10 Obscure Folk Horror Movies You Need To Watch
1. Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse
When one considers that German-Austrian production Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse holds a stunning 95% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes, it is difficult to explain why the film steeped in German folklore did not enjoy more mainstream success.
The influence of Robert Eggers' sub-genre-redefining instalment The Witch lies heavy over this production, both in the manner of its aesthetic and constant atmosphere of inexplicable dread. That is not to say Hagazussa is a rip-off of Eggers' work; rather that it plays to the same strengths and with the same ineffable creepiness as the critically acclaimed director's work.
The slow-burn film depicts a young woman shunned by her mountain community, leading to unspeakably unsettling results. To say that Lukas Feigelfeld's outing possesses some of the most disturbing imagery ever seen in a horror film would be an understatement; soup containing dead babies, graphic sexual assault, and unrelentingly terrifying psychedelic imagery all unflinchingly feature in the 2017 offering.
All of this sounds like a veritable car crash of a film on paper, one utterly reliant on cheap scares and gross out tactics. However, the end result of Hagazussa is what feels like a genuine supernatural experience, steeped in legitimately terrifying moments and polished off with exemplarily convincing turns from the cast. The lingering effects of the captivating 2017 visual spectacle are harrowingly memorable and hard to shake long after the credits roll.
For those in search of a truly horrifying horror movie, this one is for you.