12 Best Foreign TV Shows And Films Like The Conjuring

With The Conjuring: Last Rites hitting theaters in 2025, horror fans are already counting down the days until they can get their next proper scare. But what if you’re craving something terrifying right now?

Well, why not combine your love for spine-tingling stories with learning a new language? Foreign horror films and TV shows offer some of the most genuinely unsettling experiences you’ll find, and they often come with the bonus of immersing you in another culture’s unique approach to fear.

In this post, I’ll share 12 foreign-language horror films and TV shows that'll give you chills while helping you learn new vocabulary, phrases, and cultural insights. Whether you’re brushing up on your Spanish with a ghost story or diving into Japanese horror’s distinct brand of terror, you’ll find something that matches both your language goals and your taste for the macabre.

Horror Vocab To Get You Started

Before you dive into these terrifying tales and the new Conjuring movie, here are some essential horror vocabulary words that’ll pop up across most of these films and shows. Learning these key terms beforehand will help you follow the supernatural action more easily and give you a solid foundation for picking up scarier phrases as the stories unfold.

Foreign Movies Like The Conjuring

These spine-chilling foreign films are waiting for you on Netflix, ready to deliver the same supernatural terror that made The Conjuring franchise so addictive. Connect your Lingopie extension while you watch, and you’ll pick up new vocabulary alongside genuine scares as you experience how different cultures approach horror storytelling.

Sister Death (Spanish)

This chilling prequel to Verónica follows Narcisa, a young nun with supernatural gifts who arrives at a former convent-turned-school in post-war Spain, only to uncover the horrific secrets buried within its walls. When students start disappearing and mysterious names appear written on blackboards by an unseen hand, Narcisa must confront both her own divine visions and the vengeful spirit of a nun whose tragic death still haunts the corridors.

The Binding (Italian)

A family trip to rural southern Italy turns deadly when ancient folk magic targets a young girl through the "evil eye" curse. As little Sofia begins showing disturbing symptoms after a tarantula bite, her mother Emma discovers that her fiancé’s family harbors dark secrets involving blood rituals, vengeful spirits, and a love triangle that transcends death itself.

Incantation (Chinese)

This found-footage nightmare doesn’t just want to scare you...it wants to curse you. A mother desperately tries to save her daughter from supernatural consequences after breaking a religious taboo years earlier.

The terrifying twist? Throughout the film, she begs viewers to chant an incantation that will supposedly help, but by the shocking finale, you'll realize you've been tricked into something far more sinister.

The Privilege (German)

Wealthy teenager Finn has spent years on medication to suppress the "hallucinations" he's had since his sister's violent death, but when classmates start dying under similar circumstances, he realizes his visions might be real. What he uncovers is a generational conspiracy involving his own family, an ancient cult, and the horrifying truth that his pills aren't treating mental illness. They're actually preparing his body to become a vessel for something evil.

The Call (Korean)

Through an old landline phone, two women connect across a 20-year time gap: Seo-yeon in 2019 and Young-sook in 1999. What starts as Seo-yeon trying to help the seemingly trapped Young-sook quickly becomes a nightmare when she realizes she’s been assisting a budding serial killer who’s now using information from the future to change the past and ensure her own deadly reign continues.

Hell Hole (Polish)

Detective Marek goes undercover as a priest in 1987 Poland to investigate missing women who entered a remote monastery and never returned. What he uncovers is a centuries-old conspiracy involving cannibalistic monks, satanic rituals, and preparations for the Antichrist’s arrival.

Foreign TV Shows Like The Conjuring

Netflix's collection of international horror series brings that same haunted house atmosphere across multiple episodes, giving you more time to absorb both the frights and the language. Fire up the Lingopie extension for Netflix and settle in for binge-worthy terror that’ll have you learning new phrases between jump scares.

Ares (Dutch)

Ambitious medical student Rosa joins an elite Amsterdam secret society dating back to the Dutch Golden Age, thinking it's her ticket to wealth and power. But Ares hides a horrifying secret: members maintain their ruthless success by literally vomiting up their guilt and feeding it to a demonic entity named Beal, allowing them to commit atrocities without conscience.

Parasyte: The Grey (Korean)

From Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho comes this visceral body horror series where a government task force called "The Grey" hunts down infected humans while Su-in struggles with her dual nature: part human, part alien parasite with its own agenda for survival.

Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre (Japanese)

The master of manga horror brings his most disturbing stories to life in this animated anthology featuring floating heads with hanging nooses, spiral obsessions that drive people insane, and body horror that would make David Cronenberg cringe.

JU-ON: Origins (Japanese)

Long before the infamous Kayako and Toshio haunted movie screens, this Netflix series reveals the "true events" that inspired The Grudge franchise. A paranormal researcher obsessively searches for a cursed house where terrible violence occurred decades ago, uncovering a cycle of rage and murder that spans generations. Without the familiar ghostly faces, this prequel creates fresh scares while building toward the creation of Japan's most famous supernatural curse.

Reality Z (Portuguese)

When a zombie apocalypse hits Rio de Janeiro during elimination night of a Big Brother-style reality show, contestants and producers find themselves trapped in the TV studio. This Brazilian adaptation of Dead Set combines social satire with flesh-eating horror, proving that even during the apocalypse, the cameras keep rolling and human nature remains the deadliest threat of all.

Marianne (French)

Horror novelist Emma tries to end her book series about a witch named Marianne, but the evil spirit refuses to let her story die. Forced back to her hometown after a friend’s suicide, Emma discovers Marianne has been using her books to gain real-world power, possessing locals through one of horror’s most genuinely disturbing antagonists: an elderly woman.

Ready to Get Scared and Get Fluent?

These foreign horror films and shows prove that the best scares often come with subtitles. Whether you’re drawn to the psychological terror of Korean thrillers or the supernatural dread of Japanese ghost stories, each one offers a unique window into how different cultures craft their nightmares.

If you’re serious about learning a new language, install the Lingopie extension, pick a film that matches your target language, and start building your vocabulary one terrifying scene at a time. After all, there’s something oddly satisfying about learning to say "haunted" or "possessed" in a new language while genuinely feeling both emotions yourself.

Your next language breakthrough might just come from the comfort of your couch with the lights turned off. Give Lingopie a try now!