30 Best Hidden Gem Horror Movies Perfect For Halloween
24. The Guardian
Creating one of the most iconic and terrifying horror movies of all time with The Exorcist is no small feat, considering it still shakes audiences up 50+ years later, but attempting any sort of follow-up is an impossible task. Regardless, director William Friedkin gave it a go with The Guardian, and it was quickly laughed out of the room.
With a premise that plays like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle via supernatural horror, The Guardian centres on a working couple - played by Carey Lowell and Dwier Brown - who become parents to a newborn and need extra help, which comes in the guise of Jenny Seagrove’s picture-perfect English nanny. As the plot unfolds, it’s discovered that the nanny is quite sinister, with links to a demonic tree in the nearby forest, and creepy plans for the baby in connection.
On release, this movie was seen as a major disappointment for Friedkin’s return to the genre, but he wasn’t trying to mirror The Exorcist. Instead, the Guardian plays out as a tense thriller that segues into an extremely over-the-top, gory homage to Evil Dead, with demonic trees and chainsaw-wielding mayhem, not to mention fountains of blood.
The Guardian, on its own merits, is an exceptionally fun, slightly cheesy genre effort. With some great old-school effects, solid performances (Seagrove especially), and a mindset on delivering pure genre thrills, it’s well worth rediscovering.