What are some of your favorite horror movies that no one seems to talk about?
We've all heard of Freddy, Jason, etc. But what about those underdogs of horror? Whether the characters from these movies would fit in this game or not, which are some of your favorites that always seem to go forgotten and unmentioned?
For me:
- The Descent. DAMN good horror movie, one of the best of the last couple of decades in my opinion. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and get a copy. Just make sure that it's the uncensored international version. The ending of the American version literally just cuts off the final scene, and the movie is much worse for it.
- Puppet Master. Yes, they made 907 films in this classic direct to video Full Moon series, but the first few were actually creative and pretty fun. Number 3, in particular, was a highlight. If only we could somehow get Blade, Torch, Pinhead and Tunneler in this game!
- The Gate. An awesome, crazy movie about two kids who accidentally open a portal to Hell in their backyard by playing a metal album backwards. Ah, the 80s. Notable for its creature design, spooky set pieces and remarkable (for the time) Harryhausen-esque stop-motion effects, The Gate is a really fun, satisfyingly creepy horror film.
- Frankenstein. Yes, everyone knows who Frankenstein is (well actually they apparently don't, since most people still erroneously think that that's the name of the monster, NOT the man who created it), but I wonder how many people are actually really familiar with the story. It's an excellent piece of work, about an ambitious man studying human anatomy who cobbles together a living being so grotesque that he rejects it out of horror and regret, leaving the creature to try to survive and understand the morality of his "father" as well as that of his own existence.
- The Brood. A woman telepathically controls a horde of creepy little dwarf-children things who run around in snowsuits and kill people with mallets. Disturbing early Cronenberg.
- The Thing (1982). One of the greatest sci-fi horror films ever made. Just watch it.
- Pumpkinhead. Why does everyone forget Pumpkinhead? LOOK at that thing!!!
- One Dark Knight: Just a mausoleum full of rotting, floating cadavers flying around. That's all.
- Willard (2003). Not the original, but the better version all the same. Crispin Glover totally owns the role of a disturbed loner who has no one but an army of rats as his friends. I would love to see this guy in DBD.
- Phantasm. The Tall Man needs more representation. Who's with me?
- The Witch (2016). Tragically underrated. It's not so much a traditional horror movie as a serious, increasingly dark depiction of an early English family of Christians unraveling in the apparent absence of their god. Profoundly well acted and beautifully filmed, this is a movie (like Hereditary) which was amazing, but developed a poor reputation because of misleading marketing.
- Bone Tomahawk. Kurt Russell (always great) and a posse from an old Western town embark on a quest to save some citizens kidnapped by a group of mute cannibals living in the mountains. A weird hybrid between drama and horror and also a very slow burn, this movie is nonetheless strangely hypnotic.
- Session 9. An asbestos-clearing crew pushes themselves to exhaustion trying to clear out Danvers State Hospital (a real abandoned mental asylum, which was the actual filming location). Bad things ensue.
- The Ritual. A group of friends take a hike in beautiful, picturesque woods. Bad things ensue there, too. Nice to see a movie with something in the woods that's not just a witch.
- Basket Case. Similar to the Twins, yes, this is nonetheless a must-see B movie for the ages. It's a wonderfully sleazy movie about a man who was forcibly separated from the deformed mutant half-twin that was born growing out of his side, and their mission to get revenge on the doctors who separated them.
- Jacob's Ladder. More thriller than horror, but there are moments that are guaranteed to creep you the hell out AND make you jump. Do you wish that there were more horror movies where the scares weren't telegraphed and could come out of absolutely nowhere when you least expect it? This is the movie for you.
- The Deadly Spawn (AKA Return of the Alien's Deadly Spawn). A gloriously cheesy 80s movie cashing in on the "gnarly monsters from space" trope, this one's about a hideous, massively-fanged Venus flytrap-like thing hiding in a basement and growing exponentially larger with each kill.
- Critters (and Critters 2, the superior sequel). A cross between E.T. and the alien invasion story that inspired it (The Kelley / Hopkinsville incident). Good fun.
