6 Sinister New International Horror Movies To Feast On This Month

If our current dystopian hellscape isn’t bleak enough for you, director Isaac Ezban has a little apocalypse for you, as a treat. Párvulos: Children of the Apocalypse is in the middle of a limited theatrical release.

In the film, three young brothers—Salvador (Farid Escalante Correa), Oliver (Leonardo Cervantes), and Benjamin (Mateo Ortega Casillas)—must navigate a desolate world ravaged by a viral apocalypse. But down in the basement of their isolated cabin, the brothers harbor a dark secret that may be essential to their survival… 

You know the story: a miller’s daughter, forced to spin straw into gold or die, makes a deal with a cunning little imp in exchange for her firstborn child, only to cruelly renege on her promise by successfully “guessing” his name. (Was I not supposed to root for Rumpelstiltskin in this story? Because he kind of seems like the victim here.) Writer-director Andy Edwards teases out the darkness in the classic Grimm yarn with Rumpelstiltskin, coming to VOD platforms on April 8. 

Joss Carter stars as the titular imp with the tricky name, donning some fairly impressive creature makeup as he scampers around Hannah Baxter-Eve’s unfortunate Evalina. Just be aware this isn’t your grandma’s fairy tale—Rumpelstiltskin will ask to see you naked if you seek his services. 

Director Awi Suryadi holds the honor of helming the highest-grossing Indonesian movie of all time, 2022’s Twitter-inspired scare-fest KKN di Desa Penari. Can he outdo himself with his new horror flick Pabrik Gula, making its US theatrical debut on April 18?

Inspired by real events and shot on location in Indonesia, Pabrik Gula follows a group of seasonal workers at a sugar mill who are tormented by vengeful demons. Now they must unravel the mystery of what awakened these dark forces—before the spirits make them clock out for good.

At any given moment, I’m probably looking for an excuse to talk about David Cronenberg, and since The Shrouds is a co-production between Canada and France, I’ve found a reason to put it on this list. The latest from the master of body horror drops into theaters in New York City and Los Angeles on April 18 before its nationwide release on April 25.

Said to be Cronenberg’s most personal film yet, The Shrouds sees techno-entrepreneur Karsh (Vincent Cassel), inconsolable over the death of his wife (Diane Kruger), inventing a new software that will allow people to witness their loved ones decaying in their graves. Seems like a great idea, I’m sure we can all agree. But a spate of vandalized graves may indicate otherwise.

Check out the latest trailer for The Shrouds today, and snag FANGORIA #27 for an exclusive interview with the legendary filmmaker. 

It made someone puke at its Sundance premiere. Now Norwegian-language Cinderella story The Ugly Stepsister is coming to test your stomach when it dances into theaters on April 18. 

Emilie Blichfeldt wrote and directed the film, which stars Lea Myren as Elvira, a young woman who would do anything to be the belle of the ball and win the handsome prince’s affection. But beauty truly is pain, and Elvira’s transformation from duckling to swan is going to hurt. Like, a lot. 

The Ugly Stepsister’s trailer is serving 19th-century The Substance and I am pumped up. If you can’t turn a pumpkin into a carriage to take you to the theater, keep an eye out for this one on Shudder later this year. 

Gaelic folklore is full of fun (read: sinister) little creatures that are just begging for their turn on the big screen. Get ready to meet the Na Sídhe in Aislinn Clarke’s Fréwaka, billed as the first-ever Irish-language horror film.

Clare Monnelly stars as Shoo, a home care worker tasked with caring for the agoraphobic Peig (Bríd Ní Neachtain), who is terrified of sinister entities that she believes abducted her decades before. As Shoo becomes wrapped up in the old woman’s paranoia, rituals, and superstitions, she is forced to confront horrors from her own past.

Fréwaka debuts on Shudder on April 25 as part of the platform’s annual “Halfway to Halloween” celebration. Peek the rest of the line-up here, which includes more new titles along with plenty of repertory scares—and be sure to check back with us next month for the latest in international horror on the long road to Halloween.