexy and white-knuckle intense, as David becomes more and more unhinged in his crazed attempts to possess Nicole.

9 Cold Creek Manor

The 2003 thriller Cold Creek Manor features the talent of some of cinema’s most gifted stars, including Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, and Christopher Plummer, and tells the story of a family terrorized by the former owners of a rural estate they are renovating. Filmmaker Cooper (Quaid) and his wife Leah (Stone) relocate from New York City to the rural Cold Creek, New York with their two children after purchasing a decrepit mansion, and quickly find themselves the stalked target of the malicious former owner Dale, portrayed by the terrifyingly terrific Stephen Dorff.

Cooper begins to wonder just what Dale is trying to hide, and makes a blood-chilling discovery on the property. Despite being a bit predictable, Cold Creek Manor is full of thrills and chills as the family is subjected to venomous snakes, daunting threats and the mysterious death of a beloved pet horse.

8 The Boy Next Door

Jennifer Lopez headlines the 2015 erotic thriller The Boy Next Door, which centers on a 19-year-old man who develops a dangerous obsession with a high-school teacher after having a one-night stand. The screenplay was written by Barabara Curry, a former criminal lawyer who based it off of her own life’s experiences. The film’s plot has been compared to Basic Instinct and Swimfan, and director Rob Cohen stated that he wanted to “reinvent the genre in an entertaining way” that would “reflect 2015, not 1990.”

Lopez, who also produced the film, wanted to hire a fellow Latino actor for the other lead role, stating that “two Latinos opening in a mainstream movie, if it does well, that’s gonna change some things.” Ryan Guzman was ultimately cast as the spurned and obsessive young man; The Boy Next Door was a hit with audiences and was nominated for Favorite Thriller Movie at the People’s Choice Awards.

7 The Crush

Alan Shapiro’s notorious 1993 psychological thriller The Crush follows a journalist who becomes the unwanted center of attention for a 14-year-old girl, who proceeds to sabotage every aspect of his life when he refuses her sexual advances. Cary Elwes stars as magazine editor Nick Elliot, who becomes a tenant of teenager Adrian Forrester’s (Alicia Silverstone in her film debut) parents, who instantly becomes infatuated with the older man, much to his dismay. When Nick begins a romance with photographer Amy, Adrian becomes enraged and sets out to destroy his once peaceful life by damaging his property, stealing his belongings and defacing his newly restored car.

The film’s writer and director Alan Shapiro based the premise of the film on his own personal experiences, and actually ended up being sued by the girl whom he based Adrian on. The Crush is a psychodrama that is reminiscent of Fatal Attraction and was a breakthrough performance for then newcomer Silverstone, who is fantastic in the film (even if it problematically sexualizes the then-15-year-old.)

6 Obsessed

Touting a superb ensemble cast including Beyoncé Knowles, Idris Elba and Ali Larter, the 2009 psychological thriller Obsessed chronicles the unrequited romantic feelings and sexual advances towards married businessman Derek Charles by his unstable office temp Lisa, a disturbing infatuation that leads to an epic and deadly showdown. Knowles appears as Derek’s suspicious wife Sharon, who after initially believing the two are having an affair realizes Lisa is unhinged and will stop at nothing to take her place in Derek’s life.

Inspired by the iconic stalker flick Fatal Attraction and the classics created by Alfred Hitchcock and Roman Polanski, Obsessed features a memorable fight scene between Knowles and Larter that nabbed the MTV Movie Award for Best Fight, with Film Critic calling the battle the “best knock-down, drag-out girlfight” of 2009. Despite praise for the actresses, the tense thriller was poorly received with many believing the filmmakers failed to address the interracial conflict between the trio. However, Elba himself was pleased that the black-and-white theme was ignored, having expressed, “It’s not mentioned in the film, it’s never an issue, and I think that’s phenomenal … To me, that was very refreshing that the studio execs didn’t want to make an issue of it.”

5 Single White Female

The great Barbet Schroeder’s 1992 psychological erotic thriller Single White Female is based on the John Lutz novel and centers on the recently single Allison, who discovers something very strange is going on with her new roommate Hedra, who increasingly becomes possessive and jealous. Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh headline the thrilling flick, with Leigh memorably portraying the hostile and disturbed Hedra, who will stop at nothing to keep Allison from reuniting with her ex-fiance. The deranged character even begins to act, look and dress just like Allison in an effort to attach herself to the unsuspecting young woman.

