6 Best Folk Horror Movies of All Time

By Vlad Zakh · February 18, 2026

Folk horror draws its dread from isolated communities, pagan ritual, and nature itself, unsettling audiences with what looks like ordinary daylight. In The Wicker Man (1973): A devout police officer investigates a missing girl on a remote island practicing pagan rituals. Equally memorable is Midsommar (2019): A grieving woman’s trip to a Swedish festival with her boyfriend descends into disturbing pagan ritual.

Men (2022)

TMDB ★ 5.5

A woman's solo countryside retreat after a trauma is disrupted by increasingly disturbing encounters with local men.

Directed by Alex Garland · 1h 40m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: HBO Max Amazon Channel, Cinemax Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Cinemax Apple TV channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Ritual (2017)

TMDB ★ 6.4

Friends hiking through a Swedish forest are stalked by an ancient, monstrous pagan entity.

Directed by David Bruckner · 1h 34m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Midsommar (2019)

IMDb ★ 7.1 RT 83% Metacritic 72

A grieving woman's trip to a Swedish festival with her boyfriend descends into disturbing pagan ritual.

Directed by Ari Aster · 2h 27m · Rated R

27 wins & 74 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Witch (2015)

IMDb ★ 7.0 RT 91% Metacritic 84

A Puritan family exiled to the edge of the woods suspects a dark supernatural force is targeting them.

Directed by Robert Eggers · 1h 32m · Rated R

43 wins & 72 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)

TMDB ★ 6.4

A mysterious discovery in the earth corrupts the children of a remote 17th-century English village.

Directed by Piers Haggard · 1h 36m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Fandor Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Midnight Pulp, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Wicker Man (1973)

IMDb ★ 7.5 RT 92% Metacritic 87

A devout police officer investigates a missing girl on a remote island practicing pagan rituals.

Directed by Robin Hardy · 1h 33m · Rated R

3 wins & 6 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, BFI Player Amazon Channel, MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix, built to fix a specific annoyance: most recommendation sites are just algorithm-driven noise. Our lists are researched and organized by who's in a film, where it's from, and the mood you're actually in tonight.

6 Best Folk Horror Movies of All Time

Men (2022)

The Ritual (2017)

Midsommar (2019)

The Witch (2015)

The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)

The Wicker Man (1973)

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