Fifty horror films on Amazon Prime to get you through the lockdown.
By David Sodergren
The UK is on lockdown, and everything has gone a bit mental, which means it’s the perfect time to catch up on all those movies you’ve been meaning to watch. Netflix is, let’s face it, a bit shit for horror, but luckily there’s a wealth of great films on Amazon Prime. But out of the literally thousands of movies on there, what’s worth watching?
I made this list of fifty films that I recommend. You might like them, you might not, but what the hell else are you gonna do with your time (other than purchase and read my latest novel, Dead Girl Blues, of course)?
Dead Girl Blues
As this list is purely my own personal taste, it skews heavily towards Italian horror, but I’ve tried to put in something for everyone. Enjoy, and don’t forget to tag Kendall Reviews (@gjkendall) and/or myself (@paperbacksnpugs) if you decide to watch any of these flicks. Let us know your thoughts!
Old School
Carnival of Souls (1962)
Highly regarded black ’n’ white creep-fest for slow-burn spook fans.
Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter (1974)
Swashbuckling Hammer horror with vampire sword fights.
The Monster Club (1981)
Super fun anthology horror with Vincent Price, Donald Pleasance and John Carradine.
Dr Terror’s House of Horrors (1965)
More British anthology horror from Hammer’s greatest rival, Amicus.
Theatre of Blood (1973)
Vincent Price and Diana Rigg hamming it up in outrageous fashion. Surprisingly violent.
The Dead Zone (1983)
Okay, so 1983 isn’t that old-school, but I couldn’t think where else to put this top-drawer Stephen King adaptation by body-horror master David Cronenberg.
Gore
The Toxic Avenger (1984)
Troma’s greatest film is this unbelievable splatter comedy, still shocking and hilariously almost 40 years later.
Nightmare City (1980)
Italian zombie nonsense with the undead piloting planes, shooting guns, and attacking synchronised dancing tv shows.
Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993)
Wisely ignoring the dreadful first sequel, this is Romeo and Juliet with all the sadomasochistic violence you ever wanted.
The Gate (1987)
Late 80s special effects masterclass, with invention and stunning practical effects throughout.
Class of Nuke ‘em High (1986)
Troma’s follow-up to Toxic Avenger is almost as good, sleazy and silly in equal measure.
Midnight Meat Train (2008)
Pretty successful Clive Barker adaptation from the director of Japanese kung-fu zombie craziness Versus. Stars a young Bradley Cooper and Vinnie fuckin’ Jones!
Italian Horror
Suspiria (1977)
Sure, Amazon’s modern remake is there too, but who needs that when Dario Argento’s iconic original could be watched again instead? If you’ve never seen it, you’re in for a psychedelic and savage treat.
Phenomena (1985)
Argento is fairly well represented on Prime, so be sure to check out the maestro’s utterly bananas fairytale horror, with Jennifer Connelly with her psychic connection to insects, Donald Pleasance as a Scot, and a razor-wielding chimp.
The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh (1971)
Peak giallo from Sergio Martino, with all the sex, style and violence you expect, wrapped up in a devilish plot.
The Washing Machine (1993)
It might sound ridiculous, but Ruggero Deodato’s film is actually a pretty taut thriller.
Hitch-Hike (1977)
Amazing Euro exploitation jam, with Franco Nero and Corinne Clery trapped in a car with psychotic David Hess. Dark, brutal and cynical.
The Sect (1991)
Argento protege Michele Soavi’s twisted fairytale horror, incorporating satanic births, devil cults, and fucking massive birds.
Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
One of the most famous “video nasties”, Cannibal Holocaust retains its power to unnerve, disturb and disgust. Be warned, this one gets rough.
The Church (1989)
One of the finest Italian horrors of the last thirty-odd years, a beautiful, mystical horror originally planned as the third in the Demons series.
All the Colours of the Dark (1972)
Pure satanic perfection as Sergio Martino combines the giallo with Rosemary’s Baby. Edwige Fenech, Nieves Navarro, and devil-worshipping orgies.
The New York Ripper (1982)
Lucio Fulci at his most misanthropic. A giallo-slasher that pushes the violence far beyond the boundaries of good taste, and is all the better for it.
Opera (1987)
My personal favourite Dario Argento film. The score, the cinematography, the staging of the murders — every aspect of the production is sublime.
Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971)
For many years almost impossible to see, catch the final part of Argento’s “animal trilogy” in HD. One of the best endings in horror movie history.
All the Colours of Giallo (2019)
Dry but interesting documentary on giallo films, a good starting point for newcomers to the genre.
Animals Attack!
Cujo (1983)
Terrific Stephen King adaptation. Super-suspenseful and well-shot, though not one for dog lovers.
Grizzly (1976)
One of the best Jaws rip-offs out there, and despite both films being PG, this one is somehow even more brutal than Spielberg’s film!
The Last Shark (1981)
Speaking of Jaws rip-offs, here’s The Last Shark, and that’s pretty much all you need to know. Great fun.
Tentacles (1977)
Wild Italian Jaws knock-off, the twist being it’s an octopus, not a shark. Stelvio Cipriani’s easy-listening score is a huge plus.
The Great Alligator (1979)
Sergio Martino’s bonkers killer alligator flick is slow to start, but worth it for the ludicrous mayhem of the climax.
Modern Films
Tumbbad (2018)
An Indian horror film that feels like the greatest Clive Barker adaptation ever, except it’s nothing to do with Clive. Powerful and scary.
Starry Eyes (2014)
Modern-day arthouse horror done right, with a build-up that actually pays off.
