From tales told around the campfire by our ancestors to fuelling our nightmares on the big screen, folk horror combines regional folklore with classic genre trappings to retell some of history’s oldest, most beloved stories. While its roots run deep, the term ‘folk horror’ was first used in the 1970s by film critic Rod Cooper to describe Blood on Satan’s Claw, and has since been used to cover everything from iconic British film The Wicker Man to Ari Aster’s smash hit Midsommar.
Those titles are likely to feature on your 31 Days of Halloween list on Letterboxd this year as you binge-watch your way through spooky season, but there is a wealth of folk horror from across the globe to send a chill down your spine while you also learn about cultures far and wide. What’s more, you can watch a great deal of them from the comfort of your own sofa. Here, FANGORIA takes a look at seven incredible folk horror films from around the world that you can stream right now in the US – if you dare.
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The Devil’s Bath
THE DEVIL'S BATH (Credit: IFC Films) Following rave reviews from its 74th Berlin International Film Festival premiere and selection as Austria’s 97th Academy Award entry, The Devil’s Bath has arrived on Shudder and AMC+ to stream in time for Halloween. Directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, The Devil’s Bath follows Agnes (Anja Plaschg) – based on the real life Eva Lizlfellnerin – in 1730s Austria as she moves to her husband’s village.
She struggles to fit into the role of a homemaker, while desperately wishing to be the perfect wife and mother. She becomes bedridden and deeply depressed, and it seems a horrific act is the only way out for her.
You can stream The Devil’s Bath on Shudder and AMC+
Enys Men
ENYS MEN (Credit: Neon) Directed by Mark Jenkin, Cornish psychological folk horror Enys Men proved a hit during the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, quickly being snapped up by Neon for its North American release. Living on a small island off the Cornish coast, The Volunteer (Mary Woodvine) spends her days making observations about rare flowers growing on the cliffside. After no change in the flora for some time, a strange turn forces The Volunteer to question her reality – and the results are terrifying.
You can stream Enys Men on Prime Video and Hulu.
All You Need Is Death
ALL YOU NEED IS DEATH (Credit: XYZ Films) Irish horror has been receiving its flowers of late, with the releases of Caveat, Oddity, The Devil’s Doorway, and You Are Not My Mother, to name but a few, propelling the Emerald Isles into the spotlight. Among them is All You Need Is Death, directed by Paul Duane, which centres on young couple Anna (Simone Collins) and Aleks (Charlie Maher) as they travel across Ireland to document obscure Irish folk songs.
On their travels, they meet Rita Concannon (Olwen Fouéré), a mysterious elderly woman who sings a song that unlocks the door to an ancient evil.
You can stream All You Need Is Death on Shudder, Hoopla, Kanopy, and AMC+
Tumbbad
TUMBBAD (Credit: Eros International) Rahi Anil Barve began writing the script for Hindi folk horror Tumbbad back in 1993, inspired by a story by Narayan Dharap. Co-directed with Anand Gandhi, the film eventually premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, the first Indian film to be screened there. It tells the tale of a village cursed with unending rain and a family that becomes obsessed with acquiring a mythical, ancestral treasure at any cost, leading to tragic consequences.
You can stream Tumbbad on Prime Video.
Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse
HAGAZUSSA (Credit: Raven Banner Entertainment) German-Austrian folk horror film Hagazussa: A Heathen’s Curse premiered at Fantastic Fest back in 2017, immediately receiving overwhelming praise from attendees thanks to its thoroughly eerie atmosphere created by Lukas Feigelfeld in his feature directorial debut. Hagazussa follows Albrun (Aleksandra Cwen), a goat herder living in a remote home in the Alps, who believes a sinister presence lurks among the trees.
You can stream Hagazuzza: A Heathen’s Curse on Prime Video, Shudder, Hoopla, Kanopy, Plex, Screambox, Philo, and Fandango.
The Damned
THE DAMNED (Credit: Vertical Entertainment) Now streaming on Hulu and Roku, the 2024 smash hit folk horror The Damned, directed by Thordur Palsson, is enough to chill any horror fan to the bone, blending psychological horror tropes and traditional folk horror. It stars Odessa Young as Eva, who, after the death of her husband Magnus, takes control of an isolated fishing outpost and its fishermen.
After a shipwreck, she is faced with deciding between saving the crew or prioritizing her community’s survival. The decision she makes has tragic consequences, pushing Eva and her loved ones to the brink as winter and the perils it brings set in.
You can stream The Damned on Hulu and The Roku Channel.
Impetigore
IMPETIGORE (Credit: Shudder) Leading the charge of truly terrifying Indonesian horror is Joko Anwar’s Impetigore, the country’s official Academy Award entry in 2020. Despite not being selected for the Oscars, Impetigore did swipe a record-breaking 17 nominations and six wins at the 40th Citra Awards in its home country. The film follows Maya (Tara Basro), who inherits a home in her ancestral village, but soon finds herself hunted by the villagers who believe she is responsible for a curse that has plagued them for years.
You can stream Impetigore on Shudder, AMC+, and Philo.
