10 Best Folk Horror Movies, Ranked

The Folk horror genre has become one of the most popular forms of horror in recent years, with the rise of cult and ancestral narratives prevalent throughout all horror films. The best folk horror films are known for using elements of folklore, rituals and ancient traditions to Providing the backdrop for the thrilling and horrifying stories that reveal the darker sides of our nature and humanity. It has become so popular as it mixes the realistic with the spiritually sinister and creates a crossover that has an all too real ‘this could happen to me’ feeling.

The most impressive of the folk genre throughout cinema history and in recent years have focused on cults, voodoo, paganism and superstition. Films like the critically acclaimed Hereditary With surprise endings, which puts a legitimately terrifying, modern spin on the occult, or Midsummer, Which brings violent cults and the psychological forces within to the fore. Every film puts the onus on the viewer that what they’re watching isn’t something too far outside the realm of possibility.And that realization is what makes the genre one of the most fear-inducing horror themes and why the films themselves are so haunting.

10

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

With Heather Donahue and Michael Williams

The infamous ‘found-footage’ supernatural horror follows three film students who set out to make a documentary about the Blair Witch, a being that supposedly haunts a local forest, with strange occurrences and people routinely going missing. The use of Handheld ‘documentary’ style footage and shaky camera work was revolutionary And adds a constant tension because you never know what will appear on the screen next and you, as the viewer, are often left in genuine suspense, both by the story and what is seen.

It’s easy to fail to note the significance and impact of a film like this The Blair Witch ProjectH. While the technology used was rudimentary by today’s standards, the techniques, plot, storytelling and marketing were years ahead of their time. The decision not to use special effects was masterful, adding to the realismAnd many film-goers thought the footage was legitimately shot and truly portrayed their experience. Also, in marketing the film, the production lacked posters for their actors. Everything culminated in one incredible, horrifying and believable film that became one of the most successful independent films ever created.

9

The Blood on Satan’s Claws (1971)

Starring Patrick Wymark and Linda Hayden

Directed by Piers Haggard, the film, set in an early 18th-century country village in England, tells the story of farmer Ralph Gower uncovering a deformed skull in his field and with it an unleashing of a demonic force that takes control of The local. Youth in the area. The film descends into a series of foul, cruel and hideous sequencesWith children being murdered, ritualistic cult attacks, and the summoning of evil spirits. A nerve-wracking 93 minutes that starts rough and only gets more terrifying with every passing moment.

While The blood on Satan’s claw (job title, Satan’s skin) is not too well known or critically acclaimed, it is an early example of folk horror done right and executed well throughout the production. Special scenes as Angel, the leader of the corrupt children, trying to seduce the priest Before revealing her friend’s murder, and the Black Mass stay with her after she finishes watching. The film has an unheard and unexpected atmosphere, the soundtrack by Marc Wilkinson is superb, and it stands the test of time, and remains truly terrifying even 50 years later.

8

Apostle (2018)

Starring Dan Stevens and Lucy Boynton

In one of the most original and thrilling horror stories of recent years, Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) goes to visit a remote Welsh island to save his sister, who has been kidnapped by a dangerous and mysterious cult. Throughout the film, Thomas tries to secretly save his sister while constantly being thrown into more weird and horrifying scenariosDiscover the true religious nature of the island and the ritualistic sacrifices required to keep the island ‘blooming’.

The real qualities of a real folk horror classic are often defined by their use of nature, folklore and finding horror in the plausible. While messenger Steps over the line and into the paranormal, writer and director Gareth Evans masterfully builds a foreboding, realistic sense of dread Throughout the film. No cheap jump scares or other worldly creatures. The film fuels its horror with graphic violence and a deep dive into the cult and pagan rituals that can leave scars figuratively and literally.

7

La Llorona (2019)

Starring María Mercedes Coroy and Margarita Kenéfic

Also known as The crying womanThis Guatemalan horror film, written, directed and edited by Jayro Bustamante, is an elevated adaptation of the Mexican folk tale of La Lorena, a ghost of a woman who mourns the murder of her children. The plot revolves around a former Guatemalan dictator, Enrique Monteverde, who, still reeling from crimes From orchestrating the native Mayan genocide, his house and family are haunted by visions and spirits that punish him for his past wrongdoings.

La Llorona is an extraordinary folk horror film filled with beautiful choreography and shot scenes with iconic images and terrifying compositions. like messengerThe film is a slow burner, gradually rocking Raise the tensions with a series of supernatural events and chilling visions. It explores themes of war, justice, class, race and gender, but doesn’t let the commentary slow down the need for blood-curdling horror. The film currently holds a 96% rating based on 97 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason, making it one of the most popular recent folklore horror films.

6

kill list (2011)

Starring Neil Maskell and MyAnna Buring

In Ben Whitley’s kill listTwo former British soldiers join forces to work as contracted hitmen for a shady client who wants three people murdered. As they work their way through the names on the list, The bizarre situations and graphic violence escalate rapidly. The further they go into the work, the further they become involved in a plot with a deadly cult that uses rituals and human sacrifices with a story that keeps the audience glued to the edge of their seats.

