35 Best Folk Horror Movies, Ranked

The term “folk horror” might not be the easiest thing to describe, but it’s the type of horror movie where you know it when you see it. There’s even a recent documentary called Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror that spends a little over three hours explaining what this type of horror subgenre is and exploring some significant films within it. Put simply, though, this horror subgenre usually features rural/mostly outdoor settings, and explores themes and stories that surround European pagan and witchcraft traditions/folklore.

Perhaps the best way to understand folk horror as a subgenre is to look at the best titles that can be described as folk horror movies. The following are some of the greatest films contained within this specific type of horror, and are ranked below starting with the very good, and ending with some of the greatest folk horror films of all time.

35. ‘Kuroneko’ (1968)

Directed by Kaneto Shindō

Working as both a folk horror movie and something of an arthouse fantasy film, Kuroneko is a slow-burn Japanese movie that still holds up and remains both atmospheric and eerie. And, really, they’re two qualities that you’re going to want to have in whatever sort of folk horror movie you watch, because if a unique mood is evoked, and said mood is at least partly creepy, then you’re going to feel it; things are going to be visceral.

In Kuroneko, there are a series of murders that take place in a forest, and it becomes startlingly apparent that some kind of supernatural force might well be responsible for them. It’s a film that takes its time, but continually builds a sense of dread, all before paying off immensely by the time things start wrapping up.

34. ‘The Last Wave’ (1977)

Directed by Peter Weir

The Last Wave isn’t the most well-known film Peter Weir ever directed, given he was also behind classics like The Truman Show and Witness, but it is still a worthwhile and unique movie. Also, calling it full-on folk horror might be a stretch, but it plays with certain conventions tied to folk horror without necessarily being heavy on the horror. In essence, it’s probably more definable as either a mystery or fantasy movie.

But there is a sense of unease throughout, and a level of eeriness that comes from the film’s depiction of rural Australia. The Last Wave puts a unique spin on what could be called folk horror if you’re willing to use that term broadly, with it hitting certain beats you’d expect such a movie to hit, all the while doing something different and ultimately feeling admirably unique.

33. ‘The Virgin Spring’ (1960)

Directed by Ingmar Bergman

Another arthouse movie (and one centered on revenge), The Virgin Spring is one of the most horrific movies Ingmar Bergman ever directed, enough so for it to almost feel like a horror film. It’s about a horrific murder, and the lengths the father of the deceased goes to when it comes to seeking revenge on the perpetrators, both of whom seek refuge in his home without realizing his relation to the woman they murdered.

The Virgin Spring gets a great deal of mileage out of its setting, with the sense of isolation adding to the horror of what’s already a very downbeat and heavy story. It’s a film that hits hard, even when it’s moving rather slow, and it does an immense job of building dread throughout, and ultimately being uneasy in the way it feels from start to finish.

32. ‘Pet Sematary’ (1989)

Directed by Mary Lambert

Though Pet Sematary isn’t a Stephen King adaptation that received Academy Awards recognition, it was a solid enough page-to-screen adaptation of one of the writer’s most harrowing works. The story here largely revolves around a dead pet that comes back to life because of the unique (and haunted) cemetery it gets buried in, but then there’s a lot more to it beyond that.

Yes, it’s an old movie, and an even older book, but it still feels wrong to give away just what Pet Sematary is ultimately about or, more specifically, what it ends up being about. It’s an exploration of death in an eerily isolated setting that proves atmospheric, haunting, and oftentimes sad. It’s heavy-going stuff, and represents a more uncomfortable kind of horror than your average Stephen King story does, but those qualities are also what make it irrefutably effective.

31. ‘Wake in Fright’ (1971)

Directed by Ted Kotcheff

Here’s another film that’s not quite a work of horror in the traditional sense, but proves kind of horrific and intense enough that it might as well qualify. Also, Wake in Fright can be compared to The Last Wave, given it’s also set in rural Australia and came out in the same decade, though it’s ultimately more in-your-face and heavier on thrills than that slower film was.

