One of the scariest sub-genres in horror is folklore horror. There’s just something about gruesome stories that have been passed down from generation to generation that add a hint of truth to the unknown. Whether the stories involve evil spirits, monsters, or demons, they always seem to push some kind of moral or message to those who are listening. From Indigenous peoples, to Guatemalan and Irish folk stories, to even folklore created within a film’s own universe, in no particular order, here are some of the best folklore films of the last decade.
Updated December 10th, 2022: If you’re a fan of the folklore horror subgenre, you’ll be happy to know additional chilling titles and content have been added to this list.
12 Krampus (2015)
Legendary Pictures
Based on Eastern and Central Alpine folklore, Krampus is the anti-Santa that punishes misbehaving children in a variety of ways depending on the lore, ranging from slapping them with a birch rod, to kidnapping them and taking them to the underworld. The 2015 film from Trick ‘R Treat filmmaker Michael Dougherty follows a similar path, having Krampus punish an entire family with the use of killer toys, an army of evil elves, and psychopathic Christmas cookies.
Much like its holiday predecessor, Krampushas a lot of comedic moments with comedy actors like Adam Scott and David Koechner stealing the show, but switches to sincerity seamlessly when things start to go down. Originally released as a PG-13 film due to MPAA issues, Dougherty recently got the chance to release the version of the film he really wanted, and teamed with Shout Factory to release The Naughty Cut.
11 La Llorona (2019)
La Casa de Producción
Not to be confused with The Conjuring universe’s The Curse of La Llorona, this Guatemalan horror film is a Shudder exclusive and was one of the best-rated horror films of 2019 with a remarkable 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. In Hispanic folklore, La Llorona means “weeping ghost,” and describes a woman that roams the waterfronts mourning the children that she drowned.
In this film, a somewhat different spin is put on the tale and La Lloronablends some serious political horror within its story. The premise is tragic, the acting is memorable and the camera work is excellent. There is a reason this film has come away with 28 different film and festival awards since its release.
10 November (2017)
Velvet SpoonCinemien
Rainer Sarnet’s Estonian horror drama November is adapted from the Andrus Kivirähk novel and tells the chilling tale of a mythical 19th century village plagued by supernatural beings including the devil, restless spirits, witches and magical creatures known as kratts. The visually spellbinding picture centers on the peasants of the village who use their magic knowledge to combat the dark presences lurking around them and survive the harsh winters at any cost. The townsfolk become consumed with cheating the devil and ultimately become far worse than the soulless beings terrorizing them. November was shot in black-and-white, and brilliantly captures an ominous and haunting atmosphere while exploring the folklore of Estonia and morality of mankind.
9 The Ritual (2017)
Entertainment One
The Ritual, directed by David Bruckner (The Night House) and based on a novel by Adam Nevill, follows four friends that decide to take a hiking trip through Sweden to celebrate the life of their deceased friend. When one of them hurts their ankle, the group decides to take a shortcut through the forest to reach their destination faster. From here, the group is stalked by an ancient beast called Jötunn that has been conjured by a cult living deep within the woods. The film has excellent creature design and effects, and the Swedish forests make for a wonderfully creepy environment.
8 Candyman (2021)
Universal Pictures
Nia DaCosta’s Candyman is very much a sequel to the 1992 gothic slasher of the same name. Though not based on any real-life folklore, the original created its own folklore within the universe, using the unjust murder of Daniel Robitaille (Tony Todd) as the basis for the gore-filled ghost story. The most recent Candyman film follows artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), and when he invokes the name of Candyman during his art project research, he’s slowly possessed by the hook-handed ghoul himself. The storytelling in Candyman was beautiful and unique, and often relied on the art of shadow puppeteering to get the point accross. The film was an immediate success and one of the most profitiable theater releases during Covid.
