Question 1

Is Poltergeist (1982) scary?

Accepted Answer

Not particularly — Poltergeist (1982)'s appeal is atmospheric or thematic rather than overtly scary. As a haunted house film, it scored 3.0/10 for fear, 7.0/10 for atmosphere, and 7.8/10 overall on Watch Darkly's curator scale across 1 rating.

Question 2

Is Poltergeist (1982) streaming?

Accepted Answer

Poltergeist (1982)'s US theatrical release date is October 29, 1982. No digital rental, streaming or physical release date has been announced.

Question 3

How many jump scares are in Poltergeist (1982)?

Accepted Answer

Poltergeist (1982) has 9 jump scares, based on its logged jump-scare count.

Question 4

What age is Poltergeist (1982) appropriate for?

Accepted Answer

Poltergeist (1982) is rated PG. Watch Darkly does not assign its own age rating, so here is what the film actually contains. On Watch Darkly's curator scale it scored 3.0/10 for fear, 2.0/10 for gore, and 3.6/10 for intensity, where 10 is the most extreme in the catalog. It has 9 jump scares. Content warnings on file: child endangerment and pet death.

Question 5

Who is in the cast of Poltergeist (1982)?

Accepted Answer

JoBeth Williams plays Diane Freeling, Craig T. Nelson plays Steve Freeling, Beatrice Straight plays Dr. Lesh, Dominique Dunne plays Dana Freeling, Heather O'Rourke plays Carol Anne Freeling, Oliver Robins plays Robbie Freeling, Zelda Rubinstein plays Tangina Barrons, Richard Lawson plays Ryan.

Question 6

What are some films like Poltergeist (1982)?

Accepted Answer

Films similar to Poltergeist (1982) on Watch Darkly include Insidious (2010), The End of Oak Street (2026), Donnie Darko (2001), selected by shared themes and tags plus the curator scoring across fear, gore, atmosphere, intensity, and overall quality.

Poltergeist

Release & where to watch

Where to watchUS, as of Sep 11, 2026

Details

Insidious2010

The End of Oak Street2026

Donnie Darko2001

The Last House2026

The Amityville Horror1979

The Babadook2014

El orfanato2007