10 Great Horror Films That Slipped Under the Radar | CBR – CBR – Comic Book Resources

These hidden gems are perfect for any horror fans looking for something new.

While horror films have been killing it in recent years, sometimes being a horror fanis disappointing, with releases far and few between. With the genre succeeding with many large studio productions, horror fans may also want to find something unique and less expected. Hollywood horror doesn't alwaysdeliver on serious scares, meaning fans often need to dig deeper to find a horror film they haven't seen yet, and the ones below are some of the best, underrated horror films out there.

The Poughkeepsie Tapesis a doozy and not for the faint of heart. For years it was almost impossible to watch this film sinceit was deemed too disturbing and realistic for mainstream audiences. This found-footagemoviefollows the FBI during their discovery of hundreds of tapes made by a serial killer during his decades-long killing spree. The footage is highly disturbing, chronicling his kidnapping of victims and their subsequent physical and psychological torture. One of the controversies of the film was that the footage appeared to be real, which is the main reason thismoviecan be so upsetting.

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This Australian documentary-style film is the definition of a slow-burn, but the overall creepiness certainly makes it worth watching. After a young girl drowns on a school trip, paranormal activity begins in her grieving family's home. This psychological horror accurately depicts the grieving process and the collective effects it can have on a family.Lake Mungo has a number of layers that make it a great film, including the strange circumstances that surround the young girl's death, how grief can make someone more perceptive of supernatural activity and the general creepiness of the events around the family.

TheSpanish filmAtrociousdefies the stereotypesof thefound footage sub-genre. A pair of siblings decide to investigate theurban legends local to their family's vacation home, but they soon discover a dark secret that may have been better left undiscovered.Atrociousis subtlety terrifying withitsever-growing tension, which is a great feat since part of the ending of the film is revealed in the first sequence. The overall ending is disturbing, as is the understated use of violence and gore.

Christmas-themed horror is a largely unexplored sub-genre, save for a few staples likeBlack Christmas orKrampus.Better Watch Out sets a home-invasion horror against the backdrop of the holiday season, which makes the film more unsettling. The writing is smart, the scares are unexpected andthe cast is stellarfor such an under-the-radar film. Patrick Warburton, Virginia Madsen, a pre-Stranger Things Dacre Montgomery and the brother/sister duo fromThe Visit- Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould - truly stand out.

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Tusk definitely delivers on absurdity for fans of bizarre horror.Kevin Smith'scomedic take on body horrorfollows a podcaster on the hunt for an exceptional story to feature on his show. Instead, what he finds is a deranged man looking for a subject for ahighly disturbing experiment.Tusk is the perfect combination of witty jokes, a solidly strange plot and unsettling vibes. The cast is also excellent, including Justin Long, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Parks, Genesis Rodriguez and Lily-Rose Depp.

This British/Australian film is criminally underrated and under-seen. What begins as a seemingly normal weekend boat trip between friends ultimately devolves into violent, mind-bending terror.Triangle combines sci-fi elements with its horror backdrop, and without giving too much away, it comes together perfectly in the end with a surprisingly poignant conclusion.This is by no means a passive viewing experience, as the viewer will need to pay close attention for the movie to make sense at the end. It's intentionally confusing but worth the effort.

Arthouse horror tends to be written off as pretentious and convoluted, and this two and a half hour long Lars Von Trier effort does fall into both categories. However, it's also highly disturbing, beautifully shot and an overall well made film that deserves to be seen. The film chronicles five "incidents" in the life of serial killer Jack, each contributing to his ultimate fate. The structure of the movie is unconventional, narrated through a conversation between Jack and the mysterious Virgil. The film is a retelling of The Divine Comedy, and while it drags on, it's a must-see for any horror lover.

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This hidden gem is another that manages to make the found-footage format work.Hell House LLC tells the story of a group of friends who transform an abandoned hotel into a Halloween haunted house experience, but it is told retrospectively after the first sequence reveals a terrible accident on opening night. The acting can be a bit cheesy at times, but once the viewer looks past this, they are rewarded with a surprisingly spooky and entertaining film.

Indie horror director Ti West is behind this 80s set entry. The filmmaking is one of the most notable aspects ofThe House of the Devil, since it looks like it was actually made in the 1980s, and, despite an appearance by Greta Gerwig, a viewer could actually be fooled by this. The film follows a young girl looking to earn money for a deposit on an apartment, and she reluctantly takes a shady babysitting gig in an old, creepy house. This sounds like a setup for a predictable horror movie, but it'sability todefy expectations makes the film great.

Another Ti West film,The Innkeepersis a slow burn with a big payoff.The film follows two employees at a small, local inn during its final weekendof operation. Both employees are amateur ghost hunters and take advantage of the mostly empty hotel in order to investigate the inn's famous urban legend, but the inn's final guests prove to be scary enough for them.The Innkeepers has an unconventional ending, and it is filled with disturbing imagery.

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Alex is a Toronto-based writer/professional nerd. She has a degree in Cinema Studies from the University of Toronto, and has seen just about every horror movie ever made. Alex is obsessed with all things DC, The Simpsons, Legend of Zelda and the Fallout series, to name a few. If she isn't busy re-playing Breath of the Wild, she can be found writing YA novels in her spare time.Follow @HeyAlexPayne on Twitter and Instagram

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10 Great Horror Films That Slipped Under the Radar | CBR - CBR - Comic Book Resources