- Hereditary. Accept that it's not a traditional jumpscare / monster horror film and more of a careful, deliberately paced study of a woman slowly, apparently(?) losing her mind and allow yourself to stand in awe of Toni Colette's performance, among the greatest ever committed to film. There are, however, some moments that will definitely make your skin crawl.
- Don't Look Now. A stark film about grief. With a moment that....well, you'll know it when you see it.
- House / House II, The Second Story (80s): Slightly in the vein of Evil Dead II, this is a pair of movies that are as corny and fun as they are spooky. They're about the freaky things that happen inside...yes, a house.
- Krampus: The ultimate complement to Gremlins.
- 28 Days Later: A typically intense, in your-face Danny Boyle film, the one that basically put him on the map. It's about a horrific worldwide pandemic and the desperation of a tiny group of survivors to find hope. Has NOTHING to do with zombies, despite even the back of the video case saying that it does.
- Eraserhead. Ehhhhh.....You'd just have to see it.
- Re-Animator. A deft blend of horror and comedy. Thoroughly entertaining on both fronts.
- Killer Klowns From Outer Space. Delivers exactly what it says on the tin.
- Things. I'm just kidding. This is one of the most hilariously inept films ever made. See it and laugh. Hard.
Comments
Mandy is amazing but it's kind of similar to Evil Dead so if you liked those movies you would love it.
I loved the Descent. Now that you've reminded me of it I think I'll have to rewatch it soon.
Some other honourable mentions: Quarantine, The Colony, The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn, and Frozen (2010) [NOT THE DISNEY ONE] ,which is more of a thriller tbh, come to mind.
I've heard really good things about Mandy. That one's definitely on my list. It sounds over the top in all the best ways.
I say with regret that I actually haven't seen any of those.
Tbh most I haven't watched in a long time, but from what I can remember Quarantine is about a group of people trapped/Quarantined in a building with zombies and they aren't allowed to leave otherwise they'll be killed.
The Colony is about people trapped in bunkers due to climate change but there's also feral people/cannibals in the mix.
The hills have eyes is probably the one I'd recommend the most out of these. It's about a family road trip gone wrong and their car breaks down in an area inhabited by mutant cannibals. There's also a sequel which is honestly pretty good as well.
Wrong Turn is more Cannibals with various groups of people with like 6 movies? Something like that.
Frozen is about 3 friends who get stuck on a ski lift as the ski resort closes for the night.
Return Of The Living Dead is so much of a great zombie film to a point where I don't know why I barely hear people talk about it, like seriously, It's a Zombie Movie Classic and is a Franchise I would love to see inside Dead By Daylight.
drag me to hell is really good- its not horror in my opinion but imo its great
The Tar Man would be a pretty cool addition to DBD. I haven't seen all of RotLD but what I did see I enjoyed.
I have a weird issue with that movie, lol. I've never seen it and have heard mixed things so I think about checking it out sometimes. But then whenever I see the cover art of the girl screaming it completely throws me off. She looks like she's yelling along to a song she likes at a concert or something, not screaming in terror at the hands that are, apparently, attempting to drag her to hell.
It's the weirdest thing to be turned off by, but I can't help it. Seriously, look at the cover. That girl does NOT look like she's scared. She looks like she's shooting a porno. XD
Good list.
The Ritual doesn't get enough love. Enjoyed that.
I was a fan of Puppet Master 2 as a youngster, but after part 3 they're utterly appalling.
Some films I like that don't get the recognition they deserve:
HOSTEL: The thing I love about this film is that every scene counts. There are no duds. There is foreshadowing all over the place. It's a fantastic film. One of my favourites. The sequel had it's moments but wasn't a patch on the original. The third chapter was poor.
MANIAC COP: There isn't much to it, but it's been a guilty pleasure since I was a child. Simple but fun.
DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW: Another film I saw as a child, and it absolutely terrified me. It has a creepy atmosphere and doesn't reply on gory kills.
CLOWN (2014): A great film. Guy puts a clown suit on...and it won't come off. He then starts to change. Worth a watch.
THE REEF: This was a brilliant film. After The Shallows, this is the best shark film since Jaws.
Terrifier is very underrated. Art the Clown deserves more recognition.
Not quite sure if no one talks about it, but I really love The Babadook (2014).
