#–A–B–C–D–E–F–G–H–I-J-K–L–M–N–O–P-Q-R–S–T–U–V–W-X-Y-Z

A

The Amityville Horror
Released: 1979
Director: Stuart Rosenberg, based on the book by Jay Anson
Synopsis: The Lutz family move in to a house in Amityville, a house in which a man murdered his family one year prior. Soon, the family begin to experience paranormal events in their home, events that get more and more violent and frightening.
Verdict: Coming soon

The Amityville Horror
Released: 2005
Director: Andrew Douglas, based on the book by Jay Anson
Synopsis: Following the same plot as the ’79 film, the Lutz family move in to a house in Amityville, a house in which a man murdered his family one year prior. Soon, the family begin to experience paranormal events in their home, events that get more and more violent and frightening.
Verdict: Coming soon

B

The Blair Witch Project
Released: 1999
Directors: Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez
Synopsis: A group of student filmmakers embark on the creation of a documentary film about a myth known as the Blair Witch, and upon their eventual disappearance, the footage they shot is found and compiled in a bid to find out exactly what they found and what happened to them.
Verdict: A groundbreaking horror that very much revived the ‘hand-held’ style of filming and storytelling, It continues to terrify audiences, with its lack of score, frightening atmosphere and masterful shocks and scares. Many have attempted to do justice to the found-footage framework, but not so well as the OG. 4/5

The Borderlands (US: Final Prayer)
Released: 2013
Director: Elliot Goldner
Synopsis: A group of three men consisting of a sceptical religious brother, a tech expert and a priest are sent to Devon in the English West Country to investigate supernatural occurrences eminating from an old church that has recently reopened, the apparent location of a “miracle”.
Verdict: This film gets off to a bit of a slow start, though the casual shots of apparently empty interior and exterior locations work well to build tension. There are elements of films such as The Omen and The Blair Witch Project that make it ever so creepy, and although the story itself might be a little up and down, the terrifying ending is one of the best film pay-offs ever. 4/5
Read the Tiny Tapes The Borderlands review.

C

The Conjuring franchise
Released: 2013-present
Synopsis: The main franchise follows the supposedly true (though greatly dramatised for film) paranormal cases investigated by the famous Ed and Lorraine Warren. The couple work to help people rid their homes and lives of demonic presences that plague them. Two spin-off franchises, Annabelle and The Nun, further the stories investigated by the Warrens.
Verdict: The franchise makes for quite decent creepfests, with plenty of scares and terrifying tales of possessions and hauntings and do make for a good evening of horror. Annabelle and The Nun, while standing as tales in their own rights, aren’t quite as creepy as The Conjuring, but as a whole they can make for a good day/night of supernatural viewing.
Check out DOTT’s Film Club – The Conjuring.

The Curse of La Llorona
Released: 2019
Director: Michael Chaves
Synopsis: In 1973 Los Angeles, caseworker and mother Anna (Linda Cardellini) is pulled into the case of two truant and potentially abused boys. After a disaster befalls the boys, their mother curses Anna, and the lives of Anna’s own children are in danger of falling victim to La Llorona.
Verdict: This is one film that takes all the stereotypical tropes and cliches of horror filmmaking and throws them into one over-the-top yet bland film. Some scenes are under utilised while others are over-done and way longer than they should be. Ok for a basic scare, but not particularly thrilling. 2/5

D

The Dark and the Wicked
Released: 2020
Director: Bryan Bertino
Synopsis: Two siblings return to their family home where their mother is caring for their father on his deathbed, only to find that there is a dark force haunting them all.
Verdict: This film is rather cliched in its approach, but it does its best to be original in execution. The pacing is up and down, feeling monotonous between scenes of shock and gore that are needed to pull the audience back into the action, yet the performances are steady and keep the film pushing along. 3/5

Deadstream
Released: 2022
Directors: Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter
Synopsis: An online streamer goes on a live in a supposedly haunted house in order to repair his reputation after a previous disasterous stunt.
Verdict: A found footage satire that pokes fun at streamers and the horror genre, sometimes to its detriment, other times in an entertaining fashion. Don’t expect much, if any, genuine frights, but expect a few laughs. 3/5

The Devil’s Backbone (Spanish: El espinazo del diablo)
Released: 2001
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Synopsis: As the Spanish Civil War comes to and end, a young boy ends up in an orphanage where he makes friends and enermies. On top of that, the boy comes to find out about another boy who had disappeared and possibly haunts the orphanage.
Verdict: With its creepy setting, subplots surrounding the politics in Spain at the time and twisty story, this is one of del Toro’s great early features that sets a tone for his future work (even linking to one or two of his other films). The characters bring a depth to what could otherwise have been just another ghost story. 4/5

