5 Truly Underrated Horror Movies!

Hi all!

Today I am back to share 5 truly underrated horror movies. These are some of my all time favourites, but I don’t feel they are talked about enough. I want to give them some love, in the hopes that it inspires others to check them out too. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

1.) Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark 

This film was released in 2019 and is co-written by the artistic Guillermo del Toro. It is based on the children’s book series of the same name. In 1968 Mill Valley, Pennsylvania, outcast teenager Stella Nicholls, is an aspirant writer with only two friends, Auggie Hilderbrandt and Chuck Steinberg. On Halloween night, the trio decide to play a prank on the resident bully, Tommy Milner and flee to a drive-in theater, where stranger Ramón Morales, hides and protects the teenagers. They decide to spend the night visiting the haunted house of the Bellows family, where Stella finds a book of stories from the notorious Sarah Bellows. She brings the book home and soon realises that Sarah is writing a horror story per day, with each one of them as the main character. Stella and her friends band together to stop the curse of the book, before they disappear forever. For a PG-13 horror film, I found this to be surprisingly scary. It was so beautifully shot and directed. If you’ve seen Pan’s Labyrinth, also by Guillermo del Toro, you’ll be able to appreciate the creative and quirky monsters that pop up throughout the movie. The friendships were adorable and the story unexpectedly heart-wrenching. The ending definitely suggests a sequel is in the works, which I am 100% here for. If you haven’t seen Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, I highly recommend it! It’s good for all ages.

2.) 31 

Rob Zombie’s 31 is one of my favourite horror movies. Not many people know about it and that’s a crying shame. Five carnival workers are kidnapped and held hostage in an abandoned, hellish compound, where they are forced to participate in a violent game. The goal is to survive twelve hours against a gang of sadistic clowns, named ‘The Heads.’ The leader, ‘Doom Head’, delivers an incredible monologue at the beginning of this film, that made me instantly give it 5/5 stars. As the victims navigate the maze-like set of rooms, there are people dressed in aristocratic clothing and powdered wigs, who watch and place bets on who they believe will live. I won’t give away the ending, but it’s epic. Be warned, this is quite a gory, intense viewing experience. It’s not for the faint of heart. However, if you love game-style scenarios like myself, you should enjoy this one. It’s so underrated!

3.) Cam

This 2018 psychological horror film is the best thing I’ve seen this year (aside from Squid Game). If you’re a fan of Black Mirror, you’ll enjoy it too. It follows an erotic webcam performer, who one day finds her followers stolen by a doppelganger, as they unexpectedly hijack her channel. She does everything within her power to reclaim her identity and take down the lookalike. This movie is intense. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning till end, desperate to learn what was happening. Furthermore, this story was written by a fellow cam-girl. She wanted to share the fun, enjoyable sides to her profession. Typically, this sort of work is viewed as shameful, disgusting and just a means to an end, but it was nice to see how empowering it was for the protagonist: Alice Ackerman. She loves what she does and it shows. We need more sex positive stories like this. I love the ending and the slow burn to the big reveal. It’s strange but brilliant. If you only watch one thing from this list, let it be Cam. 

4.) 1408

An oldie but a goodie, Stephen King’s 1408, was adapted for the big screen in 2007. It follows an author, named Mike Enslin (played by John Cusack), who investigates allegedly haunted locations. While writing his latest book, he travels from Los Angeles to New York, to spend one night in the Dolphin Hotel’s possessed room, which is permanently unavailable for guests. The reluctant manager, Mr. Gerald Olin (played by Samuel L. Jackson), objects to his request and offers an upgrade. However, Mike threatens Mr. Olin and is finally allowed to check in. Later in the night, he finds that guests of 1408 never leave the room alive. I remember seeing this at the cinema when it came out and was scared out of my mind. When Olin tells Mike that no one lasted an hour, I knew it was going to be a full-on experience. This movie really messes with your head. You don’t know what’s real and what isn’t. It has quite a sad story, interwoven with all the horror and Cusack’s acting is phenomenal. I wish more people talked about it.

5.) Escape Room

As I mentioned earlier, I love game-style movies. Therefore, this was right up my alley. Six strangers are given mysterious black boxes with tickets to an immersive escape room, for a chance to win tons of money. When they arrive, the participants are thrust into different scenarios, solving puzzles and clues to find a way out. However, the group soon realises that the rooms are deadly and they must fight to survive, before it’s game over. This was so much fun. I really liked how inventive the areas were. I couldn’t wait to see what would come next. The ending paves the way for the 2021 sequel, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. I enjoyed this one as well, but not as much the first film. I hope it becomes a franchise. Check it out, if you haven’t already!

Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you think of my list. Feel free to share your favourite underrated horror movies in the comments! 

Peace & Love xoxo