10 Canadian Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die

Lauded as one of the original slasher films, and a clear influence on John Carpenter’s Halloween, this holiday-themed horror told the story of a group of sorority sisters stalked in their house by a deranged killer. It was the first film to use the idea of the killer calling the victims from another phone inside the same house, inspired by the classic urban legend of the babysitter. It has also inspired numerous other horrors based on urban legends, and the timeless story has endured over the years, with remakes being released in 2006 and again in 2019.

The film is incredibly claustrophobic, set almost entirely in one location, and the suspense is masterful. The killer was not revealed apart from his name ‘Billy’, keeping his motives and backstory under wraps, as the film makers felt this made him more frightening. The remakes largely disregarded this, with the 2006 version not only giving his full name, but also details about his abuse as a child, including his sister Agnes being born as a result of rape by his mother.

It has been widely argued that the remakes of the film are inferior, both in atmosphere and characterisation. The idea that less is more makes the original much more terrifying as you imagine who the killer is. The remakes hammer home his horrific origins, attempting to make him a more sympathetic character and justifying his actions.