Fear is an emotion that can be elicited and dealt with differently from culture to culture. However, the best horror movies are universally scary.
In fact, many of our favorite American horror films are based on movies made in other countries, such as 2002's The Ring (based on the 1998 Japanese film Ringu), 2004's The Grudge (based on the 2002 Japanese film Ju-On: The Grudge) and 2008's Quarantine (based on the 2007 Spanish film [Rec]). While you can see for yourself whether the American remakes of beloved foreign horror films were successful, you'll find that each of them is scary in its own special way.
Oftentimes, horror movies – like many other film genres – are multicultural affairs anyhow. For instance, Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro is one of the biggest names in contemporary horror, and he alternates between Spanish-language and English-language projects, with his latest film Crimson Peak hitting theaters October 16.
So as Halloween quickly approaches and you continue to fill up your Netflix queue with the scariest movies and TV shows the streaming service has to offer, don't forget about all of the foreign horror flicks available on the platform. Sure, you may not have heard of some of these titles before, but that doesn't say anything about their quality. They're certain to terrify you just as much as your favorite American horror flicks.
Here are eight foreign horror movies currently on Netflix that will give you a fright this Halloween — no matter what language you speak.
Day Watch (2006)
Stars: Konstantin Khabenskiy, Vladimir Menshov, Mariya Poroshina
Country: Russia
Original Title: Dnevnoy Dozor
The title of this film has been translated to Day Watch in English, and that's exactly when you should watch it. That is, if you want to keep your nightmares to a minimum after witnessing the horrors of this classic good-vs.-evil tale, which is the second in a trilogy based on the best-selling sci-fi novels of Sergei Lukyanenko. The film was written and directed by Timur Bekmambetov – who also directed the 2008 American action film Wanted – so you know you're going to get some mind-blowing special effects from Day Watch as well. This movie is as much of a spectacle as it is a scarefest.
The Host (2006)
Stars: Kang-ho Song, Hie-bong Byeon, Hae-il Park
Country: South Korea
Original Title: Gwoemul
The Host is not your typical monster movie. Sure, the film centers on a giant sea creature that's gobbling people up, but what makes The Host so scary is how it uses the monster to communicate real contemporary fears about the environment and pandemics. The Host is unsettling because it makes us point our fingers not just at the monster in the movie, but also at ourselves.
Let the Right One In (2008)
Stars: Karin Bergquist, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar
Country: Sweden
Original Title: Låt den rätte komma in
If there's one movie that deserves a place on this list, it's Let the Right One In. Sure, this Swedish film is probably the most famous contemporary foreign horror movie – which also got an American remake with 2010's Let Me In – but it's for good reason. Let the Right One In is not only a chilling vampire movie full of blood, but it's also a lovely romance. You'll be shedding tears of terror and joy by the end.
Trollhunter (2010)
Stars: Otto Jespersen, Hans Morten Hansen, Tomas Alf Larsen
Country: Norway
Original Title: Trolljegeren
To be honest, the use of the mock documentary or found-footage style in horror is often annoying because it tends to look so fake. While Trollhunter's use of the mock documentary style looks no more legitimate – especially since it features a bunch of CG trolls – the movie is so whimsical and humorous, while still maintaining its creep factor, that it's not off-putting. In fact, Trollhunter is really unlike anything you've ever seen before.
Hell (2011)
Stars: Hannah Herzsprung, Stipe Erceg, Angela Winkler
Country: Germany and Switzerland
Original Title: Hell
With a title like Hell, you should be able to easily figure out that this isn't going to be a pleasant film. This 2011 film takes place in the not-so-distant future – 2016 to be exact – and like The Host, it's another cautionary environmental tale. It is indeed Hell on Earth in this movie, with the planet's rising temperature causing a group of survivors to head to the mountains — only to be ambushed by another pack of individuals you wouldn't want to cross paths with. You'll feel like you've been to hell and back after watching this movie.
Witching & Bitching (2013)
Stars: Hugo Silva, Mario Casas, Pepon Nieto
Country: Spain
Original Title: Las brujas de Zugarramurdi
The English translation of this movie title alone should make you want to drop everything and turn it on. I mean, how awesome is a name like Witching & Bitching? That, coupled with the really campy poster for this movie, should tip you off that this film will make you scream and laugh throughout. Witching & Bitching follows a group of the world's worst criminals as it ends up at the house where a coven of witches lives and is preparing to perform an ancient ritual involving sacrifice. This movie is probably more fun than frightening, but you've got to have that around Halloween, too.
The Babadook (2014)
Stars: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney
Country: Australia
Original Title: The Babadook
You may have already heard of The Babadook. The Australian horror flick made a splash when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014. But don't let the funny-sounding title of this movie fool you. The Babadook is one frightening film. In the movie, a children's book by the name of The Babadook suddenly appears in the room of a widow's young son. Then things start to get real freaky, real fast in this house with an already eerie atmosphere. The Babadook might make you think twice about revisiting that book you loved as a kid.
Housebound (2014)
Stars: Morgana O'Reilly, Rima Te Wiata, Glen-Paul Waru
Country: New Zealand
Original Title: Housebound
Housebound is another movie that will bring the terror and the laughs this Halloween season. This horror comedy from New Zealand shows that the only thing worse than living in a haunted house is not being able to leave it. That's the case with Kylie (Morgana O'Reilly), who is under house arrest in a house that turns out to be haunted. All in all, Housebound is more satirical than scary, but the premise is so innovative and intriguing that it's worth your time — whether or not you're a horror fan.
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