7 Stalker Movie Classics to Scare You Silly

Ethan Alter
·Senior Writer, Yahoo Entertainment

In this weekend’s hit thriller The Boy Next Door, Jennifer Lopez plays a newly single mother who is seduced and then stalked by her strapping 19-year-old neighbor (Ryan Guzman). Directed by Rob Cohen, the film fits into a long, deliciously disturbing tradition of stalker movies, where movie stars are menaced by unbalanced psychos. Here are seven examples to stream after you escape from the clutches of The Boy Next Door. 

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Play Misty For Me (1971)

Directed By: Clint Eastwood
Who’s Stalking Who: Disc jockey fangirl Evelyn (Jessica Walter), just can’t keep her mind — or hands — off of her favorite radio DJ, Dave (Eastwood) in the star’s directorial debut.
Stranger Danger: Evelyn’s extreme clinginess initially manifests itself by unexpected visits to Dave’s house at odd hours and calls in to the station to request the same song, the title track, “Misty,” over and over again. But it isn’t long before she graduates to more violent ways of getting his attention, whether that’s through a home invasion or kidnapping his girlfriend. (Available on Amazon Instant, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu)

Watch the trailer:



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Fatal Attraction (1987)

Directed By: Adrian Lyne
Who’s Stalking Who: Jilted one-night stand Alex (Glenn Close) isn’t about to let married man Dan (Michael Douglas) forget their hook-up. 
Stranger Danger: To this day, Close’s Alex remains the textbook definition of creepy cinematic stalker. After all, you can’t boil a kid’s bunny rabbit and not expect to have vengeful audiences rooting for your demise. (Available on Amazon Instant, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu)

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Rebecca De Mornay and Annabella Sciorra in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992)

Directed By: Curtis Hanson
Who’s Stalking Who: Loving nanny Peyton (Rebecca De Mornay) infiltrates a family’s household as part of an elaborate revenge scheme.
Stranger Danger: The stalking is coming from inside the house! That’s the twist that Hanson’s enjoyable (if slightly campy) thriller puts on this genre, with De Mornay successfully entering her targets’ hearts and home before going full psycho. The nanny-cam industry couldn’t ask for a better feature-length commercial. (Available on Amazon Instant, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu)



Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridget Fonda in Single White Female

Single White Female (1992)

Directed By: Barbet Schroeder
Who’s Stalking Who: Quiet, friendly Hedra (Jennifer Jason Leigh) grows unnaturally interested in the comings and goings of her roommate, Allison (Bridget Fonda).  
Stranger Danger: Drinking all the OJ and not replacing it, “forgetting” to pay rent and “borrowing” your phone are all signs of a bad roomie. Mimicking your haircut, erasing your voicemails and killing your dog are all signs of a stalker roomie. (Available on Amazon Instant, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu)

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Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon in Fear

Fear (1996)

Directed By: James Foley
Who’s Stalking Who: Jilted boyfriend David (Mark Wahlberg) shows ex-girlfriend Nicole (Reese Witherspoon) why she was wrong to break up with him in the least romantic ways possible.
Stranger Danger: It’s hard to imagine that The Boy Next Door’s Ryan Guzman could be a creepier boy next door-type than Wahlberg’s David, who turns from sweet and loving to sadistic and cruel at the drop of a dime.(Available on Amazon Instant, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu)

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Jesse Bradford and Erika Christensen in Swimfan

Swimfan (2002)

Directed By: John Polson
Who’s Stalking Who: Swim team groupie Madison (Erika Christensen) pursues star swimmer Ben (Jesse Bradford) after an aquatic seduction.
Stranger Danger: Stalker movies enter the digital age as Madison uses e-mails and instant messages to cause trouble for Ben. Although underseen upon its initial release, Swimfan’s enduring popularity is confirmed by the fact that it’s since become an Urban Dictionary approved adjective. (Available on Amazon Instant, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu)

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Beyoncé and Idris Elba in Obsessed

Obsessed (2009)

Directed By: Steve Shill
Who’s Stalking Who: Knockout blonde Lisa (Ali Larter) goes to extreme lengths to tempt Derek (Idris Elba) away from his adoring, tough-as-nails wife (Beyoncé).
Stranger Danger: Lisa’s single-minded obsession is unsettling and all, but the woman you should really be scared of is Beyoncé, who does what her onscreen husband isn’t capable of by taking the fight directly to their stalker in a climactic catfight for the ages. (Available on Amazon Instant, iTunes, YouTube, Vudu)

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Image credits: Everett Collection