Warlocks, Zombies, Waxworks, Rabbits, we have it all in the letter W today; this is merely Part One, as this letter surprised me with just how many great horror films are around starting with this letter. So buckle up for 16 great films for you to watch again or discover.
The Wailing (2016)
A mysterious Japanese stranger arrives in a small Korean village, and soon after, an equally mysterious sickness begins to spread all over and plague the residents. Policeman Jong-goo, suspicious of the stranger, begins to investigate. Consumed, he must act quickly before the sickness takes over his stricken daughter.
Director Hong-jin Na reels you in perfectly with The Wailing. Keeping things light in the first act, he causes the audience to relax and feel relatively safe. Then the violence and fear kick in, and that safe little space you had for yourself is gone, long gone. You are glued and unable to escape the sheer level of horrificness that he decides to throw your way. Ramping through the gears, the final act is so unbearably intense that you are begging for those comedic moments to return to relieve some of it.
A touch bloated (which is something Na’s films will always be) as well as intentionally vague in its narrative, The Wailing shines because of the performances; Kim Kwan-hee gives one of the best, most intense child performances you will see in horror for quite some time as Hyo-jin. Coupled with the desperateness of Kwak Do-won as her father, Jong-goo, The Wailing will leave you truly and utterly speechless.
Wait Until Dark (1967)
Susy has recently become blind and is still trying to navigate around her new environment in permanent darkness. Her world is further turned upside down when a trio of thugs believe a heroin-stuffed doll is hidden in her apartment, and they will not rest until they have it and have terrorised Susy just enough for their own satisfaction.
It’s one of the few films where you struggle to put it in a box. Is Wait Until Dark a thriller, or is it as much a thriller as a horror film? Well, if Stephen King says it is one of the scariest films of all time, then it goes into the horror pile for me! By having the viewer literally see the danger that our heroine has to overcome, it is utilised to perfection by Terence Young. Even just watching the trailer and the first set-up of how Audrey Hepburn Susy navigates around her home as we see the trio of intruders hide, covering any tracks that they were there is magnificent. We want her to go out the door and for this gang to find what they need and leave, allowing Susy to live her life. But Young has other more brutal ideas for his audience and still to this day as one of the most effective jump scares in cinema history.
Hepburn is stellar here, using her frame to appear vulnerable. Her character is, in fact, as strong and resourceful as they come. What makes the film work so well is how the film is shot. Presented almost as if it is a stage production, there is a personal foreboding feeling to the film that never shakes once the action starts.
It is an utter nail-biter of a film that terrifies you thanks to brilliant production and work from everyone involved: a thrilling fear, a fear-filled treat for first-time watchers.
The Walking Dead (1936)
John Elman has no luck, zero, zilch. An ex-con trying to go straight by being a pianist is successfully framed for murder. Executed and not unhappily (we can assume) dead, he is resurrected by a scientist; John only has one goal in mind: vengeance.
No, not that one; that’s a show dummy! This far superior of its fellow named iteration is as underrated to modern audiences as a film could possibly get. A crime horror with a simple enough premise that throws in a touch of supernatural to proceedings, you can’t escape just how good this film is.
Karloff, as usual, is on top form as the forsaken Elman. He has that ability for us to feel for him even while he is doing the worst things imaginable. It’s a talent that few have ever had as actors; we are frightened of this man, yet we want him to get that payback to those who wronged him. He is miles above the rest of the cast, but that is okay, as the film is so focused on him that if they tried to match or amp up their performances, it would distract—a must-watch for those who love classic horror.
Warlock (1989)
A warlock is sentenced to death in 1691, but thanks to some magic (obviously), he is transported to the present. His aim is to uncreate the world by discovering the true name of God, a witch hunter from his time, and the woman whose house he landed in are the only people stopping him from enacting his scheme.
If you are on the lookout for a film that has real substance and depth, then skip along further down the list, as this is not the film to satiate your needs. But, if you are here for an entertaining horror, then step right up and plop a pew, as Warlock is the film for you. Full to the brim with cheese (you wouldn’t really expect anything else from the director of two Friday the 13th films and Lake Placid), this is a film that takes something from everything all around it. A Tarantino-esque homage to better films that came before it.
It was enjoyable to watch Julian Sands and Richard E. Grant camp it up just enough not to be overbearing. You are due a good time with this one.
Warm Bodies (2013)
The zombie apocalypse is in full flow, and Julie is doing everything she can to survive. One day, she almost becomes a cropper when a horde corners her until one zombie sees her and begins to feel… Something. Defending and saving her, Julie and R form a friendship as they try to figure out if more than just R can be more than a lifeless being.
