10 Obscure Folk Horror Movies You Need To Watch

Remarkably for a film released on Netflix in this day and age, 2018's Apostle received and retained relatively little fanfare. This lamentable status quo is particularly shocking when one considers the inherent quality of the folk horror masterpiece.

Featuring Welsh cinema legend Michael Sheen as Malcolm Howe, the leader of a group of shadowy cultists, Apostle tells the tale of a missionary in search of his kidnapped sister, held hostage by the aforementioned cult on a remote island. The film bears many haunting parallels with sub-genre mainstays The Wicker Man and Midsommar, acting as an eery amalgamation of the two in many respects, while all the while remaining true to the various facets required for a legitimate folk horror film.

Sacrifice and the idea of nature as a sentient elemental being feature prevalently in Apostle. The film's stunning imagery and atmosphere is combined with first rate performances from Dan Stevens as lead protagonist Thomas and the aforementioned Sheen, who throw themselves without abandon into their respective roles. The culmination of these efforts is a stunningly polished and chilling horror, effortlessly sidestepping some of the more prevalent pitfalls encountered by its peers.

Apostle might not be the most fast-paced - or even the scariest - horror film around, but for those seeking a legitimately good film steeped in the spookier mysticisms of traditional folklore, the 2018 offering remains a prime example of a sleeper hit.