Each month, were recommending five recent horror movies available to stream. Find more genre suggestions and other ways to navigate the streaming services at What to Watch.
Stream it on Shudder.
Son starts with a doozy of a scene: Laura (Andi Matichak), a single mom, goes to check on her sleeping 8-year-old son David (Luke David Blumm). What she finds is a room full of strangers surrounding David in his bed. The door slams shut, and Laura goes for help. She returns, and the strangers are gone. David is alive but limp, and bloodthirsty. (Kudos to Blumm for a dynamo performance as a cuddly kid and a corpse muncher.)
Laura later reveals to Paul (Emile Hirsch), the investigator assigned to figure out what happened, that the bizarre satanic sex cult she escaped from was behind the home invasion. He believes her. But should we? As questions pile up, so do doubts. Is Laura a victim or a threat?
All horror movies are about trauma, but I dont think Ive seen a horror movie that navigates trauma and its consequences mental, sexual, spiritual as shrewdly and sensitively as the writer and director Ivan Kavanagh does in his film. The twists are knockouts. But be warned (or encouraged): This ones not for the squeamish.
Rent it on virtual cinemas.
Abdelhamid Bouchnaks debut narrative feature is a rarity: a horror film from the Arab world, in this case Tunisia. For horror fans, thats reason enough to stream it. Whats more: Its also creepy as all get out.
The film begins as journalism students Yassmine (Yassmine Dimassi), Walid (Aziz Jebali) and Bilel (Bilel Slatnia), as part of a class assignment, interview Mongia (Hela Ayed), a woman whos been institutionalized after being found near death in the wild over 20 years ago. The students leave after Mongia tries to attack them, singling out Yassmine.
Intrigued by Mongias story, they travel to the remote village where she was found. There they meet Saber (Hedi Mejri), a man with a too-big smile who invites them to stay the night with the goats, silent women and strange child he lives with. What happens next wont surprise horror fans. (It turns out young people dont get phone signals in the woods of Tunisia either.)
But Dachra is nonetheless a fascinating international horror story, thanks to its particular location, its languages (Arabic and French) and a title card that says in North Africa, hundreds of children are victims of acts of witchcraft. There are also touches of comedy that turn out to have deadly serious consequences in the end.
Stream it on Netflix.
I knew nothing about this film by Roberto De Feo and Paolo Strippoli before I watched it, so I was disappointed that it starts with a been-there, done-that yawn. A group of people travel in an R.V. to Calabria in southern Italy. Their vehicle crashes, and theyre stranded. Theres only a strange star-shaped house nearby, and a sense that something is watching them.
From there the film samples horror genres the way I sampled free kielbasa at the Pick-n-Pay as a kid. From my notes: torture porn, human sacrifice, found footage, giallo, Texas Chainsaw, demonic summoning, cabin in the woods, survival, Midsommar cult rituals, mafia??? One character knew it, too. There are severed heads and pictures of crazy farmers, he says. Were isolated. Our cellphones dont work.
But then comes a major twist that borrows from another horror genre, the revenge film, and thats when I realized theres a point to the pastiche and the stomach-churning violence. I dont want to say more, other than this meta movie is far smarter, and scarier, than its first hour suggests. Stick with it.
Stream it on Shudder.
I dont think Ive ever laughed out loud at a horror comedy. But I did at one point gagging on a Dorito as I watched Cody Calahans scrappy Canadian slasher about a smarty pants horror movie critic who unwittingly gets sucked into the drama at a self-help group for serial killers. Among the attendees is Bob (Ari Millen), a Patrick Bateman type, and Carrie (Amber Goldfarb), a slick murderess whose secret fuels the films blood-drenched action.
Most of the credit for almost choking me goes to Evan Marsh, the goofball actor who plays Joel, the writer for a Fangoria-like horror magazine. Marsh oozes Jonathan Groff-style, aw-shucks charm, and hes a natural with cornball physical gags and goofball delivery. Its a winsome combination that brought to mind what a fellow Canadian funnyman, John Candy, might have done when faced with an evil clown clutching a syringe.
Thats good, because Marshs turn counteracts the otherwise cartoony performances that stand in the way of fleshing out this indie movies nifty, 80s-inspired premise.
Stream it on HBO Max.
According to legend, heres how to summon the Empty Man: Go to a bridge after dark, and if you find a bottle, blow into it and think about him. Hell eventually find you, and get you.
After a group of high schoolers do just that, they unleash a force that terrorizes a former cop (James Badge Dale) and his neighbor (Marin Ireland), whose daughter goes missing after, you guessed it, summoning the Empty Man. A bizarre cult of Empty Man disciples is giddy about what they hope will be chaos to come.
Made in 2017, David Priors Empty Man opened to empty theaters in October.
