Plot: A man tries to uncover an unconventional psychologist’s therapy techniques on his institutionalized wife, while a series of brutal attacks committed by a brood of mutant children coincides with the husband’s investigation.

Content Rating: R

Subgenre(s): Horror Films About Psychological & Medical Horror

KBZ’s Take: This film is likely relatively unknown by generations that did not grow up in the late 70’s and early 80’s. It’s also one of David Cronenberg’s lesser-known films, but one of his scariest. And like most Cronenberg films there’s a fair amount of ‘WTF!’ in the film – especially towards the end. But the film delivers the scares and creepiness factor once the ‘brood’ starts to appear.

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Plot: A man rescues a beautiful young woman who is on the run from a coven of witches.

Content Rating: R

Subgenre(s): Horror Films About The Occult & Witches

KBZ’s Take: This was a semi-popular B-Horror movie in the late 80’s but has been forgotten to time. Without going into too much detail about the plot, all we can say is it has one of the best ‘twists’ in any horror film you’ll see. It also has a roster of familiar 80’s B movie actors with Tim Daly, the late Kelly Preston and Rick Rossovich. The less you know about this film going into it, the better…and it’s a great film for a Halloween night.

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Plot: Will and his new girlfriend Kira are invited to a dinner with old friends at the house of Will’s ex Eden and her new partner David. Although the evening appears to be relaxed, Will soon gets a creeping suspicion that their charming host David is up to something.

Content Rating: R

Subgenre(s): Horror Films About Cults

KBZ’s Take: This film ended up on quite a few Best Films of 2015 lists but is still relatively unknown. For those of you who like more slow burn horror with a bit of mystery thrown in, then you’ll like this film. What the film does best is put you in the place of Will who increasingly finds something off about the dinner party and its host. This film has a few scares but the horror is in the more realistic portrayal of cults and its effect on people.

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Plot: Man starts to discover that his friends are acting strangely and discovers they’ve been taken over by alien entities.

Content Rating: R

Subgenre(s): Sci-Fi Alien Invasion Films, Horror Films About Psychological & Medical Horror

KBZ’s Take: This was the #1 film on our Top Films About Alien Invasion Films You Haven’t Seen due to number of films that have used the “Body Snatchers” theme as the basis for an Alien Invasion. While the 1978 version of Body Snatchers wasn’t the first, here is a list of all the films based on this concept and story: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), this film, Body Snatchers (1993), The Puppet Masters (1994), The Invasion (2007) and Assimilate (2019). While the 1978 version is a bit dated with 1978’s San Francisco, the theme and horror of the pod people assimilation is just as relevant (and scary) today. While younger viewers might watch the more recent Assimilate, we advise any film fan generation to check out this version first – it’s the scariest, has some truly disturbing scenes (you’ll never forget the homeless man and his dog), and has arguably one of the most horrific and bone chilling endings to any film you will see.

Additional Lists: Top Alien Invasion Films You Haven’t Seen #1

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Plot: Widowed man sits through actress auditions to find his next wife.

Content Rating: R

Subgenre(s): World Cinema Horror Films, Horror Films From Japan

KBZ’s Take: Another film that’s often found on the Most Disturbing Films of All Time lists, Audition does a complete head fake halfway through the movie. At first, you’re watching a romantic comedy about a father and son who are missing the now deceased matriarch of the family. But then it completely turns into a horror film with quite a few WTF moments. The less said of this film’s plot, the better, as it’s a film you have to see for yourself. But, be warned, it’s not for the squeamish! And we wouldn’t advise the old “convince your girlfriend or significant other into thinking they’re watching a romantic comedy so you can watch a Halloween horror film” trick as it won’t end well for you either.

Additional Lists: Top World Cinema Horror Films You Haven’t Seen #4

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3B2agQu

Plot: After a man takes another injured man to the hospital, he discovers the hospital is being surrounded by a cult.

Content Rating: R

Subgenre(s): Horror Films About Cosmic Horror

KBZ’s Take: Many films have tried (and failed) at emulating 80’s horror, but The Void does it in spades. It’s hard to describe this film as it oozes Lovecraftian horror elements, is a horror film about cults, and also has many survival horror elements. It’s the type of film where the deeper you go down the rabbit hole with its story, the more “WTF” you are going to be saying to the screen. This is not only one of the best films of the Cosmic Horror subgenre, but one of the best lesser-known films of the entire Horror genre. A perfect film to watch on Halloween if you don’t scare easily…

Additional Lists: Top Cosmic Horror Films You Haven’t Seen #2

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Plot: A woman’s mother struggles with dementia but the family starts thinking something more sinister is at play.

