Plot: Wolves and werewolves lurk throughout the dreams of young Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson), who imagines that she must journey through a dark forest to live with her grandmother (Angela Lansbury). When Rosaleen meets a rugged hunter in the woods, she discovers that she has an animal-like attraction to him, leading to a macabre turn of events. The lupine-centric film also features stories within the main tale, told by both Rosaleen and her grandma, all of which have a supernatural bent.

KBZ’s Take: Older fans of the subgenre are likely familiar with this film as it was one of the more prominent werewolf films of the 1980’s. However, though the film is centered around werewolves, it’s also a Matryoshka doll of dark fairy tales and folklore nestled within each other.

Neil Jordan would go on to direct other Dark Fantasy films based on mythology and folklore with the popular Interview with the Vampire (1994), mermaid-based Ondine (2009) and vampire-based Byzantium (2012), but none of those films could capture the nightmarish and surreal darkness of The Company of Wolves. It’s a unique film and one of the best of the subgenre to tap into dark folklore hidden within innocent fairy tales.

Additional Lists: Top Folk Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 1980’s #2

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: At the western frontier, a group of army personnel investigate the murder of wagon train travelers.

KBZ’s Take: If you somehow have still not seen this film, it’s one of the best pure Survival Horror and Folk Horror films out there.

Set in a desolate winter location with a “Ten Little Indians” vibe, Ravenous has an absolute bonkers turning point from period piece murder mystery to Wendigo folklore shift. And this is where the film excels as it turns into a battle of the wills between Guy Pearce and Robert Carlyle. Adding to this excellent film is the very unique soundtrack you won’t get out of your head anytime soon after watching.

Ravenous is one of our favorite films of all time across multiple subgenres and one of the most unique Folk Horror films you’ll ever see and never forget.

Additional Lists: Top Folk Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 1990’s #1, Top War Horror Films You Haven’t Seen #3, Top Survival Horror Films You Haven’t Seen #3

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: The accidental unearthing of Satan’s earthly remains causes the children of a 17th-century English village to slowly convert into a coven of devil worshipers.

KBZ’s Take: Some would argue that Witchfinder General (1968) or even Onibaba (1964) were the start of Folk Horror as we know it. But we would have to agree with most that The Blood on Satan’s Claw firmly established most of the themes found within the subgenre.

There’s the rural, period setting with witch trials of the time that was also a staple of Witchfinder. But this film also put more emphasis on satanic cults which would become a predominant theme of multiple horror subgenres in the 70’s.

It’s also a film that features atmosphere over jump scares which became a defining characteristic of Folk Horror throughout the decade. And finally, you have Linda Hayden (as Angel Blake) who is excellent in this film and has become one of the unforgettable icons of Folk Horror.

It’s a must-see film of the subgenre and one that no fan of Folk Horror should miss.

Additional Lists: Top Folk Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s #1, Top Films About The Devil, Demons and Hell You Haven’t Seen – 1970 – 1989 #7

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: When Ellen, the matriarch of the Graham family, passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry.

KBZ’s Take: Director Ari Aster has made a name for himself within this subgenre with two of his films making our Top 10. While his film, Midsommar (2019), is singularly focused on a pagan cult, Hereditary incorporates numerous supernatural elements involving a cult that are more commonly found in Films About Witches & The Occult subgenre.

Despite its supernatural elements, Hereditary still has some of the most unique elements of Folk Horror and cults involving families. In the event you haven’t seen this film yet, we don’t want to discuss anything additional about the film (to spoil it), but we can say it’s one of the most unique films of the subgenre that’s also considered one of the best recent films of the entire horror genre.

Additional Lists: Best Films About Cults #6

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Living with her tyrannical stepfather in a new home with her pregnant mother, 10-year-old Ofelia feels alone until she explores a decaying labyrinth guarded by a mysterious faun who claims to know her destiny. If she wishes to return to her real father, Ofelia must complete three terrifying tasks.

KBZ’s Take: Though Pan’s Labyrinth is mostly known as a Dark Fantasy film (and one of the best of that subgenre), it also leans on quite a few scenes and sequences involving dark folklore and horror. How scary those scenes are can be subjective, but there’s no denying the dark psychological (horror) undercurrent running throughout the film.

Director Guillermo Del Toro meshes themes from Greek mythology of Pan and Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland to create one of the most fascinating and visually twisted films of Folk Horror.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Dr. Louis Creed’s family moves into the country house of their dreams and discover a pet cemetery at the back of their property. The cursed burial ground deep in the woods brings the dead back to life – with minor problems. At first, only the family’s cat makes the return trip, but an accident forces a heartbroken father to contemplate the unthinkable.

