10 Low Budget Slasher Horror Movies That Are Better Than Blockbusters (& Where To Stream Them) – Screen Rant

Not every horror movie has to be expensive in order to be good. In fact, these 10 low-budget slashers are better than most blockbusters.

Horror has sired a seemingly endless amount of subgenres and niches, but undoubtedly one of the most popular and long-standing is the slasher film.The simple template of watching a predator take out the ensemble one by one has produced a never-ceasing river of schlock over the decades since its heyday in the '80s.

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The subgenre is still going fairly strong thanks to low-budget filmmaking and perseverance to keep the slasher alive in today's frequently changing horror environment. Some of the most economical efforts can be easily accessed today, as well.

The Collectorisahome invasion slasher film from some of the team behind later additions to theSawfranchise, and many of that series' infamous editing style carries over to this far less successful film. What makesThe Collectoran entertaining and warped ride is the charisma of lead Josh Stewart as a broke petty thief who robs a wealthy family's house only to come into the labyrinth of nonsense booby traps laid by the titular menace, a far worse criminal. Good, tacky Halloween goreandavailable with an Amazon Prime subscription, or simply free on Pluto TV, Tubi, and Vudu.

Vincent Price is a legend of the campy low budget horror films of yesteryear. His distinctly menacing voice and cunning face allowed him to chew the scenery across dozens of B-movie classics. However, he managed to score a later career success with this slasher/comedy hybrid.

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Theatre of Bloodcenters around Price's character, a Shakesperean actor who vows revenge on theater critics who derided his work, as he mounts one ridiculous Shakespeare-inspired death scene after another. Hilarious and delightfully campy in all the right ways,Theatre of Bloodremains a triumph in Price's repertoire and a masterpiece of the style. It is available to stream now on The Criterion Channel.

Adam Green's gory homage to the slasher movies of the 80s spawned its own little franchise of diminishing returns. This original Hatchetremains the only one of the series to have the charm of nostalgia backed up by a decent script and the committed performances of its D-list ensemble cast of horror actors of yore. It's a fun film that manages to pull the last bits of charm out of the tropes and aesthetics of the films it so clearly idolizes.Hatchetcan be streamed on Amazon Prime or on Tubi.

Taking a page from mainstream hits likePanic RoomandDon't Breathe, this microbudget thriller manages to pack just as much of a wallop as those films with an added dose of irreverent flare for good measure.Crush the Skull follows four thieves who find themselves trapped in the lair of a serial killer.

RELATED:10 Movies To Watch If You Liked Don't Breathe

While not necessarily new narrative ground, the film's wry sense of humor and consistently forward-moving momentum makes it a perfect little nasty matinee for the Halloween season for those who like their slasher movies with a sardonic bite. It's free on Prime or on Tubi.

The feature debut from Jeremy Saunier (Blue Ruin,Green Room) is a small budget treasure. Mixing classic slasher character stereotypes with razor-sharp dialogue and a confident sense of gallows humor aimed squarely at "the artist,"Murder Party is still a one of a kind film that maintains its originality even in the face of Saunier's continued filmography. The film centers on a lonely dork who responds to an invitation to the titular event and becomes embroiled in a bloody war for artistic meaning. It's not as pretentious as it sounds and it can be streamed for free on Sling.

Timecrimesis a Spanish-language horror film with a slick science-fiction bent to it. Essentially combining a slasher film with a heady time-travel adventure, the film made the best of its small budget and garnered a considerable amount of acclaim from genre critics. As an ordinary man is given the opportunity to experience time travel, he finds himself stuck in a looping nightmare being stalked by an intimidating figure in a bloodied mask. It's free on both Tubi and Vudu.

Before they were bona fide indie DIY legends, brothers Jay and Mark Duplass crafted this intelligent discourse on indie filmmaking, horror films, and the meta nature of writing, all of which are distilled into this potent horror-comedy about a group of writers who sequester themselves in a wooded cabin to write the next big indie horror hit.

RELATED:The 10 Best Indie Horror Movies Of All Time, According To IMDb

Once they've constructed the idea for "Baghead," the script begins to come to life. A uniquely funny spin on the horror genre that would gain the brothers even more acclaim and attention in the indie and lo-fi scene.It's included with Amazon Prime and free on Pluto TV.

This French import from 2006 is one of thetightestand tensest entriesof the "New French Extremity" movement. The film negates exposition and heavy character development in favor of throwing the viewer straight into the night long fight for survival a young couple is forced into when their new rural home is invaded. The film is primarily known for its divisive twist, which is a doozy regardless of how one feels about it, and its alleged claims of being "based on true events." What is undeniable aboutThem is that it is an exemplary exercise in sustained tension. If this bleak French slasher soundsappetizing, it can be streamed for free onIMDb TV.

Debatably the most well-known entry on the list is also the film that led the way for gritty, low-budget slasher movies that rely on sickening realism as opposed to grandiose camp and ridiculous costumes. As a result ofHenry's commitment to staying grounded in the real world is part of what makes it such a stomach-churning experience as compelling and well-made as it is vicious and bleak.Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killeris a watershed moment in indie horror filmmaking, an iconic piece of disarmingly unsettling cinema.It can be viewed for free on IMDb TV.

The German slasher classicAngst just might be the most influential horror movie never seen. An expertly made descent into the mind of a truly demented man,Angst's technical achievements with the POV style predates the infamous shenanigans of auteurs like Gaspar Noe by a decade. The unique cinematography is part of the film's unique allure, but it is the central performance of Erwin Leder as K. that makes the film truly skin crawling. Many of the extreme and arthouse trends of horror that have ebbed and flowed since this film's release are indebted to it. A masterpiece that's free on Tubi right now.

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John Wells is a writer, poet, and filmbuff from Asheville, NC. He is currently pursuing a degree in Film Studies from Western Carolina University. Oftentimes John can be found perched behind his laptop screen arguing about movies (when he isn't watching them, that is). His other interests include performing with his poetry-band, reading super out there books, and arguing philosophy with his dog.

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10 Low Budget Slasher Horror Movies That Are Better Than Blockbusters (& Where To Stream Them) - Screen Rant

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero