Lesser Seen Horror Films

For a horror movie geek like myself, there's no better time of year than October. For the past four years now I've done a 31 Horror movies challenge and it has been quite the ride! I've seen some great movies, some terrible movies, some movies that are so bad they're really quite excellent, and some movies that are totally forgettable. If you're like me and seek out the weird, the uncanny, the scary, and the gory, look no further! Below is a list of horror movies: some you may have missed, some that are brand new, and some that deserve a revisit in the scariest month of the year. 

Hereditary - Over the past several years, the horror genre has gotten at least one critical darling per year: films like The Babadook (2014), It Follows (2015), The VVitch (2016), and Get Out (2017). Hereditary is 2018's horror offering that has been eaten up by horror fans and critics alike. After the grandmother of the Graham family passes away, her daughter (Toni Collette) begins to unravel a sinister mystery about her family's past. Readers, I watch a lot of horror movies. I'm jaded. So believe me when I tell you I actually screamed out loud in the theater at this one. I slept with the dog in the bed and the lights on that night. 

Phantasm (hoopla) - Discover your new favorite cult classic series. Phantasm follows young Mike as he and his friend attempt to unravel the mystery of a sinister grave robber who is responsible for the deaths of Mike's family. This series is full of strange, dreamlike imagery, but is particularly notable for keeping much of the original cast and crew from sequel to sequel. I couldn't really tell you what happens in most of the movies, but I can tell you I've highly enjoyed all of them for how inventive, strange, and fascinating they are.






Bug - A collaboration between playwright Tracy Letts (August: Osage County) and director William Friedkin (The Exorcist), Bug was written for the stage but comes to live brilliantly on the screen. Ashley Judd plays a lonely waitress living in fear of her ex-husband when she meats an eccentric drifter, played by Michael Shannon. Then the bugs begin to arrive. The first time I saw this movie I expected something very different, but was treated to a film that spirals into insanity very subtly. This isn't a conventional horror film but it is as unsettling as they get. 

Honeymoon (hoopla) - Newlyweds Bea and Paul head to the country on their honeymoon, but Bea begins to sleepwalk and act strangely. For some reason, this was the first film my wife and I watched after our wedding, so it has a special place in my heart. It's a compact little thriller with a small cast, and you might recognize Rose Leslie from Game of Thrones. 

Suspiria (hoopla) - An American ballet dancer arrives at a prestigious dance academy in Germany, but very quickly senses that something sinister lurks within the old building. This over-the-top, colorful horror classic is as stylish as they come, and is one of the best entry-points to Italian giallo horror. Keep your eyes peeled for the remake by Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino, set to release this October.







Carnival of Souls (hoopla) Mary ends up the sole survivor of a nasty car accident just before taking a job as an organist at a church across the country, where she is haunted by visions of eerie figures. I'm a big horror buff but only watched this film for the first time last year - and absolutely loved it. It's got an old school low budget charm and an awesome pipe organ score. This one is best watched late at night while the wind rattles your windows.







Night of the Living Dead (hoopla)- This year marks the 50th anniversary of this cinematic landmark, so there's never been a better time to revisit the zombie movie that started it all.