When it became available on demand in January, the big-budget film found fawning fans The Great Cult Movie of 2020 screamed one headline but also bored skeptics.
Now that its streaming, the film, loosely based on the graphic novel of the same name, is worth a watch even though it clocks in at a too-long 137 minutes. It will be a treat for fans who want to spend a night with a tub of popcorn watching an atmospheric horror movie that burns as slowly as a candle the size of a tub of popcorn. The terrifying back story in the first 30 minutes is its own extra-creepy short film.
More here:
Five Horror Movies to Stream Now - The New York Times
- Blumhouse to Return Insidious and Other Titles to Theaters for Halfway to Halloween Fest - Hollywood Reporter - March 16th, 2024
- Every Movie In The Wrong Turn Franchise Ranked - SlashFilm - March 16th, 2024
- Blumhouse Celebrating 'Halfway to Halloween' With Five Horror Movies Returning to 100 AMC Movie Theaters - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- DeWanda Wise Sings Creepy Theme Of New Horror Film: 'Imaginary' - The Root - March 16th, 2024
- Hostel: Part II (2007) WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? - JoBlo.com - March 16th, 2024
- New LEPRECHAUN Movie Will Be Funny, Scary And Full Of Practical Effects - FANGORIA - March 16th, 2024
- Blumhouse Celebrating Halfway to Halloween With Five Horror Movies Returning to 100 AMC Movie Theaters - IMDb - March 16th, 2024
- The Horror Nail-Biter On Max With A Controversial Ending - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- "Says the person who was in Madame Web": Sydney Sweeney is Getting Skewered for Saying Modern Horror Movies ... - FandomWire - March 16th, 2024
- First trailer for horror movie reboot The Crow features an unrecognizable Bill Skarsgrd on a bloody mission of revenge - Gamesradar - March 16th, 2024
- You'll Never Find Me Is Unforgettable Horror, See The Terror In Action - Giant Freakin Robot - March 16th, 2024
- The First Omen star has seen all of your internet theories about the horror movie prequel and, well, they're all wrong - Gamesradar - March 16th, 2024
- Sltface take on horror movies with their new single, 'Final Grl' - Dork Magazine - March 16th, 2024
- From 'Five Nights at Freddy's' to 'Imaginary': Why Blumhouse loves PG-13 horror - theday.com - March 16th, 2024
- The First Omen's Big Death Reveal Really Doesn't Bode Well For The Prequel - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- 20 Scariest Horror Movies to Come Out in the Last 5 Years - MovieWeb - March 16th, 2024
- 'The Animal Kingdom' Exclusive Clip Previews the Gnarly Body Horror of Magnet's New Movie - Bloody Disgusting - March 16th, 2024
- 'Oddity' Review: This Supernatural Horror Film Will Tear You To Pieces | SXSW 2024 - Collider - March 16th, 2024
- "Marketing is failing this movie tremendously": David Dastmalchian's Late Night With the Devil Dubbed as One of the ... - FandomWire - March 16th, 2024
- STOPMOTION is a handcrafted tale of beauty and horror - Moviejawn - March 16th, 2024
- Horror Lovers Will Love this Dining Spot in Texas - klaq.com - March 8th, 2024
- Is Late Night With The Devil Based On A True Story? - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- Kooky King: 6 of the Weirdest Stephen King Film Adaptations - Nightmare on Film Street - March 8th, 2024
- The Unknown, the Viral Willy Wonka Experience Villain, Is Already Getting Their Own Horror Movie - IGN - March 8th, 2024
- 13 Original Horror Movies We Can't Wait to See in 2024 - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- From 'Imaginary' to 'Five Nights at Freddy's.' Why Blumhouse loves PG-13 horror - Los Angeles Times - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary Movie Review: M3gan Meets The Boogeyman - Mama's Geeky - March 8th, 2024
- Christopher Nolan Originally Conceived Inception As A Horror Movie - SlashFilm - March 8th, 2024
- 'Whalefall' Movie in the Works From 'No One Will Save You' Director Brian Duffield - The Mary Sue - March 8th, 2024
- Horror Movie Based On THE UNKNOWN From Glasgow's WILLY WONKA Experience In The Works Horror Movie ... - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - March 8th, 2024
- Horrifying 'Late Night With The Devil' Trailer Released - Outkick - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary review: M3GAN, take the wheel - Dexerto - March 8th, 2024
- The Unknown: Horror Movie Based on Unofficial Willy Wonka Experience Is in the Works - ComingSoon.net - March 8th, 2024
- Imaginary Film Review: Light on Frights - Loud And Clear Reviews - March 8th, 2024
- Dead Mail Directors on Their '80s Horror Influences - MovieWeb - March 8th, 2024
- HORROR BEAT: Blumhouse offers a non-update on the future of THE EXORCIST - Comics Beat - March 8th, 2024
- And the Oscar for best picture doesn't go to ... horror! - NPR - March 8th, 2024