7 The Wailing (2016)
20th Century Studios
Both a critical and commercial success, South Korean folklore horror film The Wailing follows an investigative story of a policeman trying to solve gruesome murders in a nearby village, said to be perpertrated by a vengeful ghost or demon. The story takes a lot of inspiration from Japanese ghost folklore, and mixes in South Korean tidbits. The film is beautifully shot, has an excellent mystery element, and the acting is top-notch. The Wailing has won over 30 film awards since its release, and is regarded as one of the best ghost films of all time, as it also boasts a 99% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
6 The Babadook (2014)
Umbrella Entertainment
Much like Candyman, The Babadook pulls from its own line of folklore, as a creepily weird fairy tale starts to manifest itself to a mother (the great Essie Davis) and child trapped in cycle of paranoia and mental illness. With a refreshing woman’s perspective, Jennifer Kent’s film is much-less creature based than the other films on this list, as it very much is a symbol of untreated mental illness and the effects that can have on family.
The Babadook is pretty much purely psychological horror at its core. However, the Babadook creature and the book design are very cool, and the sound it makes causes one’s hair to stand up.
5 Impetigore (2019)
Shudder
Fresh off the successful heels of Satan’s Slaves, Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar released a scary and brilliant follow up with Impetigore. The film follows a woman who returns to her childhood village in hopes that she’ll inherit whatever her family left behind. Upon arriving, she finds that the village may be cursed, as a prior villager made a pact with the devil for his skinless baby daughter to be healed.
Since that time, all babies born in the village are skinless, and the only way to break the curse is with blood. The backstory is told in a unique way using shadow puppetry, and the Indonesian lore and gore is aplenty. This one is an under-seen gem and may be one of the best horror films of 2019.
4 Pyewacket (2017)
Les Films Seville / Entertainment One
Drawing inspiration from the supposed imp familiar spirit of an alleged 17th century English witch, the spine-tingling horror film Pyewacket follows angsty and grieving teenager Leah, who awakens an ancient, evil presence after performing an occult ritual in a secluded forest. The eponymous shape-shifting demon was evoked by the girl in the heat of the moment, having been summoned in order to kill her mother after a fiery argument between the two.
After Leah and her mother make amends, the teen quickly regrets her actions, but the damage is already done: Pyewacket is prepared to wreak havoc and follow through with the ritual. The picture slowly builds to a terrifying grand finale, with Leah being forced to face not only the dangerous demon but also her own unresolved emotional trauma.
3 Antlers (2021)
TSG Entertainment
In a surprising horror release from filmmaker Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Black Mass), Antlers brings Native American folklore horror to life by introducing the Wendigo into modern society. Antlers is a tragic story of a father and son that have become infected with the Wendigo’s spirit, and crave human flesh while the oldest son must keep them locked away and fed.
The film had a quiet release coming during Covid surges, but the dreadful feeling that the film’s environment and story invoke, along with some of the best practical horror effects in recent releases, makes this film well worth the watch. Antlers was also produced and promoted by Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro.
2 Midsommar (2019)
A24
Maybe the most popular (and polarizing) film on this list, Ari Aster showed the true dangers of cult workings, and their predatory focuses on grief and depression in Midsommar. After Dani (Florence Pugh) suffers several deaths in her family, she joins her boyfriend and friends for a trip to Sweden for a Midsommar festival in a small Swedish village.
The villagers take their beliefs in Scandinavian paganism to an entire new level, and introduce their ancient practices to the newcomers. Pugh delivered an absolutely raw emotional performance and the film has one of the most wild ending sequences in recent horror history.
1 The Witch (2015)
Slow-burn horror at its finest, Robert Eggers’ The Witch features a 17th century New England family struggling with trust and togetherness as they continue to suspect that one the family members is dabbling in witchcraft. The film style is masterful and Ana Taylor-Joy gives a fantastic performance in her first main feature film role.
The creepy atmosphere and haunting music keeps the viewer on edge, and the ending packs a hell of a punch. This is not only one of the best folklore-inspired films ever made, but The Witch is also one of the best horror films of the decade, as well.
