Read update
- Hollywood has delivered some terrific horror movies in 2022 so far, from the blockbusters like Nope to the smaller surprises like Barbarian. But as fans look for more scary movies to enjoy for Halloween, they might want to venture outside of Hollywood. Fans on Reddit have highlighted even more great foreign horror movies that audiences can be introduced to just in time for the spooky season.
With Halloween around the corner, horror fans may have already exhausted their usual list of scary movies to watch for the month. But, the incredible success of films like Parasite and series like Squid Game remind audiences that there are some amazing pieces of media from all around the world at their fingertips through different streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, or even the horror-centric Shudder.
A good movie recommendation can make all the difference. Luckily for those interested, Redditors have compiled several master lists and started a thorough conversation about which foreign horror films are the best out there.
Updated on October 23, 2022 by Colin McCormick:
Hollywood has delivered some terrific horror movies in 2022 so far, from the blockbusters like Nope to the smaller surprises like Barbarian. But as fans look for more scary movies to enjoy for Halloween, they might want to venture outside of Hollywood. Fans on Reddit have highlighted even more great foreign horror movies that audiences can be introduced to just in time for the spooky season.
The Wailing (2016)
- Available on Peacock, Peacock Premium, AMC+, Hoopla, Tubi, Kanopy, Crackle, Shudder, Pluto TV and Plex
South Korea has delivered some of the best thriller and horror movies of the 21st century and The Wailing earns a place among them. The movie is set in a small village where a deadly infection has claimed the lives of several citizens. When a police officer’s daughter becomes infected, he must discover what is causing the illness, even if it is supernatural.
Filled with an eerie mystery as well as plenty of shocking twists, Redditor hhuikb describes The Wailing as “a jaw dropping movie.” It is certainly one that audiences will be thinking about long after it is over.
REC (2007)
Not only is the Spanish movie REC a standout horror movie, but it is also one of the best found footage movies ever made. It centers around a camera crew following a fire department as they answer a call at an apartment complex as a virus breaks out inside.
The movie makes great use of the found footage format, delivering some of the most memorable horror movie scares of all time. Redditor Funky-Monk— admitted to being “terrified when watched this for the first time.” While sequels and American remakes followed, the original stands alone as a great movie.
Torso (1973)
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
- Available on AMC+ and Shudder
While there are more and more great foreign horror movies being released these days, there are also plenty of classics from other countries that deserve to be seen. One such movie is Torso, a standout entry into the Italian Giallo genre that has produced so many classics.
The movie centers around a killer strangling university students on campus. When some of the students decide to flee to a villa to escape the danger, they find that the killer is still among them. Redditor 716dave praised the movie as “an influential classic.”
The Chaser (2008)
- Available on AMC+, DIRECTV and Plex
While many horror movies leave a mystery regarding the identity of the killer, The Chaser has fun by exposing the identity very early on. The Korean thriller centers around a manager of a call girl operation who is in a race against time to save one of the girls who is being held by a sadistic murderer.
It is a taut, and gruesome movie that makes for a riveting cat-and-mouse story. It also features some devastating plot twists that will shake audiences with their brutality. Redditor Bobbyperu1 describes it as a “great South Korean serial killer movie.”
High Tension (2005)
- Available on Hoopla, Tubi, Kanopy, Pluto TV and Plex
Alexandre Aja has gone on to direct Hollywood horror movies like The Hills Have Eyes and Crawl, but he gained notoriety with this brutal and bloody French movie High Tension. The movie follows a pair of female friends on a road trip. But when a home invasion makes them the target of a relentless killer, they are set on a run for their lives.
Though some feel the horror movie’s twist ending ruins it to a degree, others love the gritty feel and sequences of unbearable suspense. Redditor Crimson_357 claims that the movie “has always been my favorite.”
The Orphanage (2007)
This Spanish film debut from director J.A. Bayona, The Orphanage follows the story of Laura, who brings her husband, Carlos, and their adopted son, Simón, to her childhood orphanage with the hopes of turning it into a home for children with special needs. Simón disappears after a fight with Laura and her search for him reveals dark secrets about the orphanage’s past.
User wickedlikethreesixes on Reddit testifies that “it’s one of the only films I’ve been genuinely unnerved by.” Many other Redditors commented on how moving The Orphanage is as one of the best horror movies about grief.
I Saw The Devil (2010)
- Available on Hulu, Hoopla and Kanopy
Jee-woon Kim directed this Korean thriller about a National Intelligence Service agent who plots revenge after his pregnant fiancée is murdered by a serial killer named Jang Kyung-chul. This film is definitely on the gorier side of horror for those with a weak stomach, and viewers should be aware that sexual assault is present in the film if that is triggering or especially upsetting.
That being said, the movie was recommended by multiple accounts on Reddit, with user diesel even saying “it’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. It’s very brutal/beautiful.” Users in the comments agree, saying it’s a must-see for Korean gore horror and the work of Choi Min-sik, who plays the serial killer, is utterly amazing.
Tumbbad (2018)
Tumbbad is a period horror movie by Indian director Rahi Anil Barve. Set in 1947 and 1918, Tumbbad is built around the tale of the Goddess of Prosperity and the being Hastar, who sleeps in Tumbadd after being saved from the other gods and can never be worshiped. Vinayak, who grew up in Tumbbad, desperately wants to escape poverty by taking Hastar’s treasure.
