BeforeNicolas Cage(and his frantic Not the bees!
), there wasEdward Woodwards colder and more stern sacrificial victim in the trilogys capper,The Wicker Man.
Influences from them, big and small, can be seen inAlex GarlandsMen.
In a folk horror film, the story must include a location isolated from the larger world.
Ancient traditions are central to weird situations, from superstitions to much older religions.
Usually, the movies of this subgenre dont have anything actually supernatural occur.
Image via American International Pictures
The evil and atrocities are all committed by very human hands.
When it does include more fantastical elements, the monsters are pulled from folklore.
If someone becomes a favorite character, be warned.
Image Via American International Pictures
Not everyone makes it out alive.
Hopkins truly did take pleasure in being a witch hunter, leading to the deaths of many.
In the movie, the superstitions of witchcraft are turned into deadly ammunition to fuel Hopkins onward.
Image Via Tigon Pictures
He gladly uses torture methods to bring confessions out of his victims.
Watch it for free on Pluto TV.
There is no question about Lord Edward Whitmans motivations.
Image via British Lion Films
After branding a woman a witch, he has gotten the taste of corrupt power and seeks more.
In the part of Elizabethan England he controls, everyone is truly at his mercy.
But he doesnt have much to give.
Image Via Picturehouse Entertainment
His oldest son has not fallen far from the rotten tree and together the two lead witch hunts.
The witches here do hold supernatural power, but much more sympathy is given to them.
Compared to the witch hunters, the coven is practically saintly.
Image Via IFC Midnight
And unlike Hopkins, Price’s Whitman meets a well-desired end.
Some dont show up to the schoolhouse, overseen by the local reverend.
But thats the least of the parents worries.
Image Via IFC Midnight
Its where they go in their absence that is cause for alarm.
Out in the surrounding woods, the kids have fallen under the influence of a demonic entity.
It all begins with the unearthing of a strange skull out in the working field.
Image Via Netflix
This movie became the middle chapter of the Unholy Trinity of folk horror movies.
you’ve got the option to watch it on Tubi or Pluto TV.
Its a clash between Christianity and paganism.
Image Via HBO/Sky
Police Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) travels to Summerisle to solve a mystery.
Solving it will ultimately mean a very grim fate.
Wondering where his intentions lie is all part of the fun.
AlthoughThe Wicker Manis a slow burn, there are horrific incidents just below the surface.
ComposerPaul Giovanniand bandMagnetcreate a soundtrack almost entirely full of folk music.
Everything seems so jolly at first, the islanders seeming oddball if anything.
That is, until the haunting finale that essentially earned this movie its legacy.
Its a psychedelic trip gone very bad, with strobe flashing and fast editing giving a disorienting feeling.
it’s possible for you to watch this one on Hulu.
Be it fairies or banshees, “the Hallow” are baby stealers.
This is bad news for the Hitchens family, as they have one child, a baby boy.
The events start small but threaten to become worse.
But for make contact, she needs the help of an occult expert.
She finds Joseph (Steve Oram), an anti-social alcoholic.
If they leave the house, it means nothing good.
They both hope to get two very different wishes granted and by the end, they have truly changed.
Shes been taken to an island, under the control of a cult.
Convicts founded it and only through blood sacrifices, can they maintain the health of the land.
Thomas gets to the island, entering into a hellish world.
In trying to get to his sister, Thomas risks his own life.
you might watch this one on Netflix.
An older religion is practiced here, as per usual in the subgenre.
Watch on HBO Max.