It centers on a man’s strange odyssey when he finds himself stuck in a remote Australian town for a few days, where drinking and debauchery eventually lead to harsher and more disturbing things occurring. In isolating one character in a remote location, and putting through a horrifying ideal that’s both grueling and somewhat thrilling (at least at times), Wake in Fright honestly works pretty well as an unexpected/offbeat kind of folk horror movie.

30. ‘Possum’ (2018)

Directed by Matthew Holness

“Underrated” is a word that comes to mind when describing Possum, though it is admittedly a little niche and perhaps not for everyone. But that could also be said about folk horror in general. It’s a particularly strange form of horror; a brand that might be too slow or too obscure to strike fear into some. And, with Possum, there’s certainly an emphasis on things being slow-burn in nature.

It runs for a pretty brief 85 minutes, and follows a man having to reconnect with his stepfather while grappling with various unpleasant things that happened to him when he was younger. Possum takes its time but ends up being worthwhile in the end, keeping things intimate and strange while delivering some striking horror visuals when they’re needed.

29. ‘Children of the Corn’ (1984)

Directed by Fritz Kiersch

It’s not quite up there with the best movies of 1984, but Children of Corn is still something of a minor folk horror classic. And its cast includes Linda Hamilton, who was also in the first The Terminator; a movie that can be considered one of 1984’s very best films, and does almost feel like a horror movie at times. Not folk horror by any means, but still.

Children of the Corn follows two people in unfamiliar rural territory, and the bad things that begin happening when they cross paths with some truly unsettling children who may be behind a string of murders. It was a film popular enough to kick-start what’s ended up being a ridiculously long-running franchise, as there have been a total of 11 Children of the Corn movies to date

28. ‘The Devil’s Bath’ (2024)

Directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz

The Devil’s Bath is a German movie that’s a relatively recent release in the overall scheme of things, but one that proved striking enough to stand out among other folk horror films. It has a perfect setting for such a movie, taking place in Austria during the 1700s, and a premise that involves exploring repression, isolation, madness, and murder.

The horror elements of The Devil’s Bath trickle in deliberately slowly throughout, with some infrequent gnarly imagery proving shocking alongside other long sequences that emphasize atmosphere and a mild sense of unease over anything else. It’s long and perhaps a little one-note at times, but the highs here make it worth seeking out for anyone out there who’s particularly keen on horror of a fairly folky variety.

27. ‘The White Reindeer’ (1952)

Directed by Erik Blomberg

A good many popular folk horror movies started popping up in the late 1960s, with the sub-genre also thriving in the 1970s, so that makes something as old as The White Reindeer stand out. This one’s a Finnish film that’s among the older examples of folk horror movies out there, with its plot revolving around a magic potion that’s said to make whoever drinks it more desirable.

Of course, like with every story involving a magic potion, there are consequences and trade-offs, which is where the horror of The White Reindeer creeps in. There’s probably not a ton here that will genuinely frighten modern-day viewers, but it’s nevertheless an important movie within the overall sub-genre, and also stands as a rather underrated international horror movie more generally speaking.

26. ‘Exhuma’ (2024)

Directed by Jang Jae-hyun

A recent film that’s one of the most interesting horror flicks of the 2020s so far, Exhuma follows a group of paranormal experts who come across a graveyard associated with a famously wealthy family. They’re determined to get to the bottom of what they’ve been uncovering, but go a bit too far and take the idea of “uncovering” something too literally when they start digging up graves.

If you’re ever aware you’re in a horror movie, grave-digging is probably the last thing you’d want to do, but the characters of Exhuma aren’t lucky enough to be self-aware. The scariest elements, as is the case with many folk horror movies, unfold slowly but surely, with the build proving just as important as the eventual release. There’s also a blending of familiar elements and things that are more offbeat in Exhuma, all done in a way that ends up working quite well.

25. ‘You Won’t Be Alone’ (2022)

Directed by Goran Stolevski

Taking witchcraft and using it to explore feminist themes, You Won’t Be Alone is one of the most distinctive and unusual horror movies in recent memory. Much of the film revolves around shape-shifting and identity, with a young witch in Macedonia during the 1800s killing a peasant by accident, and then slipping into her life inside a village.

