Introduction:
"Folk Horror" as a subgenre is pretty difficult to define, each person with their own opinion on what does and doesn't qualify. A good starting point though is "The Unholy Trinity", three films that are broadly considered to be the foundation of the film sub-genre as a whole. These are; The Wicker Man (1973), Witchfinder General (1968) and The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971).
Info (01/03/2022):
This list is the product of over two years of dedication. Within this list are entries that you yourself may not consider to be folk horror, but neatly placing any given film or series within the folk horror sub-genre is next to impossible.
The definition of folk horror itself is elusive, but there…
Introduction:
"Folk Horror" as a subgenre is pretty difficult to define, each person with their own opinion on what does and doesn't qualify. A good starting point though is "The Unholy Trinity", three films that are broadly considered to be the foundation of the film sub-genre as a whole. These are; The Wicker Man (1973), Witchfinder General (1968) and The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971).
Info (01/03/2022):
This list is the product of over two years of dedication. Within this list are entries that you yourself may not consider to be folk horror, but neatly placing any given film or series within the folk horror sub-genre is next to impossible.
The definition of folk horror itself is elusive, but there does seem to be a sort of connective tissue of varying strengths between these entries regardless. Beyond Adam Scovell's "folk horror chain", which is not without its numerous flaws, there really isn't one description or criteria that I feel adequately defines what folk horror is really. As you can imagine, that makes my self-assigned task of compiling a list of folk horror films and series rather difficult.
I have watched every single entry on this list, some many times over. I have another private list of films and series that I've been working through gradually. Included on this list are some films that are incredibly difficult to find. If you're wondering where you can locate any given entry, feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to you. If you have any suggestions of things you think should be included, I encourage you to leave a comment below.
What is folk horror?:
- Often set in a rural or remote location, although not always; the location tends to be hostile or perilous to the main characters, and can be seen as a character of itself within many Folk Horror films. A strong sense of social or geographical isolation or an inability to utilise modern technology, infrastructure or conveniences is almost always present.
- Typically British, sometimes West European, but can be based in any culture.
- Contains folklore, witchcraft, paganism, devil worship, "ancient evils" or a focus on cult activity or skewed religious practices.
- Sometimes contains themes of sacrifice or demonic/supernatural summoning in some form or another. This can be ritualistic sacrifice or even self-sacrifice.
Not On Letterboxd:
---- TV Series ----
True Detective (Season 1)
Jordskott (2 Seasons)
Elves (Nisser) (1 Season)
Yellowjackets (2021 - Future)
Pagan Peak [Der Pass] (Season 1)
---- Short Films ----
The Coastal Path (Short Film)
The Pogels Part 4: A Flower For Wishes (Short Film)
---- Games/Other ----
Daemonologie (Short Game, Free)
Huldufólk (Short Game, Free)
The Sacrifice (Short PDF RPG, Free)
The Good People (Text Adventure, Free)
Upstream (Short Visual Novel, Free)
Bewitched (Text Adventure, Free)
Reading List:
Folk Horror: Hours Dreadful and Things Strange by Adam Scovell.
Folk Horror Revival: Field Studies by Folk Horror Revival.
The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy by Ronald Hutton.
Witches: An Encyclopedia of Paganism & Magic by Michael Jordan.