Content Rating: R

Subgenre(s): Horror Films About Exorcism & Possession, Horror Films With Found Footage

KBZ’s Take:  One of the forgotten films of the Found Footage Film craze in the 2010’s. This film came at the tail end of the Found Footage era as burnout happened within that subgenre. However, it’s not only one of the best films of the Found Footage subgenre, but also one of the best Possession films you will ever see. The Found Footage format strengthens the scenes of the odd behavior of their dementia-riddled mother (and growing concern of the family). We’re fairly certain this film might not have been as effective if shot in a traditional format. This film is also infamous for its “Mine Scene” towards the end which is a film experience you won’t soon forget. In fact, it’s still one of the only horror sequences that still gives us chills to this day. Add this film to the top of your queue on Halloween and keep a light on – you’ll need it.

Additional Lists: Top Films About Exorcisms & Possessions You Haven’t Seen #1

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3FtqN2V

Plot: Father and son coroners receive a mysterious unidentified corpse with no apparent cause of death. As they attempt to examine the beautiful young Jane Doe, they discover increasingly bizarre clues that hold the key to her terrifying secrets.

Content Rating: R

Subgenre(s): Horror Films About The Occult & Witches

KBZ’s Take: We haven’t done a list yet for the Top Films About The Occult & Witches, but this will definitely be #1. We have seen quite a few films and there’s not much that scares us anymore – except for this film. It isn’t your typical film about Witches like The Witch (2015) but rather a slow burn horror film with an increasing amount of sense of dread and jump scares. Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch are amazing in this film as the father and son coroners who soon realize they’re in over their heads with the Jane Doe corpse. This film also isn’t for the squeamish as it does show some elements of an autopsy but its what comes after that’s more terrifying. A great film if you want to scare yourself silly on Halloween Night.

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Plot: Woman is terrorized by shocking visions of murders and begins to realize she might be the murderer.

Content Rating: R

Subgenre(s): Horror Films With Slashers

KBZ’s Take: This one of the best and most bonkers Slasher Films you will ever see. Most of the first two acts follow typical Slasher film and Giallo film tropes as the mystery of who is killing people is slowly revealed. By the time you get to the third act and the big reveal, we guarantee you will be like “WTF!”. This film has one of the biggest WTF moments we have ever seen…in any film. If you enjoyed James Wan’s previous efforts (that also had surprising reveals and shock scares) like Saw (2004) and Insidious (2010), then you will definitely enjoy this film. It’s a testament to Wan’s ability as a director to keep evolving and reinventing Horror tropes that he does with this film in spades. If you’re looking for a great double feature for Halloween night, we would recommend this film and #1 film on our list that are both from popular horror subgenres.

Additional Lists: Top Films About Slashers You Haven’t Seen #1

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VGfSrG

Plot: After a tragic accident, six friends reunite for a caving expedition. Their adventure soon goes horribly wrong when a collapse traps them deep underground and they find themselves pursued by bloodthirsty creatures. As their friendships deteriorate, they find themselves in a desperate struggle to survive the creatures and each other.

Content Rating: R

Subgenre(s): Horror Films About Survival Horror, Horror Films About Monsters

KBZ’s Take: We know quite a few of you will ask how this film can be #1 on a list of lesser-known films as it is quite popular and often listed on many ‘scariest horror films’ lists. We also didn’t have it listed in the Top 10 of our Top Survival Horror Films You Haven’t Seen articles due to its popularity in Horror film circles. We’re listing it #1 as it’s our first recommendation to other people who ask for a Halloween night horror movie – and it never disappoints. We cannot tell you how many people haven’t seen the film yet, but after viewing will say it was one of the scariest films they have ever seen. And for that reason, we’re listing it here – for those people who still have not seen this classic horror film and want to see something ‘new’ on Halloween. But don’t say we didn’t warn you first – this film will be the scariest film you’ve ever seen if you typically don’t watch Horror genre films. The Descent is our #1 Horror Film pick for Halloween Night.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3VH214v