- Shaitaan OTT Release: When And Where To Watch R Madhavan And Ajay Devgn Starrer Horror Thriller Film - Indiatimes.com - March 8th, 2024
- The 'Wonka Experience' Is Being Turned Into A Horror Movie - UPROXX - March 8th, 2024
- 8 new horror movies on Netflix, Max, Shudder and more in March 2024 - TechRadar - March 8th, 2024
- 10 Horror Movies More Deserving of the Best Picture Oscar Than the Winner - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- The Horror Movie That Inspired 'The Shining' Actually Scared Stephen King - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Most Anticipated Movies Of March 2024 (According To Real Data) - IMDb - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Best Classic Horror Movies with No Oscar Nominations - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- THE WATCHERS Trailer Puts Voyeuristic Creatures in the Irish Woods - Nerdist - February 28th, 2024
- Christopher Nolan Originally Conceived 'Inception' as a Horror Film - IMDb - February 28th, 2024
- The Watchers trailer: Dakota Fanning is stalked by the unknown - BGR - February 28th, 2024
- This Czech Horror Film Turns the Terror of 'The Zone of Interest' Into Weird Comedy - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- The Jennifer Lopez Horror Movie That's More Interesting Than It Seems - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- This '90s Kids Movie Is the Grossest Flick of All-Time - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- Eli Roth's Big 2024 Movie Couldn't Be More Different Than His Thanksgiving Horror Hit - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- How The Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher filled a void in US cinema - Post Magazine - February 28th, 2024
- 'Stopmotion' Review This Hand-Crafted Horror Film Is One of a Kind - Collider - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Tasty Horror Movies (Including Thanksgiving) Streaming on Netflix - Gizmodo - February 28th, 2024
- They Did the Mash, They Did the Monster Mash: 10 Epic Horror Crossovers You Can't Miss! - Nightmare on Film Street - February 28th, 2024
- 20 movies that mostly take place in one location - Yardbarker - February 28th, 2024
- Scream: What Happened To Jenna Ortega's Character? - GameRant - February 28th, 2024
- One of 2024's most anticipated horror sequels finally gets a promising update, as director teases "weird idea" for fourth ... - Gamesradar - February 28th, 2024
- DYK This Christopher Nolan Classic Was Conceived As A Horror Film? - Republic World - February 28th, 2024
- New Paranormal Activity Video Game Revealed by the Mortuary Assistant Team - Beebom - February 28th, 2024
- 10 Best Cult Classics of the 1970s, Ranked - Collider - February 19th, 2024
- 51 Best Horror Movies Of All Time That Are Suitably Spooky - GLAMOUR UK - February 19th, 2024
- M. Night Shyamalan's Horror Movie From 8 Years Ago Is More Impressive Based On Its Budget Record - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- 10 Horror Movie Monsters That Were Way Scarier Without CGI - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- 10 Most Anticipated Horror Movies Releasing in 2024 - IMDb - February 19th, 2024
- Top 30 best horror movies of all time - Dexerto - February 19th, 2024
- Sting Trailer Releases Spider Movie into the Horror Comedy World - MovieWeb - February 19th, 2024
- Trailer For The Survival Horror Movie THE WOODS ARE REAL GeekTyrant - GeekTyrant - February 19th, 2024
- The horror movies that inspired Emerald Fennell's 'Saltburn' - Far Out Magazine - February 19th, 2024
- 15 Best Body Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked - MovieWeb - February 19th, 2024
- Hunter Schafer Responds To Scream Queen Compliment As Horror Debut Cuckoo Premieres In Berlin: I Love Horror Movies and Screaming Is Really Fun -... - February 19th, 2024
- The Horror Movie That Terrified Martin Scorsese and Guillermo del Toro - Collider - February 19th, 2024
- Where To Watch Thanksgiving On Streaming - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- The Correct Order To Watch The Amityville Horror Movies - SlashFilm - February 19th, 2024
- New Jordan Peele movie set to be released in 2025 - Dexerto - February 19th, 2024
- The real-life haunting of Ti West and 'The Innkeepers' - Far Out Magazine - February 19th, 2024
- Trailer For Werewolf Film Blackout Puts The Monster Front & Center - 411mania.com - February 19th, 2024
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Had the Production From a Nightmare - IMDb - February 19th, 2024
- 65 Years Ago, a Legendary Director Invented a Terrifying New Trick And Launched a Trendy Gimmick - Inverse - February 19th, 2024
- Cuckoo Review: Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens Keep You Glued Even When This Reproductive Horror Careens Off the Rails - Hollywood Reporter - February 19th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero