13 Unknown Horror Movies that Promise to Scare and Entertain
Watch these films if you dare.
Most of them I’ve seen myself, and I’ll say this in advance - you won’t be able to sleep with the lights out after viewing these terrifying movies. In fact, forget about sleep all together. Look forward to a night of locked doors and anxious thoughts.
Don’t say, ‘I didn’t warn you’.
1. Gingersnaps (2000)
Director: John Fawcett
Stars Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle
A young woman named Ginger is infected with an unknown virus that causes insatiable urges. She soon comes to realize her strange behavior only arrives with the full-moon. Ginger and her sister race to find a remedy before the change becomes irreversible.
‘Gingersnaps’, a Canadian horror-film - has garnered great praise for it’s coming-of-age symbolism and practical effects.
2. Black Sheep (2006)
Director: Jonathan King
Stars Nathan Meister, Peter Feeney, Danielle Mason, Tammy Davis, and Oliver Driver
This is quite the yarn to spin.
A killer-sheep stalks the New Zealand countryside murdering all those in its path. Shlocky horror goodness, not very frightening but a good time none-the-less. If you like Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise, give this a chance.
3. Creep (2014)
Director: Patrick Brice
Stars Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass
This film is about a man responding to a personal ad that offers payment to videotape and document someone who is dying. Before long - he learns the man has been stalking him for quite some time, and he is swiftly drawn into a preternatural fight for survival.
4. Mandy (2018)
Director: Panos Cosmatos
Stars Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy, Olwen Fouéré, and Bill Duke
The hero's journey begins when a freaky religious cult kidnaps the protagonist’s girlfriend. This starts a psychedelic trip that culminates in Nicholas Cage battling demon-bikers, while wielding a giant chain-saw.
Did I mention he's high on LSD? (Produced by Elijah Wood)
Definitely worth a watch.
5. X (2022)
Director: Ti West
Stars Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure and Scott Mescudi
An inventive horror, that centers around the filming of an adult movie, and an eerie elderly couple that rent their farmhouse to the production. X was made by an independent filmmaker on a micro-budget.
Ty West (Director & Writer of X) received praise from critics and audience goers alike for re-imagining exploitation era horror for the 2020s.
6. Mimic (1997)
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Stars Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Josh Brolin, Charles S. Dutton, Giancarlo Giannini
Cutting edge genetic engineering results in hybrid human-sized cockroaches with the ability to adopt the shape and appearance of their prey. A team investigates as the creatures begin to infest the NYC subway system.
7. Black Christmas (1974)
Director: Bob Clark
Starring: Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, Andrea Martin, Lynne Griffin and John Saxon
Black Christmas is a Christmas themed horror film. It's a take on the old urban-legend “the babysitter and the man upstairs”.
The story follows a group of sorority-sisters as they are stalked and hunted by a psychopathic killer. This film was loosely inspired by real life slayings that took place in the neighborhood of Westmount, in Montreal, Canada.
Black Christmas has been praised as an influence on John Carpenter's Halloween.
8. Thirst (2009)
Director: Park Chan-wook
Stars Song Kang-ho, Shin Ha-kyun, Kim Ok-bin
A Catholic priest (Sang-Hyun) is working at a hospital when he decides to volunteer for an experimental vaccine, used to fight a new respiratory illness. The vaccine causes a mutation which begins to change him into a vampire-like creature. While the transformation is taking place - he begins to fall in love with the wife of his longtime friend.
This film is a joint South Korean - USA production, and was nominated for the Palm d’Or.
9. Titane (2021)
Director: Julia Ducournau
Stars Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier and Laïs Salameh
Titane is a French-Belgian psychological-horror picture. A woman who was injured by a car accident as a child has a piece of titanium stuck in her skull, as a result of the accident. This causes strange behavior and murderous out-bursts of rage, which she has to contend with in her day-to-day life. She also finds herself developing an erotic fixation towards automobiles.
Not for the faint of heart.
10. Slaxx (2020)
Director: Elza Kephart
Stars Romane Denis, Brett Donahue, Sehar Bhojani, Kenny Wong, Tianna Nori, Jessica B. Hill
A fun movie, about a killer pair of jeans. The murderous attire stalks a department store - while a new hire working her first shift, tries her best to survive. A splat-stick horror that mixes irreverent humor with it's already hilarious premise, to very beneficial results. And there's a human psychopath as well – cause why not?
11. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
Director: Tom Tywker
Stars Ben Whishaw, Alan Rickman, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and Dustin Hoffman
A young boy is born to poverty in the streets of 1800s Paris, France. His heightened sense of smell causes him to lust for an unattainable scent.
Desires turn dark when he realizes the secret ingredient may be found in human females.
12. Pearl (2022)
Director: Ti West
Stars Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland and Emma Jenkins-Purro.
A prequel to X (see above). The plot follows Pearl during the prime of her life. She’s longing to leave the small town she was born and raised in - for bigger, and better things. All that stands between her and a chance at stardom: is her family.
Well, Pearl isn't the type of girl to let anybody get in her way.
13. Munchies (1987)
Director: Tina Hirsch
Stars Harvey Korman, Charlie Stratton, and Nadine Van der Velde.
Munchies is a knock-off of Critters, which in turn is a knock-off of Gremlins.
It's directed by Tina Hirsch, editor of Steven Spielberg's famous smash hit horror-comedy Gremlins (yes, the movie I just mentioned).
This film is ultra-low budget, and the plot is essentially watching these little guys create as much havoc as they can - for the duration of the movie.
If you love trashy films with a heart, you should enjoy this relic of the 80s.
