18 Underrated (And Terrifying) Horror Movie And TV Show Recommendations From Horror Fans

Earlier this week, I asked the horror lovers of the BuzzFeed Community about their favorite underrated horror movies and TV shows. Here are 18 of their enthusiastic endorsements of horror that you might have missed.

Responses may have been edited for length and/or clarity. 

1."The 2020 movie Host (not The Host, just Host). It was made during lockdown on Zoom, and it is truly one of the best horror movies I've ever seen. It's only an hour long, the pacing is excellent, the cast is outstanding, and it's unlike any other horror movie I've seen. It definitely earned its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but I've never met anyone else who's seen it. So go! Watch it now!"

2."The Scream TV series is a true gem, and I don't even particularly like horror. It was a really-engaging-teen-show meets hide-under-my-covers kind of binge every weekend for me when I was watching it."

3."Please, PLEASE watch After Midnight (currently on Hulu). I think some people won't like this film. It's a really strange mashup of genres, and I suppose I would describe the horror as mild. BUT, if you're the right combo of spooky and sensitive, you'll love the shit out of it. Every October for the last four or five years, I've tried to watch one spooky, scary, or Halloween-themed movie each day. (I haven't made it the entire month yet, but this is my year!) I watched After Midnight at the beginning of the month, and I haven't stopped thinking about it. I cannot wait to watch it again. And it's definitely set a standard for the other films I've chosen since then. It has even earned a spot in my fave films of all time — of any genre! Honestly, I cannot speak highly enough about this film. I was blown away.

4."Incident in a Ghostland! It's about two teenage girls (Beth and Vera) and their mom who move into a new house. On the night of their moving in, two people break in and try to kill them, and they're all in this massive fight to the death. Then, about 15 years go by, and Beth is living her best life. But her mom and sister are still living in that house, and Vera is re-living that traumatic night over and over. So, Beth goes back to help, and a lot of weird things happen...and you need to notice the clues because there are A LOT that tell you the twist. The end will leave you thinking about what's real and what's not.

5."The Grave Encounters series. Every time I bring it up, no one has heard of it! The movies play with your mind, and that's not to mention the terrifying CGI! One of my all-time favorites."

6."The Invitation from 2015 is so good. It’s just uncanny and so freaky. I also never hear anyone talk about V/H/S and V/H/S 2. It’s hard for movies to scare me anymore, but they both had terrifying moments."

7."As Above, So Below. The symbolism and atmosphere is what does it for me. I never hear anyone talk about it!"

8."Hannibal. It was on NBC from 2013-2015. Absolutely brilliant writing and fantastic talent from the entire cast. There are brutal killings, and yet, they're done artistically. You have to watch to get what I mean. Stunning visuals, and again, Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy are brilliant. Literally my favorite show."

9."Hell House LLC and The Autopsy of Jane Doe. Very well done horror movies that fly under the radar."

10."The BEST underrated horror film (from someone who doesn’t even really like horror films) is the original 1973 version of Satan’s School for Girls. The 2000 remake isn’t at all the same."

11."There's a movie called 13 Cameras. It scared the shizzzzz out of me. That movie is why I don't undress, shower, or even sleep in a hotel or an AirBnb or in a new house; if so, I get it checked by my husband first."

12."Midnight Mass!!! I literally could not sleep peacefully for a while after watching that show. It’s not for everyone regarding the monologues, but Hamish Linklater makes it so worth it, and there are so many amazing performances. It trended, and I thought it was going to get some recognition, but then Squid Game came out within the same two weeks or so, and it got so overshadowed."

13."I recently watched The Borderlands, and I love horror films, but that film was creepy! The film has a real eeriness about it; I was watching it between my fingers while there were tense scenes. Great film, though, and I couldn't stop thinking about it after watching it."

14."Frailty is my favorite horror movie. It stars Matthew McConaughey, and it has some good twists in it, but it is very overlooked."

15."I don’t know if this counts, but the show Van Helsing (which ran, like, four or five seasons on SyFy). It’s definitely more gore, but it’s fantastic, and it does have its share of creepy characters, a great plot, and fantastic gory effects."

16."Mandy (2018), directed by Panos Cosmatos, is incredible, and I never hear about it. I'm a horror buff and heard about it for the first time well after it came out. It's dreamlike, deeply ominous, emotional, and METAL AF. Everyone who I've shown it to can't keep their eyes off it once things start to go down."

17."Happy Death Day. Genuinely fun and exciting without any excessively disturbing or freaky imagery."

18.And finally: "Ready or Not. Same reasons as above."

Which overrated horror movies and TV shows did we miss? Tell us about them in the comments!