When Thomas Richardson arrives on a remote island off the coast of Wales in an attempt to rescue his kidnapped sister, he discovers something far more sinister is afoot. If you loved the cult shenanigans of movies like Midsommar and The Wicker Man, Gareth Evans’ Apostle should be next on your watch list. Starring Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast) and Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody), Apostle includes some of the most unnerving violence — and an assortment of just downright bad vibes — presented in a beautiful yet chaotic manner.
From writer Isa Mazzei, Cam follows the story of successful camgirl Alice “Lola_Lola” Ackerman, who discovers that her web account has been taken over by a sinister doppelgänger. We’re gonna be honest about this one: It got under our skin on multiple levels. Inspired by her own experiences working as a camgirl, Mazzei paints a bleak portrait of a world hidden in plain sight. Absolutely haunting, expertly filmed and with a story that will stick with you, Cam should be on every horror fan’s radar.
In this Edwardian-era England story, Edith (Mia Wasikowska) marries the seductive Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and is swept away to his gothic mansion. Thomas’ sister Lady Lucille (Jessica Chastain) — the protector of the family’s secrets — is also living with the newlyweds. Far from home and comfort, the naive Edith begins to see ghosts coming out of the woodwork — literally — and tries to unravel the mystery of this family she’s married into.
Just one year before his work on The Haunting of Hill House, Mike Flanagan did what many believed impossible: He adapted Stephen King’s novel Gerald’s Game for the big screen. Flanagan rendered one of the most chilling interpretations of a story previously thought to be unfilmable. Propelled to the next level by the one-woman show that is Carla Gugino (Spy Kids), Gerald’s Game proves that with enough talent and perseverance, incredibly complex stories can become haunting works of horror.
Here’s another Stephen King adaptation — only this time with help from his son, and fellow author, Joe Hill. One of the more obscure stories in King’s arsenal, In the Tall Grass follows a brother and sister as they venture into a field after hearing a young boy cry for help. They eventually realize there may be no way out. Filled with twists and turns, the film also features one of King’s strongest endings ever.
Probably one of the most original horror films of the last decade, It Follows is a bombshell at movie-watching parties. The film depicts a murderous entity that, once sexually transmitted to you, won’t stop following you until you’re dead. Then the process repeats with the person who gave “it” to you. (Yes, you read that right.) Featuring one of the most outlandish concepts ever to be filmed, It Follows nails it in spades. Taking inspiration from John Carpenter films like Halloween, this movie will easily be one of the most frightening you’ve ever seen. Also, the soundtrack is a veritable masterpiece.
Leatherface returns in the sequel to the classic 1974 slasher film — and this time, he’s taking down urbanization one gentrifier at a time. When a group of young social media influencers and foodies travel to a Texas ghost town, they arrive bright-eyed and ready to capture content. Looking to transform the lone town into a social media paradise, the group’s plans are disrupted when Leatherface emerges. He immediately falls back into his bloody past as he hunts the young crowd disrupting his hiding spot. We hope they snapped all their selfies first.
Consider adding add a dash of Norse mythology to your spooky film fest. This movie follows a group of reunited college friends on a trip into a Swedish forest, but what they don’t know is that insanity and horror await. From rising star director David Bruckner (The Night House), The Ritual is a first-class lesson on why you should probably go to a campsite instead of into the darkness of the woods (just saying).
In this South Korean horror series, a local high school becomes ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. The trapped teens must protect one another and make it out of campus alive — or risk becoming one of the infected. Even amidst a bloody zombie apocalypse, the students continue to navigate messy love triangles, school bullies, and teen angst.
As if one spooky story wasn’t enough, Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is conjuring eight of them. In this anthology horror series, eight directors — handpicked by del Toro himself — take on frightening tales with star-studded casts. From a cemetery caretaker who lives a double life as a grave robber to a small-town sheriff investigating a gruesome string of missing persons cases, the characters who populate del Toro’s eerie universe are stepping into the unknown and tapping into our greatest fears. While you await the director’s forthcoming adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, you’ll want to revisit these.
Hawkins, Indiana isn’t like other small towns. Set in the 1980s, the Duffer brothers’ series follows a group of young friends who encounter supernatural forces that turn their rural town upside down. Since its premiere in 2016, Stranger Things has seen the characters battle bone-chilling monsters like Vecna, and save their friends from near-death experiences. With the series’ fifth and final season currently in production, step into the frightening adventures of the first four seasons.
Based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Mike Flanagan’s limited series follows twin siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher and the pharmaceutical empire they’ve built together. Wealth, greed, and privilege collide in this family drama as each of Roderick’s heirs die in gruesome freak accidents. Their deaths are no coincidence, and the ruthless patriarch is forced to reckon with his shady past.
Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s seminal 1959 novel, Hill House follows the turbulent history of the Crain family and their encounter with the titular haunted house. Expertly written by Mike Flanagan (there’s that name again!), and featuring standout performances by Victoria Pedretti (You) and Kate Siegel (Midnight Mass), The Haunting of Hill House provides a terrifying and emotional update on a horror classic for the modern era. Just make sure you keep those tissues close.