20 Recent Folk Horror Movies – Cults, Curses & Rituals

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are checking out 20 Recent Folk Horror Movies – Cults, Curses & Rituals.

A Recent Folk-Horror Resurgance

Folk horror is a genre that kicked off in the UK back in the 60s and 70s with movies like The Witchfinder General, The Wicker Man and The Blood on Satan’s Claw. The genre has its horror rooted firmly in all things a bit weird and a bit different. Whether this is groups of people with different religious beliefs, communities with unusual traditions, villages with archaic ways of living, or societies based on strange belief systems.

There has been a bit of a resurgence in the popularity of folk horror ever since Ari Aster shocked the world with Midsommar. The truth of the matter is however, Folk Horror didn’t go anywhere. There have been dozens of movies released over the past twenty years that fall into this category. Today, we are going to check out twenty of them.

I have ranked these movies via their IMDB user score because I figured that was a kind of objective way of doing it. Keep in mind, however, that some movies will have more ratings than others and are, therefore, probably better. Without further ado, let’s take a look at 20 Recent Folk Horror Movies – Cults, Curses & Rituals. Oh, and Midsommar will not be featured on this list. Just so you know.

🌿 At a Glance: 8 Standout Folk Horror Hits

20. The Wicker Man (2006) – Not the Bees!

Knockout Verdict: A comedy of errors.

Most of the movies on this list are pretty damn awesome. With this in mind, we need something absolutely awful to even things up, right? That’s where the Nic Cage starring remake of The Wicker Man comes in. I always wonder whether this film is classed as a dark comedy because of how laughably bad it is or because that was always the intention? I am still not sure but, either way, this remake of The Wicker Man sucks.

The Synopsis: A police officer travels to a remote island off the coast of Washington to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. He soon discovers a neo-pagan community with sinister secrets and a desperate need for a bountiful harvest.

19. Blackwood (2014) – A Classic Ghost Story with a Folk Twist

Knockout Verdict: Generic but functional.

Look, Blackwood isn’t a great movie, I am just going to be honest with you. Go and look at the front cover on IMDB, though. If that doesn’t scream folk horror then I don’t know what does. Some people like this a lot more than others so maybe give it a go.

The Synopsis: A college professor, recovering from a nervous breakdown, moves his family to a new home in the countryside. He becomes obsessed with a local mystery and is plagued by ghostly visions, leading him to uncover a dark secret that puts his family in grave danger.

18. Wake Wood (2009) – Be Careful What You Wish For

Knockout Verdict: Three days to say goodbye.

I actually covered Wake Wood as part of my first 31 Days of Halloween feature back in 2022. According to my stat tracker, nobody has ever read it. Pretty cool way to waste a couple of hours of your life. Alas, that’s the gamble you take with a horror movie website. Wake Wood is a cool film, though, and I awarded it 3/5 so why not go and give the review its first read?

The Synopsis: A grieving couple, mourning the loss of their only daughter, relocate to a rural Irish village. They discover the locals practice a pagan ritual that can bring the dead back for three days, but their decision to participate has horrific consequences when they break the rules. This is your traditional monkey’s paw story with a spooky folk horror twist.

17. The Wind (2018) – The Prairie Has Eyes

Knockout Verdict: Isolation breeds madness.

So, erm, this movie is directed by Emma Tammi who is also responsible for Five Nights at Freddy’s. If that isn’t some genre whiplash then I don’t know what is. It’s cool to see a folk horror set in the American frontier, though, so The Wind is worth checking out.

The Synopsis: A woman living in isolation on the American frontier in the late 19th century becomes increasingly paranoid that a malevolent presence is haunting the prairie. As her husband is away, she is left to confront both the demonic entity and her own fragile sanity.

16. Gwen (2018) – Grim, Grey, and Gorgeous

Knockout Verdict: Bleak beauty in Snowdonia.

