In the final stretch of the Halloween season, it can feel a bit hard to find a way to get your annual dose of spooks and scares. The big franchise fare is always fun and good, but a person can only watch the Friday the 13th (1980) and Halloween (1978) sequels so many times. While there’s always a new crop of horror films to enjoy each year, yours truly always likes to add some international releases into the mix for solo viewings. While some like Ringu (1998), The Host (2006), or Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) are certified classics, there’s a plethora of underrated and underdiscussed international horror films that slide perfectly into any last-minute Halloween viewing plans.
If you’re bored of watching the same movies in the lead-up to Halloween, here are ten international horror films to watch in the final days of the spooky season.
The Hands of Orlac (1924) – Germany/Weimar Republic
Yes, I am starting with a film that’s over a century old. Sometimes, you want to pay respect to the classics, and nothing is more classic than a film directed by Robert Wiene, director of both The Hands of Orlac and the film school staple The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920).
While The Hands of Orlac does show its age a fair bit on the technical side, created during the limitations of the silent era, it still holds up as one of the earliest body horror films. It may not be as eye-poppingly graphic as modern body horror, but the tale of a pianist (Conrad Veidt) going mad after being given the hands of a criminal certainly encapsulates the horror of having a body.
This is a film where the eccentricities of the silent film really shine. The incredibly high-contrast lighting is a staple of the German Expressionist film movement; the unnatural shadows they create across the sets and actors create an inherently disquieting feeling. The stagey acting, which could come off as dated, is handled masterfully by Veidt as the pianist traverses varying stages of despair, grief, and madness. Overall, The Hands of Orlac is a breezy and disquieting watch that formed the basis for all our favorite films about fearing what lurks beneath our skin.
Eyes without a Face (1960) – France
With the massive success of The Substance (2024), it’s clear that films catering to the horrors of societal expectations, gendered or not, have mass appeal. Eyes Without a Face scratches a very similar itch: maybe it’s a French thing. In lieu of goop and guts, Eyes Without a Face is more of a family drama with Frankenstein-esque Gothic trappings.
The film follows Dr. Génessier (Pierre Brasseur) and his assistant Louise (Alida Valli) as they try to find a suitable new face for his daughter Christiane (Edith Scob). In between the horrific kidnappings and botched facial surgeries, which are fairly conservative for the squeamish viewer, lies a story of messy family dynamics and patriarchal trappings taken to extremes. Christiane and Louise’s treatments in the home of a father/boss desperate for a return to “normalcy,” which are, quite frankly, the scariest parts of the film. Christiane’s mask, which graces most posters or home release covers, is just as much a prison to her as the mansion she’s trapped in: punishments for an accident she had no control over. However, the ending will certainly appease any fans of female rage.
Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1972) – Italy
This recommendation is for my fellow American Psycho (2000) fans, especially those who enjoy Patrick Bateman’s unreliable, sycophantic narration. Directed by giallo legend Mario Bava, Hatchet for the Honeymoon eschews the “mystery” portion of the genre’s murder-mystery foundations for a fascinating character study. The titular hatchet-wielder is John Harrington (Stephen Forsyth): the manager of a bridal dress manufacturer seeking clarity into his traumatic past. Naturally, he does this by murdering the models of his wedding dresses and ignoring his long-suffering wife, Mildred (Laura Betti), for an emotional affair with his new assistant, Helen (Dagmar Lassander).
As his murderous tendencies get more and more out of hand, John’s already unreliable perspective slips more and more, revealing what a truly unlikable man-baby he is. One might think that being stuck with the inner ramblings of a man more pathetic and less funny than Patrick Bateman would make for an unpleasant viewing experience. Yet, the film is so well-written and beautifully shot, all handled by Bava, that it’s not a chore in the slightest to be stuck in Harrington’s messed-up psyche. A solid entry for boy failure enjoyers.
Slugs (1988) – Spain
So far, this list has been quite high-brow: let’s change that. Good schlocky creature features are hard to come by these days, and that’s a crime. Slugs follows a group of townspeople as their town falls under the siege of slugs, itching to change their diet from garden goodies to human flesh. It takes the power of one bumbling health inspector (Michael Garfield Levine) and his hot wife (Kim Terry) to determine the cause of this small-town tragedy and take the slugs down–obviously, not before several gory slug-related deaths happen.
Really, that’s all there is to the film: it’s a vehicle for some nasty special effects and bizarre line readings. Like director Juan Piquer Simón’s other cult classic, Pieces (1982), it is also supremely horny to the point of comedy. Truly, the major appeal of Slugs is its eye-popping practical effects work, including blowing up a miniature greenhouse, seeing multiple people eaten alive in piles of slugs, and an all-timer of a man leaking slugs from every orifice. The actual cause-and-effect chain stops mattering after a while. Slugs is silly, stupid, and fun in such an earnest way that’s difficult to find and difficult to replicate. It’s a grossly fun romp that’ll make you side-eye the next garden you walk past for days after.
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000) – Japan
Of course, animated horror films can be just as alluring and scary as any live-action production. Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a delicious Gothic romp to watch in the wake of traditional Gothic horror having a moment with Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu (2024) and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025). Although it’s probably better paired with del Toro’s Blade (1998), considering the amount of action packed into its one-hundred-minute runtime. Although it’s not necessary to view to enjoy this film, this serves as a semi-sequel to 1985’s Vampire Hunter D.
