Horror Movies You Might Not Know
With Halloween fast approaching, horror movies take a front seat during most of October and if like us you’re a bit worn out on the numerous big-budget Blumhouse horror films then you are in luck. We have a list of eight fantastic horror movies you might not have heard of but we’re sure you’ll enjoy. Thank us later.
GOODNIGHT MOMMY
After undergoing cosmetic facial surgery, a mother comes back home to her modern, isolated lakeside house and her ten-year-old twins, Elias and Lukas. Her head is swathed in bandages, with only her eyes and mouth visible. The twins are unnerved with their mother’s appearance and are further taken aback when she begins to exhibit strange behavior. She pointedly ignores Lukas and appears to only acknowledge Elias in conversation. Though it is the middle of summer, the mother orders the twins to keep the blinds closed during the day, imposes a strict rule of silence inside the house, and allows them to only play outdoors. The mother also acts cruel and lashes out at Elias physically when he displays mischievous or disobedient acts; something that the boys comment that their mother would never do. The twins begin to suspect that beneath her bandages, their mother may not be the same person.
THE INVITATION
Will and Eden were once a loving couple but after a tragedy took their son, Eden disappeared. Two years later and out of the blue, she returns with a new husband and as a different person, eerily changed and eager to reunite with her ex and those she left behind. Over the course of a dinner party in the house that was once his, the haunted Will is gripped by mounting evidence that Eden and her new friends have a mysterious and terrifying agenda. The invitation provides one of the most effective closing scenes you’re ever likely to see in an indie horror film.
GREEN ROOM
An up and coming punk rock band are desperate for work and will accept any gig on offer. Their youthful exuberance comes back to bite them when they end up playing at a Nazi night club. After the show the young band members witness something that will forever change their lives as the leader of the gang (brilliantly portrayed by Patrick Stewart) will stop at nothing to make sure the band never sees the light of day. What happens next is a tour-de-force in incredibly impactful violence and a pace that never relents. It was one of the last movies of the severely underrated Anton Yelchin, and it may be among his best works.
IT COMES AT NIGHT
Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, a man has established a tenuous domestic order with his wife and son. Then a desperate young family arrives seeking refuge. It Comes At Night is a slow burn of a movie and the big moments never arrive, yet it constantly holds your attention with an unnerving sense of dread of what’s to come. It’s a quiet, patient movie that focuses on the conflict in a family who are terrified of the outside world and ultimately it’s a character-driven indie horror movie rather than a spectacular and heart-pounding romp.
BONE TOMAHAWK
After an outlaw unknowingly leads a band of cannibalistic troglodytes into the peaceful western town of Bright Hope, the monsters kidnap several settlers, including the wife of a local rancher. Despite his injured leg, the rancher joins a small rescue party lead by the sheriff and his aging deputy. What follows is a journey into hell-on-earth as the posse comes to realize they’re up against a foe whose savagery knows no bounds. From the outside looking in, Bone Tomahawk might just appear to be yet another western. While it certainly has the hallmarks and could stand on its own if you took out its more horror-centric elements, what makes it so good is just how unerringly gruesome it is.
TERRIFIER
Based on a character from the cult anthology, All Hallows Eve, the gory 80’s slasher throwback takes place on Halloween night as the demented Art the Clown sets his sights on terrorizing two girls and anyone else that gets in his way. If you’re looking for a nuanced character portrait in Terrifier, don’t bother, it’s basically just stylish violence for its short runtime. If you’re expecting something similar to the recent IT movies, then be warned, this makes Pennywise look like Bozo the Clown. It’s a celebration of uber violence and not recommended for the weak of stomach.
EXCISION
Pauline wishes that reconnecting with her controlling mother was as easy as picking scabs, or that fixing her sister’s lung disorder was as simple as dissecting roadkill. Little does her mother know the extremes that Pauline is willing to go to in order to earn her approval. Maybe the other girls at school would be nicer to her if they knew she fantasized about performing surgery on them… Her mother goes to school to talk to the counselor, a deaf lady who despises both mother and daughter. There, Pauline learns that her mother is planning on sending her to charm school to teach her good manners. She is so troubled by this, that she sees a psychologist but quickly discovers that he is not quite what he claims to be.
THE WITCH
In 1630 New England, panic and despair envelops a farmer, his wife and their children when youngest son Samuel suddenly vanishes. The family blames Thomasin, the oldest daughter who was watching the boy at the time of his disappearance. With suspicion and paranoia mounting, twin siblings Mercy and Jonas suspect Thomasin of witchcraft, testing the clan’s faith, loyalty and love for one another. The Witch is a chilling portrayal of a family unraveling within their own sins, leaving them prey to an inconceivable evil.