Tag: Folk Horror
Explore the rural roots, occult creeds and cultural lore that continue to shape international cinema. The folk horror genre is as diverse as the countries, cultures, and eras in which is is or has been created, and continues to evolve today. However, there are key fundamentals of folk horror that translate no matter where or
In 1980, Canadian psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder published Michelle Remembers. Based on sessions with his patient (and later wife) Michelle Smith, the book documents Smith’s uncovering of repressed abuse with the aid of recovered-memory therapy. This book has since been debunked, the style of therapy discredited, but according to Pazder and Smith, she had suffered ritualistic
In the past few years, Facebook Watch has grown in popularity, consistently releasing quality web series. Debuting in 2017, Facebook Watch is a video-on-demand service that is available to viewers free of cost and offers an assortment of shows that vary in length from just a few minutes to some that are over a half
Sitting at the southeastern corner of Asia lies the Philippines, which like any other Asian country such as Japan or Thailand, has its own fair share of cinematic horrors. Filipino or “Pinoy” horror is mostly rooted in local folklore and religion, a result of the country’s beliefs and culture before and after it has been
“Southold, New York, 1843: Young Mary (Stefanie Scott), blood trickling from behind the blindfold tied around her eyes, is interrogated about the events surrounding her grandmother’s death. As the story jumps back in time, we witness Mary, raised in a repressively religious household, finding fleeting happiness in the arms of Eleanor (Isabelle Fuhrman), the home’s
From director Banjong Pisanthanakun and writer Na Hong-jin comes a Thai-Korean, Shudder exclusive feature exploring the thin line between humans and spirits – and what happens to those who cross that line without appropriate psychic protection. Presented as part travel documentary and part found footage, The Medium takes place in Isan, the northeastern part of
Seagull (2019) is an oddball revenge story centred on family drama, secrets, and spite. After 8 years of eking out survival on a beach, Rose returns home and the full story of why she lived outside of society for that long is going to cause chaos for a family living with a fair few secrets.
The rise of a religious cult takes a turn for the apocalyptic, and it’s down to David to try and get his vulnerable dad to safety. However, with advanced dementia complicating an already overwhelming disaster, David may not be able to save his father from the growing zombie horde. A country manor in the middle
Cursed Land (in competition at the Dracula Film Fest under the name Cursed Land. Fate), was one of the best films I saw at that festival, a big surprise basically coming out of nowhere – if for ‘On the 3rd Day’ I knew what to expect, here I had just a great poster to start
The Hammer films of the late ’50s and ’60s are my go-to comfort films. I’m particularly partial to ones starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, but honestly, who doesn’t love those? Older horror films don’t have all of the high-budget effects and scare gags that a lot of their modern counterparts do, so they often