Genre · ranked
The best folk horror films of all time
25 ranked · updated July 2026
Folk horror unearths the terrifying intersection of ancient superstition and human desperation, where isolated communities become vessels for ancestral curses and primal dread. These masterworks define the genre by grounding their supernatural threats in the crushing weight of cultural isolation, religious fanaticism, and the inescapable ghosts of local history.
How this ranking works
Ranked by a Bayesian-weighted score (rating average + rating count) across films classified as Folk Horror.
Sinners
Ryan Coogler
This film earns its top spot by masterfully blending neo-noir tension with the suffocating inevitability of generational trauma and a haunting homecoming.
Explores: Returning Home, Family Secrets, Redemption.
The Wailing
Na Hong-jin
The Wailing excels through its relentless atmosphere of religious doubt and the terrifying way it weaponizes xenophobia against a backdrop of supernatural contagion.
Explores: Good vs Evil, Xenophobia, Religious Doubt.
The Wicker Man
Robin Hardy
As the definitive blueprint for the genre, this film perfectly captures the lethal clash between rigid modern morality and the seductive power of pagan tradition.
Explores: Religious Conflict, Isolation, Loss of Innocence.
Midsommar
Ari Aster
Midsommar transforms the traditional daylight horror aesthetic into a visceral exploration of grief and toxic relationships within a claustrophobic, sun-drenched cult environment.
Explores: Grief, Trauma, Toxic Relationships.
Exhuma
Jang Jae-hyun
Exhuma stands out for its meticulous integration of shamanistic ritual and the physical horror of disturbing ancestral gravesites to unleash long-buried national wounds.
Explores: Ancestral Curse, Grave Robbing, Shamanism.
Onibaba
Kaneto Shindō
Onibaba creates an enduring sense of dread by stripping away civilization to reveal the brutal desperation of survival and sexual jealousy in a desolate swamp.
Explores: Survival, Greed, Sexual Jealousy.
Kwaidan
Masaki Kobayashi
This anthology succeeds by weaving traditional ghost stories into a tapestry of inescapable karma, proving that folk horror is rooted in timeless, cautionary morality.
Explores: Karma, The Supernatural, Revenge.
When Evil Lurks
Demián Rugna
When Evil Lurks provides a visceral, contemporary take on rural isolation where the rapid spread of demonic possession mirrors a total collapse of communal safety.
Explores: Demonic Possession, Rural Horror, Contagion.
Fear Street: 1666
Leigh Janiak
Fear Street: 1666 effectively bridges the gap between historical witch-hunts and modern slasher tropes to illustrate how generational trauma manifests through violent, cyclical retribution.
Explores: Witchcraft, Colonial History, Generational Trauma.
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Peter Weir
Picnic at Hanging Rock is a masterclass in atmospheric ambiguity, utilizing the Australian landscape to frame the unsettling disappearance of youth and strict social repression.
Explores: female adolescence, unexplained disappearance, social repression.
The Witch
Robert Eggers
The Witch remains an essential entry for its authentic portrayal of Puritanical fear, where religious fanaticism and isolation provide the perfect conditions for supernatural corruption.
Explores: Religious Fanaticism, Puritanism, Isolation.
Tumbbad
Rahi Anil Barve
Tumbbad is a visual triumph that uses the greed of its characters to explore a decaying family curse within the haunting, rain-soaked landscape of India.
Explores: Greed, Family Curse, Colonial India.
Bone Tomahawk
S. Craig Zahler
Bone Tomahawk earns its place by subverting the Western genre, replacing traditional conflict with the brutal, primal horror of an undiscovered and hostile wilderness culture.
Explores: Rescue Mission, Brutality of the West, Cultural Clash.
Don't Torture a Duckling
Lucio Fulci
This film highlights the danger of mob mentality and deep-seated superstition, showing how a remote town’s distrust of outsiders can lead to violent tragedy.
Explores: Mob Mentality, Superstition, Misogyny.
The Medium
Banjong Pisanthanakun
The Medium uses the found footage format to deconstruct the reliability of faith, showing how shamanistic traditions can be exploited by darker, unpredictable supernatural forces.
Explores: Shamanism, Demonic Possession, Family Curse.
The House with Laughing Windows
Pupi Avati
A standout of folk horror films.
Explores: Religious Horror, Small Town Secrets, Restoration.
Belzebuth
Emilio Portes
A standout of folk horror films.
Explores: Good vs Evil, Infanticide, Religious Conspiracy.
Ravenous
Antonia Bird
A standout of folk horror films.
Explores: Wendigo Mythos, Survival Horror, Moral Decay.
Antichrist
Lars von Trier
A standout of folk horror films.
Explores: Grief, Misogyny, Nature as antagonist.
The Unholy
Evan Spiliotopoulos
A standout of folk horror films.
Explores: Faith vs. Fanaticism, Miracles, Good vs. Evil.
The Old Ways
A standout of folk horror films.
Explores: Ancestral heritage, Exorcism, Cultural superstition.
Jeepers Creepers
Victor Salva
A standout of folk horror films.
Explores: Rural Horror, Siblings, Coming of Age.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
André Øvredal
A standout of folk horror films.
Explores: Small Town Secrets, Haunted House, Curse.
Drag Me to Hell
Sam Raimi
A standout of folk horror films.
Explores: Curse, Greed, Moral Choice.
The Cursed
Sean Ellis
A standout of folk horror films.
Explores: Curse, Revenge, Class Conflict.
Common questions
What are some of the best folk horror movies about witchcraft?
The Witch and Fear Street: 1666 are excellent choices for exploring witchcraft. The Witch focuses on the internal collapse of a Puritan family, while Fear Street: 1666 examines the historical roots and lasting consequences of colonial-era witch hunts.
Can you recommend folk horror films set in Asia?
Several acclaimed folk horror films originate from Asia, including The Wailing and The Medium from Korea and Thailand, respectively. Other notable examples include the Japanese classics Onibaba and Kwaidan, as well as the Indian period horror film Tumbbad.
Which folk horror films deal with cults or pagan rituals?
The Wicker Man and Midsommar are the definitive films regarding cults and paganism. The Wicker Man depicts a clash between modern religion and island traditions, while Midsommar follows a group visiting a Swedish festival that descends into horrific ritualistic practices.