Five Female-Led Folk Horror Films
Spring is Spooky, Too
The Spring Equinox is upon us, falling on Thursday, March 20 this year, and by the publication of this post, we’ll be more than halfway to Halloween! For those who feel like spooky season is just the rest of the world catching up with us, you know that Spring is also a time when the veil is thin. The newborn plants and animals feed on those of the past year, signaling the “birth” rather than the “death” of nature. You may also feel the human animal within more keenly at this time.
Enter: folk horror. Inspired by Sinead Hanna Craic’s Folk Horror Films To Watch Before You’re Sacrificed, I drew up my own list of those that have either slipped through the cracks or might not be typical of the genre. Because Spring is so fertility and birth-centric, each is led by a female characters. That is, movies which deigned to grant women complex personalities, motives, and weaknesses. Imagine!
There are no spoilers ahead, at least none that you don’t find out within the first half hour. My first draft placed The Blair Witch Project (1996) up front, but I’m delighted that Sinead also deemed it worthy of folk horror status. I’ve also included a few below that don’t quit hit the mark, but are best watches this season. If I missed a favorite or you just want to discuss the genre and its many movies, please do so in the comments!
General content warning for gore, baby death, child death, implied sexual assault, and more nastiness. It’s folk horror, after all.
The Descent (2005)
One year after losing her family to a horrific car accident, Sarah (Shauna Macdonald) joins her adventure-loving friends in an Appalachian caving expedition. Their interpersonal baggage becomes heavier as they become trapped and must work together to find a way out. If that’s not already a nightmare, add goblins. Flesh-eating goblins.
Not only is The Descent an underrated folk horror film, it’s also one of my favorite horror movies of the 21st century so far. Normally monster movies don’t shake me, yet the combination of jump scares, tension, creature design, and virtuoso camerawork create an immersive, terrifying experience. Be certain to watch the unrated, original cut, as its ending is far superior to that of the theatrical cut.
The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
Medical student Mia is creating a documentary for her PhD thesis on Alhzeimer’s disease. Despite initial protests, she and her group are permitted to film their subject, a well-to-do older lady named Deborah, as she succumbs to the disease. Mia’s project progresses and Deborah’s erratic behavior intensifies, leading the team to believe that something else might be taking over her mind.
The Taking of Deborah Logan is a low-budget, found footage sleeper that I’ve been delighted to spring on unsuspecting friends and now on you, dear readers! Like The Descent, it pairs an already distressing dramatic premise with horror. If you have experience caring for those with Alzheimer’s, consider this a red flag. Keeping with my no-spoiler vow, the rest I’ll leave to your viewing.
Image courtesy of IMDb. Men (2022)
Men puts the D in disturbing. The film follows Harper, a recent widow who travels to a grand old country house to process her grief. Though the its owner and surrounding townsfolk are mostly friendly, everything just seems a bit off. The longer Harper stays, the more entangled she becomes in the countryside and how it interacts with the past and the present.
There isn’t much I can say about this film without revealing more than should be. Written and directed by Alex Garland of Ex Machina (2014), Annihilation (2018), and Civil War (2024) fame, Men receives little attention compared to its siblings. Its cast alone is of note, led by the versatile actress Jessie Buckley and a stunning performance by Rory Kinnear. Save it for a rainy day, or night.
Image courtesy of Tales of the Paulside. Oddity (2024)
After the suspicious death of her sister, blind clairvoyant Darcy (Carolyn Bracken) searches for answers. She brings an old family heirloom to the sprawling mansion that her sister and brother-in-law bought to renovate, joining his hapless new girlfriend. The three are wrapped in the mystery, uncovering truths that might save some and destroy others.
Unsurprisingly, Ireland is producing some of the best neo folk horror films today. Oddity is more of a traditional horror movie than those on this list with jump scares, similar beats, and a woman being poo-poohed for her unconventional means of investigation. However it did surprise me more than once, and the production design is excellent. Worth a viewing.
Image courtesy of IMDb. The Devil’s Bath (2024)
In the early 18th century, the unusually devout Agnes is married to a young, established man from a nearby village. Despite her initial excitement about someday becoming a mother, the marriage’s realities soon wear her down. She becomes elusive and obsessed with the exposed corpse of a woman executed for throwing her baby into a waterfall known as “the Devil’s Bath.”
The Devil’s Bath is another drama made into horror due to its arcane traditions and supernatural implications. It painstakingly recreates Agnes’s world that has remained mostly unchanged for centuries. Gender roles are clearly defined, and God monitors every move and thought of the village. Add to that a woman trapped in a situation she can’t begin to fix, and nobody will ever be happy again.
Further Watching
The Orphanage (2007)
More of a haunted house movie than a folk horror film, El orfanato nonetheless uses its titular orphanage and its surroundings as a very present character. There are also creepy masks, a distraught woman, and a mystery to be solved. Yet by the end, there’s no question of the supernatural’s involvement.
A Dark Song (2016)
One of the most realistic aspects of A Dark Song is that it depicts just how boring, but also how dangerous, ritual magick can be. A grieving woman and a cantankerous occultist perform a wish-granting ritual. As they go deeper, the question arises whether or not they truly want what they most desired.
The Nightingale (2018)
There should be a subgenre of historical horror in which there’s no otherworldly influence, but characters do unspeakable things to one another. Few concepts are scarier than that of our own past. The Nightingale qualifies, also as a revenge thriller. Only watch if you can stomach the idea of life in colonial Australia.
The Descent is a stone cold classic and Logan is so disturbing and sad. I still need to see Men and Devil's Bath. Did you catch Talk To Me (2022)? Does that count as folk horror?