Welcome to Café Crashdown, your haunted hideaway for all things eerie, cinematic, and just a little bit cursed. I’m Kayla—curator of the uncanny—and today, we’re venturing deep into one of horror’s most quietly chilling corners: folk horror.
You’ve probably felt it before—watching a film where the forest seems too still, the village a little too welcoming, and the people a bit too obsessed with rituals you’re not supposed to ask about. That, my friend, is the uncanny grip of folk horror.
It’s not about jump scares or gore (though there can be plenty of both). Folk horror whispers. It unsettles. It reminds us that, for all our tech and modernity, we’re never really far from the old ways… and that some places never moved on at all.
Let’s pull back the veil on this haunting subgenre—where it came from, why it still haunts us—and then I’ll share five underrated folk horror films that absolutely deserve a spot on your watchlist.
What Is Folk Horror—and Why Does It Get Under Our Skin?
At its core, folk horror is about forgotten truths—rituals, beliefs, and traditions that time tried to bury. But folklore has roots that run deep.
These stories come from before the age of reason. Back when every shadow had a spirit, every illness had a curse, and every forest might house something watching you back.
Folk horror taps into three primal fears:
Isolation – Small, insular communities where outsiders are barely tolerated.
Tradition – Rituals that are never questioned, only followed.
Nature as a Force – The land isn’t just a setting… it’s alive, ancient, and maybe even malevolent.
It’s less about monsters and more about belief—what happens when a community clings so tightly to the old ways that they become a horror story themselves.
The Unholy Trinity: The Films That Defined the Genre
Before we dive into the underrated gems, let’s raise a chalice to the sacred trio of folk horror—the “Unholy Trinity” that carved this genre into our nightmares:
Witchfinder General (1968)
A brutal look at religious hysteria during the English Civil War. There’s no supernatural force here—just cruelty, control, and the terrifying reality of power unchecked.The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971)
A village is slowly consumed by a creeping darkness that may be demonic… or just the collective madness of its own people. Either way, it doesn’t end well.The Wicker Man (1973)
A devout Christian policeman travels to a remote Scottish island to investigate a missing child—and finds himself face-to-face with pagan rituals, eerie smiles, and one hell of a fire.
These films laid the groundwork for everything that followed: fear rooted in the land, the power of belief, and that creeping sense that you shouldn’t be here.
5 Underrated Folk Horror Films You Need to See
You’ve heard of The Wicker Man. You’ve probably seen Midsommar. But let’s talk about the hidden gems—those beautifully bleak folk horror films that haven’t gotten the love they deserve.
1. Eyes of Fire (1983)
Set in colonial America, Eyes of Fire follows a group of religious exiles as they flee into a mysterious forest. But the wilderness they enter? It’s already claimed—by spirits, sins, and something much older than them.
🔮 Why it haunts:
Blending Native American folklore with early American paranoia, this film captures the terrifying uncertainty of untamed land—and the ghosts it may hold.
👻 Why it’s underrated:
Lost for decades and overshadowed by flashier ’80s horror, this is a must-watch for fans of The Witch and The Blair Witch Project.
2. The Borderlands (2013)
A team of Vatican investigators is sent to a remote English church to verify a supposed miracle. What they uncover is a descent into something ancient, pagan, and deeply wrong.
📹 Why it haunts:
Found-footage meets folk horror in the best way. It’s tense, claustrophobic, and ends with one of the most shocking finales in the genre.
🕳️ Why it’s underrated:
It got lost in the found-footage boom of the 2010s—but this one? This one sticks with you.
3. Apostle (2018)
This blood-soaked folk horror gem follows a man trying to rescue his sister from a remote cult—but what he finds is far more than just religious zealotry. Something ancient and hungry is being worshiped.
🩸 Why it haunts:
It’s The Wicker Man, but more violent. It doesn’t just hint at sacrifice—it shows it, in all its gory detail.
🔥 Why it’s underrated:
Directed by Gareth Evans (The Raid), it slipped under the radar despite being one of the most intense folk horror films in years.
4. November (2017)
A visually stunning Estonian film that blends folklore, dark magic, and doomed romance in a surreal black-and-white dream. It’s a folk tale you can’t quite wake up from.
🕯️ Why it haunts:
Spirit-stealing rituals, living scarecrows (yes, really), and a land where superstition rules. It’s haunting, hypnotic, and wholly unique.
💫 Why it’s underrated:
It’s one of the most original folk horror entries out there—but most horror fans have never even heard of it.
5. The Wind (2018)
Set on the lonely American frontier, this slow-burn thriller follows Lizzy, a pioneer wife whose isolation on the plains turns into a waking nightmare.
🌬️ Why it haunts:
Instead of dense forests, we get emptiness—miles of open land, wind that never stops, and the creeping sense that something might be out there… or already inside.
🪦 Why it’s underrated:
Quiet, psychological, and devastating, The Wind proves you don’t need a cult to feel like the world is closing in.
Why Folk Horror Still Matters
Folk horror endures because it feels real. It’s not about zombies or slashers—it’s about the old stories we still whisper, the traditions we’re too afraid to break, and the feeling that the land remembers everything.
Whether it’s a misty village, an ancient tree, or a ritual you’re not meant to see, folk horror asks us to consider this:
What if the past isn’t dead? What if it’s still here… waiting?
Got a favorite folk horror film that deserves more love? Let’s keep the conversation going—share your picks in the comments or tag me on Instagram or TikTok @CafeCrashdown.
And remember, witches and wanderers:
Never break the circle. Never ignore the warnings. And whatever you do… don’t go into the woods alone.