The bounty hunter dhampir D (Andrew Philpot) inhabits a desolate, post-apocalyptic wasteland filled with all manner of monsters and ghouls. D and his band of misfits fight to save a wealthy nobleman’s daughter, traversing beautifully animated wastelands and Gothic townscapes. Considering the original art for the film comes from veteran Final Fantasy concept artist Yoshitaka Amano, known for his elaborate illustrations, the detail present in each frame of Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust’s many epic battle scenes is gorgeous. And, even though he’s a collection of ink and lines, it doesn’t hurt that D is another hot vampire.
Three…Extremes (2004) – Hong Kong/South Korea/Japan
Anthology horror is always a fun time, both for solo and group viewings. Why pick just one horror film when you can watch three in the same timespan? Three Extremes has the extra bonus of featuring the work of three legends of the horror/thriller genre: Fruit Chan, Park Chan-wook, and Takashi Miike. While I wouldn’t say this anthology has something for every horror fan, there’s certainly enough to whet (or eliminate) more than a few appetites. And, like every anthology, it has its ups and downs regarding narrative structure. But just because these stories are short doesn’t mean they’re not as scary.
Chan’s contribution, Dumplings, is most likely to literally kill any appetite as it follows a local dumpling shop famous for its food with seemingly youth-restorative powers and its charismatic owner, Aunt Mei (Bai Ling). However, the unsavory truth behind these miraculous dumplings (and how the secret ingredient is harvested) is shown often and extensively. Behind the goo and unsavory medical ethics lies scalpel-sharp commentary on motherhood, aging “gracefully”, and the rigorous beauty regimes women are expected to perform without question. This is the most outwardly gross segment.
Park’s segment Cut will definitely make many cringe. In what can only be described as his take on Saw (2004), Cut sees a film director (Lee Byung-hun) forced to confront his sins by a jealous extra (Im Won-hee). This short has a very similar feel to Park’s early work with a deftly handled balance of social commentary and spine-tingling suspense. Add in the substantial amount of finger trauma, and Cut is a pulse-pounding time.
Finally is Miike’s contribution, Box, which, as to be expected, is the most eccentric of the three. This short follows one-half of a circus performing twin act (Kyōko Hasegawa) as she relives the trauma of losing her twin sister. While the weakest out of the three shorts, let it be known that Miike hardly does a boring film, and Box is no exception.
Der Samurai (2014) – Germany
Since this list has already covered all manner of creatures, might as well throw in a werewolf film. Der Samurai is a unique werewolf film since the transformation from man to beast is radically de-emphasized. Apart from some extra body hair, the werewolf known as the Samurai (Pit Bukowski) is indistinguishable from any other person except for their tattered white dress and a large katana.
Instead, the film focuses more on what the appeal of straddling the line between “man” and “beast” is, or if that line exists at all. The werewolf’s prey is a local cop, Jakob (Michel Diercks), tasked with solving disappearances in the infamous Black Forest. A prolonged cat-and-mouse chase ensues as the cop and werewolf engage in both a test of physicality and morals. For a super low-budget indie, the craft in Der Samurai is quite strong; access to the genuinely creepy Black Forest and commanding performances by Bukowski and Diercks certainly make the film a fun watch.
But the biggest appeal of the film, for me, is how uniquely it tackles the ethos of the werewolf subgenre. Some of the conversations between the Samurai and Jakob do feel a bit theatrical or a bit too blunt, but it never feels particularly boring or drags on for too long. I find the film’s exploration of what makes a monster or man quite intriguing, even if it means sacrificing the spectacle of an actual transformation sequence. Der Samurai proves that a lot can be done with a little.
May the Devil Take You (2018) – Indonesia
For fans of the Evil Dead franchise seeking more glibly malevolent spirits, May the Devil Take You is a delightful pairing with either the Sam Raimi-headed classics or the newer twenty-first-century additions. Director Timo Tjahjanto, perhaps best known for his multiple contributions to the VHS franchise, somehow balances fun and terror in equal measure.
Alfie (Chelsea Islan) learns of her estranged father’s coma and follows her half-siblings back to her father’s house to search his vast collection of valuables. However, after an ill-fated trip to the basement, Alfie and her siblings are stuck with the lasting results of her father’s Faustian bargain for fame and wealth. While there is a world where this becomes a trite exploration of family trauma, Tjahjanto elects to keep the film gritty and a little mean-spirited.
If you like your horror films with an extra splash (or splatter) of blood, then May the Devil Take You is a perfect watch. The decrepit mansion slowly goes from shades of brown to shades of red as members of Alfie’s family transform into frankly hideous demons. The demons are also quite adept at their manipulation skills, especially in getting each of Alfie’s half-siblings to fall for the same materialistic wants as their father. It makes the film an interesting watch, oscillating between wanting to root for the family to make it out together and rooting for the demons to win just to see what happens next. It makes May the Devil Take You a fun watch, especially at a rowdy Halloween party.
Editorial Written by Red Broadwell
Feature Image from ‘Three…Extremes’ via MUBI