It’s happened to you before: you fell for the hype of a horror movie, and it turned out to be a disappointment.
If you’re looking for movies that will actually scare you, well, you’ll find more luck by searching in unlikely places.
That’s why Watch With Us has put together a list of actually scary horror movies that you’ve probably never heard of.
Our first choice is James Wan‘s Dead Silence, a perfect movie for people who thought Annabelle was scary.
‘Dead Silence’ (2007)
One night, Jamie Ashen (Ryan Kwanten) and his wife, Lisa (Laura Regan), receive an anonymous gift of a creepy ventriloquist doll named Billy, and after Jamie heads out to pick up Chinese food, he returns to find Lisa dead, with her tongue cut out. The doll carries with it a chilling legacy that Jamie is all too familiar with: the legend of Mary Shaw (Judith Roberts), a long-deceased puppeteer from Jamie’s hometown of Ravens Fair who was publicly humiliated, blamed for the disappearance of a young boy and subsequently lynched. It is said that her spirit will get revenge on the entire lineage of the young boy — which includes Jamie’s family.
A lot of Dead Silence is patently ridiculous: the entire legend of Mary Shaw and Ravens Fair, the goofy twist ending, the melodramatic tone of the film and Donnie Wahlberg as a detective who carries an electric razor wherever he goes and just will not believe anything that’s happening in the movie to an almost absurd degree. But the movie’s steadfast earnestness in its own ridiculousness is part of what makes it so great, and the creepy puppet design, intense atmosphere of dread and truly horrific makeup and costuming for Mary Shaw will easily chill you if you find creepy dolls a sore spot. Make sure to look out for a Billy the Puppet cameo, too.
‘Noroi: The Curse’ (2005)
Presented as a finished documentary, Noroi: The Curse follows Masafumi Kobayashi (Jin Muraki), a prominent paranormal researcher who investigates supernatural activity in Japan. Kobayashi was in the midst of production on an upcoming documentary titled The Curse when he mysteriously disappeared after his house burned down, with his wife found dead in the ruins. As we watch Kobayashi’s documentary, we follow what starts as an investigation into a strange noise that turns into a chilling revelation about an ancient demon called Kagutaba.
This haunting found footage film will chill you to the bone in all the best ways with its patient storytelling and completely authentic acting that hinges on subtlety. The entire movie is deeply unsettling and anchored by a pervasive sense of unease, furthered by the immersive mockumentary-style filmmaking. As opposed to relying on jump scares, Noroi: The Curse succeeds with pure psychological terror that will linger with you long after the credits roll.
‘Grave Encounters’ (2011)
The crew of the successful ghost-hunting TV show, Grave Encounters, travels to the abandoned mental facility Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital, which is reported to be extremely haunted. Together, the series’ host Lance Preston (Sean Rogerson), occult expert Sasha (Ashleigh Gryzko), cameraman T. C. (Merwin Mondesir), surveillance operator Matt (Juan Riedinger) and phony medium Houston Gray (Mackenzie Gray) allow themselves to be locked up in Collingwood overnight to investigate possible paranormal activity. But what starts as a boring night turns into a never-ending nightmare, as it becomes apparent that the hospital does not want its new patients to leave.
As ever, the found footage filmmaking style reigns supreme when it comes to horror movies, allowing the scares to feel all the more real. Grave Encounters is a must-watch for people who feel terrified at the idea of being trapped inside a maze you can’t escape from. The claustrophobic atmosphere becomes increasingly stifling as the protagonists are progressively hunted by an unseen force, and the terrifying reveal at the movie’s conclusion ties everything together in a blood-soaked bow.
‘The Medium’ (2021)
A documentary crew travels to the Isan region of Thailand to interview a medium named Nim (Sawanee Utoomma), who claims to be possessed by the spirit of a goddess named Ba Yan. Nim says that Ba Yan chose her body to be a vessel after Nim’s sister, Noi (Sirani Yankittikan), refused to accept the duty and converted to Christianity. But after the death of Noi’s husband — and a string of bizarre family deaths — Noi’s daughter, Nim’s niece, Mink (Narilya Gulmongkolpech), begins behaving strangely. Nim initially believes this to be a sign that Ba Yan has chosen Mink as her next vessel, but she comes to understand it is something far darker.
While the found footage framing becomes increasingly unnecessary as The Medium goes on, it doesn’t take away from how utterly frightening the film is. There are some extremely shocking moments in the movie involving cannibalism and self-harm, but the shock moments are nothing compared to the way the movie slowly builds suspense, tension and fear. The Medium is a totally engrossing experience that offers a fresh take on demonic possession by rooting it in the specificity of Thai shamanism and folklore.
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