There are multiple movie genres where meeting a stranger works out for the better—romance, drama, musical, but rarely does it work out to befriend the stranger at your door in the middle of the night. For horror fans, whenever a stranger appears onscreen, it's a guessing game of friend or foe. Meta or self-aware films like the Scream franchise are hyper-aware of stranger danger and actively point it out. Characters in Jordan Peele's features are entertainingly blunt about not messing with the concerning car following you or the creepy group of people in your driveway.

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Horror classics like The Strangers bring to screen frightening realities of unknown individuals setting out to harm for pleasure. As we've watched these films below, the awareness of stranger danger and trusting that gut feeling have us looking over our shoulders as we find ourselves in similar scenarios. The genre that feeds the love of a good movie scare, these titles will have you on the edge of your seat, screaming for the protagonists to remember the basic stranger danger principle we all learned as children.

'Barbarian' (2022)

Bill Skarsgard answers the door in Barbarian
Image via 20th Century Studios

After discovering her Airbnb is double-booked, Tess (Georgina Campbell) hesitantly agrees to share the rental with Keith (Bill Skarsgård). Throughout the stay, Tess discovers how wrong her decision was. Barbarian will have you questioning many things, including, "What did I just watch?"

Critics adore this horror feature, especially in a year when films like X and Pearl dominate the big screen. Watching Barbarian will have you reconsidering using vacation rental platforms, especially for a solo or loner getaway trip. This horror flick will have you questioning the stranger you room with, the stranger you rent from, and the stranger knocking on your door for the perfect trifecta. Barbarian is currently in theaters or will hit streaming later this year.

'The Last House on the Left' (1972, 2009)

Sandra Cassel and Lucy Grantham in The Last House on the Left
Image Via American International Pictures

An original and remake, both versions of The Last House on the Left encourage extreme caution and situational awareness regarding strangers. While the plot wavers between films, the basic premise concerns two women who are brutally assaulted by a group of drifters; the finale culminates as all characters find their way to the parent's house of one of the women for a final showdown.

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The 1972 version marked Wes Craven's introduction into the genre, receiving a respectable review from critics. Viewers and critics trashed the 2009 remake; the elevated gore and brutality were misplaced instead of finding a modern-day take on Craven's tale. Either way, these films (available on Amazon Prime) will have you questioning the stranger to disclose your plans.

'Greta' (2018)

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After befriending aging widow Greta (Isabelle Hupert), Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) starts to see the warning signs that things may be more sinister than they appear. A classic case of no good deed going unpunished, Frances struggles to escape the friendship and the wrath of the mysterious woman from the subway.

Striking middle-of-the-road with critics and toward the ditch with audiences, Greta is manageable because of its top talent and supporting stars like indie film final girl Maika Monroe. This movie will have you questioning what lies beyond returning the forgotten handbag, wallet, or keys and what kind of person is waiting for them. Greta is available for rental on Amazon Prime.

'It Follows' (2014)

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In a clever, innovative take on the coming-of-age story, It Follows will have you questioning dating intimacy. After a sexual encounter with an older, mysterious boy, Jay (Maika Monroe) is followed by a supernatural demon who wants to kill her. While the demon is very slow, it will appear in the form of someone she knows or doesn't know, walking at a slow, direct pace toward her.

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A hit with critics and audiences, this Indie horror adds extra caution to the young viewership about the intentions of those in your dating life. This movie has us screaming "NOPE!" several times as we figure out the form of the demon before Jay and her friends realize the danger. It Follows is currently available to stream on Netflix.

'Split' (2016)

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After being kidnapped from a mall parking lot by Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), a man struggling with Dissociative Identity Disorder, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her two friends attempt to survive Crumb's multiple personalities, the final being The Beast, a monstrous being with an elevated physicality. Split is another excellent installment in the M. Knight Shyamalan filmography, albeit it has been criticized across the board by mental illness and DID advocates for being exploitative of a real mental illness.

This film reiterates locking your car doors even in the parking lot. While the girls were waiting for a parent to return to the car, locking the doors is never a bad idea, especially for young women. Split will have you checking over your shoulder as your walk to your car and questioning every stranger you pass by. This thriller is available to stream on Amazon Prime and Hulu.

'Mom's Got a Date With a Vampire' (2000)

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A lengthy title doesn't stop this film from being the perfect Disney Channel Original Movie to stream during the season. When a brother and sister are grounded, preventing them from attending the harvest festival, they set their mom up on a date with a handsome surgeon only to realize he's a vampire.

Before the days of swiping right and sending a like on dating apps, some people placed WANT ads in newspapers and online for dates. It's a recipe for screaming stranger danger. While this DCOM is a very mild example compared to others on this list, it did the trick by scaring us as kids into not trusting who we meet or email on the internet. Mom's Got a Date With a Vampire is available to stream on Disney+.

'10 Cloverfield Lane' (2016)

John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in 10 Cloverfield Lane

A film that teeters on the edge of stranger danger and safety-by-stranger, 10 Cloverfield Lane is an excellent installment in Cloverfield universe. Following a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes to find herself in the basement of Howard (John Goodman), a supposed good samaritan claiming to have saved her right before a biohazard attack. The longer Michelle stays, the more she begins questioning Howard's character, the reality of his conspiracy-based story, and what actually happened the night of her accident.

In the invasion or apocalypse genre, safety exists in numbers and often with strangers. This film has audiences questioning if that logic truly exists or if Michelle happened to be stuck with the wrong stranger. 10 Cloverfield Lane features solid performances from Goodman and Winstead, making it a perfect stranger danger thriller to stream on Paramount+, Amazon Prime, or The Roku Channel.

'When a Stranger Calls' (1979, 2006)

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A series of films that never really hit its potential, When a Stranger Calls exists with a terrifying premise that still hits the fear nerve despite poor execution. In both versions, Jill Johnson (Carol Kane in 1979, Camilla Belle in 2006) is a babysitter tormented by a sadistic caller dedicated to terrorizing the young woman. Both films flopped with critics and audiences.

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The leading ladies provide solid performances, but the tension leads to an anti-climatic or clichéd conclusion. The remake attempted to update with cell phones and caller ID but never hit its stride. Either way, these films make us thankful for the technology age of device tracking and home security systems to make us feel slightly safer when a stranger's number pops up on the screen. The original version is available on Peacock for free, and the remake is available for rental on Amazon Prime.

'The Guest' (2014)

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A psychological thriller, The Guest, is the epitome of stranger danger and inviting someone from "the past" into your home. Veteran David (Dan Stevens) shows up at the Peterson home, claiming to be a friend of their deceased son. They welcome him in as a reminder of their late child; however, daughter Anna (Maika Monroe) is skeptical as a series of recent accidents appear to be connected to him.

Excelling in his role as the leading man, Stevens expertly brings psychological mind games to the screen as audiences begin to notice something concerning about David. The Guest is a prime example of why you shouldn't take someone's word for granted, and how fragile the mind can be in a state of grieving. This film is an excellent choice for your next thriller movie binge and is available for rental on Amazon Prime.

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