Drag Me to Hell
Released: 2009
Director: Sam Raimi
Synopsis: Loan officer Christine (Alison Lohman) denies an old woman a loan, so the woman apparently puts a curse on her. As strange things begin to happen to Christine, she seeks the services of a psychic to help save her soul from potentially going to hell.
Verdict: Equal parts hilarious and horrifying, this entire film slaps of Sam Raimi, so if you enjoy the likes of Evil Dead, you will certainly find some fun and entertainment with this offering. How the actors were able to get through some of these scenes may remain a mystery, but fortunately for us they did, so we can be creeped and grossed out while laughing our asses off. 4/5

E

The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Released: 2005
Director: Scott Derrickson
Synopsis: After the death of a young girl, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter), a priest is arrested and put on trial for her murder after performing an exorcism on her. However, after much evidence is produced in the priest’s favour, the trial isn’t as straight-forward as it seems.
Verdict: A solid horror film, Emily Rose has some shocking scenes and does a great job of brining together sciene and religion in an effort to come to a conclusion as to what really happened to Emily Rose. Carpenter also puts in a fantastic, and at times terrifying, performance. 4/5

The Exorcist
Released: 1973
Director: William Friedkin
Synopsis: A young girl, Regan (Linda Blair) and her mother move into a new house while her mother works on a movie. Shortly after, Regan begins to show violent tendencies, and her mother is convinced she is possessed. Priest Merrin (Max von Sydow) is called to the house to perform an exorcism, but it’s not as straight-forward as it sounds.
Verdict: A tour-de-force in horror filmmaking, The Exorcist has an enduring legacy as one of the greatest fright fests of all time. Not only that, but its story holds strong amongst the terror of Regan’s possession. There are sequels and prequels and probably more to come, but none hold a candle to the very first film. 4/5

F

The Frighteners
Released: 1996
Director: Peter Jackson
Synopsis: After the murder of his wife, architect Frank (Michael J. Fox) develops psychic abilities that allows him to communicate with the dead. Initially he uses his abilities to garner money from exorcisms, but he soon comes across a more sinister ghost that he must deal with.
Verdict: Coming soon

G

Ghostwatch
Released: 1992
Director: Lesley Manning
Synopsis: A mockumentary-style film that was aired on BBC 1 on Halloween night of 1992, Ghostwatch frightened a generation of audiences with its realistic news report style. It follows a “live” attempt to capture paranormal activity in an average English home, but those involved unwittingly release an great evil upon the public.
Verdict: If you have seen Late Night with the Devil, Ghostwatch will seem familiar, as it was certainly influenced by this TV film. If you haven’t seen Late Night, try to watch this first. It’s actually a criminally underrated and semi-forgotten film that deserves a resurgence, as it builds the fear well and has a great claustrophobic feel in a standard English cul-de-sac-style home. 4/5

Ghost Stories
Released: 2018
Directors: Jeremy Dyson, Andy Nyman
Synopsis: Ghost Stories sees paranormal de-bunker and sceptic Professor Philip Goodman (Andy Nyman) called upon by his childhood hero to investigate three cases he could not explain. Goodman concludes each case is simple enough to explain away, but, as the movie’s tagline suggests, the brain sees what it wants to see, and not everything is as it seems.
Verdict: Ghost Stories‘s psychologically thrilling aspects are far more interesting and terrifying in ways that the actual ‘horror’ scenes aren’t. Many old horror film strategies are used to try and get a rise out of the audiences, but they’re old for a reason. 3/5
Read the full Ghost Stories review.

H

The Haunting
Released: 1963
Director: Robert Wise
Synopsis: A doctor who studies the paranormal invites a small group of people to Hill House, an infamously haunted house that once belonged to an apparently cursed man. The four experience strange phenomena in the house, with Eleanor (Julie Harris) being particularly fascinated by the house, its history and its current supernatural occupants.
Verdict: At the time, this film wasn’t a huge hit, but it did succeed in frightening many audiences. In comparison to today’s horror films, it is too dialogue-heavy and low on the scares, however it was rather expertly made. Its cinematography and build in frights are really quite a lesson in filmmaking, and best of all, it stays mostly true to Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House novel. 4/5

