The shifting cinematic culture of the 1970s which saw audiences willing to embrace more confronting material saw the decade become something of a golden era for horror. 1973’sThe Exorcistremains one of the most renowned films ever made, while the decade ended withRidley Scott’s sci-fi horror classicAlien, but it wasn’t just American horror films that thrived through the decade.
It also proved to be a significant period for international horror with everything from British folk horrorto Italy’s giallo films, and even Asian mixings of haunted house horror and comedy thriving. Whether it’s cults, killers, or Counts that catch your fancy this Halloween, these 10 great movies from around the world are well worth checking out.
10’Let Sleeping Corpses Lie' (1974)
A joint production between Spain and Italy,Let Sleeping Corpses Liewas a sci-fi zombie horror film set in the English countryside. Amid the film’s winding story and shifting focuses, it primarily follows a local cop who pursues two hippies he suspects as being murderers while, unbeknownst to him, corpses are being reanimated by a farming tool designed to kill insects with ultrasonic rays.
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It has become a cult hit of zombie horror with its effective score, its terrific sequences of suspense, and its copious amounts of gore. The film was released under more than 15 differing titles across the world and remains a surprisingly alarming zombie movie today.
9’The Blood on Satan’s Claw' (1971)
An unnerving supernatural horror film which also works as an eerie period thriller,The Blood on Satan’s Clawovercame its underwhelming release to become a minor cult classic. Set in 18th century England, it focuses on a small village where the discovery of a strange corpse inspires the youth to conduct disturbing rituals to contact the devil.
It drew comparisons toH. P. Lovecraft’s work for the manner in which it mixed its grounded, anxiety-inducing suspense with its more striking demonic elements to create a deeply unsettling atmosphere. It has come to be viewed as a pioneering film in Britain’s surge of folk horror through the 1970s, and remains a uniquely creepy look at possession horror as well.
8’The Bird with the Crystal Plumage' (1970)
The directorial debut of genre legendDario Argento,The Bird with the Crystal Plumagewasn’t an example of the filmmaker at his absolute best, but it still served as a stunning, stylish introduction to his sensitivities and suspense. Set in Rome, it follows an American writer who witnesses a serial killer’s murder of a young woman and tries to uncover who the culprit is before he becomes the next victim.
The joint production between Italy and West Germany was a critical success upon release and its legacy grew as Argento’s career flourished. It also served as the first installment of Argento’s thematically-connected “Animal Trilogy” consisting ofThe Cat o’ Nine TailsandFour Flies on Grey Velvetwhich also stand as great international horror movies of the decade.
7’Hausu' (‘House’) (1977)
The juxtaposition of thrills and laughs has made the horror-comedy subgenre one of the most popular in horror cinema. It often allows filmmakers to embrace the notion of visual horror in excess with something of a safety net, and that was the aura emitted from the experimental Japanese filmHousewhen it was released in 1977.
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The defiant haunted house flick follows a schoolgirl and six of her classmates as they venture to a remote country house where they are attacked by a supernatural presence. Taking on a wickedly gleeful tone, the film features many elaborate deaths and bizarre sequences which have made it something of a cult classic of foreign horror cinema.
6’Don’t Look Now' (1973)
A controversial film upon release,Don’t Look Nowwas initially infamous for its racy sex scene, but its legend has grown as the decades have rolled on. A joint production between England and Italy, the psychological horror film starredDonald SutherlandandJulie Christieas a couple still grieving the death of their daughter when they journey to Rome for work where they encounter two elderly sisters who claim to be in contact with their child’s spirit.
Its gradual building of suspense is rife with great visual terror, masterful editing, and a chilling score which brings to life the couple’s heartache with aplomb. It works to devastating effect as a family drama, but truly makes its mark as a beautifully haunting psychological horror which engulfs viewers from its opening moments.
5A Bay of Blood (1971)
An often-unsung pioneer of slasher cinema,A Bay of Bloodwas controversial upon release due to its graphic murder scenes which shocked contemporary audiences, but it has won higher praise retrospectively. The Italian film focuses on a paradisiacal coastal area which is beseeched by a flurry of brutal killings in the wake of the murder of a wealthy countess.
A radical film for its time, it has come to be celebrated not only for its impact on the slasher subgenre, but for its willingness to embrace the visceral terror of giallo film as well. It remains the most polarizing film in directorMario Bava’s filmography.
4’Deep Red' (1975)
A coming-of-age in Dario Argento’s career as a masterful horror director,Deep Redis widely viewed to be the filmmaker’s first truly great movie. The film was a trademark offering from Argento, rich with the brutal gore, active camera work, and eye-catching style that would make him such a famous auteur in cinema.
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“Suzy, do you know anything about… witches?”
However, the film found an added punch by functioning as a compelling mystery as well, following a musician and a reporter as they take it upon themselves to investigate a murder which turns out to be the work of an active serial killer.With the suspense rising to unbearable levels, the film is as horrifying as it is brutal and remains a spellbinding visual spectacle.
3’Nosferatu the Vampyre' (1979)
Remakes in horror don’t always work out well, butWerner Herzog’s famous recreation ofNosferatuhas become an acclaimed film of its own accord. Based on the classic horror taleDracula, it follows a centuries old vampire as he moves to Wismar, bringing with him sickness and death as he falls in love with the wife of his estate agent.
While its story followed many of the same beats as the iconic 1922 movie it was based on,Nosferatu the Vampyrefound an increased dramatic punch in its meditation on Dracula’s (Klaus Kinski) eternal existence. Herzog’s striking visual spectacle and a magnetic performance from Kinski ensured the German remake became a quintessential watch for all horror fans.
2’The Wicker Man' (1973)
The iconic masterpiece of British folk horror,The Wicker Manis famous for its unrelenting eeriness which makes it one of the most unsettling movies ever made. The mysterious story follows an English police officer as he investigates the case of a missing girl on a remote Scottish island where the residents practice Celtic paganism.
Robin Hardy’s sharp direction combined withAnthony Shaffer’s imaginative and terror-inducing screenplay to create a rare horror film which felt innately unholy. Its mounting tension and constant unease ultimately boils over with terrifying effect when it delivers one of the most iconic and unforgettable endings the genre has ever seen.
1’Suspiria' (1977)
As Dario Argento’s crowning glory,Suspiriasaw the Italian filmmaker leave a permanent mark on the horror genre as a hypnotically gorgeous and colorful horror film armed with terrific dread and suspense. The popular film follows an American ballerina who attends a German dance academy where a number of deaths and mysterious occurrences plague her tenure at the school.
In addition to the film’s breathtaking surreal visuals, it also featured an eerie soundtrack and plenty of supernatural thrills too. Its atmospheric intensity and its technical brilliance made it not only a great international horror film, but one of the most striking and memorable horror movies ever made.
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