Buzz
Horror films aren't for everyone, and not everyone enjoys the thrill of a good scare. However, for those who love the genre, the passion runs deep. Many fans have an encyclopedic knowledge of directors and actors, always ready to share the names of their favorites.
Even so, there are hidden gems that manage to fly under the radar, becoming cult classics without gaining widespread recognition. These 10 films are prime examples of horror that deserve more attention than they’ve received.
10. The Wailing
The Wailing, the latest addition to this list, premiered in a limited US release in 2016. The film follows Officer Jong-goo (played by Kwak Do-won), a detective who journeys to a remote mountain village in rural South Korea.
A series of violent incidents have recently shaken Goksung, with many suspecting a mysterious newcomer who speaks only Japanese (played by Jun Kunimura). A taut, suspenseful thriller, The Wailing explores the devastating effects of murder on a community.
The Wailing serves as an excellent introduction to contemporary Korean cinema. Directed by Na Hong-jin, known for his other works such as The Yellow Sea and the gripping serial killer thriller The Chaser, Na’s cinematic expertise shines through in his ability to use breathtaking visuals to enhance the pervasive sense of paranoia in his films.
While watching The Wailing, try to spot moments that echo Seven, the iconic neo-noir film directed by David Fincher. The Wailing is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
9. Planet Of The Vampires
Italian filmmaker Mario Bava is hailed as a true innovator in cinema. His 1963 film The Girl Who Knew Too Much helped define the giallo genre of crime films, while his 1971 release Bay of Blood (also known as Twitch of the Death Nerve) became the blueprint for the iconic Friday the 13th franchise.
Bava reached the peak of his career in the mid-1960s, producing several critically acclaimed works, including Blood and Black Lace and Black Sabbath. However, one film that often flies under the radar is his 1965 work Planet of the Vampires. An Italo-Spanish collaboration, the film offers a dark, Gothic tale set in the vastness of outer space.
As with many of Bava’s creations, the cinematography in Planet of the Vampires is stunning. Unlike most of his other works, the plot here is straightforward, though still somewhat outlandish. In essence, a spaceship's crew on a rescue mission stumbles upon a fog-covered planet inhabited by vampire-like creatures called the Aurans.
It’s been widely noted that Planet of the Vampires had a significant influence on the creators of Aliens.
8. The Living Skeleton
In the late 1960s, Shochiku Studios, Japan's oldest film studio, began experimenting with bold and unconventional sci-fi and horror genres to remain relevant. Between 1967 and 1968, four films—The X From Outer Space, Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell, Genocide, and The Living Skeleton—captivated audiences in both Japan and North America.
Of the four, The Living Skeleton not only stands out as the finest but also as the most original. While the other three films incorporate surreal themes with subtle political undertones about human extinction, The Living Skeleton is a haunting black-and-white tale focused on the revenge of a vengeful ghost.
After pirates annihilate the entire crew of the Dragon King, Saeko (played by Kikko Matsuoka) embarks on a journey to board the ghostly ship when it unexpectedly reappears near the Catholic church where she resides. Once aboard, she becomes possessed by the spirit of her murdered sister and begins eliminating the pirates one by one.
The Living Skeleton epitomizes the very best of Japanese pulp cinema, offering a chilling blend of supernatural horror and revenge.
7. Kuroneko
Kuroneko ('The Black Cat') is a chilling tale of vengeance set in Japan's Heian era. The story begins with an unrelenting brutality, as soldiers rape and kill Yone (Nobuko Otowa) and her daughter-in-law Shige (Kiwako Taichi).
But before their bodies cool, a strange black cat appears, licking the dead women. Somehow, this act resurrects their spirits, transforming Yone and Shige into vengeful spirits who ensnare soldiers and samurai in a deadly trap.
Directed by Kaneto Shindo, Kuroneko is a masterful blend of horror and artistry. This understated film offers an insightful glimpse into Japan's New Wave cinema, along with a dark exploration of Japanese folklore.
6. The Invitation
In today’s age of instant gratification, many moviegoers lack the patience for films that unfold slowly. It's unfortunate, because the classics of cinema often take their time to reveal every intricate detail of the plot, building suspense with deliberate pacing.
The 2015 film The Invitation is a slow-burning thriller set against the backdrop of the Los Angeles mountains. For much of the movie, director Karyn Kusama delves deep into the troubled psyche of Will (Logan Marshall-Green), a father who witnessed the tragic death of his child and now struggles to comprehend why his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) doesn't share the same deep grief that haunts him.
Before Will realizes it, the truth behind Eden’s newfound joy is tied to a cult she became involved with while living in Mexico, one that advocates for an end-of-life philosophy. In a stunning conclusion, The Invitation draws stark parallels to the infamous murders committed by the Manson family and the tragic suicides of groups like Heaven’s Gate.