The Haunting
Released: 1999
Director: Jan de Bont
Synopsis: A doctor who studies people’s reactions to fear invites a small group of people to a remote house under false pretenses of a sleep study for insomniacs. As one of the participants begins to experience strange phenomena, the group begin to realise the house is much more than it appears.
Verdict: Based on the excellent novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, this modernised version is tacky, weak on the horror, repetitive with its dialogue and full of cliches. However, it’s a good starter for those wanting to dip their toes into the horror genre, particularly with ghosts stories. There is something to be said for the set design, giving the house and film that wonderfully gothic vibe. 3/5

Hell House LLC series
Released: 2015-2025
Synopsis: Follows the haunting of a house turned into an attraction named Hell House LLC, formerly a hotel named Abaddon, then delves further back to the origins of the hauntings at the Carmichael Manor.
Verdict: This series started off average but then slowly descended into abysmal. All films are done in the found footage style, and for most of them that’s the best thing going for them, until the final film, Lineage, where they scrapped the found footage and shot a traditional film, leaving the series with nothing left to give. 2/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Hell House LLC: Lineage review.

Hereditary
Released: 2018
Director: Ari Aster
Synopsis: Annie (Toni Collette) reveals her tense relationship with her mysterious mother, and she worries about her daughter, who spends a lot of time alone, observing and drawing. When her son is invited to a party, Annie insists his sister accompany him, and things take a serious turn, causing Annie to dive into a perceived madness that scares her family.
Verdict: Aster’s ability to create tension in this story is, frankly, second to none. A particular incident occurs and it’s generally a tension-creating cliché, but it builds well from one genuine, understated view. If there is one downside to the story, however, it’s that it isn’t the most original. 4/5
Read the full Hereditary review.

House on Eden
Released: 2025
Director: Kris Collins
Synopsis: Kris, Celina and Jay (all playing versions of themselves) head to a house named House on Eden that is supposedly haunted in order to film some creepy stuff for their online audience. However, the spirit(s) of the house don’t take too kindly to their presence.
Verdict: There are some truly creepy moments, subtle and not over the top, that give it some legitimacy as a horror film, it’s just decidedly unoriginal. Writer/director Kris Collins shows potential as a horror filmmaker, so it would be interesting to see her come up with something more original. 2.5/5
Read the Tiny Tapes House on Eden review.

I

Incantation (Chinese: 咒 )
Released: 2022
Director: Kevin Ko
Synopsis: A woman visits her boyfriend’s family and disturbs a ritual, cursing her and her unborn daughter. After a few years and seeking some psychiatric help, she is reunited with her daughter, only for things to take another turn for the worse.
Verdict: In this film, the found footage techniqueis executed very well with some great visual effects and framing. It is a genuinely creepy movie that also has a pretty scary realistic vibe to it, particularly thanks to the narrator who bookends the story with some terrifying revelations. If you enjoy the likes of The Blair Witch Project and REC, this will certainly be right up your Elm Street. 4/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Incantation review.

L

Late Night with the Devil
Released: 2024
Directors: Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
Synopsis: In 1977, popular TV talk show host Jack Delroy (Dastmalchian) late-night show talk show is suffering in ratings and viewership. In order to gain back his audience, he returns on Halloween night with guests that are connected with the supernatural to enthral his audience. Before and after their appearances, strange things happen on the set, both behind and in front of the camera.
Verdict: If you are a horror fan, Late Night with the Devil comes highly recommended. Stephen King’s assessment of the end of the movie, in which he said “results may vary”, meaning some will like it, some will not, appears quite apt, but the journey of the movie is worth a watch. 4/5
Read the full Late Night with the Devil review

M

The Medium (Thai: ร่างทรง)
Released: 2021
Director: Banjong Pisanthanakun
Synopsis: When the niece of a shaman in the Isan region of Thailand becomes possessed, the shaman has to do everything within her (questionable) power to help her niece while also dealing with some family issues that come to the fore when the girl becomes increasingly violent.
Verdict: A very well-paced found-footage style film, building up to the possession by slowly increasing the girl’s strange behaviour and planting good foreshadowing. The frights are mostly frightening indeed, though interspersed with the odd gratuitous jump-scare here and there, and the performances are excellent and immersive. 4/5
Read the Tiny Tapes The Medium review.