A romantic zombie horror? Yep, and it’s a good one as well. Often brushed under the carpet, Warm Zombies is one of those easy watches that just click. Who knew zombies just needed to see Teresa Palmer to feel alive again? The concept of having zombies as creatures who can evolve and, in some cases, with some of the characters, devolve is an interesting one that works.
Charmed to the brim, Warm Bodies has enough horror to keep you happy and more than enough laughs to stop you wanting to eat some brains to feel something extra. This could easily have been a daft bit of nothing of a film, but there is enough in here to appease the horror fan (the film actively makes fun of some tropes). If you want a light zombie film with some warmth, you could do a lot worse than this one.
Warning Shadows (1923)
The wealthy Baron and his wife are in a strained marriage. While having dinner with some friends, who also seem to be chasing his flirty wife, the Baron thinks he catches them making moves with her and has a shadow puppeteer present visions to each man what will happen to them if the Baron catches them.
Told entirely visually, there isn’t an intertitle in sight once the story gets going, and this move actually frees the film to go bonkers with the concept of interpretation. This is a German expressionist horror, so be prepared to see some gorgeous visuals that are now over 100 years old. The continued focus of the shadow play in the film is awe-inspiring.
The one thing that hurts Warning Shadows is that there is no redeemable character at all. The husband is far too suspicious and on the cusp of boiling point; the wife is actively cheating and deriding her husband, and the rest of the men are either sleeping with her or trying their utmost best to get their leg over a married woman.
In other hands, this would have just been another scary melodrama, but the sheer work from the cast and the director to utilise what they have to evoke such imagery and feelings is nothing short of extraordinary for its time.
The War of the Gargantuas (1966)
Just off the coast of Japan, a giant green-haired humanoid monster attacks anything around it. Mystified, scientists begin to think it could be a freakish humanoid monster that escaped their lad years earlier. Only was it brown; are they the same? Or has something impossible occurred that is causing increased destruction to Japan?
If this was made today, it would be regarded as a cracker of a story. Instead, we have a compelling and original story that is hindered by having the usual TOHO effects (for modern audiences). This is the film that Godzilla VS Kong wishes it could be. This is a sci-fi monster film that takes the time to have you care about what is going on.
For its time, this is a marvel. Instead of being a film that has some action and then non-stop talking due to budgets, the action here is endless and pretty fun. Just two guys in monster suits that, for once in a Kaiju film, have enough flexibility to do quick spins and actually act. These two mad lads go out of their way to destroy any and every miniature set that they can, and it’s fantastic.
Give me a remake of this any day. For now, the 1966 version will suffice nicely.
The Watcher in the Attic (1976)
Gōda is a little freak of a man. Living in a boarding house owned by Lady Minako, he has come to drill holes in the attic so he can peep down on unsuspecting tenants to get his perv on. One day, he witnesses Lady Minako murder a tenant and decides to do the same to show her how much he loves her.
What a weird little erotic horror The Watcher in the Attic is. Lady Minako is dissatisfied with her husband, so she goes about getting it from anyone she can and tries to feel a thrill, even with a bit of murder. You could be a clown, or a driver, doesn’t matter, she will shag you. Perhaps this was the original intention for Joker: Folie à Deux? Who knows. Anyway, this is a stylish piece of sleave that doesn’t let up on the murder.
The voyeurism is done just right; it isn’t titillating in the slightest when we watch Gōda perv away, and that is the way it should be. We should not feel positive about what he is doing, and the way the film is composed allows for that feeling icky, and you try to shake it off, feeling to stay with you throughout.
A film of weirdos for the weirdos, it’s an interesting watch!
The Watcher in the Woods (1980)
An American family moves into an old English house in the forest, and, if you don’t know it, some paranormal things start to happen around the young daughters. The ghost activity seems to be related to things that happened in the house years before. Can the sisters work out what’s going on before they are next?
This is a Disney 80s horror, but don’t be put off as it is one of those that is a great start into the genre whilst still providing just enough scares to keep the adults watching. Nowadays, the history of the film and how Disney reacts to its existence is a bit more interesting than the film itself, but what can you do? This is still a solid watch! As with most Disney films, the third act isn’t much to talk about as it tries to wrap itself up as soon as possible, but the first two acts are full of intrigue.
Told more like a dark fairytale, this eerie film still holds up today; we have a film that will still make a decent impression on you. It’s such a shame that Disney never returned to this style of film; it would have done so well over time!
Watership Down (1978)
Human developers are continually taking over the colonies of rabbits, and when one community led by Hazel and Fiver is affected, they do everything they can to find a new warren, safe from all the dangers that humanity has created, even the dangers of their own kind.
If you don’t think Watership Down is a horror film, then make any child watch it and see how they react to cute rabbits tearing at each other. It is 100% a horror film, with no ifs and no buts; this is a film that you will never forget and goodness as an animation that pulls at your heart while having you terrified for animated rabbits; it’s a sensational masterpiece.
