Streaming services are adding more and more foreign films to their North American libraries as audiences gain a greater appreciation for global cinema. The horror genre is no exception, with Netflix, HBO Max, and Shudder in particular hosting vast collections of foreign horror on their streaming platforms, ranging from a wide variety of national origins, eras, and horror subgenres.
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For viewers who aren’t afraid to turn the subtitles and read along to a movie or even want to practice their listening skills for a particular language, here are ten great foreign horror films and where they are currently available to stream.
10Stree
ThisIndian horror-comedyweaves the story of “Stree”, the vengeful spirit of a woman that preys on men who venture out alone at night. The mythos ofStreeis based on the urban legend of “Naale Baa”, a Kannada phrase meaning “come tomorrow” which is written on walls of homes to ward off evil spirits in real life and Stree specifically in the film.
When one of them falls victim to Stree, a slaphappy group of friends must find a way to end her decades-long quest for revenge.
9Tag
Fans of the surreal and the gory will find a new favorite flick in the Japanese horror filmTag, also known in Japan asRiaru Onigokkowhich translate to “real tag”. The nightmarish movie follows high schooler Mitsuko as she is thrown into horrific and unearthly scenarios with nary a thread of reality to grasp onto.
As Mitsuko fights to survive, she starts to question the bizarre world she’s been cast in and how to reclaim her own fate.
8Let The Right One In
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name, this Swedish film unfolds the formation of a life-changing friendship between Oskar, a young boy constantly bullied by his peers, and Eli, a strange girl who has just moved in next door.Let The Right One Inhas been critically acclaimed for its refreshing twist on horror archetypes and the exceptional performances of its lead child actors.
The film also garnered an American remake that, in rare form, was well-received by critics.
7Verónica
This supernatural Spanish film is inspired by the true case of Estefanía Gutiérrez Lázaro, a young woman who mysteriously died after being plagued by hallucinations and seizures after attempting a séance with her friends. Much like her real-life counterpart, the film’s eponymous protagonist becomes the victim ofan evil spiritafter using an Oujia board to contact her late father during a solar eclipse.
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Verónica races to uncover a way to save herself and her siblings from the dark presence’s clutches.
6The Lure
Offering a grim yet alluring twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy taleThe Little Mermaid, the Polish musical tells a new tale of two mermaid sisters, Gold and Silver, that venture out of their ocean habitat to become singers for a rock band.
The sisterly duo finds that life on the surface comes with its own challenges as Gold struggles to rein in her bloodlust and Silver falls head over tail for the band’s bassist who can’t see past her scales.
5Perfect Blue
Psychological horror and anime feature fans alike must add this iconic film to their streaming watch lists. A groundbreaking entry in both the genre and the medium,Perfect Blueshowcases the horror and tension that can be crafted with animation through its dreamily eerie aesthetic and avant-garde visuals that would lose their elegantly unnerving effect in the live-action media form.
Perfect Bluerevolves around a former idol turned actress who realizes that those around her aren’t as willing to say goodbye to her past as she is.
4Onibaba
This fourteenth-century period film derives its title from malevolent female spirits that have the appearance of older women in Japanese folklore, the term “onibaba” translating to “demon hag”. The movie revolves around anunnamed motherand her daughter-in-law that work together to survive in the midst of a civil war that took away the mother’s son.
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When a deserter returns home delivering news of her son’s death and seduces her daughter-in-law, the mother will do whatever it takes to keep the pair apart.
3Raw
Only those with a strong stomach and an appetite for the disturbing should click play onRaw, a French film that notoriously caused several audience members to pass out during its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival.Rawdepicts vegetarian Justine enrolling in veterinary school, where she quickly learns that she has a desperatecraving for flesh, in more ways than one.
Brimming with blood cannibalism, unbridled sexuality, and rich metaphor, Raw is truly a one of kind horror film.
2Nosferatu
The most well-known adaptation ofBram Stroker’sDraculato date,Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror(usually referred to simply asNosferatu)is widely considered not only a staple of the horror and vampire genre but one of the most notable works in the history of cinema.
The black-and-white silent German film was actually legally ordered to be eradicated from existence for what was ruled as illegally plagiarizingDraculathough the attempts to destroy it were clearly unsuccessful and now can be streamed by anyone.
1Eyes Without A Face
Despite intentionally toning down the French film’s particularly grotesque plot points to appease Europe’s high censorship standards at the time,Eyes Without A Facewas still highly controversial upon its release.
Alternately known in the United States asThe Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus, the film centers around aplastic surgeonthat abducts and cuts the faces off of beautiful women in the hopes of successfully transplanting a new face onto his disfigured daughter whom he forces to wear a mask until the procedure is complete.