KBZ’s Take:  Pet Sematary is one of Stephen King’s iconic novels and the best film adaptation of his horror story involving folklore and the Wendigo. And while the film’s prequel, sequel and remake couldn’t compare to the horror of the original film, the prequel and remake did focus a bit more on the Wendigo folklore found within the novel.

Despite the original film’s lack of explanation of Micmac folklore (involving the burial ground) and increased focus on the supernatural, it’s still one of the most horrifying films of the subgenre with one of the most disturbing scenes of Folk Horror – spoiler.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: The residents of a small rural town discover that a demon is about to be born among them. They desperately try to escape – but it may be too late.

KBZ’s Take: When we were preparing our list of The Best Horror Films of 2023 for Halloween, we had already posted the article before seeing When Evil Lurks. If we had seen the film sooner, it would have easily made the Top 3 as it’s one of the most unsettling and scariest films of the last few years.

This is not an easy film to watch as it mixes in a slow burn atmosphere with some very gory, disturbing, and violent sequences. Where other horror films have a certain line they won’t cross, this film has no problems crossing that line as you watch in absolute horror. There are two specific sequences in this film that you won’t be able to ‘unsee’ and will likely haunt you months (or even years) after viewing.

With that said, the film itself is a good tale of rural Argentinian folklore associated with evil spirits and demonic possession. The folklore in the film isn’t explained beyond the need to stop ‘the evil’ from spreading, but as the evil continues to spread, so too will your fear with one of the most horrific films of recent memory.

Additional Lists: Best Recent Folk Horror Films #1

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: In 1630’s New England, William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness, exiled from their settlement when William defies the local church. When their newborn son vanishes and crops mysteriously fail, the family turns on one another.

KBZ’s Take: There’s no denying that The Witch is slow burn horror that makes it a love it or hate it film within the subgenre. Like other similar Folk Horror slow burns such as Sauna (2009) and Hagazussa (2018), the film immerses the viewer in a past rural environment where things were slower and the unknown was more terrifying.

Like a tea kettle that slowly builds up to it’s whistling sound, The Witch does take it’s time getting to its shocking final. It’s a final worth waiting for and one of the better films to explore Folk Horror tenets of religion and witchcraft.

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: Police sergeant Neil Howie is called to an island village in search of a missing girl whom the locals claim never existed. Stranger still, however, are the rituals that take place there.

KBZ’s Take: There’s a few reasons why this film is considered one of the top films of both this subgenre and the Films About Cults subgenre.

First, it’s a classic horror film that helped establish Folk Horror as a subgenre and went against the grain of other occult-focused horror films of the time. The film’s focus on a pagan cult and themes of competing religious beliefs were unique and had an overwhelming impact on future films of the subgenre.

Second, the film masterfully uses a detective and whodunnit type narrative to build up a growing sense of dread as elements of the town and their religion are revealed over time. This buildup leads to one of the most memorable horror endings of all time.

And finally, we always get younger horror film fans who have just seen Hereditary (2018) or Midsommar (2019) and ask for similar types of films. We sound like a broken record saying, “Have you seen The Wicker Man yet?”, and most have not. Midsommar, in particular, is clearly inspired by this film.

They don’t make many horror films like this anymore and if you still haven’t seen The Wicker Man, the 50-year-old film is obviously dated, but it’s themes within the subgenre are eternal.

Additional Lists: Top Folk Horror Films You Haven’t Seen – 1970’s #2, Best Films About Cults #5

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon

Plot: A couple travel to Sweden to visit their friend’s rural hometown for its fabled midsummer festival, but what begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

KBZ’s Take: As we mentioned with The Wicker Man (1973) previously, Midsommar is clearly a love letter to that earlier film to the point that major plot points of both films are essentially the same. And despite these similarities, we have ranked Midsommar higher here for one specific reason – it explores elements of the pagan cult in much more detail, especially in the 171-minute Director’s Cut of the film.

While Wicker Man focuses on a police investigation, Midsommar uses mental health as its tool to reveal details about the cult and themes of cult indoctrination. It’s this approach that allows Midsommar to take all the best elements of The Wicker Man and the drama-based cult film, Ticket to Heaven (1981), to create its own unique experience.

The Wicker Man and Midsommar have firm roots within the Folk Horror subgenre, but also make great companion pieces for a double feature horror film night about cults. Just be prepared that each film is disturbing and unsettling in its own special way but both are classic films of the subgenre that any new fan to Folk Horror should watch first.

Additional Lists: Best Films About Cults #2

Where to Stream / Buy: Amazon