Folk horror movies live or die on one question: does the terror feel like it was actually believed by someone, once? Or does it feel like it was manufactured? Barring a few examples, Hollywood’s horror machine keeps reaching for the same three things to make horror movies. It is either a scary doll or some other cursed object, a haunted old-timey house, or a nun with contact lenses. This is an oversimplification, to be sure, but it’s largely true.
In Asia, there is a wealth of folktales from oral traditions and legends about ghosts and monsters that have been passed down over many centuries. These movies feel authentic in a way most horror movies don’t. Here are 7 Asian horror movies that are inspired by folklore, ranked from bottom to top.
7. Roh Makes the Forest a Truly Unsettling Place
A still from Roh | Credits: TGV Pictures
Country: Malaysia
Emir Ezwan’s Roh is quite a stripped-down folk horror movie, and it is all the better for that. It drops a family into a forest and gradually makes their surroundings hostile. A mysterious girl arrives and tells them they’ll die soon, and then kills herself. That, by the way, is only the beginning of their nightmare.
The movie draws heavily from Malay folklore. Ezwan has said that he wanted to use Malay folktales as a symbolic narrative. One of the inspirations behind the movie is the ancient Perak legend of a cursed huntsman who is condemned to forever roam the forest. (via Asian Movie Pulse).
Where to Watch (USA): The Roku Channel, Hoopla
6. Incantation Unleashes a Curse You Won’t Forget
A still from Incantation | Credits: Netflix
Country: Taiwan
Kevin Ko’s Incantation is a Taiwanese found-footage horror movie that is about a mother who broke a religious taboo before the events of the movie. And that decision comes back to bite her when her daughter’s life is endangered. The movie weaves in strands of Taiwanese folk Buddhism, drawing from the superstition that chants can transfer curses rather than basing itself on one specific folktale.
Where to Watch (USA): Netflix, Prime Video
5. Impetigore Uncovers a Village’s Sinister Secret
A still from Impetigore | Credits: Ivanhoe Pictures
Country: Indonesia
Joko Anwar’s Impetigore places a woman into a remote village. She’s come to know that her family could be hiding some horrifying secret from her. She first thinks that it would be an opportunity for her to inherit something. But actually, it’s a nightmare based on a curse, murder, and secrecy. Impetigore draws inspiration from shadow puppetry of Indonesia and the folklore about the puppets being made of human skin. The result is a movie that is intimately connected to its setting.
Where to Watch (USA): AMC+, Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent)
4. Kuroneko Brings a Classic Ghost Legend to Life
Kuroneko is the oldest movie in this list | Credits: Kindai Eiga Kyokai
Country: Japan
Kaneto Shindo’s Kuroneko is the oldest movie here (1968). And yet, its supernatural imagery has aged remarkably well. It is set during the Heian period in Japan, and follows two women who are murdered by samurai. They return as vengeful spirits, or onryō, a term that players of Ghost of Yōtei game will recognize (the protagonist, Atsu, is considered an onryō, since she seems to return from the dead).
Where to Watch (USA): The Criterion Channel, Prime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent)
3. Bulbbul Gives a Bengali Legend a Gothic Makeover
A still from Bulbbul | Credits: Netflix
Country: India
Anvita Dutt’s Bulbbul is shot and composed like a period fairy tale. But underneath its gorgeous visuals, there is a pitch-dark story about abuse and revenge. The movie takes its inspiration from the legend of ‘chudail’, which is a mythical creature prevalent in tales told across the Indian Subcontinent. I also considered Tumbbad, another great Indian horror movie, but Bulbbul gets the edge because it’s built around a specific folkloric figure. Bulbbul’s greatest strength is how it transforms the traditional frightening image of chudail and instead tells a story about female agency.
Where to Watch (USA): Netflix
2. Nang Nak Brings Thailand’s Most Chilling Ghost Story to Life
A still from Nang Nak | Credits: Tai Entertainment
Country: Thailand
Very few folk tales are as popular in Asia as Mae Nak Phra Khanong. The film Nang Nak takes the tale and presents it on the silver screen in the form of a story about a woman whose husband returns from war unaware of the fact that she is no more.
The 1999 horror movie is an adaptation of the legend and portrays the love story of a ghost as a horror film of the supernatural variety.
Where to Watch (USA): Netflix
1. A Tale of Two Sisters Makes a Classic Folktale Terrifying
Country: South Korea
A Tale of Two Sisters isn’t just a great folk horror movie; it’s also one of the best Korean horror movies of all time. It’s based on a Joseon-era Korean folk tale called Janghwa Hongryeon jeon. The plot follows two sisters who have returned home from a psychiatric hospital. They find themselves dealing with their hostile stepmother. It is a psychological horror movie that would remind you of Hereditary and other movies that don’t rely on jump scares, and instead build dread gradually. It also features a hell of a twist in the end. Actually, there are two interrelated twists that recontextualize what you’ve seen before.
Where to Watch (USA): AMC+
Which movie would you rank number 1? Tell us in the comments.
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