SimilarScreen
Special Effects

Special Effects

Mary Jean is just dying to get in the movies… She's about to get her wish.

19844.61h 46mR

Overview

Reality and illusion collide as megalomaniacal filmmaker Chris Neville murders a young would-be actress, then sets about making a feature about the deed, casting the deceased's clueless husband as the patsy, and finding a dead ringer to play the late actress.

Directed by Larry Cohen
Written by Larry Cohen
Produced by Paul Kurta
0

Where to Watch

Stream

Amazon Prime VideofuboTVMGM+ Amazon ChannelMGM Plus Roku Premium ChannelMGM PlusPhiloAmazon Prime Video with Ads

Rent

Fandango At Home

Buy

Fandango At Home

Streaming data via JustWatch

Top Cast

Zoë Lund

Zoë Lund

Andrea Wilcox / Elaine Bernstein

Eric Bogosian

Eric Bogosian

Chris Neville

Brad Rijn

Brad Rijn

Keefe Waterman

Kevin O'Connor

Kevin O'Connor

Det. Lt. Philip Delroy

B

Bill Oland

Det. Vickers

H. Richard Greene

H. Richard Greene

Leon Gruskin

S

Steven Pudenz

Wiesanthal

H

Heidi Bassett

Neville's Asst. Director

J

John Woehrle

Studio Executive

K

Kitty Summerall

Andrea's Roomate

Trailer

Themes & Keywords

movie businesssnuffmodelacting

About Special Effects

Special Effects is a drama, horror, thriller film released in 1984 exploring themes of movie business, snuff, model, acting. Directed by Larry Cohen, it stars Zoë Lund, Eric Bogosian, Brad Rijn. Reality and illusion collide as megalomaniacal filmmaker Chris Neville murders a young would-be actress, then sets about making a feature about the deed, casting the deceased's clueless husband as the patsy, and finding a dead ringer to play the late actress.

Movies Similar to Special Effects

Discover titles like Special Effects — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Special Effects

If you enjoyed Special Effects, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of Special Effects.

Vacancy
23% Match

Vacancy(2007)

Movie6.3/10

A young married couple becomes stranded at an isolated motel and find hidden video cameras in their room. They realize that unless they escape, they'll be the next victims of a snuff film.

Mute Witness
22% Match

When a mute makeup/special effects artist working on a low-budget slasher film gets locked in a dilapidated Moscow movie studio late one night, she thinks she witnesses the making of a snuff film. Thus begins a night of terror.

Untraceable
21% Match

Special Agent Jennifer Marsh works in an elite division of the FBI dedicated to fighting cybercrime. She thinks she has seen it all, until a particularly sadistic criminal arises on the Internet. This tech-savvy killer posts live feeds of his crimes on his website; the more hits the site gets, the faster the victim dies. Marsh and her team must find the elusive killer before time runs out.

The Nameless
21% Match

The mutilated body of a six year old girl is found in a water hole. The girl is identified as the missing daughter of Claudia. However, only two peices of evidence could be used to identify her; a bracelet with her name on it near the crime scene, and the fact that her right leg was three inches longer than her left. All other methods of identification were removed from her body. Five years later Claudia, now addicted to tranquilizers, receives a phone call from someone claiming to be her daughter, asking for her mother to come find her before 'they' kill her. Other mysterious clues show up, further indicating that Claudia's daughter is indeed still alive, and very much in danger. Claudia, a run-down ex-cop, and a parapsychology reporter put together the clues to discover Angela's whereabouts

Black Velvet
20% Match

Crystal, a wealthy, scorned woman living in a massive Egyptian palace with her daughter Magda, finds commiseration in a dried-up Hollywood expat who surrounds himself with singing children.

Nina Wu
20% Match

Nina Wu(2019)

Movie6.3/10

After years toiling in bit-parts, an actress finally gets her break with a leading role in a spy thriller. The part is challenging, not least because it calls for explicit sex scenes, and the director is often hard on her. But both the industry and the press think the results are sensationally good.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
20% Match

Los Angeles, 1969. TV star Rick Dalton, a struggling actor specializing in westerns, and stuntman Cliff Booth, his best friend, try to survive in a constantly changing movie industry. Dalton is the neighbor of the young and promising actress and model Sharon Tate, who has just married the prestigious Polish director Roman Polanski…

Sinister
20% Match

Sinister(2012)

Movie6.9/10

True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt is in a slump; he hasn't had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims' home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.

Snuff 102
19% Match

Snuff 102(2007)

Movie3.0/10

A young Argentinian reporter is writing an article about snuff films - which depict real torture, rape and murder of people. But seeking the films and those behind them might backfire. She herself is in danger of becoming one of the suffering.

A Serbian Film
16% Match

Retired porn star Milos leads a normal family life trying to make ends meet. Presented with the opportunity of a lifetime to financially support his family for the rest of their lives, Milos must participate in one last mysterious film. From then on, Milos is drawn into a maelstrom of unbelievable cruelty and mayhem.

Thesis
15% Match

Thesis(1996)

Movie7.5/10

While working on a thesis about audiovisual violence, film student Ángela finds a snuff video where a girl is tortured until death. Soon she discovers that she was a former student in her university, and that the authors of the video are not very far either.