Full of symbolism and subtlety, Watership Down is as close to perfect as an adaptation can get. If you are introducing this to a child, be ready for some sleepless nights as they are coming your way. Gruesome and horrific, there are few films that got treated like a children’s film when it was the exact opposite, like Watership Down—horrible perfection.
The Wax Mask (1997)
A masked man murders a poor couple by ripping out their hearts with his deadly metal claws in 1900 Paris; the only witness is the couple’s young daughter. Years later, the daughter has begun to work in Rome at a wax museum that has an exhibit that details gruesome murders, such as one of her parents. With people going missing while new pieces go out on show. She begins to wonder if the two are connected.
Can you tell that what was just typed was a synopsis for a Giallo? Here, we have a typical Italian horror from the 90s, in which logic and narrative structure are merely ideas in place of great kills and set pieces. Make no mistake, there are some truly terrible things in The Wax Mask, but those great moments are bloody fantastic and save the film from fading into the realm of nonsensical boredom from some bad, bad acting.
When we get to the death scenes, that is where the film and director Sergio Stivaletti shines brightest. We get a few moments where Stivaletti’s past as an FX artist really comes to the fore as if he is finally getting to shoot and light these scenes, which is how he actually wants to get the most effect out of them. Full of twists, turns, exploitation and atmosphere, this is as gory as a Giallo can get and one of the last decent ones of the era.
Waxwork (1988)
When two teens are invited to a special midnight showing of the new wax museum by a mysteriously tall man, they bring their friends along and soon discover these exhibits are not at all what they imagined. They are all classic horror movie monsters (run, lads, get out of there pronto!) where it’s possible to enter different dimensions that depict the displays, and the displays are now real!
An inventive horror comedy that nails both aspects to a ridiculously high level. There is some serious fun to be had here in Waxwork. When the MPAA have to cut a scene to pieces because of the gore used in a film like this, then you know that director Anthony Hickox has his audience looked after in getting the good stuff.
A tongue firmly in the cheek love letter to classic horror movies, you can’t help but have a good daft time with this film. We get werewolves, mummies, zombies, and “Dracula” smashed into this film, and it all works oh so very well. Don’t skip this one; it’s a blast.
Though not a horror, watch the fun sequel Waxwork II: Lost in Time, which takes the series down the fantasy route.
The Weapon, the Hour, the Motive (1972)
A young priest forgets his vows on the whole celibacy thing and takes up two loves. Repentant, he decides to return to the Church, only to be brutally murdered before doing so. Two detectives are on the case, but one falls in love with the main suspect! (Drama) The key to all of this is a young boy who saw everything.
An overlooked giallo that does the unthinkable. It casts well. By keeping this one so close to Catholicism, guilt naturally plays a prominent role in the film, and it actually works far better than you would expect in this horror mystery thriller. Being Italian, though, it’s not guilty enough NOT to give the audience topless nuns because it would almost be rude not to from these lads.
While The Weapon, The Hour, and The Motive leans more toward being a thriller than a horror, this is one that is all about the story and how suspense-filled it is. The twists make sense, yet that graphic, violent nature isn’t lost at all and, if anything, wracks you more with tension. It’s just that well-made a film. When a film gets that part of its story right, it’s always going to be a winner.
It is an underrated “gem” that should have shown the sub-genre the way to go. To make it plausible but vicious. Sadly, Gialli’s didn’t go that way, but watch this to see what could have been for them.
We Are Still Here (2015)
A grieving couple moves off to the New England countryside to get away. Little do they know, their new home has some dark secrets, and they discover that they are not alone and that those who are there want something from them, a sacrifice or something else.
Ted Geoghegan’s film takes its time in creeping up around you, but once it does, oh boy, does it ensure that you are in for one hell of a ride. We Are Still Here is one of those films where it slightly falls foul of being just a few minutes too short for its own good, as once that final act kicks in, it just goes at a relentless pace where the audience does not know if they are coming or going. With a finale that is as bloody as you could conceivably imagine, this is an old-fashioned chiller that does so much very well.
Barbara Crampton breaks your heart as a grieving mother who is just lost at sea in life. What strikes you in the film’s first half is how almost realistic everything is. How realistic are these people in their situation? Only once that is embedded in it does the film begin to take that left turn, and what a left turn it takes!
We Are the Flesh (2016)
Lucio and Fauna are two siblings who have somehow survived a global apocalypse and the subsequent hostile environments of a cruel world. One day, they meet Mariano, a man who still has a lot of food and a safe location to keep them safe. Yet, he desires things from the duo that cause them to dither on whether it is really worth it.