N

Noroi: The Curse (Japanese: ノロイ)
Released: 2005
Director: Kōji Shiraishi
Synopsis: A documentary filmmaker investigates an ancient curse that is far darker and widespread than he realises.
Verdict: An early example of the found footage technique being used to create some intense and realistic horror and doing it effectively. With an interesting plot that keeps you hooked, you’re sure to be creeped out, though the occasional use of a non-diegetic soundtrack takes viewers out of the immersion at times and the time between creepy events is sometimes stretched. 3.5/5

O

The Omen
Released: 1976
Director: Richard Donner
Synopsis: After his child dies shortly after birth, a father replaces him with another child. As the child grows, strange and fatal events happen around the family, and they comes to realise that the child, Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens), is the prophesised Antichrist.
Verdict: Coming soon

The Others
Released: 2001
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Synopsis: After the events of WWII, a woman living with her two light-sensitive children in an isolated mansion on the island of Jersey starts to believe their house is haunted, as she begins to see strange things and experience weird events. As much as everything isn’t as it seems, the truth couldn’t be further from what she comes to believe.
Verdict: With one of the greatest twists of any horror film, The Others is a truly creepy film with very good performances by the adults and the children. It’s dark in atmosphere, tone and setting, and is as scary psychologically as it is physically. 4/5

Ouija duology
Released: 2014/2016
Director: Stiles White/Mike Flanagan
Synopsis: In the first film, teenagers mess around with a ouija board and unwittingly unleash malevolent spirits. In the prequel, a widow uses a ouija board in her fake seance business that brings forth a spirit that possesses her youngest daughter,
Verdict: Coming soon

P

Paranormal Activity series
Released: 2007-present
Synopsis: Beginning with 2007’s Paranormal Activity, the series follows different yet linked families that are stalked and haunted by a demonic presences often known as “Tobi”. The films swing between sequels and prequels and build the lore of “Tobi” and its existence to haunt these people.
Verdict: The first film is excellent, as terrifying as any good horror film, using the found footage technique to fantastic effect. The following films don’t ever quite match up to the first, with the barely audible noises adding an intense creepiness, and the camera angles that build with suggestive shadows that plant seeds of fear. Theseries is worth a watch, but the first film may be enough to set you on edge for a while. 4/5
Check out DOTT’s Film Club – Paranormal Activity.

Poltergeist series
Released: 1982-2015
Synopsis: Beginning in the ’80s, a family are harrassed by a malevolent spirit via their TV set, the youngest daughter being the main target of its efforts. The franchise goes on to reveal more about the origin of the spirit, known as the Beast, and the family’s attempts to keep their youngest safe, culminating in a remake of the first film.
Verdict: Coming soon

The Possession of Hannah Grace
Released: 2018
Director: Diederik Van Rooijen
Synopsis: A female officer fresh out of a relationship and rehab takes a night job at the city hospital’s morgue. Little does she know, the cadaver of a girl who recently died during an exorcism is about to arrive and plague her until it gets what it wants.
Verdict: This film follows every trope in the book. It has nothing particularly unique about it, the lead character is entirely predictable and stereotypical, and the main antagonist offers nothing new. The setting is far too spacious, meaning it loses any sense of claustrophobic fear or being trapped with a demonic presence, and the supporting characters are poorly written. 2/5

Presence
Released: 2024
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Synopsis: On moving to a new house, a slightly dysfunctional family of four come to find that they are sharing their space with an unknown presence that interferes with their lives, but not necessarily maliciously.
Verdict: The cinematography and framing screams Soderbergh, as does the depth of the writing and the characters, but we are left with some loose ends that would have been nice to have tied up. It is paced well and will keep you intrigued to the very end, and the performances are engaging. 3.5/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Presence review.

S

The Sixth Sense
Released: 1999
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Synopsis: After a near-death experience, psychologist Malcolm (Bruce Willis) throws himself into his work, where he meets nine-year-old Cole (Haley Joel Osment), a boy who is able to see and communicate with the dead. As Malcolm counsels Cole, he himself tries to repair his relationship with his wife.
Verdict: M. Night Shyamalan’s films are very up and down, some being far better than others. The Sixth Sense is one of his far better ones, generally noted for introducing audiences to his at-times-infamous twist endings. The performances are excellent and the story builds well, with enough creepy ghosts to keep audiences on their toes as well as good depths to the characters and the plot. 4/5

Sleep (Korean: 잠 )
Released: 2023
Director: Jason Yu
Synopsis: Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi) is newly married to Hyeon-soo (Lee Sun-kyun) and pregnant. Everything is perfect, until she realises that Hyeon-soo has some problems at night. Keeping herself awake worrying about him and what he might do, Soo-jin must find a way to help her husband before events take a turn for the worse, especially after she gives birth.
Verdict: There’s definitely potential to read into post-partum mental health issues in this film, but it can also be taken on the chin as a simple psychological horror. It builds very well, and is a decent creepy film that has quite a shocking, if not entirely unpredictable, ending. 4/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Sleep review.

