With the spookiest of seasons approaching, it’s time to break out your costumes for a night of fun or curl up in bed to keep the ghouls and goblins at bay. If you’re anything like me, you prefer to stay home during the witching hour while still being in the Halloween spirit.
You could do this by hosting your own Halloween event: a movie marathon! Halloween movie marathons were a cornerstone of my childhood. From Disney Channel to what we formerly knew as ABC Family (RIP), something about the scariest season makes me want to binge-watch movies. Halloween movies can range from light-hearted scares like Hocus Pocus or Casper, but what do you do when you want a really good fright? Horror movies are a good solution. However, the twist is they’re movies outside of the United States. If you’re the kind to enjoy the concept of the human condition but from across the pond, I would definitely recommend international movies.
Here are some of my favorite truly bone-chilling foreign horror movies. I would definitely recommend watching these with the lights on, even if you’re a horror fanatic like I am. Make sure to grab some popcorn and friends to hide behind when you give these a watch.
Tag (2015)
The first movie is Tag. This Japanese movie may be the least scary on the list but that doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly engaging. The best way I can describe this film without spoiling it is by giving you the opening scene. A girl named Mitsuko is on a school bus before it is sliced in half by a gust of wind. All of the students on the bus are sliced in half (but not Mitsuko) and we watch the adventure begin she goes on running from a threat that she cannot see.
Talk To Me (2023)
The next movie on the list is Talk to Me. This film is one of the more recent ones, but I would say the rumors are true, and that this is definitely in line to be the best horror movie of the year. Set in Australia, this movie is about a character named Mia who struggles with her mother’s death. One day, to cope, she attends a party because of a supernatural hand that is going viral for being a party trick. This movie’s gore alone was enough to keep me up at night for days.
Raw (2016)
From France, we’ve got a movie called Raw. This film is an interesting premise wrapped up in blood. Justine is a woman who goes to school to be a veterinarian. It’s important to know that she’s a vegetarian who eventually tries meat for the first time. However, instead of it being a footnote in her life, she develops an insatiable craving for flesh. Perhaps put the snacks away if you’re hosting a movie marathon with this on the list.
Veronica (2017)
Veronica is a Spanish movie that had the internet buzzing in 2017. The story is about a group of teens who have a goal of communicating with their friend’s father through an Ouija board. While some may boo and hiss about the concept of Ouija boards no longer being scary, I cannot recommend this film enough. This movie is based on a true story and adds another level of unease to an already frightening horror film starring talented young actors.
I Saw The Devil (2010)
Last on our list is I Saw The Devil from South Korea. I would certainly consider this film to be something you can’t watch with popcorn with the way it twists and turns your stomach. To keep things interesting for you, all I will say is that we follow a secret agent named Kim Soo-Hyeon and his path to avenging the murder of his fiancée at the hands of an equally cunning serial killer. This movie requires a lot of emotional preparedness.
These films can be watched year-round but there is a certain atmosphere that Halloween night could give them. If you don’t see yourself as someone who could go frolicking with whatever goes bump in the night on the 31st, then feel free to entertain yourself with an unsettling streaming party. Just make sure not to look under your bed after!
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