Halloween is slowly creeping up on us and like any good celebration of the month, it’s filled with binge-worthy scary television shows, movies, anime and video games. Kicking off our annual Halloween lists and features, we’re taking a look at five great overlooked horror movies that you can watch this spooky season.
While the horror genre has plenty of good overlooked movies (moreso than any other genre, to be honest), we think these five will be enough to satiate your appetite, ranging from stories about bigfoot and demons to romances with a sinister twist.
Five Overlooked Horror Movies to Watch This Halloween
Spring (2014)
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are some of the most talented filmmakers working in the genre today and their 2014 romantic horror, Spring, is an overlooked gem and masterpiece. The story follows a young man who flies to a small seaside town in Italy to get away from his personal troubles in the US. He meets and falls for a woman who has a dark, terrifying secret. Spring works so well because it’s both an effective horror and a heart-wrenching romance that pulls no punches.
Willow Creek (2013)
There’s a remarkable lack of bigfoot horror movies and even fewer that are actually good. Willow Creek is one of the few good ones, thankfully. A couple goes on a camp in the woods to capture evidence of bigfoot. That’s about all you need to know because we recommend going in completely blind. The movie expertly uses bone-chilling sound design for its scares. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea but you have to admire how creative the filmmakers are at setting a tone. Watch this in the dark with headphones on.
The House of the Devil (2009)
Ti West might be better known now for movies like X and Pearl but the director’s humble beginnings in the horror genre were just as good, if not better. 2009’s The House of the Devil is a retro-inspired nod to 80s slow-burn horror movies where you aren’t quite sure what’s happening but it’s keeping you on edge the entire time. The story is simple: a young woman takes up a babysitting job at a creepy mansion. Things aren’t what they seem, however.
The Final Girls (2015)
This one is more satirical comedy than horror but it’s still a fantastic watch. The Final Girls is clearly trying to mock Friday the 13th with its campy tone and setting, complete with a masked lunatic hunting down camp dwellers. There’s a big, supremely clever twist to the movie’s premise that we won’t spoil here. Just brace yourself for a comedy that’s able to strike some genuinely emotional nerves along the way.
Devil’s Pass (2013)
Last but certainly not least is Devil’s Pass, a found footage horror movie (put down your pitchforks, please) loosely inspired by the real-life Dyatlov Pass Incident. It follows a bunch of hikers who try to get to the bottom of the real-life mystery by retracing the steps of the missing campers, only to find the shocking truth of their disappearance. As far as found footage movies go, this one is actually well-shot, well-acted and doesn’t contain a bunch of fake-out jump scares.