It’s all executed in a way that ensures maximum eeriness, with You Won’t Be Alone having an undeniably bold visual style and a general sense of atmospheric uneasiness. Thanks to its plot regarding witchcraft and its setting, it certainly qualifies as a movie that fits within the folk horror subgenre, too.

24. ‘Eve’s Bayou’ (1997)

Directed by Kasi Lemmons

Eve’s Bayou might be more definable as a work of Southern Gothic drama/horror, but it crosses over into folk horror enough to arguably count itself within both camps. It centers around a Louisiana family’s intense drama and various secrets, all of which threaten to boil to the surface when family members come together during the sweltering summer of 1962.

It’s notable for being the most successful independent film of its year, and for the committed performances by a cast that’s led by Samuel L. Jackson and Lynn Whitfield. It’s an intense and harrowing movie at times, perhaps more drama than horror, but certainly maintaining some elements of folk horror regardless (like its rural setting).

23. ‘La Llorona’ (2019)

Directed by Jayro Bustamante

The term La Llorona roughly translates to “The Crying Woman,” and there have been numerous films lately regarding this figure of Mexican folklore. One was 2019’s The Curse of La Llorona, and another was 2022’s The Legend of La Llorona. Neither of these were as well-received, however, as a 2019 Guatemalan film simply called La Llorona.

It centers around a general accused of horrific crimes who’s trapped in his house because of protesting individuals, at which point he and his family start to feel as though a vengeful supernatural presence is targeting them. It’s a movie that takes its time, but feels suitably menacing and creepy throughout, with its slow-burn nature helping the outwardly horror-related stuff found later in the movie hit harder.

22. ‘Hagazussa’ (2017)

Directed by Lukas Feigelfeld

Like a good many movies within the folk horror subgenre, 2017’s Hagazussa takes place a considerably long time ago; during the 15th century, to be precise. It also follows folk horror conventions by being set in a very isolated location, here being a remote mountain village in the Alps where the main character, a goat-herder, is further isolated by most other people in the village.

As you’d expect from a story with that kind of basic premise, something that seems to be ghostly or supernatural soon makes its presence known, and then the horror elements really kick in. Hagazussa is beautifully shot and consistently unsettling, continually finding ways to make things feel just a little off and unusual, which helps the scares get delivered well.

21. ‘The Serpent and the Rainbow’ (1988)

Directed by Wes Craven

No one will deny that Wes Craven is a master of horror; he created the character of Freddy Krueger, after all—a villainous presence that haunts dreams and murders within them, too. But while Craven’s well-known for the series that Kruger belongs to—Nightmare on Elm Street—as well as the Scream franchise, other movies of his like The Serpent and the Rainbow are slightly less popular.

Perhaps The Serpent and the Rainbow was never going to reach the same level of popularity, but it’s still a good film worth checking out for anyone who’s a horror fan. Its Haiti setting and unique take on curses and zombies keep it exciting and thoroughly engrossing, and it’s undeniably interesting to see Craven have a shot at making a folk horror-esque movie.

20. ‘The Blood on Satan’s Claw’ (1971)

Directed by Piers Haggard

The Blood on Satan’s Claw is a significant film within the folk horror subgenre because the term was first used to describe this film, way back in the 1970s. That doesn’t make The Blood on Satan’s Claw the very first folk horror movie necessarily, but it’s a vital one when it comes to the term and its usage for obvious reasons.

Like numerous other early folk horror movies, it’s a British film, and the plot here revolves around bizarre remains being unearthed in the 1700s, which consequently sees a group of children in a nearby village become devil worshipers. Its plot is certainly out there, but it still feels heavily psychological, mystical, and unsettling, with it also having a distinctly folk horror kind of setting and atmosphere.

19. ‘Alucarda’ (1977)

Directed by Juan López Moctezuma

1977 was a very good year for the horror genre, with Alucarda being one of many notable scary movies that saw release during that year. It manages to include a great deal within its brief 78-minute runtime, having themes around Satanism, scenes of demonic possession, and even a bit of vampire-related horror thrown in for good measure.