T

Talk to Me
Released: 2022
Directors: Danny and Michael Philippou 
Synopsis: A group of teenagers come across a mysterious hand that allows them to talk to the dead. They make a game of it, but only allow each other 90 seconds before severing the connection. When things start to go wrong, Mia (Sophie Wilde) has to find a way to set things right before anyone loses their life to possession.
Verdict: Talk to Me definitely has some terrifying and shocking scenes, with intense performances and strong back stories for some of the characters that get entangled with the supernatural aspects. If you’re looking for something scary for a movie night, you could do a lot worse than Talk to Me (a prequel and sequel are also in the works, so this could shape up to be a rather terrifying franchise). 4/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Talk to Me review.

Tarot
Released: 2024
Directors: Spenser Cohen, Anna Halberg
Synopsis: A group of college students rent a mansion, one of them being an avid tarot reader. On finding a deck in the house, she reads cards for each of her friends. As fatal events begin to occur, they track down a tarot expert, who tells them the deck once belonged to an astrologer who cursed the deck.
Verdict: Sometimes, horror films are made to make a quick buck without any real effort put in. This is one of those films. If you are the kind of person that is easy to scare, you may enjoy this one, but if you are any kind of horror afficianado, stay well away from this poorly made film. 2/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Tarot review.

Thirteen Ghosts
Released: 2001
Director: Steve Beck
Synopsis: A man and his two children inherit a strange glass house that is a prison to twelve evil ghosts. When they find themselves stuck in the house, the rely on the help of a ghost hunter to escape, along with a rival ghost “activist” who is set on freeing the ghosts.
Verdict: Coming soon

U

Until Dawn
Released: 2025
Synopsis: Based on the video game, Until Dawn follows a group of friends who head to the area where the sister of one of the friends went missing, but they soon find themselves caught in a time loop, and if they don’t find a way out of it, they could become part of the many missing people.
Verdict: You might enjoy the twists and turns that come with this film, and although the characters and their initial motive for finding themselves in this predicament aren’t all that original, the plot makes an admirable attempt of keeping things fresh. 3/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Until Dawn review.

V

Verónica & Sister Death (Spanish: Hermana Muerte)
Released: 2017/2023
Director: Paco Plaza
Synopsis: In Verónica, which is loosely based on a true story, the titular Verónica (Sandra Escacena) begins to experience strange things after messing around with a Ouija board. In Sister Death, the prequel to Verónica, a woman who experiences holy visions is sent to live/teach in a convent/girl’s school, where she learns of the convent’s dark past and begins to have her own communications with the dead.
Verdict: Verónica is a terrific film, which is a little unsurprising as the Spanish are quite adept with horror. The performances are excellent and the scares are plentiful while also being decently subtle at times. Sister Death isn’t quite on the same level as Verónica, but it has its own setting and story that is mostly separate from Verónica until the very end, meaning it has much to offer on its own.

W

When Evil Lurks (Spanish: Cuando acecha la maldad)
Released: 2023
Director: Demián Rugna
Synopsis: When the people of a small town discover a demon making its way through them, a handful band together to try to rid the town of its presence before it can take over all of the townspeople and commit further atrocities.
Verdict: With great cinematography, body horror prosthetics and makeup, When Evil Lurks is a gruesome horror with genuine shocks to go along with its enticing premise. The final shot is particularly aesthetically pleasing and will leave you with a morbid yet satisfying taste in your mouth. 4/5
Read the TIny Tapes When Evil Lurks review.

The Woman in Black
Released: 2012
Director: James Watkins, based on the book by Susan Hill
Synopsis: A young recently widowed lawyer, Arthur Kipps, travels to an isolated house. Upon staying in the house, he is confronted by an evil spirit that haunts the house, and he must find a way to put the spirit to rest.
Why is it a good Halloween movie? This movie has excellent creep
Verdict: This movie has excellent creep-factor, being very dark and sinister. Daniel Radcliffe puts in a great performance, and the jump scares are actually quite well done to be genuinely frightening. Ultimately, it’s a classic ghost story, and is perfect if you fancy some more of that period horror with a straight-forward haunting. 4/5