@miketheratguy Ya, heck I even made a concept for a Return Of The Living Dead Chapter a while back which in my opinion is probably the most unique chapter concept I did so far.
Eden Lake
Slither
The found footage movie REC. if you ask me it's the best movie in that entire genre
The Decent was great, surprised me how good it was when it came out.
The Ritual is one of my recent favs. Very unique and creepy movie.
I really liked the first Silent Hill movie. The second was meh for me.
Very mainstream but I really enjoyed the first Conjuring movie too. That scene where they "show it" shocked me. Didn't expect it at all haha.
Out of all listed in here, I don't think i've seen The Reef. I'll add that to my list, thanks!
Jacob's Ladder. That is such an emotive movie within the horror genre, and it's connections to the realities of war is really gritty.
Also, Deathwatch, for similar reasons to above.
Tucker and Dale v Evil - Love that it was basically role reversal from normal horror movies.
Cabin in the Woods - Really wish there was a TV series that had all the different horror villains you see at the end.
Most Eli Roth movies - Cabin in the Woods is my favorite of them.
Fido - Different take on normal zombie movies - people using zombies as house keepers, pets, etc. More horror comedy than straight up horror.
Exorcism of Emily Rose - Loved how this was different from most other possession movies. Using court case to argue possession v medical explanation.
Kalifornia - Writer road tripping across the country to different serial killer sites with his girlfriend, to cut down on costs they have another couple join them not knowing one is a killer. I found out about this movie thanks to my sister that worked at a video store during the 90s.
Frailty - Father is convinced he's getting messages from God to kill demons pretending to be people and has his 2 young sons help him.
Club Dread - Feel like people slept on this because it was horror comedy instead of straight up comedy like Beerfest or Super Troopers.
Critters - Grew up on these movies, feel like this franchise and Ghoulies are ones people don't care for.
Ghoulies - Grew up on these, as a kid 2nd movie made me double check toilet before I'd sit down. 😂
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - the tape wormy bits going into people's faces freaked me out so much as a kid.
The Crazies (2010) - Good remake that I think just came out at bad time so people forgot about it pretty quick. So many remakes at that time that were bad or just didn't live up to the originals.
1408 - Loved that for the most part was just John Cusack alone in a room going crazy.
Ready or Not - One of those movies where I got frustrated by all the dumb moves the woman was making but was so good.
The Babysitter - It got a sequel which is sign people liked it but I feel like I don't see anyone talking about it.
Trick R Treat/Krampus - These are ones I feel like should get more love than they do, they're so so good.
Wolf - calling it horror because Wolfman monster. It's great werewolf movie that is so underrated with Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Dead Snow - I don't see many talk about this one and it's so good. Maybe it's because they don't speak the language this is filmed in and hate subtitles, which is wicked unfortunate.
Troll Hunter - think same case as Dead Snow, people don't want to watch something with subtitles. Also is one of those found footage type movies so that may also be why. I loved it though.
Let the Right One In - feel like the original was quickly forgotten thanks to English remake. Original was so so good, I love it. Also recommend the book, it's wicked good.
Popcorn - people being killed during horror movie marathon. It's great one and I remember loving the VHS cover when I would see it at the video store as a kid. 😂
Cutting Class - super cheesy 1980s slasher with Brad Pitt. I think it's a shame people let Brad Pitt forget this one, it's amazing. 😂
Session 9 - I remember seeing this when it first released because I'm from Massachusetts and growing up 30 minutes from Danvers State heard plenty of stories about it. My husband (at time was my boyfriend) when we were going to see it had told me about how his grandmother had worked there as a nurse for couple weeks before leaving and wouldn't talk about it at all - that was out of character since she loved telling stories, even if not good ones, about different places she worked as a nurse. Knowing history of Danvers State and having personal account like that added to creepiness of the movie. I find it funny that not long after they filmed Session 9 Danvers State was renovated into "high end" condos and apartments. Girl I knew in college that was from out of state rented apartment there not knowing the history of the place, she wasn't thrilled people filled her in AFTER she'd moved in. 😂
In my opinion the first three Puppet Master films are the only good ones, and that they increase in quality. Blade and Torch are my favorite puppets, 2 had the bizarre invisible man brain harversting storyline, and then three came along and was, strangely, a somewhat poignant exploration of how the puppets were borne out of the persecution of a French man during Nazi occupied Germany. I can't remember the actor who played Krause but I liked him a lot, he was cool inspiration for Blade.
