What are some good movies to watch at night, alone? We’re glad you asked. We actually think that night-movies are kind of their own particular subgenre of films. 

These aren’t even movies that take place at night, at least not all of them. This really just refers to movies that we think make for some great watching at night time, when the lights are out, and also when you just so happen to be totally alone. So we’ve put together a whole list of them for you to check out, spread out across a variety of genres and streaming services. 

With any luck, we’ve got something for everyone here. 

Here’s the plan: we’ll talk about a handful of spooky movies that are good for night watching, then some comforting movies, and finally some just plain weird movies. 

Ok, let’s get into it. 

Spooky Movies 

The Empty Man (2020) 

Diving right into the spooky movies section, we’ve got a pretty unnerving horror flick from back in 2020 that didn’t really make much of a splash on initial release, probably due at least in part to the fact that 2020 was not exactly a great year for big theatrical releases of any kind. 

But it’s a good one. Oh, it’s a good one. 

The Empty Man is kind of a cult movie, both in terms of its cult fanbase as well as its subject matter. Following a pretty long intro sequence, we finally get to the heart of the matter, which is that these kinds have started disappearing, and the connective tissue behind these disappearances seems to be a weird spiritual group that’s not trying very hard to NOT seem like a cult. 

We follow an ex-cop guy who’s doing a good turn by looking for one of the missing kids. But oh no, things don’t seem to be going very well for this guy, and the story just keeps getting stranger until the very end. 

This is not an upbeat movie, and you won’t find yourself wanting to revisit it right away, but if you’re looking to get spooked real hard, then this is a very good pick and you’re welcome. 

Suspiria (2018) 

Suspiria isn’t a cult movie, but rather a witch movie. A coven movie, we suppose? It’s about witches posing as dance instructors at an elite academy in Germany. 

Tilda Swinton is sort of the lead figure here, and she does a great job of making you feel like something is off basically from the very first scene. 

This is actually a full remake of an old Italian horror movie of the same name, and overall, this one does a great job of modernizing basically everything. 

Lots of weirdness, lots of nudity, and a whole lot of dancing. We had no idea that dancing could be so creepy, but here it is. 

It Comes at Night (2017) 

If those other spooky movies just sound like too much for you, then how about a horror movie where mostly nothing actually happens? 

That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but It Comes at Night instead relies on general tension, which can be incredibly oppressive at times. 

But yeah, it is a pretty slow-moving kind of movie, so if you’re worried about falling asleep, then this probably isn’t the one for you. Also, you wouldn’t want to be woken up by the parts of the movie where things actually do happen. It’s a lot to handle. 

Comforting Movies 

Wolfwalkers (2020) 

Moving way over to the other end of the spectrum, we’ve got some comforting movies for you to check out. 

The first one is possibly the easiest pick ever. It’s Wolfwalkers from 2020, and it comes from Ireland, where Cartoon Saloon have been making some stunning animated movies for years now. 

Basically, it integrates this folklore idea of creatures that can shapeshift from wolves to humans, serving as protectors of the forest. 

The wolfwalkers are set in contrast against old-tyme English settlers who want nothing more than to cut down the entire forest so they can grow some more food and expand and survive and expand some more. Ya know, the whole colonialism thing. 

Our lead character, Robin, learns to appreciate the wolfwalkers and gets involved in their whole mission.  

Overall, it’s a fantastic animated movie that we’re pretty sure is only free to stream through Apple TV+, so if you’ve got that subscription already, go for it. 

Soul (Also 2020) 

Another 2020 animated feature that went around and warmed a lot of hearts in the best way possible is Soul, from Pixar, who you might have heard of by now. 

Ok, honestly, this is not our favorite Pixar movie, far from it. In their filmography, it’s just fine. Visually, it’s pretty nice, though we spend way too much time in boring ol’ human New York City for our liking. 

But it’s a good one, nonetheless, and it does have a strong message about living in the present and appreciating the small things. Not exactly new ideas, rather the opposite, but Pixar does an excellent job of driving the point home with style and heart. 

Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) 

Well, Pokémon movies kind of suck, for the most part. A lot of the old animated features just didn’t really wow us in the departments of visuals or storytelling, both of which are kind of important to movies. 

But Pokémon Detective Pikachu from 2019 is somehow the best Pokémon movie so far, and that’s despite it being a live-action movie, which initially seemed like a terrible idea for a Pokémon movie. 

It’s not terrible, it really isn’t. The story is kind of basic, and the idea of a talking Pikachu is still strange to everyone except the 5 people who have played the Detective Pikachu game(s), but this is a really solid family movie that’s miles better than the recent Sonic movies and no this is not something you’ll change our mind about. 

Weird Movies 

Nightmare Alley (2021) 

Time for some weird movies, and we’ve got some real humdingers for you here. 

The first is a Guillermo Del Toro movie from last year that kind of went by unnoticed, maybe because it waited for Oscars season to be released. 

But it’s actually pretty darn good. It’s about a low-down kind of guy who joins up with a circus to earn some kind of living, and it turns out he’s good at mentalist stuff, in other words, pretending that he can read minds. 

So he splits from the circus and starts his own set-up, which goes well until it doesn’t anymore, and being a Del Toro movie, you can probably predict some of the problems that come up. 

Star-studded, long, and genuinely strange, it’s worth a watch. 

High Life (2018) 

Want an insane French sci-fi movie with Robert Pattinson in there for some reason? High life. Enough said. 

Swiss Army Man (2016) 

Daniels (two guys named Daniel) directed this strange indie crossover hit about a guy who becomes friends with a corpse on a deserted island, sort of. 

Genuinely funny, genuinely weird, and very, very creative, it’s a great watch for someone who wants something new to the palate.