10 Best Irish Horror Movies You Need To Watch

Numerous countries around the globe have left their indelible mark on the horror landscape. The US championed the rise of the slasher, for example, while Japan’s eerie folklore gave their ghost stories a chilling sophistication that transcended borders and cultures alike. England’s Hammer Horror flicks gave Gothic horror a new, bloody look and Italy’s masters of giallo blurred the boundaries between taboo and arthouse.

One country that didn’t immediately spring to mind, however, was Ireland. While Irish filmmakers haven’t been as prolific within the genre as others, they’ve nevertheless created a handful of underappreciated gems that deserve our undivided attention.

While Irish horrors Boy Eats Girl, Shrooms, and the absolutely bonkers Battle Of The Bone are enjoyable watches for their own multitude of reasons, there are other films out there that are creepier, smarter, and funnier, and should be added to any cinephile's watch list at the earliest convenience.

Whether it’s by exploring the dark side of Irish folklore, effectively utilising the country’s rural setting, or for simply embracing that familiar Irish charm, these Irish horrors are remarkable genre outings for their own reasons.

The Devil’s Doorway is a devilish found footage film directed and co-written by Aislinn Clarke in her feature debut. The plot follows two priests (Lalor Roddy and Ciaran Flynn) sent by the Vatican to document a supposed miracle at a Magdalene Laundry (an institution for “fallen women” run by the Catholic Church) in Northern Ireland.

Once there, the pair begin to experience supernatural events. And as their investigation continues it becomes clear that this place is anything but holy.

From the moment the priests set foot in the institution, The Devil’s Doorway becomes an uncomfortably claustrophobic experience forged through a combination of the labyrinthian nature of the setting and its 4:3 presentation. When the supernatural carnage commences, viewers will feel just as trapped as the priests.

While this horror flick checks all the demonic horror boxes expected from the genre – possessed girls, inverted crosses, ominous sounds at night – these terrors don’t come close to what makes The Devil’s Doorway truly disturbing, and that’s its depiction of the real-life cruelty that occurred in these institutions.

It’s a subject that resonated with the filmmaker on a personal level, and they effectively capture the terror here for all to see.