Don’t miss out on these great international horror movies when looking for your next scare.
International horror films are an essential canon for genre fans to explore. Made outside the US film industry, many of these films explore themes unique to their cultures and some can even push boundaries beyond what is considered palatable to American audiences.
Although films such as Japan’s Ringu and Italy’s Suspiria have garnered more mainstream attention and acclaim in the US, many international horror gems remain criminally underrated due to factors like distribution, cultural differences and language barriers. Exploring films from ten different countries, these are wildly underrated international horror films.
10 ‘Magic Magic’ (2013) – Chile
Directed by Sebastián Silva
Written and directed by Sebastián Silva, Magic Magic is a 2013 Chilean psychological horror film. The film follows Alicia (Juno Temple), a fragile and introverted American woman who travels to Chile with her cousin Sara (Emily Browning) but soon finds herself alone with three strangers, Agustín (Agustín Silva), Bárbara (Catalina Sandino Moreno), and Brink (Michael Cera). Alicia quickly begins to psychologically unravel from stress and isolation, becoming a danger to herself and those around her.
The film explores themes of isolation and mental illness, using anxiety-inducing filmmaking to place the audience in Alicia’s head – especially in one particularly nauseating sequence involving cliff diving. Framing its story from the point of view of an outsider, Magic Magic explores themes of Chilean culture, portraying Alicia’s culture shock as well as the contrast between Agustín and Bárbara’s modernity and the ancient folk religions of rural communities. The film is tightly directed, well-acted and undeniably underrated.
9 ‘At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul’ (1964) – Brazil
Directed by José Mojica Marins
Written, directed by and starring José Mojica Marins, At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul is a 1964 horror film. The film was a landmark in the horror genre, being the first horror film produced in Brazil and launching the character of Zé do Caixão, known as Coffin Joe to English speakers. The film follows Joe (Marins) as he embarks upon a murder and maiming spree in a small and heavily Catholic town, in the pursuit of securing a male heir to continue his bloodline.
In the film’s native Brazil, the character of Coffin Joe is considered a cultural icon of the horror genre, but he is relatively obscure on an international level, with this film in particular being an underrated gem. At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul is wonderfully over-the-top and surprisingly violent for its era, and the blasphemy portrayed in the film was considered legitimately transgressive for the religiously conservative culture of 1960s Brazil.
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8 ‘Hatching’ (2022) – Finland
Directed by Hanna Bergholm
Directed by Hanna Bergholm, Hatching is a 2022 supernatural body horror film from Finland. The film follows Tinja (Siiri Solalinna), a pre-teen girl who is routinely placed under immense pressure by her mother (Sophia Heikkilä), an uptight social media influencer. Tinja’s life is made all the more complicated when she begins taking care of an egg from which an unexplainable creature hatches and begins to slowly develop into a doppelgänger of Tinja.
Hatching is a story about teenage angst and mother-daughter relationships, brought to life by a phenomenal central performance by Siri Solalinna as both Tinja and the creature. Featuring great visual effects and an unpredictable plot, the film is consistently extremely engaging and at times utterly grotesque. Finnish horror as a whole is underrated, with the country’s films receiving fairly little attention on an international scale, and Hatching is one of its best works.
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7 ‘Terrified’ (2017) – Argentina
Directed by Demián Rugna
Written and directed by Demián Rugna, Terrified is a 2017 supernatural horror film from Argentina. The film takes place in a Buenos Aires neighborhood that finds itself plagued by supernatural events ranging from poltergeist activity to sightings of physical monsters. Eventually, these events led to an official paranormal investigation being conducted in the affected street, resulting in horrific outcomes for all involved.
Full of both disturbing visuals and extremely well-timed jumpscares, Terrified is just as scary as its name implies. Prior to his successful 2023 follow upWhen Evil Lurks, Terrified put writer-director Demián Rugna’s name on the radar of horror fans with its shocking scares and Rugna’s obvious love of and respect for the horror genre. Underrated and incredibly effective, Terrified is a great example of Latin American horror.
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6 ‘The Lure’ (2015) – Poland
Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska
Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska, The Lure is a 2015 Polish horror musical film with feminist themes. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen‘s The Little Mermaid, the film follows two mermaid sisters, Silver (Marta Mazurek) and Golden (Michalina Olszańska), who venture onto land to work as singers. While Golden lusts after human blood, Silver becomes infatuated with a human man (Jakub Gierszał) and both women must contend with their place in the world as both women and non-human creatures.
