The Witch: A New England Folktale – referred to more commonly as The Witch – marked one of the most impressive directorial debuts of the decade, with Robert Eggers receiving widespread acclaim for the provocative 2015 supernatural horror.
Nailing the gnawing sense of dread and foreboding that’s required to make a slow-burn horror work, fans of the movie found themselves both compelled and disturbed by the events of the film. Naturally, fans of The Witch have since been searching for movies that scratch a similar itch. It goes without saying that Robert Eggers’ latest film The Lighthouse is worth seeking out for fans of his previous work, but here are ten more movies to watch if you loved The Witch.
10 A Dark Song (2016)
A Dark Song sees distraught mother Sophia employ the services of an occultist following the passing of her son. Renting an empty house in the middle of nowhere, the pair attempt to make contact with Sophia’s son – only for things to quickly go awry.
An Irish independent film, A Dark Song is the feature-length debut of promising filmmaker Liam Gavin. Gavin was praised for the film’s claustrophobic atmosphere and disturbing take on familiar subject matter, with the movie proving itself a hit at 2016’s Fantastic Fest.
9 The Wicker Man (1973)
Following Edward Woodward’s tenacious policeman Neil Howie as he travels to the pagan-worshipping island of Summerisle, The Wicker Man follows its central sergeant in his search for a missing girl – only to find much more than he bargained for on the seemingly welcoming island.
Known for its creepy setting and infamously dark ending, The Wicker Man may be slow, but gradually unfurls its sinister story in a way that makes every moment uncomfortable. The movie stands as arguably the most influential in the ‘folk horror’ subgenre, and undoubtedly had an impact on Robert Eggers’ The Witch somewhere down the line.
8 The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
Directed by Andre Ovredal – the man behind Trollhunter and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark – The Autopsy of Jane Doe is perhaps his most underseen movie. The movie stars Emile Hirsch and Brian Cox as coroners who get more than they bargained for when they begin to experience strange occurrences around the lab.
As it turns out, their mysterious subject may not be quite as dead as she first appeared. An original, tightly directed horror story that makes great use of its stark, cramped setting, The Autopsy of Jane Doe was a hit with critics, with an impressive 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
7 It Comes at Night (2017)
There’s no doubt that It Comes at Night suffered an unfortunate critical blow thanks to its misleading marketing. Although the trailer seemed to tease a movie full of edge-of-your-seat scares and post-apocalyptic carnage, the movie itself was much more subdued and introspective than that.
Most of the trailer’s scares were taken from the movie’s dream sequences rather than a more immediate threat, which left audiences feeling more than a little lied to. It’s a shame, too, since It Comes at Night is a genuinely interesting horror movie about fear and paranoia that leaves a lot up to the imagination.
6 Hereditary (2018)
Although Ari Aster’s follow up movie Midsommar is also worth a look if you liked The Witch, Hereditary is more in keeping with the movie’s tone and themes despite Midsommar’s folk horror similarities. Following the unfortunate Annie Graham and her recently bereaved family, Hereditary charts Annie’s descent into depression and madness following the death of her mysterious mother.
One of the most painstakingly detailed horror movies in years, Hereditary has a hell of a lot to say about its world and characters, leaving viewers to soak in its thick, haunting atmosphere as its central family is torn apart piece by piece.
5 The Wailing (2016)
Given the historic success of Parasite earlier this year, it seems there’s a renewed interest in South Korean cinema, so what better time to catch up with one of the country’s most impressive horror movies?
The Wailing centers on a small Korean village that sees a brutal spate of murders, as well as the police officer who’s tasked with investigating the grisly – and potentially supernatural – crimes. Using its lengthy 156-minute runtime to build tension and develop character, The Wailing is one of the most compelling and claustrophobic horror movies in recent years.
4 Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
One of the most iconic horror movies ever made, Rosemary’s Baby tells the story of its titular mother-to-be, who spirals into paranoia when she fears a malevolent cult has designs on her unborn child.
Perhaps the most famous example of perfectly executed slow-burn horror, Rosemary’s Baby is all the more disturbing for its pacing – with its intermittent trickles of horror having much more weight as a result. Even those who haven’t seen the movie are likely familiar with its horrifying ending, which serves as a testament to the film’s legacy.
3 Suspiria (2018)
While Dario Argento’s 1977 classic Suspiria is an absolute must-watch for avid fans of the horror genre, the movie’s 2018 reimagining is one of the few cases to be made for remakes – doing something entirely its own.
Following dancer Susie Bannion as she joins a world-famous dance academy in Berlin, it soon becomes clear that some of the arts studied at the school may be of the dark variety. Bold, striking and unapologetically strange, Suspiria split the opinion of critics with its unique take on the original Giallo classic – though the film’s defenders cite it as one of the best horror movies in years.
2 The House of the Devil (2009)
Drawing influence from the likes of Hitchcock, Rosemary’s Baby and a whole host of 80s ‘satanic panic’ movies, Ti West’s The House of the Devil is a lovingly made pastiche of 70s and 80s horror. With an extremely simple premise – a college girl is hired to housesit for an eccentric old couple – the movie’s brilliance lies in its execution.
Shot in a style reminiscent of its period setting, The House of the Devil may wear its influences on its sleeve but creates something completely unique and highly entertaining in the process.
1 The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)
By far one of the most underappreciated horror movies of the past decade, director Osgood Perkins’ debut film The Blackcoat’s Daughter is an absolute masterclass in slow-burn horror. Set at an old-fashioned boarding school over winter break, the story sees pupils Katherine and Rose stuck at the school when their parents don’t show up. Things soon take a turn for the worse when the girls hear whisperings of satanic activity at the school.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter creates a perfectly oppressive sense of dread that bleeds into every frame of the movie, building up an almost unbearable tension before releasing it in the movie’s harrowing climax.