What could be a simple story of morality and greed is turned into a beautiful cinematic masterpiece. Avi271 on Reddit notes, “Another great thing is that it doesn’t fit any sub-genre that you see in Hollywood.” Several other Redditors commented that they had been told about the film by the Shock Waves podcast, which covered Tumbbad on an episode.
Goodnight Mommy (2014)
- Available on Vudu, Tubi and Pluto TV
After the mother of twin boys gets face-changing plastic surgery in this Austrian psychological horror directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Frans, they begin to notice her odd and unfamiliar behavior. Goodnight Mommy has an unparalleled atmosphere and features some of the most terrifying horror movie children.
Reddit users like EternalRocksBeneath thoroughly enjoyed the film, saying “I really, really, liked it. I liked the fact that it went against my expectations. I found myself thinking about it for a few days afterward.” That thought and theory-provoking aspect is part of what makes for great discussion between people who have seen it, and there’s even a *spoiler-heavy* theory discussion board on Reddit for Goodnight Mommy.
The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
One of the best movies by Guillermo del Toro, The Devil’s Backbone is about a 12-year-old boy named Carlos, who moves into an all-boys orphanage and school after his father is killed in the Spanish Civil War. Shortly after starting at the school, it becomes clear that there are dark and paranormal secrets within its walls.
SpokenWorder highly recommends the film on Reddit to any fans of del Toro’s work “if you want to see how Del Toro first dabbled into horror/thriller, how his central characters of children first took root.” Guillermo del Toro weaves a masterful tale of horror rooted in history as Carlos has to grapple with not only the supernatural terror in front of him, but also the civil unrest that his nation is experiencing at the time.
Audition (1999)
- Available on Tubi, Kanopy and Arrow
Takashi Miike directs this Japanese film that’s one of the best obscure horror movies of the ’90s. A widower, Shigeharu Aoyama, agrees to a special audition process set up by his friend to find him a new wife. After meeting Asami Yamazaki, Shigeharu becomes enamored with her, but Asami’s identity and behavior are shrouded in mystery and are much darker than Shigeharu knows.
User Wild_Bob on Reddit posted a thorough reaction and analysis of the film (with spoilers) and commented about the beautiful cinematography of the first half, saying “I found myself enjoying the film as a drama, almost forgetting what genre the film is.” That is until the second half, where things take a more gruesome turn but still manage to stay meaningful and symbolic, making comments about the cycle of abuse and violence in the home.
A Tale Of Two Sisters (2003)
- Available on Kanopy and Shudder
Another piece from South Korean director Jee-woon Kim, this movie mixes supernatural and real-world horror. Two sisters return home from a stay in a mental institution. In addition to their father, they also live there with his wife, their obsessive and cruel stepmother. To make things worse, a haunting begins to affect the house and makes emotional recovery difficult for the sisters.
On Reddit, rhoades2rocky43 shares, “I remembered A Tale Of Two Sisters was one of the films that Jordan Peele wanted his cast to watch before filming Us, so we definitely wanted to check it out.” They go on to say that the film does a lot with very little dialogue, and isn’t in your face like other horror movies. For those who like slow-burn movies that make you feel more than the typical slasher flicks, this is a solid addition to the watch list.
Martyrs (2008)
- Available on Vudu Tubi and Plex
Pascal Laugier directs this French horror film about Lucie and Anna, who go on a murderous crusade to find and punish the people who kidnapped and tortured Lucie when she was younger. Their hunt reveals a circuit of torture by a secret society determined to discover secrets about the afterlife by creating “martyrs.”
Reddit user TrappedInLimbo details their experience with the film, noting, “it almost feels like you, the viewer, are being put through some kind of torture” and that the twists and turns of the plot keep audiences guessing the entire time. Critical_Bill calls Martyrs “the final exam you give to horror movie fans.” It’s so impactful and disturbing, viewers may only watch the horror movie once.
Train To Busan (2016)
- Available on Peacock, Peacock Premium, AMC+, Roku Hoopla, Tubi, Kanopy, Crackle, Shudder, Pluto TV and Plex
Filling the need for any zombie movie lovers is Train To Busan, a Korean movie directed by Yeon Sang-ho. Seok-woo and his estranged daughter, Su-an, are taking a train ride when a zombie apocalypse begins and the passengers on the train must fight for their lives if they want to make it to Busan alive.
User KlausFenrir on Reddit states that Train To Busan is “the best version of a World War Z story we’ll ever get in film.” It is also a surprisingly emotional movie with some rare tear-jerking scenes in a horror movie. SeeYouNerfHerder says, “My greatest takeaway from Netflix has been an introduction to Korean movies.”
Let The Right One In (2008)
- Available on Prime Video, Hulu, Roku, Hoopla, Vudu, Criterion Channel, Kanopy, DIRECTV, Crackle, Pluto TV and Plex
Moving into Swedish territory, Tomas Alfredson directed the 2008 romantic horror film Let the Right One In. Oskar is a young boy who lives with his mother in Sweden and is regularly bullied at school. When Eli moves in next door, they become close friends and Eli eventually reveals their disturbing connection to a string of grisly murders in the area.
This is a well-loved take on the classic vampire film. Estoye on Reddit calls it “well-paced, engaging, damn frightening stuff” and user Slofut adds, “I particularly liked seeing the consequences of a vampire entering a home without being invited in. I have never seen it addressed before watching this movie.”
