This installment of The Girls Guide to Horror focuses on exceptional films from around the world that appeal to a younger female audience.
We started by looking at teenage terrors and then moved to foundational horror classics. For part 3 of the “Girls Guide to Horror”, we’re recommending some essential foreign frights that put one or more women front and center.
1. Let the Right One In (2008) - dir. Thomas Alfredson (Sweden)
Let the Right One In toes the line between dreamy fairytale and horror masterpiece.
As the world of horror knows, Sweden doesn’t mess around. After all, it is the country that spawned the entire Skarsgard clan. Let the Right One In is a vampire film and a love story all at once. There’s something delicate about the romance between Oskar and Eli. Lush and hypnotic, this film will suck you into its world and you won’t want to leave.
There is an American remake simply titled Let Me In, and it’s fine, but the original in this case is still far superior.
2. Revenge (2017) - dir. Coralie Fargeat (France)
French horror is not for the faint of heart, and Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge continues the time-honored traditions of French extremity.
This film is one of the most subversive takes on the rape-revenge horror subgenre, so it is appropriate to approach this entry with the utmost caution. It is a nauseating and brutal film, but under Fargeat’s deft direction it becomes a piece of art and a necessary commentary.
This would make a great double feature with Julia Ducournau’s Raw, which is equally unsettling and a brilliantly unique take on family rivalries and cannibalism all in one.
3. Veronica (2017) - dir. Paco Plaza (Spain)
Veronica takes inspiration from real-life events to tell a thoroughly creepy story of adolescent Ouija board use and demonic possession.
It’s movies like this and The Exorcist that make me, an adult woman with two college degrees and a car payment, terrified to even look at a Ouija board. It’s a tried-and-true horror trope and it will never not at least be a little scary. Being a teenage girl is difficult enough, but when you mix in Veronica basically being a second mother to her siblings and the threat of the supernatural, it all becomes a horrifying mix of dread.
Spanish horror is fairly renowned for being affecting and engrossing. The Orphanage is another excellent Spanish film to watch after taking in the fright fest that is Veronica.
4. The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) - dir. Colm McCarthy (Britain)
The UK is no stranger to zombie films thanks to 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead.
The Girl with All the Gifts is one of the more woefully overlooked members of the British zombie film canon. If you have a soft spot for films that feature more dystopian and post-apocalyptic visions of the world, then The Girl With All the Gifts is definitely a film for you. British horror is an extremely vast and varied tradition itself.
If you enjoy The Girl With All the Gifts, British frights such as His House, Saint Maude, and The Power make great modern British horror offerings to explore.
5. The Devil’s Doorway (2018) - dir. Aislinn Clarke (Ireland)
Aislinn Clarke knows how to make one hell of a found footage horror movie, and she uses dark parts of Ireland’s history to do it, too.
The film’s basis in real life makes it all the eerier for the viewer. Pair that eeriness with Clarke’s eye for striking imagery and you have yourself an underrated gem. The Devil’s Doorway tempers prescient issues with terror. It’s a heady concoction but it will leave you wanting more from Clarke.
Irish horror gets left out more often than not when discussing UK-based horror productions, but Ireland has churned out quite a few masterful horror films, including Liam Gavin’s sublime exploration of grief A Dark Song.
6. The Loved Ones (2009) - dir. Sean Byrne (Australia)
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" is the basis of The Loved Ones.
Sean Byrne proves that maybe the animals aren’t the only dangerous creatures in Australia. This film is not for the faint of heart, but it unequivocally boasts one of the most diabolically fun villains in all of horror: Lola Stone. It’s not your average teen horror film, it’s a marriage of teen angst and gut-wrenching bloody torture. Familiar Aussie faces Xavier Samuel and Robin McLeavy star.
If you have a taste for horror from down under, you’re in luck. Australia proudly boasts some of the most interesting horror voices including Jennifer Kent, Yolanda Ramke, Ben Howling, and Greg McLean. However, if you happen to love sharks and Xavier Samuel, you might want to look into the absolutely bonkers film Bait that also stars You’re Next’s Sharni Vinson.
7. Blood Quantum (2019) - dir. Jeff Barnaby (Canada)
It’s far too often that indigenous peoples are sadly left out of creative conversations, and that includes horror.
Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum seeks to rectify that by creating an indigenous take on the zombie film. Barnaby’s unique perspective drives the film’s narrative and creates an experience that creates an affecting and important allegory. The film is a testament to the creative prowess of indigenous creatives and why horror should actively seek to make a space for them and their works.
The film is anchored by an emotional tale and deft performances, particularly from young Forrest Goodluck, who is definitely making his mark on the acting world in a beautiful way.
Those who like Blood Quantum and are interested in looking into other indigenous voices in horror should check out the works of author Stephen Graham Jones.
8. Train to Busan (2016) - dir. Yeon Sang-ho (South Korea)
South Korea is known for creating some great and innovative horror.
The zombie genre always runs the risk of being stale because of how oversaturated the subgenre has become, but that’s not a bad thing because it pushes creatives to take zombies to new and exciting territories. Train to Busan, not unlike The Girl with All the Gifts and Blood Quantum, is one of the most memorable zombie flicks in recent years. Its emotional core and unrelenting pacing leave the viewer breathless and in tears.
If you find yourself drawn to South Korean horror fare, the works of Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook are great places to branch out after watching Train to Busan.
9. Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017) - dir. Issa Lopez (Mexico)
Tigers Are Not Afraid is nothing short of beautiful despite being one of the most profoundly devastating horror movies out there.
Issa Lopez makes her mark on cinema with this feature debut in a monumental way. She takes real-life issues and melds them with the literary tradition of magical realism to create a film that brings attention to the children that are orphaned by the Mexican Drug War. The film is a stellar example of the pure excellence of Mexican cinema, as well as horror.
This is a movie that fans of Guillermo del Toro should check out.
If you find that Mexican cinema and magical realism are something you are interested in, you might want to watch Like Water for Chocolate. While Like Water for Chocolate is not a horror film, it does have some haunting imagery.
I believe that watching foreign horror is an integral part of learning about other cultures, as well as how they approach horror. It’s nice to get out of your bubble for a bit and learn how horror is done around the world; after all, fear is universal, and screams transcend all language barriers.
I hope this frightful mix of well-known favorites and some underrated gems will help get you started on your terrifying trip abroad.
Don’t see your favorite foreign horror mentioned? There’s a good chance it might be mentioned in the next list because we’ll be focusing on gothic goodness in the next installment.
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