Gwen is an absolutely stunningly beautiful horror movie that manages to contrast stunning Welsh vistas against some seriously dark subject matter. It’s very much in the same breath as movies like The Witch. While not perfect, there are plenty of reasons to give it a go. We awarded Gwen 3/5 in our review.

The Synopsis: Set against the glorious, yet unforgiving, landscape of 19th-century Snowdonia. This bleak Welsh folk horror follows a young girl named Gwen as she tries to keep her family together. As her mother descends into a mysterious illness and a local mining company threatens their farm, a dark, supernatural folklore seems to be taking root in their community.

15. Enys Men (2022) – A Stone-Cold Fever Dream

Knockout Verdict: Style over scares.

Hmm, I think us Celtic nations should start charging Folk Horror filmmakers a premium. Where would they be without our green and, frankly, kinda creepy land? Look, Enys Men is a tad pretentious and, perhaps, a better visual experience than it is a horror movie but it is still worth checking out as part of the folk horror revival.

The Synopsis: Set in 1973, a wildlife volunteer’s daily observations of a rare flower on an uninhabited island off the Cornish coast turn into a metaphysical and nightmarish journey. As past and present blur, she is forced to question what is real and what is a haunting manifestation of the island’s history.

14. The Hole in the Ground (2019) – Motherhood is a Sinkhole

Knockout Verdict: Irish changeling chills.

Quite a few of the movies on this list are centred around Irish folklore because, quite frankly, a lot of Irish folklore is legitimately creepy. I was super excited for this but kinda disappointed when I watched it. People do like it, though, so maybe I should give The Hole in the Ground a rewatch when I am in need of a Folk Horror kick.

The Synopsis: The Hole In The Ground follows a young mother who moves to a remote rural home with her son. After her son briefly vanishes into the woods near a giant sinkhole, he returns acting strangely, leading his mother to suspect he has been replaced by a sinister imposter.

13. Starve Acre (2024) – Digging Up the Past

Knockout Verdict: Hare today, gone tomorrow.

If folk horror movies are supposed to be weird and leave you wondering what the hell you just watched, then Starve Acre is a perfect Folk Horror. Fellow Welsh person Morfydd Clark heads up a great cast that also features Matt Smith. Critics love Starve Acre while viewers are fairly split. It is a very slow movie that’s a bit unsatisfying in parts but Folk Horror fans should find plenty to like. We awarded it 3.5 in our review.

The Synopsis: Set in 1970s rural Yorkshire, Starve Acre follows a couple whose seemingly idyllic life is torn apart by a horrifying accident. Attempting to cope, the couple sink into a self destructive pattern that will soon give way to an ancient, malevolent force.

12. The Lodge (2019) – Christmas Chilling

Knockout Verdict: Frozen trauma.

The Lodge is, actually, a Christmas themed folk horror. Pretty cool, right? If you love Christmas but also love slow brooding tales of isolation, religious cults, and mental degradation, you are in for a great time. Riley Keough is sensational, here. The Lodge is a great example of how versatile the folk horror genre can be. We awarded it 3/5 in our review.

The Synopsis: A woman is left stranded with her fiancé’s two children in a remote winter lodge during Christmas. A series of strange and terrifying events begin to take place, seemingly connected to her dark past as the sole survivor of a mass suicide orchestrated by an extremist cult.

11. Frewaka (2024) – Irish Haunts and Habits

Knockout Verdict: New Irish folk horror.

Much like the UK, Ireland is the perfect setting for folk horror. There’s just something about ancient countries with a whole bunch of folk lore and traditions that make for ideal, creepy, locations. Frewaka doubles down on that. This is a nice mix of folk horror and religious horror that is legitimately effective. Frewaka is another great example of Ireland’s up and coming horror industry.

The Synopsis: Frewaka follows a nursing student who is sent to a small Irish town to care for a haunted elderly woman. Only to soon find herself coming face to face with her own deeply buried trauma.

10. The Dark and The Wicked (2020) – Grief is the Devil

Knockout Verdict: Relentless dread.