Wheatley said he was influenced by legendary director Stanley Kubrick, by planning the film’s gory imagery first and then revolving the plot around it, with actors often improvising names and lines. In doing so, the film has a gritty realism and takes real-world scenarios and elevates them to new, horrific heights, using the cult and satanic themes to great effect. The murder-by-hammer sequence in the killing of their second victim is as shocking as it is brutally violent.creating a sense of palpable tension and producing one of the most truly disturbing films of the 2010s.

5

Midsummer (2019)

Starring Florence Pooh and Jack Raynor

This is the first film that many people will think of when it comes to folk horror in recent years, and rightly so. Midsummer Is about a Group of American students who travel to an isolated Swedish village to take part in a nine-day mid-summer festivalIn a commune called the Hårga. Florence Pugh stars as Dani, a young woman grieving the death of her family, and the film works through themes of grief, anger, betrayal, and breakups. The festival soon degenerates into a horrible cult ritual, with forced human sacrifices, sexual assaults and disturbing traditions.

Almost every scene in Midsummer Packs a genuine gut punch, and the film is as unsettling as it is horror in its purest form. From the opening scene where Danny’s mentally ill sister takes her own and her parents’ lives through carbon monoxide poisoning or the Ritualistic sacrifice of two elderly cult members forced to jump from a cliff onto rocks. Midsummer Is beautifully vivid and wonderfully shot, which makes the slow-burn horror and graphic depictions of violence that much more impressive to create a masterpiece of horror cinema.

4

The Wailing (2016)

With Kwak Do-Won and Hwang Jung-Min

South Korean cinema as a whole is known for producing some of the best and most gruesome horror films of all time and The Wailing is absolutely no exception. The film follows the story of a Japanese foreigner who enters a small, rural village in the mountains of Gokseong, which is soon overtaken by a terrible infectionAnd what follows is a terrifying combination of shamanistic rituals, hexes, and demonic slaying of locals. A local police officer, Joon-goo (Hwak Do-won) aims to solve the mystery before the whole city turns into a bloodbath.

Na Hong-jin directed one of the scariest South Korean folk horror films ever, with a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is an epic, expansive narrative of an impressive 156 minutes, but the story and suspense are expertly paced and built absolutely perfectly. Scenes with cults, shrines and animal mutilations linger with youAnd much like the virus in the story, they grow and invade your senses until the emotion and fear build to unmanageable levels. A true modern classic folk horror genre and should be talked about for years to come.

3

The Wicker Man (1973)

Starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee

no doubt, The stronger person Must be the clearest and most popular example of the public of the folk horror genre. The iconic story follows Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) as he goes to investigate The mysterious disappearance of a young girl on a secluded Scottish island. While conducting his investigation, Howie discovers the terrifying secrets of the islands and its inhabitants and, rather than save the young girl, falls into the trap set for himself to be used as a Celtic pagan sacrifice for next year’s harvest.

The stronger person was dubbed “The Citizen no of horror movies,” and when you see it, you can understand why it was given such a high honor. Directed by Robin Hardy and featuring stand-out performances from Edward Norton, Christopher Lee, and the entire cast, the film dissolves in horror before Erupts in a cruel, agonizing climax Final scene as Howie burns to death in’The stronger person‘Statue With the setting sun in the background is one of the most compelling in all of cinema and a true classic British folk horror film in every sense of the word.

2

The Witch (2015)

Starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Inson

Written and directed by Robert Eggers (The lighthouse) in his first film debut, The witch Tells the story of a family expelled from a Puritan settlement who built a farm near a large, mysterious forest. After these Death of very young baby, paranoia meets the paranormal as a witch infiltrates and terrorizes The young family through various means, and the film grows in terror as it plays on themes such as witchcraft, murder and isolation. From start to finish, the film feels like a terrifying rollercoaster with minimal pauses in the palpable horror.

Even though it’s Eggers’ first full-length film, it has the polish and style of someone at the peak of their career, joined by a breakout performance from Anya Taylor-Joy, who is mesmerizing throughout the film. The cinematography, acting and setting are all perfectly executed And often times what you don’t see on screen is more disturbing than what you do. The dedication to an uncompromising, factual look at religious family dynamics and early American folk tales, combined with the paranormal witches’ coven, makes this one of the most genuinely scary folk horror movies ever made.

1

Hereditary (2018)

Starring Toni Collette and Alex Wolff

After the death of her mysterious mother, the strange family matriarch, Annie (Toni Collette), and her family’s life descends into hell after discovering horrifying facts about their family, lineage and their links with the supernatural and occult. Hereditary is completely hair-raising from the opening scene to the final credits. The story is perfectly paced and follows the destruction of the family as they try to contact their daughter after her gruesome death and supernatural forces cause demonic possession along with countless terrifying occurrences.

Many of the indoor shots took place in a custom-built set to give the film a dollhouse feel, and you can really feel the unnatural unease throughout the film as the characters literally and figuratively become puppets to their occult roots. Toni Collette gives the performance of her careerAnd her breakdown and range is impeccable. Scenes like the horrific decapitation of daughter Charlie are now iconic moments in cinema, and the entire film is bleak, grotesque, and truly terrifying, a grim look at early folklore, combining to create the best Folk horror Film of all time.