Halloween is almost upon us, and by now you’ve probably watched a lot of horror movies throughout the month. Usually horror fans gravitate towards the classic horror movies this time of year, or popular recent flicks, or even the established cult movies that blow our minds with insanity. And you should watch all those movies, but we would be remiss in our duties if we didn’t take this opportunity to recommend some solid shockers that have developed an unfair reputation for one reason or another.
So, this week on Now Streaming we present our picks for five of the best underrated horror movies currently available online, for no extra charge. These are films from great filmmakers that for whatever reason have low ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, don’t get screened very often, and will probably surprise you if you’re willing to give them a shot.
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Mimic (Netflix)
Miramax Films
Guillermo del Toro is currently beloved by horror fans everywhere for his artsy gothic nightmares, like Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak, but his first foray into mainstream entertainment was considered a total bust. The 1997 sci-fi horror film Mimic starred Mira Sorvino and Jeremy Northam and an army of human-sized cockroaches who have taken human form and are hunting helpless subway passengers in the underbelly of New York City.
It’s not a particularly marketable idea, honestly, and was typically dismissed as just another typical monster movie. (It’s only got a 61% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes.) But Mimic is undeniably creepy. The dank atmosphere of the New York subway lines, and our collective discomfort with scurrying creatures of all kinds, combine to make a film that practically SMELLS terrifying. And the surprisingly clever screenplay hits all the familiar beats in the genre while turning quite a few of them on their heads. Here’s an example: those annoying kids who you just know are going to be a pain in the ass throughout the movie? They die horribly, and early on.
The theatrical cut is fun and available for no extra charge on Netflix. The director’s cut is better, and actually has some relevant themes to explore, and can be viewed for an extra charge at Amazon Prime.
Dark Skies (Netflix)
Dimension Films
The low budget haunted house genre was already pretty tired when Dark Skies came out in 2013, and the addition of a science fiction element wasn’t enough to convince most critics that Scott Stewart’s film was worthwhile. (Rotten Tomatoes: only 40%.) That’s too bad, because there’s quite a bit more going on in this disturbing family psychodrama than might be obvious at first glance.
The Barrett family seems normal enough, living outside of their means, ignoring their daily plights and psychological struggles. When they start suffering from blackouts and experiences strange phenomena throughout the house, it takes them a long time to admit that anything is really, truly wrong. And when they do, it’s too late. They finally prioritize family but it takes a sudden and nearly lunatic belief in extraterrestrials to bring them together, so that whether or not their beliefs are real, their story is terrifying.
Dark Skies is filmed eerily, convincingly acted and downright damning about contemporary family values. It’s worth rediscovering.
The Faculty (HBO Go)
Miramax Films
Before Robert Rodriguez sank into the infinite quagmire of ambitious sci-fi epics produced in his garage, he made a work-for-hire studio film by Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson. The Faculty had a big ensemble cast of young stars (Elijah Wood, Josh Hartnett, Jordana Brewster, Clea Duvall) doing battle with an ensemble cast of older stars (Salma Hayek, Jon Stewart, Famke Janssen, Robert Patrick), playing high school teachers who have been taken over by aliens.
It’s a straightforward concept, arguably even a little irresponsible. It’s also one of the only occasions in which Robert Rodriguez played a movie almost completely strayed without digressing into strange subplots and out there visual effects. And it’s delightful. Clever dialogue, memorable characters and cool, gory visual effects abound in The Faculty, an alien invasion thriller without much of a twist but with plenty of personality and style. Critics were unimpressed in 1998 (it’s only got a 54% on Rotten Tomatoes), but The Faculty plays pretty danged well today, nearly 20 years later.
All Cheerleaders Die (Netflix)
Image Entertainment
Lucky McKee has directed two of the best horror films of the century, but most people agree that All Cheerleaders Die isn’t one of them. Co-directed with Chris Sivertson (who also directed the not-as-bad-as-you’ve-heard I Know Who Killed Me), this supernatural comedy finds a group of high school cheerleaders dying in a suspicious car accident, and then resurrected by the school’s Wiccan wallflower.
There are catches of course. Two of the cheerleaders wound up in each other’s bodies, for example. Also they need human flesh to stay alive. The comic tone of All Cheerleaders Die leave the film feeling more like Buffy the Vampire Slayer than anything by George A. Romero. A great cast, funny jokes, gory set pieces and an empowering story make this a cult classic just waiting to happen. But it might have to wait a while. For some reason it’s only got a 47% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Ward (Netflix)
XLrator Media
He’s been called a “Master of Horror,” but John Carpenter hasn’t been working much lately. He’s only directed one feature film since 2001’s sci-fi western Ghosts of Mars, and even though it’s a perfectly spooky haunted insane asylum thriller, it’s only a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Granted, The Ward isn’t Carpenter’s best work. It’s a straightforward haunting flick with a fairly predictable ending. But Carpenter is clearly having fun with the genre, weaving in mysteries and laying down the suspense and building to a whopper of an escape climax when inmate Amber Heard tries to flee her supernatural predator. It’s a solid horror movie, and The Ward turns out to be John Carpenter’s last film, it won’t be a bad capper to an impressive career of terror.
Top Photo: XLrator Media
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