The protagonist is a young girl who goes to live at a convent following the tragic deaths of her parents, though finds herself in what might be a cult surrounding a figure known as Alucarda. It’s a very over-the-top and even sleazy movie, being a bit more brash than some of the more subtle folk horror movies out there, but what it deals with thematically qualifies it as a title within the subgenre.

18. ‘Apostle’ (2018)

Directed by Gareth Evans

Gareth Evans is best known for directing both The Raid and The Raid 2—two phenomenal action/thriller movies—but mixed things up a bit with the release of Apostle. It’s most certainly not an action movie, and is instead about a man going to a mysterious island to rescue his sister from a cult that’s kidnapped her, with the movie taking place in the early 1900s.

It’s got a slow-burn narrative, takes place a good many years in the past, and features an unusual and sinister cult at its center, making it a pretty clear example of folk horror. And while it might not be action-packed like Evans’s other movies, it has a similar impact when it comes to violence, because Apostle is a very gritty and gory horror movie when it wants to be.

17. ‘Kill List’ (2011)

Directed by Ben Wheatley

English filmmaker Ben Wheatley has had an eclectic filmmaking career so far, as beyond the horror genre, he’s also been behind the action/comedy/thriller Free Fire and the recent Meg 2: The Trench. But he first got notice for his horror movies, some of which can be classified as fitting within the folk horror subgenre.

Case in point: 2011’s Kill List, which starts off feeling like a crime movie about a hitman tasked with three different killings, but ends up becoming something darker, more surreal, and overall closer to a horror film. It’s a very strange and grimy film that’s not going to be for everything, but as a movie that perhaps helped the folk horror subgenre gain some more recognition in the early 2010s, it’s certainly notable.

16. ‘Witchfinder General’ (1968)

Directed by Michael Reeves

The Blood on Satan’s Claw was instrumental in helping give the folk horror subgenre a name, but Witchfinder General was a film that came out even earlier, and also helped define this brand of horror. It takes place during a particularly paranoid time in English history, and centers on a man named Matthew Hopkins who claims to be a witch hunter, but is more likely a simple sadist.

Anyone who knows a good deal about classic horror movies will be well aware of the talents of Vincent Price, with Witchfinder General being another movie of his that’s considerably elevated by his presence alone. He makes Hopkins into a great villain, and ensures this classic horror movie is suitably menacing and tense throughout.

15. ‘The Ritual’ (2017)

Directed by David Bruckner

With a few notable exceptions, it appears as though folk horror as a subgenre was most popular in either the late 1960s to mid-1970s, or throughout the 2010s and into the early 2020s. Trends within genres come and go, after all, and of the folk horror movies belonging to the latter popular folk horror “era” (if it can be called that), The Ritual is one of the more noteworthy.

It’s about a group of college friends who clearly don’t know they’re in a horror movie, because they decide to venture into some dark and very much isolated woods on a trip to get away from everyday life. Within the forest is what might be a supernatural presence, leading to terror, suspense, and everything else you could hope to find in a folk horror (or even just regular horror) movie.

14. ‘Men’ (2022)

Directed by Alex Garland

Alex Garland’s a writer/director who’s made films with some challenging aspects before, but nothing he’s done has proven quite as polarizing and unusual as 2022’s Men. You might not suspect that from the premise, though, because Men starts simply enough, with a story that sees a young woman trying to heal emotionally after a personal tragedy, and going to stay in the English countryside for a while.

The time spent away from the busyness of her usual life is anything but peaceful, though, as her past seems to haunt her while inexplicable horrors nearby begin targeting her. Men goes to some bizarre places and continually flips back and forth between being subtle and over-the-top, but as a singular experience, it’s a difficult one to shake or forget.

13. ‘Viy’ (1967)

Directed by Konstantin Yershov and Georgi Kropachyov

Not all early folk horror movies were made or set in England, as 1967’s Viy demonstrates well. It’s based on an iconic Russian horror novella of the same name, which was published back in 1835, and has a premise that involves a young priest being tasked with watching over the dead body of a witch in the days before her wake is to begin.