Single White Female debuted to a lukewarm critical reception, but ended up being a box office hit, earning over $80 million. In a positive review, Roger Ebert wrote, “No genre is beyond redemption or beneath contempt, and here the slasher genre is given its due with strong performances and direction.”

4 Sleeping with the Enemy

Julia Roberts stars in the 1991 romantic thriller Sleeping with the Enemy as Laura Williams Burney, who fakes her own death in order to escape her nightmarish marriage to an abusive husband but finds it impossible to elude her controlling spouse. The edgy film is based on the Nancy Price novel and co-stars Patrick Bergin as Laura’s violent husband Martin, who tracks down his wife and looks for retribution in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He falls into a fit of rage when he sees Laura in a romantic relationship with her neighbor and local drama teacher, leading to a pulse-pounding showdown between the former husband and wife.

Sleeping with the Enemy ended the Christmas classic Home Alone’s 12-week reign at the box office, and earned over $170 million worldwide. Julia Roberts shines as the battered yet determined housewife, who devises a meticulous plan of escape to reclaim her life. It will be fascinating to see what Candyman director Nia DaCosta does with a remake.

3 Fatal Attraction

The notorious 1987 erotic psychological thriller Fatal Attraction famously features Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, with the film following a married man who has a casual fling with a woman that comes back to haunt him when she begins to stalk him and his family. Producers had serious reservations about casting Close as the unhinged lead, as they did not feel she could be sexual enough for the role. However, Close was persistent and when she and Douglas performed a scene together in the script, she left the room stunning everyone with her delivery and appearance.

Related: Joshua Jackson Joins Lizzy Caplan in Fatal Attraction Series at Paramount+

Producer and director Adrian Lyne revealed that, “an extraordinary erotic transformation took place. She was this tragic, bewildering mix of sexuality and rage–I watched Alex come to life.” Close consulted with several psychologists for the role and was extremely uncomfortable with the bunny boiling scene, but was told that such an action was entirely possible and necessary for the character. Fatal Attraction was a critical and box office hit, and its success led to similar psychological thrillers made in the late 1980s and 1990s.

2 Cape Fear

Martin Scorsese’s epic 1991 remake of the Gregory Peck flick Cape Fear features the talent of the director’s frequent collaborator Robert De Niro, along with Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, and Juliette Lewis, and tells the story of a convicted statutory rapist who seeks vengeance against the public defender he blames for his 14-year imprisonment. The picture marks the seventh collaboration between the director and De Niro, and features the famed actor at his most surprisingly menacing as the homicidal sociopath Max Cady, who stalks and terrorizes Sam Bowden (Nolte) and his family.

Scorsese was inspired by the work of Alfred Hitchcock and paid homage to the master by using similarly unusual camera angles, lighting and editing techniques. Of course, the original film inspired him as well, and he cast multiple actors from that project in smaller roles, updating the psychology and metaphors for a darker, contemporary era. Cape Fear garnered universal praise by critics, earning accolades like two Academy Awards and two Golden Globe nominations. The Ringer wrote, “Martin Scorsese wasn’t supposed to remake the 1962 thriller, but when he did, he brought along his longtime muse and infused the story with an overwhelming amount of trademark chaos.”

1 Basic Instinct

The 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller Basic Instinct focuses on San Francisco police detective Nick Curran, who is investigating the brutal murder of a rock star and finds himself involved in an intensely torrid relationship with his prime suspect Catherine Tramell. The film famously stars Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone, with the actress being relatively unknown until the thriller’s monumental success. Stone’s notorious leg-uncrossing scene was not in the original script and was thought up by director Paul Verhoeven while the movie was being shot; the actress later claimed that she did not have any knowledge that she would be exposed in such a way on film.

Despite sparking controversy upon its release, Basic Instinct was a box office success and helped launch Stone to stardom. It has since been recognized for its groundbreaking depictions of sexuality in mainstream cinema, with The Sunday Timesproclaiming it as one of the “1990s’ finest productions, doing more for female empowerment than any feminist rally. Stone – in her star-making performance – is as hot and sexy as she is ice-pick cold.”