As a horror movie buff, I am so, so ready for A Quiet Place. Starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, two incredible actors who also happen to be married in real life, this film follows a family who must live a life devoid of sound in order to survive the terrifying creatures that have wiped out most of humanity. What makes this horror film quite different from the other creature-based horror films we've seen over the years is the fact that the film is mostly a silent film. The characters cannot speak — there is little to no extraneous sound (even footsteps are padded by man-made sandy walkways) — and the overwhelming sense of dread only seems to be amplified in the process.
Take a look at the trailer for A Quiet Place, and see for yourself:
Thinking about the ways in which A Quiet Place subverts expectations of what a horror film can be got me thinking: What other unconventional horror films are available to stream right now just in case I want to have an unconventional horror movie marathon? I've rounded them up below so you can choose your next movie-night pick.
From creepy found-footage flicks to monster movies that have atypical monsters, the following films find ways to deviate from the typical slasher, body horror, supernatural, zombie and creature-centric horror movies you know and love.
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It Follows
It Follows is an art house movie with roots in classic horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and Invasion of the Body Snatchers but with a look and feel all its own. With music and stillness its main weapons of shock value, this movie takes the traditional formula of a group of teens forced to fight off an invisible monster and turns it on its head with lots of fun twists.
Creep 2
The found-footage style may feel familiar, but the story that makes up the sequel to the mostly predictable Creep will leave you thoroughly intrigued. Telling the story of an indie filmmaker who answers an ad that leads her out to the woods where a rather strange man lives, Creep 2's constantly shifting power dynamics and creepy (yeah, I said it), truly unpredictable ending will have you thinking about it long after the credits roll.
The Blair Witch Project
It's a classic and, yes, it's still unconventional. Nearly 20 years on, the found-footage format of The Blair Witch Project still manages to create a sense of dread that leaves you feeling horrified from beginning to end.
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The Witch
With heavily accented Old English dialogue and a grim New World setting, The Witch's folkloric elements and pervasively ominous vibes only amplify as you watch the story of a family plagued by ill fortune try to survive even as they feel something threateningly supernatural is haunting them.
Gerald's Game
When a kinky afternoon involving a woman handcuffed to the bed and her husband trying to reignite their marriage goes horribly awry, the woman must confront her own past demons in order to free herself in every way possible. Adapted from a Stephen King novella of the same name, Gerald's Game is as much about psychological horror as it is the various horrors of literally being chained to your bed.
Raw
The coming-of-age narrative gets a supremely gory twist in Raw, a French-language film about a college-age woman who attends veterinary school and comes to terms with a very dark secret about herself and the rest of her family after learning that life on a vegetarian diet isn't all it's cracked up to be.
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
The slow pace and the characters' mannered way of speaking may leave you feeling alienated, but the blend of art house and horror leads to a very unsettling conclusion to a story about a young female nurse who arrives at the potentially haunted home of a famed author.
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The Invitation
Cults, betrayals among friends and maybe the worst possible ending to a dinner party await you in The Invitation. As you begin to watch, you'll likely find yourself thinking, "This is a horror movie?" But just you wait, because the action shifts very quickly from unsettling to full-on horrific.
The Babadook
On one level, The Babadook tells a very human story of loss and not letting your sadness turn you into a shadow of your former self. On another very scary level, The Babadook tells the atmospheric, unnerving tale of a mother and her son who seem to be haunted by the deeply unsettling children's storybook monster The Babadook, whose motives are unknown but super-creepy.