Glad you liked The Ritual! I never hear anyone talk about it.
Curious titles, never heard of either of those.
People did, then it kind of died down right away. Babadook is up there with The Witch and Hereditary as a trio of horror films that were mismarketed, audiences hated them upon release because they've been conditioned to expect the popcorn happy jump scare. Those three films are much deeper than that. They're all very good.
Same here, I was in awe of The Descent. In 2005 it was probably the best, or one of the best, horror movies I'd seen in like a decade. It was so immensely creepy and claustrophobic, I was uncomfortable watching it before anything serious even happened. Great performances, good pacing, some good scares. Excellent horror movie.
More appreciation for The Ritual! Love it.
Jacob's Ladder is a mind ######### of a movie. You have no idea what's happening to the main character or why, you just know that it's terrifying. Those random, absolutely out of nowhere jumpscares ("Anybody in there? ANYBODY HOME!!?") keep you on the edge of your seat all the way til the end. One of the main inspirations for Silent Hill.
Excellent list. How could I have forgotten Ghoulies? The cover of that film, as well as Amityville 3D, scared little me in video stores back in the early 80s. Good times.
I myself would put Kalifornia in the thriller category but it's a great, great film. Excellent performances from Pitt and especially Juliette Lewis. Really strong movie, interesting premise and good twists.
Cutting Class Lol I saw that on cable back in '92 and was like "is that Brad Pitt? Why is that Brad Pitt?" XD
Troll Hunter. I was very surprised by how much I loved this movie. It treats the concept of Norwegian trolls as a very literal thing, the movie feels more like a legit documentary than a horror film. It's really, really good. A fascinating watch.
Frailty - another horror / thriller, and one of the best I've ever seen. Unmissable movie.
Yep, Danvers is, sadly, just an apartment complex now. They kept the majestic facade of the building but the unique bat shaped architecture and crazy complex tunnels (to the morgue, cemetery, etc.) are gone, as far as I know. Session 9 is a gem in that it's got good goosebump tension (and at least one amazing jumpscare) but also because it's a time capsule, a film recorded in a place that no longer exists.
Thanks for the enthusiasm for this thread, you guys have given me lots of good new ideas for some solid-sounding horror films. Hopefully I've done the same in return!
I remember watching Ready or Not awhile back and thought it was pretty good. Has some comedy in there as well to lighten the mood at times.
Though I will say, the ending was bad imo. I've watched so many good movies with poorly-made endings and it sucks because that's the difference between if I buy it on DVD or not.
I see thriller horror like horror comedy - not straight up horror but still there 😂
Adding
Pulse (1988) - so much better than the 2006 remake, also has young Joey and Matt Lawrence. 😂
Saturday the 14th - B-Movie horror comedy along the lines of Elvira. It's amazing and everyone should watch it.
The Gate - I know it was already listed, I meant to include it on my first comment, but it is such a good movie. I remember watching it way too many times as a kid, the eyeball in hand definitely made its way into my nightmares.
Cats Eye - another I watched a bunch as a kid, mainly because of the cat. 3 stories through out the movie, last one with the troll is my favorite and it contributed to a troll phobia I had as a kid 😂
Mom and Dad - Parents randomly start attacking/killing their own kids.
I would like to see 3 old horror movies, they are very nostalgic for me. Deadline, The Ward and After Life.
Deadline: I would like to see Lucy and David Woods. i think having David as a killer can be very horrifying while playing with Lucy as a survivor.
In the movie they are ghosts but it might not be a problem, because the fog is another existence where everyone reappear.
The Ward: It's going to be a little complicated because Kristen's character is actually a personality of another character in the movie, Alice Hudson. it may be interesting that these two characters will be the same person but in a different role, Survivor and Killer.
After life: I think the character of Eliot Deacon is psycho. denies the fact that Anna is alive and buries her alive.
I would like to see him as a killer and Anna Taylor as a survivor.