10 Best British Horror Movies That Werent Produced by Hammer – Film School Rejects

October is defined in Websters Dictionary as 31 days of horror. Dont bother looking it up; its true. Most people take that to mean highlighting one horror movie a day, but here at FSR, weve taken that up a spooky notch or nine by celebrating each day with a top ten list. This article about the best non-Hammer British horror movies is part of our ongoing series 31 Days of Horror Lists.

Horror is ingrained in Britains cultural DNA. From the numerous haunted castles located across the country to Aleister Crowleys wacky occult antics, the island has an interesting history with all things spooky and sinister. Dont even get me started on Margaret Thatcher. Unsurprisingly, then, the United Kingdom has also produced some of the finest flicks to grace the realm of horror cinema. Were going to take a look at ten of the very best.

Of course, you cant discuss the legacy of British horror without mentioning Hammer. The reason why this list doesnt include any of the iconic studios movies is that we covered our favorites during last years 31 Days of Horror extravaganza. This list is all about giving the other devils their due.

With this in mind, the Boo Crew Chris Coffel,Valerie Ettenhofer,Kieran Fisher,Brad Gullickson,Rob Hunter,Meg Shields,Jacob Trussell, Anna Swanson, and yours truly have selected some titles that will send shivers down your spine and make you say blimey out loud.

In the grand tradition of bummers that kick off with an unsupervised child dying, Dont Look Now is king. Based on a 1971 short story by Daphne du Maurier, Nicolas Roegs spiraling slow burn deserves every ounce of its cultish notoriety. The film takes place sometime in the aftermath of the death of Christine, the angelic daughter of Laura (Julie Christie) and John (Donald Sutherland). Partially to distract himself from his overwhelming grief, John accepts a commission to restore an old church and travels to Venice in the dead of winter. After encountering two weird sisters, one of whom claims to be psychic, John and Laura begin a descent into unease, suspicion, and a dangerous hope that maybe their daughter isnt gone after all. Dont Look Now weaponizes atmosphere to evoke curious connotations that something evil is lurking in the darkness, hiding in canals, and sprinting just out of sight. And by intermingling the significant with coincidence, reality begins to assume a terrifying shape. (Meg Shields)

The horror genre became more politicized in the wake of George Romeros Night of the Living Dead. As such, more films featured subtext about race, class divisions, and other turmoils that caused societal anxiety at the time. Death Line was one of the first British horror movies of the era to stand toe-to-toe with its American counterparts in that regard. The film follows a police detective (Donald Pleasance) whos tasked with investigating a series of disappearances in the London Underground. Long story short: the railway system is home to cannibalistic dwellers. The story was inspired by a Scottish folktale about cannibal highwaymen and the numerous deaths that occurred in the London tube system through the years. This combination of influences allowed director Gary Sherman to create his own fascinating mythology about the horrors that lurk in the citys lower levels. However, underneath the films horrific premise is a commentary about the British elites disregard of the working class. Death Line is an unsung classic that deserves more reappraisal. (Kieran Fisher)

Based on the novel by Bram Stoker and starring Peter Capaldi and Hugh Grant, Ken Russells Lair of the White Worm is a treat. Capaldi plays an archaeologist who teams up with the descendant of a dragonslayer and a lady who lives nearby to hunt down a snake-woman. While the movie functions as a basic monster yarn in many ways, Russells surreal sensibilities and odd sense of humor are on full display. The movie is loaded with phallic imagery and contains a couple of blasphemous moments that were undoubtedly included to provoke a rise out of people who were still mad at the director for making The Devils. At its core, however, its just an unabashedly goofy creature feature with a Gothic sheen. Lair of the White Worm is very much a Ken Russell movie, and its one of the most entertaining flicks in his impressive oeuvre. (Kieran Fisher)

As a young teen, staring at a wooden DVD box set of The Wicker Man, I was under the impression I was about to watch unyielding terror, the likes of which I had never witnessed. After watching all ninety minutes, it was fair to say I didnt get it, but it was a style of film that I had never been exposed to at this point in my education. Its methodical, the horror is subtle, the fear is from the ideas discussed rather than any ritual sacrifice we see, and it very obviously came out in the early 70s. But I wasnt ready for the way Wicker Man affects you. Similar to the insidiousness that Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) feels vibrate through Summerisle, we too are instilled with a deep sense of unease that sits with us well after the credits roll. My first watch maybe wasnt the experience I was anticipating, but as the days went on, my mind kept coming back to the film and how it made me feel and think. The Wicker Man stays with you, engaging your imagination with quasi-cosmic terror to make you consider what nightmares exist in every quaint, secluded community. (Jacob Trussell)

The crown jewel of Edgar Wrights Cornetto trilogy has exactly the right amount of everything; horror, comedy, buddy movie hijinks, and of course, British sensibilities. Shaun of the Dead is set in Crouch End, London, and makes great use of the area as pals Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost) run through backyards and town streets with their freshly undead neighbors in pursuit. They eventually hide out at their favorite pub, the Winchester. Even when the film reaches what would normally be the inevitably dark climax of a zombie flick, you get the sense that nothing will stand in the way of these two lads enjoying a pint together. Shaun of the Dead is endless fun, and its also impressive as a decidedly local-feeling movie thats found a cult following all over the world. (Valerie Ettenhofer)

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10 Best British Horror Movies That Werent Produced by Hammer - Film School Rejects