Folk horror is a complex and strange subgenre that is often forgotten by mainstream fans of the genre. Folk horror uses folklore and an ominous atmosphere to evoke fear in the viewer. There are some classics that are well-known movies, such as The Blood on Satan's Claws or Midsommar. While those films are fantastic in their own right, other films often get overlooked and deserve a larger fan base. This list has been curated to ensure only the best folk horror movies make an appearance.
The Crucible (1996)
You might remember The Crucible from your high school English class, but it is terrifying enough to give it a re-watch. It is based on the true story of a group of girls in Salem who are caught creating love potions with the enslaved Tituba. The girls put all the blame on Tituba and the devil, triggering the start of the Salem Witch Trials. Greed and hatred come into play, causing the deaths of multiple people. Winona Ryder is fantastic as Abigail Williams, a young woman who uses the hysteria to her advantage.
The movie adaptation of the play by Arthur Miller is incredibly loyal to the source material. It even includes some of the same historical inaccuracies he had in his play. It shows just how terrifying it can be when an entire community turns against one another. The fact that this is based on real life events, makes it that much scarier.
Apostle (2018)
Apostle is another period piece. It follows a man named Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens), who travels to a remote Welsh island, where his sister is being held captive by a strange religious cult for ransom. The island seems to be peaceful at first, rejecting the corruption of the modern world. In spite of the claims, it quickly becomes clear that they are worse than the society they denounced. Thomas will discover his sister's kidnapping was done in order to continue the village's animal sacrifices.
It is a modern representation of the folk horror genre, while looking on a time different from our own. It is a chilling tale of how much a cult leader's influence can manipulate a group of people. Apostle, a Netflix original folk horror movie, will leave you with more questions than answers and a new fear of island cults.
Greedy Guts (2000)
A strange tale abounds in Greedy Guts, or in Czech, Otesánek. Based on a folktale by the same name, a couple is devastated when they can't have children. The couple finds a stump in their yard, that looks like a bizarre baby. In desperation to be parents, they begin to treat it as if it were their own child. Ultimately, the stump baby becomes sentient and has a gluttonous appetite. It starts to eat anything it can get a hold of, and when their postal worker is eaten, they decide to take action.
Its strange and whimsical nature doesn't take away from the true horror that lies beneath. The stump baby is terrifying, and the overall concept may be strange from an outsider's perspective. The addition of the stop-motion animation to the movie makes for an interesting visual that is both fun and terrifying. It makes for a creepy movie that is a little unexpected. It makes for an original piece that is highly entertaining, but come at this movie with an open mind.
Poison for the Fairies (1986)
The child antagonist in horror movies is a well-loved trope. This film turns children against each other for an interesting take on the cliché. Poison for the Fairies is a 1986 Mexican thriller about Veronica (Ana Patricia Rojo), a strange orphaned girl who lives with her grandmother. When Flavia (Elsa María Gutiérrez) arrives at Veronica's school, she becomes jealous of the young girl's lifestyle. Veronica convinces Flavia that she is a witch and goes on a power trip. She teaches Flavia about dark magic and convinces her that she caused the death of her piano teacher with magic. Throughout the film, Veronica manipulates Flavia into darker and more violent activities. Veronica will discover that this leads to her end.
This is a horror movie with a focus on childhood and the manipulative behaviors young girls can present. There are supernatural elements that will make you wonder if Veronica really does have powers. It is teen drama meets horror, with an unexpected end that will stick with you for years.
Lamb (2021)
Lamb is an Icelandic film about a couple who discover that their sheep gives birth to a strange sheep-human hybrid. The couple takes in a strange sheep-child hybrid, treating it as a replacement to the child they had lost. The real mother of the child, a sheep, becomes a constant nuisance, and Maria (Noomi Rapace) kills her. Maria keeps this a secret from the child, but it is soon made clear that she won't go unpunished as a strange entity begins to stalk the family.
It is a strange movie, with an eerie ending that is unexpected. The couple is punished multiple times through the film for taking something that was not theirs. Overall, the movie is a little odd, but the story is solid, and the aesthetics are beautiful. It did great at the box office, raking in over a million dollars, making it the best opening weekend film for any Icelandic film. However, it is a film that deserves a second wind.