Hansel and Gretel probably had a better time of it than poor Lucio and Fauna. Effectively, this is the most explicit fairytale you could ever conceive in your mind. It’s pure nightmare fuel for anyone with eyes or ears. Yet that is also where the film excels; the look of the film is stupendous; despite all of the horror (moral horror and actual horror) that we see, it is practically unforgettable; even if you want to forget it, you simply won’t. Then we have the sound which stays with you for so long that you will remember a moment in the film and shudder because those sounds will return to your mind.
A miserable film, and rather purposely miserable and mean, Emiliano Rocha Minter fills his film with a lot of subtext about Mexico itself. Still, it gets lost a little in the sheer volume of madness that fills the screen. It almost feels like Rocha Minter has tried to make a stamp to be Mexico’s Gasper Noe. Oddly, we have not seen anything from him since his next feature, La Peluca, is still in post-production as of November 2024. We Are The Flesh is an experience; whether you will enjoy it is up to you. It’s almost certainly a film for the stronger-minded/depraved in their horror inklings.
We Are What We Are (2010)
When the patriarch of a family passes away unexpectedly, it is up to his teenage children to take the brunt of the responsibilities of the household as well as prepare for his funeral, which involves a lavish meal of meat. What makes their lives harder is the fact that they are no normal family; they are cannibals.
Do you know what you have been missing in your life? A family drama about cannibals. This is not a giant bloody mess, it’s more subtle than that, and it still allows for the theme of grief to breathe through the characters; after all, cannibals or not, they are children who have lost a father. Taking the approach of teenage boys trying to do what their father did, only far worse as a narrative, works wonderfully here in We Are What We Are; you allow yourself to feel sickened by the family but have a slight pain in seeing the only world they knew fall into pieces the more they fail.
What eats at you throughout the film is the lack of care that people more fortunate have for anyone else; we appear to have fallen into a world where empathy is an option, and even when we see the father die, the reaction around him is astonishingly cold. It is a disturbing film, filled with some subtlely devastating performances as these young people change and their worlds fall further apart.
We Are What We Are (2013)
The Parkers are a reclusive family who live in the mountains, the matriarch of the family is on a shopping trip to prepare for their ritual fasting when she sees a missing girl poster of someone she thinks she knows. Suddenly, she collapses and drowns in a waterlogged ditch as the rain pours further down onto the mountain region. Frank and his two daughters, Rose and Iris, must try to figure out how to proceed with life without their mother while keeping their family secret safe.
Sound vaguely familiar? Well, We Are What We Are is a remake of We Are What We Are. Only it’s the matriarch that snuffs it instead, and there are no teenage boys in sight. What makes this remake work is that it is drastically different from the original while keeping the ‘family are cannibals’ theme; we actually see what happens when the patriarch has full control. Two young women have to endure and plot to escape the hand of an overbearing presence. As I said, it’s different enough that it becomes its own thing and almost feels like a suitable companion instead of a remake, which director Jim Mickle and co-writer Nick Damici appear to have aimed for.
With some chillingly sinister tension thanks to the cinematography, We Are What We Are is a predictable enough film due to playing out as a horror family drama mystery. We know the family will be found out. Still, it is more of a question of how the girls (excellent performances from Ambyr Childers and Julia Garner) react and try to get out of the situation as their father loses the plot. It’s a great slow-paced horror that has a strong bite at the end.
To check out our previous letters have a click below! Otherwise, come back for the letter X!
Horror films to watch: Letter A
Horror films to watch: Letter B
Horror films to watch: Letter B (Part 2)
Horror films to watch: Letter C
Horror films to watch: Letter D
Horror films to watch: Letter E
Horror films to watch: Letter F
Horror films to watch: Letter G
Horror films to watch: Letter H: Part 1
Horror films to watch: Letter H: Part 2
Horror films to watch: Letter H: Part 3
Horror films to watch: Letter I; Part 1
Horror films to watch: Letter I – Part 2
Horror films to watch; Letter J
Horror films to watch; Letter K
Horror films to watch: Letter L
Horror films to watch: Letter M
Horror films to watch: Letter M (Part 2)
Horror films to watch: Letter M (part 3)
Horror films to watch: Letter N
Horror films to watch: Letter N (Part 2)
Horror films to watch: Letter O
Horror films to watch: Letter P (Part 1)
Horror films to watch: Letter P (Part 2)
Horror films to watch: Letter Q
Horror films to watch: Letter R (Part 1)
Horror films to watch: Letter S (Part 1)
Horror films to watch: Letter T (Part 1)
Horror films to watch: Letter U
Horror films to watch: Letter V (Part 1)
Horror films to watch: Letter W (Part 1)
Horror films to watch: Letter X
Horror films to watch: Letter Y
Horror films to watch: Letter Z
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