If you loved
Poltergeist
Tobe Hooper · Film · 1982
If Poltergeist hooked you, it is because you crave stories where the safety of domestic life is shattered by the encroaching supernatural.
Start with the source
Inspired by
Stranger Things
Ross Duffer · Series · 2016
Books on the same thread
Ghost Story
Peter Straub · Book · 1979
Shares a thread with Poltergeist: Supernatural Horror.
Like Poltergeist, this story explores how past traumas and hidden histories can suddenly manifest to terrorize the present, turning a seemingly stable reality into a landscape of deep-seated dread.
Fear Street
R. L. Stine · Book · 1989
Explores: Teen Angst, Small Town Secrets, Supernatural Curse.
This narrative mirrors the suburban unease found in Poltergeist, where ordinary settings like an old house become the backdrop for a terrifying encounter with a dark, inescapable supernatural force.
Welcome to Dead House
R. L. Stine · Book · 1992
Explores: Small town secrets, Relocation anxiety, Undead.
This story captures the same frustration of Poltergeist where children must face a haunting in their own home while their skeptical parents remain dangerously oblivious to the encroaching paranormal danger.
The Haunting of Hill House
Shirley Jackson · Book · 1987
Shares 2 threads with Poltergeist: Supernatural Horror, Haunted House.
Just as the Freelings faced the malevolent forces within their own walls, this classic explores the psychological and supernatural terror that erupts when a house becomes a character of malice.
Series on the same thread
Stranger Things
Ross Duffer · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with Poltergeist: Supernatural Horror.
This series echoes Poltergeist by focusing on a family unit battling a mysterious, terrifying portal to another dimension that threatens to tear their world and their loved ones apart.
The Exorcist
Jeremy Slater · Series · 2016
Shares 2 threads with Poltergeist: Spiritual Warfare, Supernatural Horror.
If the spiritual warfare of Poltergeist left you wanting more, this series provides a visceral look at the fight against demonic possession and the breakdown of the suburban family unit.
Supernatural
Eric Kripke · Series · 2005
Explores: Brotherhood, Good vs Evil, Apocalypse.
This show expands on the paranormal investigation elements of Poltergeist, following a family legacy of hunting the supernatural evils that hide in the dark corners of our everyday lives.
Twin Peaks
Mark Frost · Series · 1990
Explores: Small Town Secrets, Doppelgangers, Good vs Evil.
Similar to the suburban nightmare depicted in Poltergeist, this series reveals the disturbing, surreal mysteries that fester just beneath the surface of a seemingly quiet and ordinary small town.
Podcasts on the same thread
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: mental health awareness, female friendship, coping mechanisms.
While Poltergeist presents a fictional haunting, this podcast taps into the same human fascination with the macabre and the unexplained, grounding its stories in the reality of everyday people.
Encuentro Paranormal Podcast
Podcast
Explores: paranormal events, ghost encounters, supernatural experiences.
These accounts mirror the terrifying paranormal encounters seen in Poltergeist, offering a collection of real-life experiences that prove how quickly the mundane world can be disrupted by the supernatural.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Poltergeist the primary inspiration for Stranger Things?
Stranger Things shares thematic similarities with Poltergeist, as both feature suburban settings disrupted by paranormal activity and portals to another dimension. While Stranger Things is a distinct series, fans often draw parallels between the two regarding the struggle to rescue a loved one from an otherworldly realm.
Does Poltergeist involve a portal to another dimension?
Yes, Poltergeist centers on the Freeling family home, where paranormal activity creates a portal to the other side. The plot revolves around the family seeking help to cross over into this dimension to rescue their daughter after she is taken by the supernatural forces inhabiting their house.
What is the premise of the 1982 movie Poltergeist?
In Poltergeist, the Freeling family experiences intense paranormal activity within their suburban home. The situation escalates when a portal to the other side opens, leading to their daughter being abducted. The family must work with experts to navigate this supernatural threat and retrieve their child from the other side.
How does the plot of Poltergeist compare to the supernatural elements in Stranger Things?
Both Poltergeist and Stranger Things feature families dealing with supernatural intrusions in residential settings. The core conflict in Poltergeist involves a portal to the other side that takes a child, which mirrors the central search for a missing person trapped in an alternate dimension found in Stranger Things.