Hollywood has gifted us with some truly amazing horror films over the decades, from slasher flicks to psychological horrors that are sure to blow your mind away. However, different parts of the globe have put their own spin on the horror genre, influenced by cultural norms or traditional folklore that gifts audiences a new, spine-tingling tale.
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Posts 1Each of the films below has a distinct, unreplicable aspect to them that you won't find in today's horror flicks in Hollywood, one that's unique to every country it originates in. From exploring themes of motherhood, vanity and the consequences of success at any cost, here are the best international horror films you should watch now.
8 Oddity
Ireland
A recent addition to the horror genre, Oddity released in 2024 and was directed by Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy. Oddity presents an intriguing plot that holds the themes of revenge and betrayal with a tinge of murder mystery, while cleverly weaving the supernatural into the story without overdoing it.
The story first starts with the last moments of Dani Odello, before fast-forwarding to a year after Dani's murder. The perspective shifts to her blind twin sister, Darcy, who is a purveyor of cursed or haunted objects. Darcy visits Dani's widowed husband, Ted, and his girlfriend Yana, having sent ahead a package containing a wooden golem. As the day turned to night, the golem seems to move on its own, as Darcy launches her revenge plot against those who murdered her sister.
7 Eyes Without A Face
France
An old classic French psychological horror flick, Eyes Without A Face really set tongues wagging back when it was released in 1960. The film was daring for the period and unapologetic in showcasing gore and violence in a way that would even have us modern movie-goers turning green. Although audiences were revolted at the time, Eyes Without A Face has since re-established its legacy as a horror film that was ahead of its time.
The movie follows the lives of Dr Génessier and his beautiful daughter, Christiane. After Christiane becomes horrifically disfigured in an accident, Génessier inadvertently turns into a serial killer, killing young women and taking their faces to graft them onto Christiane, to no avail. Eyes Without A Face demonstrates how far a father would go to make his daughter happy, while forcing down their moral compass to consciously harm others.
6 The Orphanage
Spain
A Spanish horror movie that was excellent from beginning to end, 2007's The Orphanage was directed J.A. Bayona and produced by the legendary Guillermo del Toro. The movie presents a spine-tingling story, bolstered by impeccable cinematography, gorgeous set pieces and top-notch performances.
The protagonist, Laura, returns to the orphanage she was raised in with her husband and son, intending to turn the place into a home for disabled children. However, she soon notices that the location holds dark secrets, as her son claims to see a little boy with a mask around the property. The Orphanage, though chilling, is a tragic tale of child loss and motherhood at its core.
5 Under The Shadow
Iran
Under The Shadow is a Persian film that's proven to be a smash hit and is filmmaker Babak Anvari's directorial debut. The movie takes place in the 1980s in Tehran during the height of the Iran-Iraq War, where the city of Tehran is being hit by multiple bomb raids.
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Posts 1Protagonist Shideh is left alone with her daughter, Dorsa, after her husband was forced to join the war effort. Not long after, Shideh and Dorsa begin to experience paranormal occurrences that gradually intensify as their neighbours flee to the countryside. Under The Shadow scores points for its atmosphere and characterisations, as well as projecting Shideh's feelings of being trapped and isolated, as there's no safe space for her and her child both inside and outside her apartment.
4 Incantation
Taiwan
Incantation is a 2022 found footage film that managed to go viral on social media for its creepy, yet compelling narrative and well-timed jumpscares. At present, the highest-grossing Taiwanese film, Incantation trusts its audience to be able to string the story together, as it's told in a non-linear format.
The story centres on Li Ronan, who gave her daughter to foster care and placed herself in a psychiatric institution. She returns to her daughter, Dodo, six years later, and tries to rebuild their life together. However, the traumatising event and curse that killed her boyfriend (and Dodo's father) comes back to haunt her and Ronan has no choice but to stop and face the music.
3 Satan's Slaves
Indonesia
One of the most financially successful films of 2017, Satan's Slaves is a remake of a 1980 Indonesian cult classic of the same name, though the plot diverges slightly. The highlights of the film lie in the fact that it takes time to build both the story and the characters, peppering the movie with spooks that gradually intensify before exploding close to the end.
The story follows a once-prosperous family who are now struggling financially. The mother, Mawarni, was a famous singer, though now her career has faded as she lies dying. Paranormal events start occuring after Mawarni dies, with the eldest daughter, Rini, delving deeper into her mother's past and the horrible actions Mawarni made to get what she desired.
2 The Wailing
South Korea
The Wailing is a South Korean psychological horror that is riddled with figures from traditional folklore that somehow makes the movie ten times creepier. The movie essentially focuses on the fight between good and evil that's happening in a small, remote village, and how appearances can be deceiving.
The story's protagonist, police officer Jong-goo, is investigating a string of strange deaths resulting in whole families being murdered. Jong-goo's daughter, Hyo-jin, is targeted, and Jong-goo becomes bewildered at who is responsible for the deaths, as everyone is telling him it's a demon. The Wailing does a great job of inculcating paranoia, isolation, and the desperation of a father to save his family, and ends with a grim, sinister twist.
1 Noroi: The Curse
Japan
An underrated gem that has seen a resurgence recently online, the Japanese horror flick Noroi: The Curse is done in the found footage format. Noroi is a combination of horror and mystery, with a plot that develops slowly but manages to successfully build the tension and dread with its twists and turns.
Masafumi Kobayashi is at the centre of the story, a paranormal investigator who is shown to have disappeared at the start of the movie. The film's events then show what led up to Kobayashi's dismal ending, which sees him following the trail of a demonic curse that begins to kill people he's interacted with on camera. Although Kobayashi is keen to help resolve the curse, it's ironic that it's his misplaced compassion that resulted in the curse ultimately winning out.
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