Man, is this every a grim movie? The Dark and The Wicked is a modern folk horror that takes place in the rural USA so adds a touch of uniqueness compared to many of the films on this list. I gave this 3/5 in our review but, in all honesty, it just didn’t resonate with me the way it seems to resonate with others. I can still appreciate the things it does well, though.

The Synopsis: Two estranged siblings return to their isolated family farm to await the inevitable death of their bedridden father. They soon find their grieving mother is being tormented by a palpable sense of evil that seems to live on the land itself, a presence that grows stronger as their father weakens.

9. Men (2022) – All Men Are the Same

Knockout Verdict: Birth, death, and Rory Kinnear.

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I watched Men. I know that I completely forgot to review it. I don’t know if that says more about me or the film itself. Actor Rory Kinnear portrays, basically, all of the men in this movie. That lends it a distinct feeling of 2000s British comedy shows, ala Little Britain, for me. There’s something weirdly uncanny about the film. Men is a mix of highly intriguing, legitimately creepy, horror and slightly over-ambitious arthouse flick. I am not sure whether it works, you will have to decide for yourself.

The Synopsis: The story follows a widow who travels to a remote English village to heal after the tragic death of her husband. She finds herself tormented by the strange and unsettling men of the village, all of whom share the same face and seem to embody a primal, ancient misogyny.

8. A Dark Song (2016) – Rituals Require Patience

Knockout Verdict: The price of forgiveness.

A Dark Song is, easily, one of my favourite movies on this list and one of my favourite folk horror films ever. A Dark Song is a nice mix of occult horror and folk horror that features the best parts of both genres. We have an isolated location, strange rituals, harrowing visuals, and some serious scares. Awesome stuff, we awarded A Dark Song 3.8/5 in our review.

The Synopsis: The story follows a determined young woman who, while grieving the loss of her son, hires a cynical occultist to perform a dangerous and lengthy ritual to allow her to see him again.

7. You Won’t Be Alone (2022) – Witchcraft as a Way of Life

Knockout Verdict: A shapeshifting coming-of-age story.

You Won’t Be Alone is a mix of supernatural horror and folk horror with just a smidge of coming-of-age story mixed in for good measure. It’s not for those of us with shorter attention spans and may not be scary enough to please all horror fans but it is definitely worth checking out. It also stars Noomi Rapace which, again, is pretty awesome.

The Synopsis: In 19th-century Macedonia, a young girl is kidnapped and transformed into a shapeshifting witch by an ancient, scarred spirit. Left to fend for herself, the feral young witch accidentally kills a peasant and, by taking her form, begins a journey of inhabiting different bodies to learn what it means to be human.

6. Apostle (2018) – Faith Demands Blood

Knockout Verdict: Blood for the land.

Wales is going to appear as a backdrop in this folk horror movie list more than you might expect. Again, it’s the whole ancient land, pagan traditions, thing. Anyone that has lived here can attest to how fitting some of our country is for folk horror themed movies. Apostle isn’t perfect but it is an enjoyable movie with a few shocking moments that might surprise you.

The Synopsis: In 1905, a man travels to a remote Welsh island to rescue his sister, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious religious cult. Posing as a convert, he uncovers the community’s dark secrets and the violent lengths they will go to in order to appease the strange goddess they worship.

5. Lamb (2021) – Mother Nature is a Beast

Knockout Verdict: Ewe won’t believe it.

If that plots sounds a bit strange it is because it is. Lamb is a weird film but that is exactly what we want from folk horror. We want to feel alarmed by things that don’t seem ordinary or natural. As you can probably guess, this film leans into Body Horror quite a bit, as well. It also stars Noomi Rapace who is always fantastic.

The Synopsis: An Icelandic couple, grieving the loss of their own child, discover a strange human-sheep hybrid born on their farm. They decide to raise the child, Ada, as their own, but this violation of the natural order brings them both joy and terrifying consequences.

4. The Ritual (2017) – If You Go Down to the Woods Today…

Knockout Verdict: Kneel before the Jötunn.