As is usually the case with folk horror, the setting here is a small village, leading the priest to feel particularly alone and helpless when the inevitable supernatural threats begin to haunt him. It’s not super scary by today’s standards, but it is effectively eerie and atmospheric, and this 1967 version is certainly the most celebrated and worthwhile film adaptation of Viy.

12. ‘Lamb’ (2021)

Directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson

One year before starring in You Won’t Be Alone, Noomi Rapace was also the star of another folk horror movie: Lamb. The plot here is centered on a couple who live on a farm in Iceland, and the strange things that happen to them when they find the creature alluded to in the title.

Ordinary lambs aren’t truly scary of course, so it’s no surprise to find that the “lamb” in Lamb isn’t your typical kind of lamb, and may well be something that can place the two lead characters in danger. It’s a haunting and even upsetting kind of film, but certainly works as a very dramatic take on the folk horror subgenre.

11. ‘A Field in England’ (2013)

Directed by Ben Wheatley

Two years after Kill List, Ben Wheatley made another movie that could be categorized as a folk horror movie; perhaps even more justifiably than that 2011 film. This second film was A Field in England, which is set back in the 17th century and revolves around a group of people who go mad in the countryside while trying to find buried treasure.

It’s a truly surreal and ambitious movie, with a consistently unique visual style and a rather staggering blend of genres. Far from just a horror movie, Letterboxd also lists the following genres as ones that A Field in England belongs to: thriller, comedy, drama, fantasy, history, and adventure. It’s safe to say that there’s not much else out there like it.

10. ‘The Medium’ (2021)

Directed by Banjong Pisanthanakun

Blending the mockumentary/found footage horror subgenre expertly with the folk horror subgenre, The Medium is a truly singular film. It’s also among the most underrated horror movies in recent years, expertly telling a compelling story about a family in Thailand that seems to be getting targeted by an unusual and violent spirit.

This also makes it an effective example of a demonic possession movie, with the visual style, themes, and actual story all combining to make something unique. It’s a long and sometimes slow film, but it’s worth sticking with for where it ends up going, and genuinely has the potential to entirely get under the skin of anyone who watches it.

9. ‘Midsommar’ (2019)

Directed by Ari Aster

Of all the recent folk horror movies from the 2010s, few are as well-known and celebrated as Midsommar. This was Ari Aster‘s second feature film, and saw him exploring familiar themes around grief and tragedy, but centering the main storyline on a strained relationship, and the way disaster strikes when the central couple—plus some friends—go on a trip to Sweden.

They encounter a cult and find themselves trapped, which is when things take a turn into the truly horrific and gruesome. Midsommar is entirely uncompromising as a horror movie, showing terrifying sights and being overall unpleasant, but in a way that’s certainly impactful and devastating. Viewer discretion is advised, but it’s undoubtedly high-quality as far as in-your-face horror movies go.

8. ‘Sleepy Hollow’ (1999)

Directed by Tim Burton

It might not be as well known as some of his other spooky movies, but Sleepy Hollow certainly shouldn’t be overlooked within Tim Burton’s filmography. It follows the investigation of a series of grisly murders in the titular town; a place where many of the inhabitants believe the legendary Headless Horseman is to blame.

It’s got the sort of visual style you’d expect from a movie directed by Burton, and it’s a strong and striking example of a gothic horror movie. But this doesn’t exclude it from also fitting within the folk horror subgenre, as it has a sense of supernatural-centered dread and the sort of setting usually found in such films.

7. ‘Kwaidan’ (1964)

Directed by Masaki Kobayashi

An anthology horror movie where all four stories told are incredibly compelling, Kwaidan is a classic of Japanese cinema for a reason. Each of the stories is based on a different folk tale from Japanese culture, with much of the film involving ghosts, mysterious spirits, and isolated settings far back in the past.

