Hey, y’all! I’m back with another horror movie post. (The joys of spooky season!) This time, I’m going to list a few films that I think are criminally underappreciated. So here we go!
1. Last Shift (2014)
The thing you have to understand is, I’m not really that freaked out by supernatural horror. Ghosts, demons, possession, etc., doesn’t scare me. In a ghost hunting group, I’d be the resident skeptic. A movie about such things has to be extremely well-crafted to ensnare my attention. But this movie was just so…creepy. The tension built throughout and was perfectly done.
You might not agree that it’s underrated, considering it was remade in 2023. Actually, Malum is considered an “expanded reimagining.” I, however, still believe that Last Shift has not been given its due.
2. Urban Legend (1998)
This movie was released amidst all the other teen slasher flicks of the late 90’s, and somehow it was overlooked. I am a huge Scream fan – only the original in 1996, though – but I have to say that Urban Legend was much more creative. Don’t get me wrong: the motive for the murders was still a little lame, yet the way they were carried out made sense and was pretty cool. Plus, there was some star power, the film featuring Jared Leto, Tara Reid, Danielle Harris, Rebecca Gayheart, Joshua Jackson, and Robert Englund.
3. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
This movie has gained some traction since its release, but when I first watched it, it was still flying under the radar. Everything about this film is uncomfortable and makes the watcher uneasy. It is well-paced and never boring, and the parallels drawn between Alzheimer’s/dementia and demonic possession are both heartbreaking and terrifying.
4. Hell House LLC (2015)
Thanks to a couple of really well-done sequels that helped bring attention back to the first one, Hell House LLC has gained cult status. It’s another tense, atmospheric film that makes the nerves crawl (especially that damn clown mannequin).
5. Amusement (2008)
I found this DVD in the $5 bin at Walmart. My best friend and I have a tradition of sorts in which we bring random ass horror movies to each other and watch them together. This one sounded moderately interesting, so I bought it and took it to her house – and we were pleasantly surprised.
Amusement is about revenge, plain and simple. It follows three childhood friends and their encounters with a former classmate, finally tying it all together before the final showdown. And again, there’s a scary ass clown doll 😂
6. The Houses October Built, 1 & 2 (2014, 2017)
I love found footage horror, as if you couldn’t tell from this list, and both of these films check my boxes. The idea of weird shit happening in haunted attractions with no one being any the wiser makes perfect sense and is actually a rather horrifying thought. Plus, there’s a lot of footage from real haunts and it’s just cool.
7. Cry Wolf (2005)
A game of deception getting out of hand and ending with people dead, all because of one little prep school brat? Sign me up! I loved this film, but I feel that it too was overshadowed by the continuing saga of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
8. Unfriended (2014)
This, and its follow-up Unfriended: Dark Web, are both heavy on the suspense. The first is supernatural, the second not so much, but I adore them equally and never really see people talking about them.
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I could probably go on and on and give y’all a top 10 or 15, but I’ll stop here. If you’re reading this and have any movies you’d like to add, let me know! Maybe you’ll recommend my next watch!
