'The Wicker Man' and 7 Other Best Folk Horror Movies, Ranked by IMDb

Folk horror relies less on sudden jump scares and more on building a sense of dread through the clash between civilization and ancient, dark traditions.

In this genre, evil does not come from outer space or a laboratory, rather, it's rooted in the earth, in rituals passed down through generations, and in silent forests where every stone remembers pagan sacrifices.

8. 'Hagazussa: A Heathen's Curse', 2017

IMDb Score: 5.8/10

The Austrian Alps, 15th century. Following the death of her mother, a young woman named Albrun finds herself alone with a small child in the remote wilderness. Years earlier, the local villagers had branded her family as witches and banished them from the community.

Albrun makes a living raising goats and tries to keep to herself. Yet, her superstitious neighbors continue to view her as the embodiment of ancient evil. They torment her even though she lives in isolation.

Gradually, the relentless harassment, loneliness, and fear of age-old legends begin to blur the line between reality and nightmare for Albrun.

7. 'Apostle', 2018

IMDb Score: 6.3/10

It's the year 1905. Thomas finds a letter that his younger sister, Jennifer, wrote to their father. In it, she reveals that she has been abducted by a religious sect and taken to a remote island. To save her life, he must go there alone and pay a substantial ransom.

However, their father has long since lost touch with reality and is oblivious to the world around him. Consequently, Thomas, who has long been presumed dead, sets out for the island in his place.

The settlement is led by Malcolm, a man who was once accused of high treason and sentenced to death. He escaped while being transported by ship and landed on the island. He claims that a goddess of the land made contact with him and bestowed her wisdom upon him.

6. 'The Blood on Satan's Claw', 1971

IMDb Score: 6.4/10

In the 18th-century English countryside, a peasant named Ralph found a strange skull with a tuft of fur in a field. The skull didn't appear to belong to a human or an animal, leading Ralph to suspect that it might be linked to a demonic force.

He decided to report the matter to a magistrate visiting the area. However, by the time Ralph returned with the official, the skull had vanished. Dismissing the incident as a waste of his time caused by foolish superstition, the magistrate attaches no importance to the matter.

A few days later, local teenagers found a strange claw covered in fur, and horrific events began to plague the village.

5. 'The Medium', 2021

IMDb Score: 6.5/10

A South Korean film crew has arrived in one of Thailand's poorest regions to shoot a documentary about Nim, a hereditary shaman. Nim claims to serve the goddess Ba Yan, who has watched over her family's women for generations.

Soon, strange events begin to plague her niece, Mink. It becomes unclear whether Ba Yan is truly a benevolent guardian or if something else is trying to take over the young woman's body.

4. 'The Village', 2004

IMDb Score: 6.6/10

The residents of a small village live in complete isolation. Their settlement is surrounded by a dense forest that is strictly off-limits. According to the elders, mysterious creatures inhabit the woods, and the villagers have entered into an unspoken non-aggression pact with them.

However, to be safe, the village leaders have established strict rules and a security system designed to warn of danger. Beyond the forest lie the so-called towns, which are inhabited by people mired in sin.

After one of the elders' young sons dies from a lack of medicine, Lucius Hunt, a villager, asks the elders for permission to travel to the towns beyond the forest.

3. 'Witchfinder General', 1968

IMDb Score: 6.7/10

England, mid-17th century, the country is gripped by civil war. Taking advantage of the chaos, the self-proclaimed witch hunter Matthew Hopkins travels from village to village with his assistant, accusing locals of witchcraft.

The state treasury pays him handsomely for this work. Hopkins extracts confessions of devil worship through torture, yet those he executes are innocent.

One day, Hopkins learns that a village pastor is a devil worshipper and sets out to interrogate him. What Hopkins does not know is that his new target's daughter is the beloved of a soldier serving in Oliver Cromwell's army.

2. 'Midsommar', 2019

IMDb Score: 7.1/10

Dani is going through a difficult time: her sister killed their parents and then took her own life. This tragedy has left Dani emotionally traumatized. Meanwhile, her boyfriend Christian has distanced himself emotionally.

He had wanted to end the relationship for some time, but he couldn't bring himself to do so under the circumstances. Dani joins Christian and his friends on a trip to a remote Swedish community that hosts a midsummer festival once every ninety years.

At first, the trip seems like an ethnographic excursion, but it soon becomes clear that the welcoming smiles hide traditions meant only for locals.

1. 'The Wicker Man', 1973

IMDb Score: 7.5/10

Police Sergeant Neil Howie arrives on the remote Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a local girl named Rowan. However, the residents act as though she never existed.

Even Rowan's supposed mother insists that she only has one daughter: nine-year-old Myrtle. Myrtle herself claims the only Rowan she knows is a hare that runs through the fields.

Confused by the situation, Neil decides there is nothing left for him to do on Summerisle. Yet the islanders' behavior and their strange pagan rituals compel him to stay and continue the investigation.