The Editor (2014)
Pitch-perfect giallo spoof, that actually works as a clever thriller in its own right. The recreation and lampooning of these films is flawless.
Eden Lake (2008)
Michael Fassbender stars in this utterly depressing British horror, where everyone keeps doing precisely the wrong thing at the wrong time. Guaranteed to have you screaming at your telly.
Evil Dead (2013)
One of the best of the modern remake trend, Evil Dead update’s Sam Raimi’s original with verve, style, and fucking gallons of blood.
House of the Devil (2009)
Arguably to blame for the current crop of slow-burn arthouse horror, but don’t hold that against it. This is a sinister satanic spook show of the highest order.
The Void (2016)
Splatterific Lovecraft homage, with a ton of amazing practical effects.
What We Do In the Shadows (2014)
If you’ve not yet seen Taika Waititi’s hilarious vampire comedy, then now’s your chance. You’re sitting doing nothing, there’s no excuse!
Slasher
Haunt (2019)
Tons-of-fun slasher movie set in a haunted house attraction, from the writers of A Quiet Place.
Friday the 13th parts 2-8
Yeah, for some reason part one isn’t free on prime, but part 2 recaps it pretty nicely, so why not treat yourself to the rest? Just skip part 7, guys. Skip it.
The House on Sorority Row (1983)
Very stylish and creative slasher from the tail-end of the golden years. Some nice twists and shocks.
Torso (1973)
Italian giallo that feels like a proto-slasher. The final third is astonishing, an extended game of cat and mouse that Hitchcock would have been proud of.
When a Stranger Calls Back (1993)
The original had a great first thirty minutes, then got dull. This one manages to keep the chills going the entire runtime. Only problem is the lovely Jill Schoelen’s unfortunate mullet.
Exploitation / Weird / Other
The Incubus (1982)
A sex-mad monster stalks the residents of a small town in this exceptionally trashy flick.
Driller Killer (1979)
Arthouse drama collides with brutal violence in this punk rock portrait of a man on the edge.
Messiah of Evil (1973)
Gorgeous seaside spook show with tons of creepy moments and atmosphere to burn
The Devil’s Rain (1975)
William Shatner, Ernest Borgnine and a young John Travolta star in this satanic shocker with a memorably gloopy climax.
Baba Yaga (1973)
Batshit erotic horror based on an Italian comic strip.
3 From Hell (2019)
Final part of Rob Zombie’s trilogy of films following a clan of murderous psychopaths. It’s a love it or hate it film, but I dug the hell out of it. True crime, women-in-prison, spaghetti western — all your favourite genres in one package!
Rage (1995)
Bit of a wildcard here, but PM Entertainment made some of the best direct-to-video action movies, and this Gary Daniels starrer has just enough of horror elements to justify inclusion on this list. Excellent fight choreography and jaw-dropping stunts abound!
David Sodergren
David Sodergren lives in Scotland with his wife Heather and his best friend, Boris the Pug.
Growing up, he was the kind of kid who collected rubber skeletons and lived for horror movies.
Not much has changed since then.
His first novel, The Forgotten Island, was published on October 1st 2018. This was followed by Night Shoot, a brutal throwback to the early 80s slasher movie cycle, in May 2019.
2020 will be Sodergren’s biggest year yet, with two new horror novels being published. Dead Girl Blues is a slasher-noir mystery, and it will be followed by a return to full-blown supernatural horror before the end of the year.
You can follow David on Twitter @paperbacksnpugs
To find out more about David please visit his official website www.paperbacksandpugs.wordpress.com
Find David on Instagram here
Dead Girl Blues
When a young woman dies in Willow Zulawski’s arms, it sets in motion a chain of events that will push her to the brink of madness.
A mysterious video is the only clue, but as Willow digs deeper into the murky world of snuff movies, those closest to her start turning up dead. Someone out there will stop at nothing to silence her.
After all, when killing is business, what’s one more dead body?
Part noir mystery, part violent slasher, Dead Girl Blues is the latest twisted shocker from David Sodergren, author of The Forgotten Island and Night Shoot.
Preorders now live for David Sodergren’s latest giallo/slasher-noir novel DEAD GIRL BLUES!
Preorders are for Kindle only, the paperback will be available day of release (April 6th).
UK PREORDER: Dead Girl Blues
US PREORDER: Dead Girl Blues
The Forgotten Island
When Ana Logan agrees to go on holiday to Thailand with her estranged sister Rachel, she hopes it will be a way for them to reconnect after years of drifting apart.
But now, stranded on a seemingly deserted island paradise with no radio and no food, reconciliation becomes a desperate fight for survival.
For when night falls on The Forgotten Island, the dark secrets of the jungle reveal themselves.
Something is watching them from the trees.
Something ancient.
Something evil.
You can buy The Forgotten Island from Amazon UK & Amazon US
You can read the Kendall Review for The Forgotten Island HERE
Night Shoot
A group of desperate student filmmakers break into Crawford Manor for an unauthorised night shoot. They have no choice. Their lead actress has quit. They’re out of time. They’re out of money.
They’re out of luck.
For Crawford Manor has a past that won’t stay dead, and the crew are about to come face-to-face with the hideous secret that stalks the halls.
Will anyone survive…the NIGHT SHOOT?
A delirious homage to the slasher movies of the 1980s, Night Shoot delivers page after page of white-knuckle terror.
You can buy Night Shoot from Amazon UK & Amazon US
You can read the Kendall Review for Night Shoot HERE
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