If You Loved 'Midsommar's Slow-Burn Psychological Terror, Here're 5 Horrors to Haunt You Next
Be prepared to be suspicious of any village festivals after watching these movies.
Ari Aster's Midsommar isn't just a horror film – it's a slow-burning nightmare unfolding in broad daylight. The movie follows a cult that seems welcoming at first, but then draws the characters into its vicious, terrifying ritual.
If you're still under the spell of this sunny horror gem and want more, we've compiled a list of five similar flicks.
1. 'The Village', 2004
IMDb Score: 6.6/10
Lucius lives in a secluded community. He wants to go into the forest to find a cure for the terrible disease that is killing his family and friends. The elders deny his request – no one is allowed to leave the village.
The movie's narrative slowly unfolds, revealing the elders' cultish behavior only halfway through. The illusion of horror persists until the unexpected ending, which radically alters the plot.
2. 'The Devil Rides Out', 1968
IMDb Score: 6.9/10
In The Devil Rides Out, Terence Fisher takes a serious approach to the subject of Satanic cults. The plot follows a group of educated Englishmen who attempt to rescue a friend's soul from high-ranking devil worshipers.
Sir Christopher Lee portrays Duc de Richleau, a master of the occult. The movie carries a clear anti-cult message – the director was concerned about the prevalence of dangerous religious practices and aimed to protect audiences from the influence of charismatic leaders.
3. 'Mandy', 2018
IMDb Score: 6.5/10
Lumberjack Red and artist Mandy live in a house hidden deep in the woods. Red spends his days chopping down trees, while Mandy tends to the property. Both are wounded by life in their own way, and both find inner peace in their relationship.
Their life is simple: in the evenings, the lovers watch TV, go boating on the lake, and talk. Little do they suspect that their happiness will soon come to an end. A cult obsessed with mysticism, cruelty, and psychoactive substances has established itself next door.
For a small group of followers, their leader's desires are law. One evening, he desired Mandy, who was passing by the cultists' car by a tragic accident.
4. 'Rosemary's Baby', 1968
IMDb Score: 8.0/10
Aspiring actor Guy and his young wife, Rosemary, are looking for a new apartment. Among their options is an apartment in the Bramford, a Manhattan high-rise.
The neo-Renaissance building has a rich, and somewhat eerie, history. Despite the many urban legends surrounding the building and its residents, the couple agrees to move in.
Tragedy quickly follows when Terry, a former drug addict living under the care of the respectable Minnie and Roman next door, commits suicide. This tragedy unexpectedly brings Rosemary and their elderly neighbors closer together, and Guy's career takes off.
5. 'Apostle', 2018
IMDb Score: 6.3/10
At the end of the 19th century, three death row inmates escaped custody and cast their fate to the sea. A storm washed them ashore on a remote, uninhabited island. The trio believed that a goddess residing in this land had saved them from death.
She chose the most eloquent one as the prophet of a new religious cult that united seekers of paradise on earth. Due to a series of crop failures in recent years, the sectarians had been struggling and began kidnapping people for ransom.
One of their victims was the sister of Thomas, a young pastor experiencing a crisis of faith. Posing as a new convert, Thomas traveled to the island to understand the peculiarities of the new faith and free his captive.