5. The House Of The Devil
Released in 2009, The House of the Devil aims to capture the essence of classic horror. From its retro coloring to its nostalgic opening credits, the film screams 1980s. However, director Ti West’s movie is more than a simple tribute to the era—it’s far from a cheesy, John Carpenter-inspired copycat.
The House of the Devil is an unnerving slow burn that prioritizes building a sense of dread and isolation. Set on an isolated college campus in Connecticut, the film follows Samantha (Jocelin Donahue), a student who takes a housesitting job in order to save money for a deposit on a new apartment.
Unfortunately for Samantha, her night in the isolated house coincides with a lunar eclipse. The homeowners, however, are anything but ordinary. Paying tribute to the Satanic panic of the 1980s, The House of the Devil masterfully uses silence to heighten the terror.
4. Torso
As previously noted, the giallo genre originates in Italy. Rooted in the pulp paperback industry of the pre-World War II era, giallo reached its peak during the 1970s. These films are often lurid and shocking, focusing on murderers with a penchant for lust, typically dressed in ski masks and black gloves.
Every giallo film seeks to expose the darker aspects of life, from the small-town depravity seen in 1972’s Don’t Torture a Duckling to the taboo subjects of underage prostitution and illegal abortions explored in 1974’s What Have They Done to Your Daughters? Torso, directed by Sergio Martino and released in 1973, follows this trend, but with a greater sense of believability.
A significant factor in this believability is that the crimes depicted in Torso closely resemble the real-life murders committed by the Monster of Florence. At one point, the killer targets a couple engaged in a sexual act in a parked car, mirroring the modus operandi of the real murderer. The film's setting in Perugia, a college town in Umbria near Florence, further grounds its story in reality.
For viewers who are paying close attention, don't miss the brilliant sequence where a woman attempts to escape from a locked room just above the killer.
3. Kill List
Ben Wheatley is a director to watch out for. This British filmmaker has been behind several indie thrillers that have left audiences on edge. In 2012, Wheatley directed the horror-comedy Sightseers, and just a year later, he reached new heights with his masterpiece, A Field in England, which follows rogue soldiers and an alchemist during the English Civil War.
Before these two films, Wheatley made an almost flawless horror movie titled Kill List. A tribute to the rural horror films of early 1970s Britain, Kill List revolves around two hitmen—one Irish and one English—who are hired by an anonymous client to eliminate a series of individuals.
As the killings unfold, the hitman Jay (Neil Maskell) begins to notice something unsettling. Each victim, from a pedophile to an oddly affable priest, greets their killers with warmth just before being executed. They welcome death because, as the hitmen discover, rural England is controlled by a death cult.
Kill List combines the mysticism of The Wicker Man with the emotional turmoil of a crumbling marriage.
2. The Blackcoat’s Daughter
When The Blackcoat’s Daughter was released in 2015, it didn't make much of an impact in North America. Unless you happen to live in a large city, you probably missed its brief theatrical run.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter is a chilling indie horror film set against the brutal winter of upstate New York. During winter break, two girls—the senior Rose (Lucy Boynton) and the peculiar freshman Kat (Kiernan Shipka)—find themselves alone in their dorms, waiting for their parents. Rose, who despises having to look after Kat, soon realizes that Kat is deeply entangled in demonic possession.
Told through a mix of flashbacks and a secondary storyline set years later, The Blackcoat’s Daughter blends the suspense of a locked room mystery with the nerve-wracking tension of a possession film. Throw in a touch of ritualistic murder, and you have the perfect recipe for a terrifying horror experience. However, be warned: This film is not easily accessible.
1. Prince of Darkness
Although John Carpenter had already directed several films, it was 1978’s *Halloween* that truly established him as a master of horror. His subsequent films—including 1980’s *The Fog*, 1981’s *Escape From New York*, and 1988’s *They Live*—only further solidified his reputation as both an exceptional director and composer.
A lesser-known gem in Carpenter’s filmography is 1987’s *Prince of Darkness*. This film came out nearly a decade before *In the Mouth of Madness* and marks Carpenter’s venture into Lovecraftian horror.
Set in Los Angeles, *Prince of Darkness* follows a group of researchers tasked with studying a mysterious canister that has been guarded for centuries by a secretive Catholic order. Unbeknownst to them, the canister contains the means to summon the Anti-God, an ancient entity worshipped long before the arrival of the Biblical Jehovah, potentially triggering the apocalypse.
Without question, *Prince of Darkness* stands as Carpenter’s most chilling and unsettling work to date.
