Horror is a rich genre with an abundant amount of styles and subgenres, but slow burns that crawl and claw into the mind are among the best it has to offer. They burrow into the subconscious and remain long after the first viewing.
Slow burns put a lot of emphasis and focus on the journey without relying too heavily on a destination or revelation. This allows for more detailed world-building and character development, while also preventing the impact from fading during repeat viewings.
This is a robust subgenre with a variety of choices but below are some of the best available without spoilers to help you find some treats this Halloween season, without even having to leave your home or spending money on rentals.
A family of two kids, their dad, and his fiancé are staying at the family’s isolated lodge in rural Massachusetts. Six months earlier, the mother of the two children had committed suicide after learning of her ex-husband’s engagement to Grace after an undetermined amount of separation between the two of them. Richard met Grace while researching an extremist Christian cult that was started and led by her father. He’s hoping the time there will be fun for all of them, while also allowing time for the kids to see how warm and kind Grace is.
Isolation, gaslighting, and tension are all utilized in a tightly wound combination to form true and honest terror in grounded and plausible circumstances. The Lodge is available on Hulu.
Shutter is a Thai horror film with supernatural elements that collide with both tension and terror. An English version is available, but it’s a far better experience to just go with the subtitles.The film begins with Jane and her boyfriend Tun accidentally hitting someone with their car after leaving a party. Tun convinces Jane to drive away without checking on the victim out of fear of consequences. Shortly after this incident, he begins to see weird shadows and artifacts while working on his photography. It starts slow but starts to escalate rapidly as the story progresses with perfect pacing, which will no doubt have your heart racing long before the frightful conclusion. Shutter is available on Netflix.
The Lighthouse is as deep and thought-provoking as it is terrifying. The film follows two men working as caretakers at a lighthouse in isolation during a stormy season when circumstances begin to grow increasingly bizarre and surreal. Despite initially being inspired by a short story by Edgar Alen Poe, The Lighthouse feels much more firmly rooted in H.P. Lovecraft, while also feeling new and original. This film takes its time in its build-up and will take you somewhere far and unknown, all without ever leaving the lighthouse. The Lighthouse is available in glorious 4K on Prime Video.
The Invitation is deceivingly simple in its setting and premise. Will and his girlfriend attend a dinner party being hosted by his ex-wife Eden and her husband David. It’s revealed that Will and Eden went through pain and trauma together when their child died suddenly. They’re on good terms but Will is clearly uncomfortable because Eden’s a constant reminder and what they had and lost. Some longtime friends, along with Eden and David’s new roommate they met out of state, are also attending. Eden and David have drinks and dinner planned for everyone but would also like to tell everyone about a group they’ve joined called “The Invitation.” Tense and interesting, with a group dynamic that feels off and unnerving from the onset, The Invitation escalates into something chaotic, uncomfortable, and yet entirely possible. The Invitation is available on Netflix.
Midsommar is an instant classic and will no doubt be celebrated decades from now in the same vein as The Thing, Alien, and The Shining. Barely begun grieving the sudden deaths of her parents and sister, Dani embarks on an academically motivated vacation in an isolated Swedish commune with her boyfriend and his three friends. Dani and Christian’s relationship was on the brink of ending before the tragic deaths of her family and it’s decayed further despite the half measures from Christian, fueled by obligation and forged from guilt, and the optimism and desire for a connection to another human from Dani.
Conflicting motivations and ulterior motives work hand in hand to create a hostile and foreboding fog the group must unknowingly maneuver through while trying to learn about this new culture and environment. Midsommar is a character study and exploration into the capabilities of the human spirit wrapped tightly against the skin of mental health and our responses to both fear and love. It almost entirely takes place against the vibrant and lush colors of rural Sweden. You can experience Ari Aster’s folk horror classic and best film on Prime Video in 4K.
The House of the Devil feels like it was made in the ’80s which is appropriate since that’s when it takes place but the amount of detail that went into ensuring it felt like this is astounding. The cinematography and film grain help blur the line between the ’80s and late 2000s, which was when this film was made. Set in the midst of the “Satanic Panic” and tucked tightly between the slasher and haunted house genres, The House of the Devil follows a babysitter hired to look after an adult in what is communicated as an easy job and even comes with plenty of money and even some cash for pizza. It doesn’t take long for the creeping terror to morph into something more claustrophobic and horrifying. It will feel familiar to anyone who has seen some of the big horror hits from the ’80s but that doesn’t stop it from feeling original and exciting. The House of the Devil is available on Prime Video.
Calibre is a psychological thriller set in the remote Scottish Highlands. It stars two friends who are on a hunting trip together. Marcus, an overconfident businessman, wanted to take Vaughn on a hunting trip for fun and to celebrate the child that he and his fiancée are expecting. It starts off lighthearted and they end up grabbing drinks in town and meeting some of the townsfolk but things slowly start to creep toward something sinister. Something goes wrong when Marcus and Vaughn are out hunting in the secluded woods and their disagreement on how to handle it and the way they end up taking care of it sets events into motion that cannot be reversed or slowed. Calibre is a Netflix Original.
Spiral is set in a small town in the mid ’90s where everything seems like it’s fine at first when in reality, it’s anything but fine. Malik and Aaron move to a small town for a quieter life and to focus on providing a good environment for their 16-year-old daughter. The neighborhood almost feels picture-perfect until they start to encounter some discrimination over their same-sex relationship. Things start to cool a bit before transforming into something far more ominous. Spiral has sharp commentary on social issues and how society unfortunately tends to ignore crimes against specific groups of people, including those from the LGBTQ community. Spiral is available to stream on Shudder, which is available on its own and included with AMC+ with even more content for a few bucks more.
Host features a group of friends meeting up for a virtual get-together during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this particular virtual gathering, they’re performing a séance together with the help of a medium. They were likely looking for something different and maybe didn’t have a fun list like this article to help pass the time during COVID-19. Things start off pretty normal and someone even ends up leaving the Zoom call early for no real reason, which helps make this film feel grounded and that foundation provides the means for something horrific to emerge. You can join the Zoom call and see how things go on Shudder, which is available on its own and included with AMC+.
The Shining is one of the most well-known horror films and for good reason. Stanley Kubrick’s film may differ significantly from Stephen King’s novel but it’s still an unrelenting nightmare that exponentially unwinds into something far more evil than a family staying at a hotel. Jack Torrance takes a job as a temporary caretaker at the Overlook Hotel while it closes for the winter season. Wendy and Jack are determined to make this a great family trip where they’ll make some easy money and eat for free in a magnificent hotel while Jack finishes his latest novel. The hotel, however, has other plans for Jack. Jack Nicholson provides one of the best performances of his career to fill in the shoes of Jack Torrance as the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel. The Shining is available on Prime Video.
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