The film strikes a perfect balance between its gory horror and its musical numbers, creating a strikingly unique tone. Mermaid body horror is an underutilized subject in horror cinema, with The Lure and Lisa Brühlmann‘s Swiss coming-of-age body horror film Blue My Mind being two notable exceptions. Disturbing and oddly fun, The Lure is a compelling and underrated international horror film.
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5 ‘Demons 2’ (1986) – Italy
Directed by Lamberto Bava
Demons 2 is a 1986 Italian horror film directed by Lamberto Bava. Continuing the story of 1985’s Demons, the film follows the residents of an apartment building as they are terrorized by a horde of demons that aim to kill or convert everyone they encounter. The film follows the stories of an ensemble cast of characters including a gang of bodybuilders, a vulnerable pregnant woman (Nancy Brilli) and even a demonic dog.
Produced by master of giallo Dario Argento, who also co-wrote the screenplay, Demons 2 is a fast-paced and delightfully goofy splatter-fest. The film’s primary selling point is its incredibly gruesome and creative practical effects created by Sergio Stivaletti, one of the most celebrated makeup and special effects artists in Italian horror history. Superior to its predecessor due to its gloriously chaotic visuals and story, Demons 2 is an underrated Italian horror classic.
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4 ‘Impetigore’ (2019) – Indonesia
Directed by Joko Anwar
Written and directed by prolific Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar, Impetigore is a 2019 Indonesian folk horror film. The film follows Maya (Tara Basro), a young woman who travels to her childhood home accompanied by her friend Dini (Marissa Anita) in the hopes of securing inheritance money. However, upon arrival, Maya discovers a horrific curse that afflicts the village’s children, and it is up to Maya to heal the village.
International folk horror, more so than other horror subgenres, has the potential to explore the nuances and history of other cultures – a quality that is used to great effect in Impetigore. From its horrific and intense opening scene, the film grabs its audience’s attention and never loosens its grip. Featuring striking visuals, fascinating folklore and a haunting performance from Christine Hakim as the film’s antagonist, Impetigore is a fantastic and underrated international horror film.
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3 ‘Baskin’ (2015) – Turkey
Directed by Can Evrenol
Baskin is a 2015 Turkish horror film directed by Can Evrenol. The film follows a group of police officers who are called to a mysterious abandoned building and find themselves in the center of a terrifying occult ritual. As the situation becomes increasingly bizarre, it becomes clear that the men may have actually found themselves in Hell. The film is graphic and intense, employing both surrealism and gore to convey its horror.
One of the film’s most memorable aspects is the excellent performance given by Mehmet Cerrahoglu, in his acting debut, as the villainous cult leader known as The Father. Aided greatly by Cerrahoglu’s performance, the ritual sequences feel utterly otherworldly in a way reminiscent of the works of Clive Barker. Although certainly not for the faint of heart, Baskin is a wildly underrated international horror film.
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2 ‘Huesera: The Bone Woman’ (2022) – Mexico
Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera
Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera, Huesera: The Bone Woman is a 2022 supernatural horror film from Mexico. The film follows Valeria (Natalia Solián), a woman whose marriage to her husband Raúl (Alfonso Dosal) is placed under great stress by her becoming pregnant and also reconnecting with her ex-girlfriend Octavia (Mayra Batalla). Valeria’s inner turmoil is symbolized through the haunting presence of a mysterious woman with cracking bones, representing her fears of motherhood and her body changing.
Containing scenes of disturbing body horror and themes of witchcraft and the occult, the film absolutely delivers on scares. However, it also tells a sensitive and relatable story at its core, exploring pregnancy and bisexuality as well as the cultural pressures placed on young women. Huesera: The Bone Woman is a gem of Mexican horror that deserves a far greater reputation among horror fans.
Huesera: The Bone Woman
- Release Date
- February 16, 2023
- Director
- Michelle Garza Cervera
- Cast
- Natalia Solián , Alfonso Dosal , Mayra Batalla , Mercedes Hernández
- Runtime
- 97 minutes
1 ‘House’ (1977) – Japan
Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi
House is a Japanese surrealist comedy-horror film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi and released in 1977. The film follows a group of teenage girls, led by the image-conscious Gorgeous (Kimiko Ikegami), as they travel to a remote mansion owned by Gorgeous’ mysterious aunt (Yōko Minamida). Upon arrival, the girls find themselves afflicted by supernatural events and gradually begin to be consumed by the house.
Obayashi was inspired by the popularity of American horror films like Jaws when developing the film’s script, but the finished product is utterly unique. Exploring themes of womanhood and aging through experimental editing and bizarre visuals, the film is always engaging and exciting. Although it has developed a strong cult following among horror fans and international cinema enthusiasts, House is far from mainstream, remaining an underrated work of J-horror.
This article was originally published on collider.com