Horror movies are a dime a dozen. The genre tends to be a safe pick for budget productions, and plenty of indie projects have blown up to massive proportions over the years. The rise of streaming media has made it easier for filmmakers to distribute their spine-tingling creations to a wide audience, but this also means there is more competition than ever.
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With services likeHBO Maxcontaining classics such asThe Shining,The Evil Dead, andPoltergeist, less renowned releases might struggle to stand out from the crowd. While it might be tempting to stick to recognizable movies, that plan will inadvertently entail missing out on some of the horror genre’s most haunting representatives. Those yearning for a good fright this Halloween should check out theseobscure horror films.
8Hell House LLC (2015)
To be honest,Hell House LLC’s reputation has grown quite a bit since its 2015 release, so it’s no longer as obscure as it used to be. Filmed as a documentary,Hell House LLCchronicles the titular attraction’s disastrous opening night, an event that left quite a few bodies in its wake.
The found footage subgenre was overexposed during the 2010s, producing quite a number of underwhelming films.Hell House LLCis a step above most of its contemporaries, delivering a spooky thriller built upon an intriguing sense of mystery.
7The Borderlands (2013)
Another found footage film,The Borderlandsrevolves around three people sent to investigate a church rumored to be haunted. A slow burner,The Borderlandsmines its countryside setting to perfection, creating a discomforting feeling that something could go wrong at any given moment.
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The most chilling scenes are left to the final act, which throws out a few memorable reveals and surprises that the film fully earns. The characters are also well written.
6Angst (1983)
A controversial film upon its release,Angstfollows a serial killer who leaves prison and quickly gets back to his old ways, targeting a family. The horror genre has produced more than its fair share of fantastic home invasion movies, and few surpass Gerald Kargl’sAngst. While critically acclaimed, the film was banned in various countries, and it has only gained a cult following since then.
Angst’s direction puts viewers into the killer’s shoes, presenting an intimacy that is unsettling in the best possible way. Not for the squeamish or those looking for a more traditionally entertaining horror film,Angstcaptures psychopathy at its most terrifying.
5Banshee Chapter (2013)
Taking inspiration fromH. P. Lovecraft’sFrom Beyondand the CIA’s Project MKUltra,Banshee Chapterfollows a journalist seeking to learn what happened to a friend of hers who experimented with the government’s mind-altering drug.
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A mix of found footage and traditional direction,Banshee Chapter’s unique premise makes its clunkier moments forgivable, as this is a ride well worth taking for horror fans. Although a bit uneven, whenBanshee Chaptergets it right, its scares are incredibly effective.
4Creep 1 & 2 (2014 & 2017)
Two for the price of one,Creepdelivers exactly what its title advertises. In both films, a person accepts an invitation to spend time with a guy (Josef inCreep) in a secluded location. Naturally, this trip proves to be far more dangerous than the protagonists could have imagined.
Mark Duplass is suitably unhinged as the eponymous creep, and both films do a decent job of making their captured characters at least somewhat likable.
3The Taking Of Deborah Logan (2014)
The Taking Of Deborah Loganfeels too familiar at times. Along with being another found footage film shot like a documentary,The Taking of Deborah Logandives into the oversaturated possession subgenre of horror, and it doesn’t offer much in the way of surprises in that area.
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So, why is this recommended? It mostly comes down to Jill Larson’s performance as the eponymous character. From one scene to the next, she can go from perfectly normal to deeply disconcerting. The actress elevates the material.
2Lake Mungo (2009)
Lake Mungois not what it seems to be on the surface. After a girl dies in a lake, her spirit begins to haunt her family, leading to a couple of sightings and the arrival of a psychic. DismissingLake Mungoas another ghost story would be a disservice to the film, as the story’s second half takes a turn to the depressing rather than the conventionally terrifying. That said, there are also a few significant scares along the way.
Presented as a documentary,Lake Mungois one of the better examples of this style’s storytelling potential. Wait until it’s dark, turn off all the lights, and watch this movie.
1Noroi: The Curse (2005)
Outside ofRinguandThe Grudge, mostJapanese horror filmscould be described as “obscure” for Western audiences.Noroi: The Curseserves as a prime example of the subgenre’s penchant for mythologically rich horror.
Presented as a documentary shot by the story’s protagonist, Kobayashi,Noroiinitially offers a string of seemingly random clips with little to link them together; while things do eventually line up, the movie takes its time getting there, and the payoff can be polarizing. Despite these criticisms,Noroi’s strengths far outweigh any shortcomings.
