Folk Horror backdrop

Folk Horror movies

Tradition and isolation breed terror: cults, rituals, rural dread, and community pressure with old beliefs.

Azrael

1. Azrael

Action Horror Thriller Epic Action Folk Horror
5.3
20241h 26min

Overview

In a world where no one speaks, a devout female hunts down a young woman who has escaped her imprisonment. Recaptured by its ruthless leaders, Azrael is due to be sacrificed to pacify an ancient evil deep within the surrounding wilderness.

Themes

Loyalty under duress, Isolation and survival, Deceptive leadership dynamics, Spectral threat and human fear, Silence as sin, Coercive ritual violence

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Watchers

2. The Watchers

Fantasy Horror Mystery Supernatural Fantasy Folk Horror
5.7
20241h 42min

Overview

A young artist gets stranded in an extensive, immaculate forest in western Ireland, where, after finding shelter, she becomes trapped alongside three strangers, stalked by mysterious creatures each night.

Themes

Bunker secrecy deception, Shapeshifting mimicry threat, Strangers group dynamics, Forest isolation pressure, Fairies hybrid tension, Irish mythology influence

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

You Won't Be Alone

3. You Won't Be Alone

Horror Drama Folk Horror
6.4
20221h 48min

Overview

In an isolated mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, a young feral witch accidentally kills a peasant. She assumes the peasant's shape to see what life is like in her skin, igniting a deep seated curiosity to experience life inside the bodies of others.

Themes

Isolation and longing, Transformation as power, Silence as agency, Persecution and fear, Power over bodies, Caregiver danger dynamics

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Lamb

4. Lamb

Drama Fantasy Horror Tragic Drama Dark Fantasy
6.3
20211h 46min

Overview

An Icelandic couple live with their herd of sheep on a beautiful but remote farm. When they discover a mysterious newborn on their land, they decide to keep it and raise it as their own. This unexpected development and the prospects of a new family brings them much joy before ultimately destroying them.

Themes

Deception and coercion, Grief and parenthood, Attachment under threat, Isolation on a remote farm, Uncanny kinship boundaries, Trust and power dynamics

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Fear Street: 1666

5. Fear Street: 1666

Mystery Horror Folk Horror Whodunit
6.6
20211h 55min

Overview

In 1666, a colonial town is gripped by a hysterical witch-hunt that has deadly consequences for centuries to come, and it's up to teenagers in 1994 to finally put an end to their town's curse, before it's too late.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Fear driven social control, Forbidden knowledge and power, Generational curse dynamics, Public punishment and scapegoating, Mass hysteria and witch-hunt

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

A Classic Horror Story

6. A Classic Horror Story

Horror Mystery Folk Horror Whodunit
5.7
20211h 35min

Overview

Five people travelling by camper crash into a tree. When they recover, the road they were driving on has been replaced by an impenetrable forest and a wooden house.

Themes

"movie: a classic horror story. genres: horror, Mystery, Horror, Mystery main themes: italy, Cult, Unwanted pregnancy, Italy, Cult, Unwanted pregnancy full keywords list: italy, Cult, Unwanted pregnancy, Snuff film, Rv, Violence. concept analysis: the film explores the ethical boundaries of entertainment and the voyeuristic nature of modern society, Where the line between reality and fiction blurs dangerously. it serves as a critique of how horror can be commodified, Reflecting on the consequences of desensitization to violence."

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Gaia

7. Gaia

Horror Fantasy Drama Folk Horror
5.6
20211h 37min

Overview

In the depths of an ancient forest, something has been growing. Something older than humanity itself, and perhaps greater too. When a park ranger discovers a man and his son living wild, she stumbles onto a secret that is about to change the world.

Themes

"movie: gaia. genres: horror, Fantasy, Drama, Horror, Fantasy, Drama main themes: canoe, Forest, Forest ranger, Canoe, Forest, Forest ranger full keywords list: canoe, Forest, Forest ranger, Assimilation, Fungus, Fungus people, Father son relationship. concept analysis: the film explores the consequences of humanity's disconnection from nature and the inherent dangers of isolation. it serves as a cautionary tale about the fragility of human existence in the face of a greater, Uncontrollable force."

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

In the Earth

8. In the Earth

Horror Science Fiction Thriller Folk Horror Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi
5.1
20211h 47min

Overview

As a deadly virus ravages the world, Dr. Martin Lowery embarks on a mission to reach test site ATU327A, a research hub deep in the Arboreal Forest. The arduous journey, guided by park scout Alma, is set back by a nighttime attack that leaves the two bruised and shoeless. When they run into Zach, a man living off the grid, they gratefully accept his help. Zach’s intentions aren’t exactly what they seem, however, and a path out of the forest and into safety quickly fades as the line between myth and science blurs.

Themes

"movie: in the earth. genres: horror, Science fiction, Thriller, Horror, Science fiction, Thriller main themes: experiment, Tent, Wilderness, Experiment, Tent, Wilderness full keywords list: experiment, Tent, Wilderness, Forest, Scientist, Alchemy, Scout, Folklore, Virus. concept analysis: in the earth examines the fragility of human relationships amidst chaos and the dangers of unchecked ambition. it explores the thin veil between science and superstition, Questioning humanity's connection to nature and the consequences of tampering with ancient forces."

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Wrong Turn

9. Wrong Turn

Horror Thriller Folk Horror Survival Thriller
5.6
20211h 50min

Overview

Jen and a group of friends set out to hike the Appalachian Trail. Despite warnings to stick to the trail, the hikers stray off course—and cross into land inhabited by The Foundation, a hidden community of mountain dwellers who use deadly means to protect their way of life.

Themes

"movie: wrong turn. genres: horror, Thriller, Horror, Thriller main themes: secret society, Gore, Forest, Secret society, Gore, Forest full keywords list: secret society, Gore, Forest, Community, Revenge, Interracial relationship, Slasher, Backwoods, Group of friends, Mercy killing, Virginia, Reboot, Appalachian trail, Killers, Abduction. concept analysis: the film explores the themes of survival and the moral complexities of human nature when faced with extreme circumstances. it delves into the lengths individuals will go to protect their loved ones and the transformation that occurs when one is pushed to their limits."

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Midsommar

10. Midsommar

Horror Drama Mystery Folk Horror Locked-Room Mystery
7.1
20192h 27min

Overview

Several friends travel to Sweden to study as anthropologists a summer festival that is held every ninety years in the remote hometown of one of them. What begins as a dream vacation in a place where the sun never sets, gradually turns into a dark nightmare as the mysterious inhabitants invite them to participate in their disturbing festive activities.

Themes

Isolation and belonging, Grief and coping, Ritual power dynamics, Paranoia and mistrust, Cultural conflict, Collective ritual control

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.