Travel Europe in 10 iconic horror movies
As Halloween quickly approaches, there are no excuses not to be cramming in as many horror movies as possible. Whether you are a fan of gory, blood-soaked slashers or supernatural hauntings, the good thing about the horror genre is that there is something for everyone.
While some of the most well-known horror movies have emerged from the United States, such as Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and, more recently, Hereditary and Get Out, the horror genre has particularly thrived in Europe.
From erotic vampire flicks like Daughters of Darkness to Nordic folk horrors like The White Reindeer, inspired by centuries of mythology, some of the most compelling – and frankly terrifying – horror movies have been made in Europe over the past few decades.
This list will take you on a mini-journey across ten European countries, spotlighting some of the most iconic or underrated horror movies from each, including Let The Right One In, The Wicker Man and Raw. Discover the full list below.
Go through Europe in 10 horror movies:
Belgium – Daughters of Darkness (Harry Kümel, 1971)
The 1960s and ’70s gave us many erotic vampire movies, particularly by directors such as Jean Rollin and Jesús Franco. Yet, arguably, the best entry to the genre is Daughters of Darkness, a Belgian horror directed by Harry Kümel. The movie follows a couple travelling through Europe after their recent wedding. They encounter the seductive Countess Elizabeth Báthory in Belgium, played by French icon Delphine Seyrig.
Soon, the couple are transfixed under her spell, and the film is open in its depiction of sexuality and violence. Kümel weaves sumptuously stylish imagery with a compelling examination of desire and personal identity.
Finland – The White Reindeer (Erik Blomberg, 1952)
For our Finnish pick, we’re going all the way back to 1952 with The White Reindeer by Erik Blomberg. The movie was made before the dawn of gory, explicit horror; instead, it harnesses a much more haunting feel with its powerful black-and-white cinematography, which perfectly captures vast landscapes of thick snow.
Acting as a key entry to the folk horror canon, The White Reindeer blends horror with fantasy, which led it to win the ‘Best Fairy Tale Film’ at the Cannes Film Festival. Finnish mythology is used as the ideal source material to create a compelling tale of longing and spirituality.
France – Raw (Julia Ducournau, 2016)
A contemporary pick, Julia Ducournau’s Raw is one of the most astonishing horror movies of the 21st century. Blurring the boundaries of body horror and coming-of-age, the French film follows a young girl as she begins veterinarian school, only to discover that, despite being raised vegetarian, she possesses a cannibalistic urge. Uncompromising in its graphic depiction of the protagonist’s flesh-hungry desires, Raw is a ruthless film.
Ducournau followed Raw with the equally harrowing body horror Titane in 2021. While France has released some iconic horror movies, like Eyes Without A Face, Ducournau has helped to revitalise the genre in the modern age, blending gruesome gore with nuanced exploration of gender.
Germany – Possession (Andrzej Żuławski, 1981)
If you’re searching for a terrifying divorce-themed horror movie, look no further than Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession, released in 1981. The film is no Marriage Story – the director places the audience amid pure chaos, which quickly turns violent and unhinged, resulting in self-harm, breakdowns, murder and suicide. Not for the faint of heart, Possession weaves psychological horror with an element of the fantastical due to the inclusion of a bizarre, monstrous creature.
Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill give the performances of their careers as Anna and Mark – bickering, screaming, and committing acts of sheer horror at every turn. Adjani’s subway miscarriage scene will never leave your head, nor will the couple’s brutal ending.
Ireland – You Are Not My Mother (Kate Dolan, 2021)
You Are Not My Mother by Irish filmmaker Kate Dolan, whose feature debut was released in 2021, stands as the most recent entry on this list. The movie depicts the family tensions that emerge when protagonist Char finds her mother’s personality completely changed after she disappears for a few days. As an essential entry to the burgeoning wave of Irish horror cinema that has emerged over the past few years, You Are Not My Mother takes inspiration from classic Irish folklore.
Dolan’s movie explores family, femininity, identity, and secrets through a horror template. Tense, claustrophobic and unsetting, I Am Not Your Mother features brilliant performances that elevate the film’s creepiness to new levels.
Italy – Blood and Black Lace (Mario Bava, 1964)
Italy was a central hub for horror in the ’60s and ’70s, thanks to directors such as Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento. The former was responsible for creating the first giallo, The Girl Who Knew Too Much, a genre which blends slasher, murder mystery and exploitation, often using brightly-coloured visuals. However, one of his most striking films is Blood and Black Lace, released in 1964.
The giallo movie follows a string of murders by a mysterious masked man at a Roman fashion house. As models are murdered one by one, we discover that the killer is searching for a secret diary revealing personal information about the characters. Highly stylised, with beautiful neon hues and a memorable, sophisticatedly unnerving opening sequence, Blood and Black Lace is quintessential Italian horror.
Poland – Mother Joan of the Angels (Jerzy Kawalerowicz, 1961)
Who doesn’t love a nun-themed horror movie? Long before The Nun, many European filmmakers were setting their spooky tales in convents, using religious imagery and tales as a basis for their films. Polish director Jerzy Kawalerowicz won the ‘Special Jury Prize’ at the Cannes Film Festival for Mother Joan of the Angels in 1961, depicting the possession of several Polish nuns.
Loosely based on the demonic possessions which occurred in Loudun, France, the film is an evocative tale of sexuality, hysteria and religion, shot in stunning black-and-white. The film also significantly impacted Martin Scorsese, who hailed it a masterpiece of Polish cinema.
Spain – REC ( Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza, 2007)
The found footage trope became popular through its use in films such as Cannibal Holocaust and The Blair Witch Project, and it remains one of the most terrifying ways to captivate an audience. In 2007, Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza released REC, which follows the reporter Ángela Vidal as she and her camera crew investigate an increasingly disturbing set of events.
The movie feels grimy, horrifying, realistic, and with enough jump scares to keep you on the edge of your seat for the entire runtime. REC is arguably the scariest Spanish horror movie out there, so watch at your own risk.
Sweden – Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson, 2008)
Based on the book of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let The Right One In is one of the most chilling horror movies to emerge from Sweden. It focuses on the strange friendship between 12-year-old Oskar and the child he meets near his house who only appears at night. Moving between scenes of brutality and tenderness, Alfredson’s nuanced flick is an essential European horror gem.
Often heralded as a favourite horror pick by directors from Sofia Coppola to Edgar Wright and Jordan Peele, Let The Right One In is a fantastic piece of cinema blends romance with vampiric horror.
United Kingdom – The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973)
British horror has always occupied an odd space in cinema history. In the 1950s, horror movies were predominantly made by Hammer Studios, which weren’t always taken seriously by critics. Yet, the next few decades gave way to some stone-cold classics, from 1960’s Peeping Tom to 1961’s The Innocents.
However, perhaps the most iconic British horror movie remains The Wicker Man, directed by Robin Hardy. Released in 1973, the film is a classic work of folk horror set on the Scottish island of Summerisle. In search of a missing girl, the religious Sergeant Neil Howie finds himself drawn into a terrifying spiral of events at the hands of the island’s citizens. Complete with an unsettling score and beautiful pastoral imagery, The Wicker Man will make you think twice about taking a quaint walk in the countryside.