Kwaidan (1964)
Japan is revered for its take on horror. It has to do with the Japan's love of psychological horror while the West tends to prefer shock horror. Kwaidan is an anthology of four different stories. The Black Hair, The Woman of the Snow, Hoichi the Earless, and In a Cup of Tea. The tales all have a root in Japanese folklore, coming from the collection of folktales by Lafcadio Hearn. The Black Hair is a story of a man who leaves his wife for wealth, but eventually recognizes his mistake. Upon his return to his wife, he discovers that he may be too late.
The Woman of the Snow involves a woodcutter trapped in a snowstorm. He meets a yuki-onna, a spirit, who saves him. He promises to never speak of what happened, but eventually learns what happens when he breaks his promise. Hoichi the Earless follows a blind musician who is forced to sing for an army of spirits. Finally, In a Cup of Tea revolves around a man who sees the face of someone in his tea. After drinking the tea anyway, he is forced to duel three spirits, almost dying in the process.
It is an artistic film that is a blueprint for modern psychological horror with a folk twist. The terror within the multiple stories is compelling and artistic. It isn't the standard type of horror, but the visuals are beautiful, and the characters are extremely human. It is a masterful film that needs to have a resurgence in the Western zeitgeist.
In the Tall Grass (2019)
Stephen King and Joe Hill's novella In the Tall Grass is transformed into a Netflix folk horror movie. The movie is a thriller set in a field of grass. You may think the concept sounds strange and not at all scary, but the atmosphere of the movie will change your mind. In the Tall Grass is about Becky (Laysla De Oliveira) and her brother Cal (Avery Whitted) who stop in the middle of their road trip to San Diego when they hear cries for help from a boy named Tobin (Will Buie Jr.). They follow the boy's cries for help, only for the sibling duo to become trapped themselves.
This is one of those movies that makes you step back and question everything. It is a movie that requires your full attention once started. Time loops and ancient gods are the main plot devices throughout the movie. Patrick Wilson as the father of Tobin is fantastic because he pulls off the trusting father figure, only to later pull that trust from under your feet. He is a modern horror movie staple.
The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
A Wes Craven classic, The Hills Have Eyes involves a suburbanite family of seven, taking a road trip vacation to Los Angeles. If that wasn't scary enough, they crash their vehicle in the middle of nowhere. Stranded, they try to look for help, only to run into a terrifying family of cannibals. The group is slowly being picked off one by one, and the few that survive must escape, or else they will be consumed by the people in the hills.
This is a timeless horror movie that it gives a look at what happens when a family that is cut off from the rest of society. In particular, a family that is left to be their own devices with morals that are questionable. It plays on the fear of people who live alternative lifestyles.
The Wailing (2016)
The Wailing is set in a small village in South Korea, where a strange illness that is forcing the villagers to lose their minds. When the insanity takes effect, the villagers start to kill one another. Then a Japanese stranger arrives to the town, and he is instantly blamed for the chaos that is accruing. A strange woman from the village claims that he is a demon that has come to destroy them. They quickly learn how wrong they are.
It is a movie that knows exactly what you are going to expect, then keeps you interested in challenging those expectations. There is a lot of raw emotion and beautiful cinematography that will leave goosebumps. The artistry shows that a horror movie doesn't need to rely on darkness to be scary. It is a story of hysteria that forces you to question everything, and to trust no one. If you enjoyed Parasite, then you will love this movie.
Onibaba (1964)
The atmosphere in Onibaba is haunting and beautiful. An older woman (Nobuko Otowa) and her daughter-in-law (Jitsuko Yoshimura) live in a small hut during a Japanese civil war. In order to survive, the women would lure warriors to their deaths and steal anything they can. Their neighbor returns from the war, only to inform the women that both of their husbands had died. The neighbor and the daughter-in-law soon become lovers, to the older woman's protests. When another warrior arrives, the older woman kills him and steals his mask. She wears the mask to scare her daughter-in-law away from the neighbor, only to learn in a terrifying way the consequences of her actions.
