It’s that time of year again, Halloween, where my adoration of horror media feels more rewarded than normal. I’m expecting that a lot of people will be taking the opportunity to check out a wide variety of horror films during this day and I thought it would be interesting to share some examples of horror films that I consider to be underrated and would strongly recommend that people check out.
When I think of underrated horror films that people should check out, my first thought is a film that I watched pretty recently, American Mary. I didn’t know anything about the film before watching, which is what I usually prefer, and I was shocked with how much I adored the film. The main character, the titular Mary, is a medical student and is wonderfully portrayed by Katharine Isabelle who is charming, believable and very likable as she discovers her talent in extreme body modification. I will admit that the film isn’t perfect since the conclusion of the film is sudden and feels rushed but I loved the rest of the film so much that it still stands as one of the best horror films I’ve seen in recent years.
I’m a big fan of New French Extremity films and, if you’re into horror that is artistic, transgressive and highly violent, you’ll love these movies. Within this new wave of French horror, you typically see films such as Martyrs, Inside and Irréversible listed as the very best that the New French Extremity has to offer. While these films deserve the praise that they receive, I feel that the best New French Extremity film that I’ve personally seen is often overlooked. Titled “Dans Ma Peau”, translated as “In My Skin” in English, we watch as a woman, who seemingly has a great life, discovers self-mutilation and ends up becoming addicted to it. It’s a truly fascinating watch as we see how self-destructive she becomes not only to herself but to her life in general. It’s a truly powerful film and it’s one that I fully encourage fans of horror and New French Extremity to check out.
The next film is one that I’ve noticed is quite contentious when it comes to its genre. I’ve seen it listed as horror but I’ve also seen it listed as action, thriller, crime etc. Regardless, I’ve always considered it to be a horror film so I will include it here. I Saw the Devil is a Korean film that has us follow a rogue member of the National Intelligence Service as he works outside the law to inflict suffering and agonising pain on the serial killer who murdered the NIS member’s fiancée. The cat and mouse chase between the agent and the killer is thrilling to watch and the savagery shown by the NIS member even makes us wonder if this killer, who is a reprehensible person, deserves to have this done to him. It’s an outstanding work and one that I strongly recommend to those that can handle the content.
The last film I’d like to discuss is one that I’m sure will be debated on whether it’s truly underrated. The Hellraiser franchise is pretty well-known and has recently released its eleventh film. However, while the original Hellraiser is often lauded as a horror classic, I feel that its sequel, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, is underappreciated and deserves greater recognition. The film follows Kirsty as she is confined to a psychiatric hospital due to the events of the previous film. I consider Hellbound to be a near perfect sequel to the original film that continues to show the depraved nature of humanity while also containing some stunning imagery that will bury itself deep into your mind. I adore the first two Hellraiser films and I fully recommend that you check out the second film once you’ve seen the first.
Hopefully you’ve discovered at least one film that interests you as you’ve read this article and I’d love to know which of these films you’ve seen, whether you liked them or disliked them, any other horror films that you’d consider to be underrated and would recommend people to check out and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!