Welcome back to my series of effectively a massive list of horror films to watch. Last time out we got to the E’s in our ABC’s and now we move on to F! Fun times. Without further ado, here are 13 horror films to watch beginning with the letter F. If you are wanting a list of the previous films their links will be at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!
Friday the 13th (1980)
This is going to be controversial. But I am not a fan at all of Jason. The best Friday the 13th to me is and will always be the first one, perhaps this is too harsh as it has been quite a while since I last saw a film from the series. Regardless the first is still a terrific slasher that hits all the right notes with some devastatingly good kills. I may add in some of the sequels on the list when I rewatch the series as maybe I am not giving it the credit it deserves, so watch this space for an update!
The Fly (1986)
Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis and David Cronenberg, what more could you ask for? A great remake of the original 1958 version that still keeps its B-movie sensibilities while being able to enhance itself to become a masterpiece in tragic horror. With other directors, the emphasis might have been to go straight to the “monster”. Here with Cronenberg, we take our time and we get to feel and identify with our protagonist and his blight. Just brilliant work all around.
Final Destination (2000)
It was a tough one on which Final Destination would make it in, but you kind of have to go for the film that started it all. Everything was a surprise at that point as you didn’t know which way the film was going. Shout out to 2 and 5 for at least attempting to be more than use unexpected deaths. A fun watch for those who haven’t seen it and yet still a great reminisce for those who were teenagers when it first came out.
Faust (1926)
A tale with God and the devil for a man’s soul. What better story is there than that? Although Faust is 94 years old, it still packs a hell of a punch and shows the power of German expressionism at the time in cinema. A true work of art and with a 1995 newly composed score, it is just as impactful as a film made today.
The Fog (1980)
As tense as a John Carpenter film could get and with John Carpenter films you get a great ensemble who make the most out of the material. Much like he did for The Thing a couple of years later (you could almost say this was a tester, Carpenter is able to cast strongly so he can focus on creating an atmospherical chiller.
Freaks (1932)
Tod Browning’s Freaks is as visually powerful as a film can be. A shocking and unsettling film that shows the audience who the real “freaks” are in this world. Of course, the film is flawed due to its very paper thing story, it makes up for its horror. Freaks practically halted Browning’s career due to the utter shock audiences and studios had. Despite the film being heavily edited down for audiences at the time, his horrific film cost him his creative freedom and career.
Frailty (2001)
Bill Paxton’s directorial debut and a role he should have taken up more if we are honest. Uniquely telling a tale mostly through flashbacks we see actor-director owns the film. A disturbing creepy film that keeps you entranced as the story develops. It is such a simple premise and it works like gangbusters. Coupled the excellent plot with great pacing and acting and we have ourselves an undervalued gem.
Frankenstein (1931)
One of the most influential horrors ever made. As beautiful as it is heartbreaking, Frankenstein has it all throughout its runtime. James Whale created a masterpiece, that while not as faithful to Mary Shelley’s book as it could be. It still delivered the punches at the right time. A true classic and one everyone should watch on multiple occasions.
Funny Games (1997)
For a horror film, it’s the amount of violence is pretty minimal, but it is the tension and build-up to the violence that makes this one stand out. It is vicious and amoral and you simply cannot take your eyes off it. Michael Haneke is a pessimistic lad and that could not be any more evident than in Funny Games. Let’s just try and forget the US remake, though if you want to see a glossier version, then that remake is the one for you.
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
A little mix up for this edition with an action-horror this time. As trashy and B-movie as a film can get with A level quality talent. For those unaware of the plot of this one, well you are in for an almighty treat after the first horror. Not many films take as sharp a left turn as From Dusk Till Dawn does and is able to keep it on the tracks. But with the direction from Rodriguez a script from Tarantino, you knew it was always going to have great action scenes and be written as smart as it could. The cast is also strong with Clooney seemingly having a whale of a time in a role he should probably be in more often.
Fright Night (1985)
What would you do if your next-door neighbour was revealed to be a vampire? That is the conundrum poor Charley Brewster must deal with in this classic. Toeing that very thing line for a successful horror comedy Roddy McDowall hams it up as much as he gleefully can. A great watch for those who want something on the lighter side. Although it is not on the list, the remake from 2011 is also worth a watch, but this is the one I would suggest out of the two.
The Faculty (1998)
With the runaway success of Scream in the late 90’s a burst of “creativity” came back to Hollywood with the horror genre. A long raft of teen horror movies came out, Urban Legend, I Know What You Did Last Summer and the unforgettable Carrie 2…. But one that is often left out of the memory is The Faculty.
Not just your standard teen horror from that era, The Faculty was, in fact, a science fiction horror and it had a lot of positives to it. Directed by Robert Rodriquez and written by Kevin Williamson, it had all the means to be successful and it moderately was. It should have been more though and a mixture of overly harsh reviews of critics who perhaps were hoping for something different hurt the film, but make no mistake this is a great watch and one that should not be haphazardly skipped.
Fears of the Dark (Peurs Du Noir) (2007)
A movie that should be more widely utilised for the genre, 10 short animations in this French-made film. Fears of the Dark is a fresh as it comes and the less you know about the shorts the better. Find it and watch it, you won’t be disappointed.
There were a couple of films I had heard were good, but as of yet I have not had a chance to watch, so I thought it would be unfair for me to add to this list without ever seeing it. Those are Brian DePalma’s 1978 film Fury. Freaks (2019) and The Fall of House Usher (1960).
To catch up on previous editions of this series, please look below. Until tomorrow.
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)
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So many cool picks! I’ve actually seen most of them. I love that you picked the original version of Funny Games!