It’s directed by famed Japanese filmmaker Masaki Kobayashi, and has a huge cast that includes Tatsuya Nakadai (who worked with Kobayashi on several other acclaimed films, including The Human Condition trilogy and Harakiri). Its three-hour runtime might well also give it the distinction of being the longest folk horror movie of all time, too (if not the very longest, then it’d have to be up there).

6. ‘The Witch’ (2015)

Directed by Robert Eggers

While Robert Eggers has gone on to make a psychological drama/horror/fantasy movie with lots of farts in 2019 with The Lighthouse, and a dark adventure/action/fantasy/revenge movie in 2022 with The Northman, his feature film debut, The Witch, is a bit more straightforward and definable as a folk horror film.

Straightforward certainly doesn’t equal lesser here, however, as The Witch is super effective in telling its story about a family shunned from their village community and forced to live in isolation. And with isolation in folk horror movies ultimately comes danger, madness, and tragedy, with The Witch building slowly but ruthlessly to such harrowing things throughout its runtime.

5. ‘The Wailing’ (2016)

Directed by Na Hong-jin

With a runtime of over 2.5 hours, and a mystery-heavy storyline, The Wailing is a movie that requires its viewers to be patient. Thankfully, the length and the general anxiety caused by the strangeness of the events depicted help ensure this 2016 South Korean film stays interesting and unsettling throughout.

In telling its mysterious story about a policeman investigating an unusual sickness in a small town, The Wailing also manages to be a supernatural-themed psychological thriller and a folk horror movie all at once. It certainly has the time to spare to be so many different things simultaneously, and such qualities are ultimately balanced well, with everything adding up to make The Wailing pretty great.

4. ‘The Blair Witch Project’ (1999)

Directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez

The Blair Witch Project might be a bit of an anomaly within the folk horror subgenre, seeing as these types of movies weren’t huge in the 1990s (though there have been some aforementioned examples). With this film, most people would think of it first and foremost as a found footage movie, though, and indeed one that helped that type of horror subgenre really take off in the 2000s onwards.

Yet this low-budget classic about a film crew getting lost in some sinister woods is also an example of a folk horror movie, given the threat that at first torments the characters and later endangers them. Couple that with the forest setting and you’ve got yourself an effective ’90s spin on the classic horror subgenre.

3. ‘Hereditary’ (2018)

Directed by Ari Aster

Admittedly, Ari Aster’s feature film debut, Hereditary, isn’t as direct an example of folk horror as his second film, Midsommar. That one had more of the usual subgenre trappings, whereas Hereditary is best defined as a cross between a family drama and a horror movie, centering around grief, psychological anguish, and supernatural horror.

It does creep into the folk horror subgenre in some subtler ways, though, with the aesthetics often matching what can be found in folk horror, as well as for the fact that it includes psychological horror and supernatural themes. However you want to define it specifically, Hereditary‘s undeniably a bleakly haunting movie, and up there with the best horror films of its decade.

2. ‘Häxan’ (1922)

Directed by Benjamin Christensen

Predating most other notable folk horror movies by decades, Häxan isn’t just a notable film within the subgenre, but it’s a groundbreaking horror movie full-stop. It’s among the best and most significant of the silent era, and while it’s certainly scary, it also functions as an informative documentary about witchcraft throughout the ages.

It counts as a horror movie too because of how many scenes are dramatized, with it playing out like a series of short films or vignettes that span many years. It belongs to numerous genres and subgenres, and is historically significant and influential within all of them, standing as an essential folk horror movie that came out long before the term had properly been established.

1. ‘The Wicker Man’ (1973)

Directed by Robin Hardy

Not only is The Wicker Man one of the earliest folk horror movies, but it’s also debatably the best folk horror movie of all time. Further, it might well be up there with the best films of the 1970s, with a haunting and mysterious story about a police sergeant investigating the disappearance of a young girl on a strange island, and uncovering various unsettling things while there.

The 2006 remake should be avoided, of course, but the original The Wicker Man from 1973 is a classic of the horror genre. It still holds up well to this day, having an undeniably unique atmosphere and one of the most compelling performances contained within Christopher Lee‘s lengthy and impressive career.

NEXT: The Best Horror Movies of All Time, Ranked