This movie seems to have a bit of a renewed interest, as of late. A lot of people bring it up when talking about underrated horror. The Ritual takes folk horror deep into the woods of Sweden and has some moments that are legitimately scary.

The Synopsis: Four friends reunite for a hiking trip in the Swedish wilderness in memory of a deceased friend. When one of them is injured, they take a shortcut through an ancient forest and soon find themselves stalked by a terrifying entity connected to a local pagan cult.

3. Kill List (2011) – It’s Just a Job… Until It Isn’t

Knockout Verdict: A hitman’s worst nightmare.

Whenever I think of horrifyingly brutal scenes in horror movies, at least one from Kill List jumps to mind. This is a relentlessly violent film that, despite not seeming it at first, eventually turns into a fully fledged folk horror. This one has a pretty shocking ending so stick with it. It’s one of the UK’s most underrated horror films.

The Synopsis: Two former soldiers turned hitmen take on a new assignment with a mysterious and wealthy client. As they work their way through the “kill list,” they find themselves descending into a surreal and violent world of pagan rituals and a terrifying cult.

2. The Medium (2021) – Shamanism Found Footage Style

Knockout Verdict: Possession in the paddy fields.

Legendary Thai director Banjong Pisanthanakun, who you may know for classic horror Shutter (2004), returns to form with this fantastic 2021 folk horror. The visuals are stunning and it is fascinating to see a distinctly Thai approach to the folk horror genre. The Medium is quite shocking in parts, too.

The Synopsis: This terrifying Thai and South Korean collaboration found-footage horror takes a modern filmmaking approach to a very traditional theme. The Medium follows a documentary crew as they film a shaman in a rural village in Isan, Northern Thailand. Little realising that they may be about to document a horrifying possession.

1. Impetigore (2019) – Skin Deep Secrets

Knockout Verdict: Skinless secrets.

Joko Anwar is one of Indonesia’s greatest horror directors. Impetigore might be his most well loved film. It’s always fascinating to see folk horror from different regions and this movie is no exception. The location is fantastic and there are some serious scares in here. Impetigore actually leans into body horror on a few occasions, as well, and can be a tough watch in parts.

The Synopsis: A young woman learns she may have inherited a house in her ancestral village. She travels there with her best friend to uncover the secrets of her past, only to find a community cursed by a dark secret and a need for her to pay for the sins of her parents.

Folk Horror is Here to Stay

So there you have it, 20 recent folk horror movies that prove there is life in the genre beyond Ari Aster’s flower-crown nightmare. Whether it is the bleak isolation of the Welsh valleys in Gwen, the body horror madness of Impetigore, or the sheer “what the hell am I watching?” energy of Lamb, folk horror remains one of the most diverse and unsettling sub-genres out there.

Hopefully, this list has given you a few new titles to add to your watchlist – or at least warned you away from the Nic Cage Wicker Man remake (seriously, don’t do it). If you enjoyed this list, why not stick around? We have plenty more horror movie lists to check out, or you can dive into our latest horror reviews. Thanks for reading Knockout Horror!

🌲 Quick Picks: The Best Folk Horror by Vibe

The Scariest Experience: The Dark and the Wicked (2020)
For when you want to feel absolutely hopeless. It is oppressive, bleak, and terrifying from the first minute to the last. It proves you don’t need a cult to make a farm scary.

The “WTF Did I Just Watch?” Pick: Lamb (2021)
For those who like their horror weird. It is less about scares and more about a creeping sense of unease and bizarre imagery. Plus, Noomi Rapace raising a sheep-child? Essential viewing.

The Occult Masterpiece: A Dark Song (2016)
For the patient viewer. It strips away the jump scares to focus on the grueling, dangerous reality of performing a black magic ritual. It features one of the best endings in the genre.

The Creature Feature: The Ritual (2017)
For fans of monsters. It starts as a hiking disaster movie and ends as a nightmare of Norse mythology. The creature design alone makes this worth the price of admission.

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