Knock on Wood

Welcome back to May’s Monthly Horror Recs, where it is always the time of year for scary movies! Don’t let the post-spooky season blues get to you; I am always watching plenty of underseen and underrated horror movies to bring them straight to you.

Near Dark (1987)

Before becoming a widely known, Oscar-winning tour-de-force auteur, Kathryn Bigelow made a tiny little vampire horror western that is not only hard to find, but also rarely spoken of. That’s a genuine shame, because after getting lucky with an old used DVD from my local media thrift store, I was treated to one of my favorite recent horror discoveries, period. I could probably fill three to four pages with this movie and not break a sweat. The cinematography and atmosphere are among the best of the era. It combines the horror, western, and even romance genres perfectly, and it’s positively filled to the brim with phenomenal performances from both the leads and the supporting cast. The romance story at the center is great, Lance Henrikson and Bill Paxton both give iconic supporting performances, and I think I’ll be remembering the look of this movie for a long time. It’s best not to know much going in, but it’s safe to say this should be an immediate addition to the watchlist of any movie fan that’s lucky enough to come across it. It is truly worth your time.

Watch it on Shudder

We’re All Going To the World’s Fair (2022)

Before Jane Schoenbrun wrangled the LGBTQIA+ community by their collective heartstrings with their 2024 masterpiece I Saw the TV Glow, they released a haunting little creeper of a movie that deserves a revisit. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, like I Saw the TV Glow, is abstractly drawn, and is far better described as a disturbing tone poem than a straightforward horror film. It latches onto the inner outcast in all of us and simulates the atmosphere of scrolling your phone in bed far too late at night as a child. You eventually scroll upon a rabbit hole of creepypastas, and then your night becomes a sleep-deprived haze of darkness, dim screen lighting, and an undercurrent of powerful existential dread slowly boiling up to the surface. The atmosphere is extremely potent and presides over the entire film as a genuine driver of the narrative, and what I love so much about it is that, like David Lynch’s films, what that atmosphere conjures up within you will vary from person to person. It feels specific yet universally interpretable in a way that is very fulfilling. It’s all centered by a jaw-dropping performance by Anna Cobb in her first ever film! This one’s surely not going to be for everyone, but for those it connects with, it will connect profoundly.

Watch it on Kanopy, Hoopla

The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

Folk horror has never looked or felt like this. I have to say, this one really took me aback when I first saw it. It can be easy as a movie fan to feel like you’ve seen enough to get the basic formula in anything you may come across, but that’s what makes movies like this special. I can’t begin to describe the joy I felt when I got to say I’ve never seen anything quite like this before, and I doubt ever will again. It’s horny, mysterious, funny, psychedelic, adventurous at heart, and a blast to watch. It has a stellar cast with the baby-faced versions of both Peter Capaldi AND Hugh freaking Grant, a treacherously sexy Amanda Donohoe, and a wide variety of kooky and quirky townsfolk on top of that. The parallel plots of the ancient vampire-esque Lady Sylvia going through her list of victims and the gaggle of archaeologists and quirky characters investigating an ancient mystery are both super fun, and they get even better as they develop, cross into each other, and come into a wonderfully over-the-top and fun climax. It’s been close to five months since I’ve seen this as pf writing and I still vividly remember the joy I had watching it as if it was just yesterday. Do yourself a favor and check this one out as soon as you can!

Watch it on Hoopla, Plex, Fandango at Home

American Mary (2013)

Being a broke and struggling medical student is enough of a horror movie on its own, but it gets much worse when you accidentally get roped into the underworld of extreme body modification. Katharine Isabelle’s character, Mary, isn’t thrilled about this option at first, only taking it out of desperation. But the more she meets people, forms relationships, and hones her talent for it, she realizes she may just start to enjoy it. The delightfully alternative Soska Sisters direct this with a perfect combination of perversity, humor, sexuality, hard hitting and heavy moments, and even a good heart when needed. I’ll admit to being a bit dissatisfied with its ending and final moments in general, but everything leading up to that is just so darn good, it’s hard not to recommend it. As a horror fan, it’s weird to see a movie put a relatable final-girl type character into a demented spiral that satisfies the kind of horror experiences you’d get from psychological, rape-revenge, and even body horror films. I instantly wanted to see the Soska Sisters’ other films once this was over, and it is always an absolute pleasure to see Katherine Isabelle go ham like this. She alone is worth the price of admission, not only grounding the narrative in an emotional reality, but bringing a ferocity, calculated coldness, and vulnerability to such a wildly hard to play character.

Watch it on the Roku Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla, Philo, PlutoTV, ARROW, Fawesome, Midnightpulp

Hellbender (2022)

Before seeing this, I had never heard of the Adams family (no, not that one) before. The idea of a husband, wife, and two-daughter horror filmmaking team is wonderful, and I am so glad I just happened across this movie one day on Shudder. It’s a satisfying slow-burn with autumnal, witchy, and even a bit of heavy metal vibes that is simple and effective in its premise and execution. An isolationist mother lives alone in the woods with her daughter, only for the daughter to grow out of the restrictions her mother places on her as she discovers her own power and identity. This story being told by a real mother and daughter already gives a story like this an authenticity and power it wouldn’t have otherwise. The weight of the isolation her daughter feels, and the liberation she gets from her newfound power, is palpable. It functions as a coming-of-age tale that endears you immediately to her need for freedom and expression, even as the mother’s character is fleshed out and she becomes far more than a mysterious maternal aggressor. It’s not revolutionary, and you’ll definitely recognize tropes and imagery that will ring as familiar, but this movie’s heart elevates it into a wonderful gem that is very much worth a watch.

Watch it on Shudder, Hoopla, Philo, AMC+