Scary Folklore Creatures from Around the World
Goatman (American Folklore) La Llorona (Mexican Folklore) Black Annis (English Folklore) Kuchisake-Onna (Japanese Folklore) Mngwa (African Folklore) Ghouls (Arab Folklore) and Gulyabani (Turkish Folklore) Yara-ma-yha-who (Australian Mythology) Every culture has its monsters. From the shadowy forests of England to the riverbanks of Mexico, from the mountains of Japan to the outback of Australia, terrifying creatures lurk in folklore around the world. Some of these beings are so feared that people refuse to speak their names aloud, referring to them only through whispers and euphemisms. These aren’t just bedtime stories meant to scare children, they’re deeply rooted cultural phenomena that reflect our universal fears and the darkness we sense lurking…
The Complete Guide to Horror Film Subgenres
Table of Contents Slasher Films Supernatural Horror Films Psychological Horror Films The Elevated Horror Issue Folk Horror Films Cosmic Horror Films Body Horror Films Zombie Horror Films Vampire Horror Films Werewolf Horror Films Monster Horror Films Sci-Fi Horror Films Animal Horror Films Animated Horror Films Horror films have always held a special place in the cinema world with their limited but passionate audience. Although they’re often not considered worthy of major awards and are evaluated as niche productions appealing only to a specific audience, they’ve actually managed to produce works that hold important places in cinema history, like Nosferatu, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th. In my…
Monsters and Creatures in Horror Films
Vampires Zombies Werewolves Ghosts Mummies Aliens Giant Monsters (Kaiju) Clowns Satan, Demons, and Djinn We’re all familiar with certain motifs and elements that appear frequently in horror cinema. Among these recurring figures are the creatures and monsters that sit at the heart of countless films. Before diving into the monsters we encounter in horror movies, let me clarify how I’m defining “monster” for this piece. The “monster” concept I’m working with here refers to creatures that either don’t exist in the real world, or if they do exist in some form, are portrayed in films in drastically different ways from their real-life counterparts—largely as malevolent beings. Many of these…
Sci-Fi Horror Films: When Science Fiction Meets Terror
Is sci-fi horror a subgenre of horror, or a subgenre of science fiction? Or perhaps neither, maybe it’s a hybrid genre that stands on its own? I say we take the third option and move on without hurting anyone’s feelings. Also, the Turkish podcast “Gerisi Hikaye” coined the perfect term for this: “Science-Horror” (Bilim-Korku), and I absolutely love it. This genre has a massive fanbase, so I thought, why not put together a list? Event Horizon (1997) Alien Series The Thing (1982) Pitch Black (2000) Phantoms (1998) The Faculty (1998) Village of the Damned (1995) Jason X (2001) Invaders from Mars (1986) Pandorum (2009) Moon (2009) eXistenZ (1999) Sputnik…
Horror Movies for Kids: Age-Appropriate Thrills and Chills
Coraline (2009) ParaNorman (2012) Monster House (2006) The Witches (1990) Goosebumps (2015) Frankenweenie (2012) Casper (1995) An article titled “horror movies for kids” might strike some people as strange. After all, we’ve long been told that horror films can negatively affect children’s psychology, and many horror movies are released with not just a PG-13 rating, but an R rating. However, there are actually quite a few horror films specifically designed with young audiences in mind. When carefully selected and matched to appropriate age groups, horror movies can offer children suspenseful yet not overly frightening stories that provide genuinely enjoyable experiences. At Korku101.com, we’ve compiled a list of the most…
Best Spanish Horror-Thriller Movies
Table of Contents [Rec] (2007) The Orphanage (2007) The Devil’s Backbone (2001) Sleep Tight (2011) Julia’s Eyes (2010) Verónica (2017) Kidnapped (2010) The Nameless (1999) Shrew’s Nest (2014) In a Glass Cage (1986) The Night of the Virgin (2016) Cross the Line (2020) The Baby’s Room (2006) [Rec] 2 (2009) Witching and Bitching (2013) The Skin I Live In (2011) Darkness (2002) If we were to match thriller cinema with a single country, Spanish cinema would undoubtedly claim the top spot. Spain has delivered remarkable work in the horror genre alongside films with surprise endings, mind-bending plots, and jaw-dropping twists, particularly in recent years. I emphasized “recent years” because this…
Award-Winning Horror Movies from the Academy Awards to Cannes
Academy Awards (Oscars) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Get Out (2017) Rosemary’s Baby (1968) Black Swan (2010) Cannes Film Festival The Birds (1963) Antichrist (2009) BAFTA Awards Black Swan (2010) The Others (2001) Golden Globe Awards Get Out (2017) The Sixth Sense (1999) Venice Film Festival Don’t Look Now (1973) Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) Repulsion (1965) César Awards The Others (2001) Goya Awards The Orphanage (2007) Sundance Film Festival The Blair Witch Project (1999) Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) The Fly (1986) Horror movies and award ceremonies have a troubled relationship. Horror fans know this all too well. Whenever the topic comes up, we don’t hesitate to…
Horror Films about Clowns
It (1990-2017-2019) Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) Terrifier 1-2 (2016-2022) Clown (2014) The Clown at Midnight (1998) House of 1000 Corpses (2003) Coulrophobia means fear of clowns. The word “coulro” apparently comes from a Greek word meaning stilt-walker. The first thing that came to my mind was those tall people walking on long wooden stilts at fairs. When I think “tall man,” I’m not scared, but it did kind of kill my vibe. Joking aside, I’ve met people who genuinely suffer from clown phobia. Whether you have the phobia or not, clowns feel unsettling to pretty much all of us. Given that, clowns are indispensable villains in horror…
Banned Horror Films: The Stories Behind the Screens
Faces of Death (1978) Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) Cannibal Holocaust (1980) The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972) The Last House on the Left (1972) The Devils (1971) Freaks (1932) Grotesque (2009) Cinema has a history filled with sensations and controversies. Banned films occupy a particularly prominent place in that history. Banned horror films, by challenging societal norms and pushing boundaries, have typically sparked major debates. Some disturb authorities, while others create unearned controversy just to grab attention. Some test the limits of art, while others have been needlessly censored. Either way, these films that ran afoul of censorship have often become more talked about and sought after than…
Best Horror Movies about Group of friends
Best Horror Movies about Group of Friends Host (2020) The Descent (2006) Dreamcatcher (2003) The Ritual (2017) Coherence (2012) Midsommar (2019) The Ruins (2008) Død snø (2009) Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) Üç Harfliler: Beddua (2018) It Follows (2014) It (2017) Kill Theory (2009) Night of the Demons (1988) “But friends are good…” That is an unforgettable line from the Turkish cult classic Tabutta Rövaşata (Somersault in a Coffin). I love that movie, and while it has absolutely nothing to do with this list, I figured I’d open with it since our topic is ‘friends.’ Specifically: Horror movies featuring friend groups. Naturally, when you think of this trope, Slasher movies are…
