Content Note: The recommended films below contain various visuals or themes that may be upsetting to some viewers. For most horror movies you can expect some level of blood, guts, and death. Sometimes other elements may be in horror stories that hit a bit differently than a scare jump. We recommend the site Does The Dog Die to check content notes for films. If you hate jumpscares and want a head’s up on timestamps for when they occur we’ve got a recommendation for that too! Check out Where’s the Jump?
It’s officially spooky season, and as horror lovers here at OBSCURAE we want to help you kick off the best season of the year with some of our horror film recs! We’ve compiled a list of underrated classic and current films that are must-watches for any horror fan. Your official Scare Syllabus is ready. We hope you enjoy these spooky cinematic treats!
Wanji Recommends:
Underrated Classic: Event Horizon (1997)
If there ever was a horror film that terrified me, it’s Event Horizon. It follows a rescue crew tasked with bringing home a spaceship previously thought lost as they gradually uncover the truth behind its mysterious disappearance. Event Horizon is a slow descent into madness, with images so graphic that the original, full-length cut was never released. Sam Neill – rest in peace – delivers an all-timer performance that makes your skin crawl and will surely haunt you afterwards.
Underrated Current: Hokum (2026)
There were many great horror films released in 2026, but one that didn’t get its flowers the way it should’ve is Hokum. It revolves around a novelist, staying in a remote inn in Ireland, who learns that the folk tales of witches and spirits are more true than he believed them to be. There are scenes in this film so tense I genuinely forgot to breathe. It conveys the feeling of being trapped perfectly and doesn’t just rely on jumpscares to scare you. Furthermore, the folk-horror aspect of it doesn't feel cheap the way it often does and feels pretty well researched.
Josiah Recommends:
Underrated Classic: The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Following three student filmmakers who venture into the woods to investigate the mysterious Blair Witch legend, the film slowly descends into something far more terrifying than they could have imagined.
A story that is very well praised but simultaneously hated on, but I for one believe The Blair Witch Project deserves all the praise. Firstly, it still manages to spark conversations about what it all means 26 years after its release. Secondly, it understands one of horror’s most effective principles. The less we see, the scarier it becomes. By never showing the monster, the film lets our imagination create something far more terrifying.
Underrated Current: Barbarian (2022)
Everyone loves to talk about Zack Cregger’s Weapons (2025), but nobody seems to wanna talk about the unhinged masterpiece that laid the foundations. Barbarian stars the iconic Bill Skarsgård, best known for playing Stephen King’s Pennywise, alongside Georgina Campbell in a jaw-dropping story that constantly subverts your expectations.
When Tess arrives at her Detroit rental home, she discovers it’s been double-booked with a mysterious stranger already inside. But as she explores the house, she quickly realises there’s something far more terrifying lurking beneath the surface. Unpredictable, hilarious, disturbing, and genuinely terrifying. Barbarian is an absolute must-watch.
Anika Recommends:
Underrated Classic: The Wicker Man (1973)
Not to be confused with the 2006 version starring Nic Cage, The Wicker Man (1973) is Midsommar, before Midsommar ever Midsommar..ed. We follow a police sergeant who visits a remote Scottish isle investigating a missing person’s case, but all is not what it seems. It has all you could want in a horror film: ever present suspense and dread, cults (in more ways than one), a charismatic antagonist, a lived-in world with unsettling characters, rich and complex themes, and at one point… it even turns into a musical. This is a master class of atmospheric folk horror that you’re sure to enjoy!
Underrated Current: Bones and All (2022)
As a romance and horror lover, I was smitten with Bones and All. Visceral and disgustingly romantic, this is a Luca Guadagnino film that deserves more conversation. It follows young cannibals (Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet) as they fall in love and unpack trauma while road-tripping across America. Surprisingly, as someone who is not a Timmy Chalamet girl and struggles with body horror, I was so into this. It’s gross and devastating and confronting as much as it is delicate and beautiful and reflective. If you appreciate a good love story served alongside some gnarly horror, this one’s for you.
Frankie Recommends:
Underrated Classic: Ginger Snaps (2000)
If you’re a fan of Jennifer’s Body, might I recommend an all-time Canadian classic, Ginger Snaps (one of my top four movies on LB). Ginger Snaps is about two sisters, Ginger and B, who are obsessed with the macabre, making their own fake snuff films, and who are both late bloomers. One night during a full-moon, Ginger gets attacked by a creature in the park. The bite leads to Ginger finally getting “the curse” (in more ways than just her first period). Expect body horror, feminine rage, and some wildly feral practical effects.
Underrated Current: It’s What’s Inside (2024)
Imagine your nerdiest friend from uni shows up the night before your wedding with a tech product no one else in the world has tried yet. He attaches some weird gunk to you and your friends’ faces without explaining what’s to come. You’re sober. He flips a switch. Suddenly you’re inside someone else’s body and high out of your mind.
Get all your friends together. Turn on It’s What’s Inside. Then watch it four more times alone to pick up all the things you missed before. It’s a bloody riot.
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