10 Russian Horror Movies You Need To See

Based on the 1964 novel King Stakh's Wild Hunt by romantic author Uladzimir Karatkievich, the Dikaya Okhota Korolya Stakha (aka Savage Hunt of King Stakh in English) explored the unsettling tale of a fresh ethnographer named Andrej Bielarecki, who traveled to the woodlands between Russia and Belarus as he researched folk tales of the supernatural.

The film didn't come without a couple of the criticisms, such as deviating from an overarching tale about the suffering of the Belarusian people and coming off as a little lackluster in the acting and special effects departments. Such shortcomings, however, shouldn't have been enough to prevent anyone from watching the film, as it still had much to offer horror buffs.

With ghosts and spirits involved, there were plenty of scares to go around. More impressive, still, was the gothic-influenced backdrop that did wonders to give the film an overall ominous vibe and create extra tension during the many unnerving sequences. Where the films' tightened plotline and on-screen performances might have left a bit to be desired, the film more than deserved recognition for the way it capitalized on its eerie settings to keep the viewer drawn in.