This movie is a post-modern folktale set in a time of war. The eerie imagery and the feelings of betrayal throughout the film makes for an emotional story. Though it was made in the '60s, it holds up fantastically. It is eerie and grim, with a strong look at how leaders treat their people in war times. It is a classic and powerful Japanese horror movie that deserves reverence.
Children of the Corn (1984)
Another classic, Children of the Corn was a novel written by Stephen King and turned into a quintessential horror film. As this is the second story on this list by Stephen King involving a field, it makes you wonder if he has an irrational fear of the Midwest. It starts when a couple finds their way into a town and only to discover that it seems completely empty. To their surprise, they discover the children of the town had formed an eerie cult. In order to appease their god, the children have been killing adults that come into the town. The couple must figure out how to destroy the ancient god and escape before they are the ones sacrificed.
It is a classic and the ultimate in American folk horror. This is horror that defines turning children into creepy little monsters. Overall, it is a horror movie that has a cult following that seems to refect the child-ran cult in the film. If you haven't seen Children of the Corn, this is your sign to give it a watch.
Cat People (1942)
Cat People is a classic cinema film about a young illustrator, named Irena (Simone Simon). She meets Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) while at a zoo painting one of the jungle cats, and they quickly fall in love. The two are quickly married, but Irena refuses to consummate the marriage, due to an old curse from her Serbian home village. Irena claims that if she does, she will be cursed and turn into a jungle cat. Oliver dismisses her, not believing in the legend. Eventually, Oliver falls in love with his assistant Alice (Jane Randolph), leaving Irena angry. It is confirmed that the legend is true when Irena arrives as a panther, ready to attack her husband and his new lover.
The intention of the movie for the time was that Irena would be the villain, however, it changes with modern sensibilities. Instead of being about an angry ex-wife who lost her mind, the story now tells a tale of a woman seeking revenge against a man who wronged her. The build-up is tense and is an old Hollywood gem that has helped to create the horror movie genre. Jacques Tourneur is an iconic horror director, and this film shows just how much he deserves the praise.
La Llorona (2019)
Not to be confused with the film The Curse of La Llorona, La Llorona is a movie about the supernatural punishment of a dictator. Enrique Monteverde (Julio Diaz) is an elderly man who once used his power to help destroy native Mayans in the '80s. He is put on trial for his crimes, but he is determined not guilty. The spirit of a woman who he had killed with her children comes back, ready to take revenge on the man who destroyed her.
This movie is terrifying and completely relevant. It is a discussion of crime and punishment in a world where justice isn't always executed correctly. This film is wonderful, but unfortunately had taken a back seat by a larger film with the same name. It is tragically missed, and deserves a larger audience to celebrate it.
The Ritual (2017)
The Ritual is a fantastic film about a group of friends who go on a hike in memoriam of a friend who had been murdered. When a storm arrives, the four men seek shelter in an abandoned home in the middle of nowhere. As they look around, they notice strange runes and start to become worried about their situation. They must fight for their lives to escape the strange ritual they have suddenly become apart from.
It is a great modern folk horror movie that has great visuals and a wonderful buildup. It hits all the marks, with extremely positive reviews. Not only does it evoke fear, but is disturbing, all the while not relying on gore to achieve its scares. It is a modern classic and a thought-provoking film, with a beautiful natural backdrop.
Antlers
To end on a more recent movie, Antlers is another modern classic in the folk horror subgenre. It is based on a short story by Nick Antosca called The Quiet Boy. A teacher is concerned that one of her students may be having troubles at home. Lucas (Jeremy T. Thomas) and his older brother Aiden (Sawyer Jones) have been forced to their own devices after their father was attacked by a strange creature. Frank (Scott Haze), their father, is completely insatiable and wild after his attack. He is mentally falling apart and suffering, slowly losing his humanity.
This movie has roots in the legends of Wendigos, an Algonquin spirit that possesses human beings. The wendigo represented hunger and greed, which is referenced well in Antlers (though antlers are not a part of the original legends). It is a creature horror, but it also has a lot of humanity and realistic horrors blended in. It is allegorical and thought-provoking, discussing the struggles of abandonment and addiction. It is a fantastic example of modern folk horror.