If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a chilling surprise.
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.
