Thehorrorgenre is currently thriving and showing no signs of slowing down, which can only be a good thing for gore-hounds the world over. 2024 has already seen iconic performances such as in the unnervingNicolas Cage horror movieLonglegs, plus Demi Moore in one of the mostsuperb body horror moviesever to have been unleashed;The Substance. However, some of the very best movies from the horror genre over the last 10 or so years have come from a previously unlikely source; Ireland.
The Emerald Isle’s movie scene has been thriving for decades and films such as the energetic and deeply engagingKneecap,are a testament to its quality. However, it was in the early 2000s that the horror scene in the country began to flourish. Compared to the mainstream content audiences have to enjoy every week, Irish horror movie output is still relatively fledgling,but Irish horror is taking on a new lease of life. With movies that focus on Irish culture, folklore, and often its dark history, there are some suitably nasty horror delights to enjoy.
The Hole In The Ground
Cast
The Hole in the Ground is a 2019 horror film directed by Lee Cronin. The story follows Sarah O’Neill, played by Seána Kerslake, as she and her young son Chris attempt to build a new life on the fringes of a rural town. Their lives take a dark turn after they encounter a mysterious sinkhole, leading Sarah to suspect that her son may not be who he appears to be.
Some of thebest horror movies focus on the plight of a teenor a child, and the horrifying thought that your offspring may have been swapped for a supernatural being, can be genuinely terrifying.That’s certainly the case with Lee Cronin’s take on Irish folklore inThe Hole in the Ground, which leans heavily on the traditional Irish folk song “Weile Weile” which tells the rather sinister tale of a lady who takes her child down to a lake and murders them with a penknife.
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An underrated horror film featured on Amazone Prime Video, here are 10 of the scariest moments from 2019’s A Hole In The Ground.
The movie is just as morbidly bleak and dark as the traditional folklore that it’s influenced by, and you may see why director Ronin was subsequently hired for 2023’sEvil Dead Rise. The film features some terrifying moments, from the early hints that the protagonist’s son, Chris, is not who he first appears to be, to when he forcibly buries her in the garden. While the movie isn’t necessarily bloody or gory, it succeeds by building tension around Chris' possession, while featuring some effectively creepy imagery.
Dead Meat
Dead Meat is a 2004 horror film set in Ireland where a couple’s vacation turns grim as a virus transmitted from animals to humans ignites a zombie epidemic. The narrative unfolds with the living battling the undead in a countryside overrun by chaos.
In 1994, Irish director Neil Jordan achieved international recognition, and some acclaim, for his entertaining if flawed film,Interview with a Vampire.He had already proved that he had the necessary skills for the horror genre with the cult classicThe Company of Wolves, but he was an influential presence in Irish film-making. However, another director has since become synonymous with the resurgence of Irish horror over the last 20 years; Conor McMahon.
The movie follows a Spanish tourist and her boyfriend who, after hitting a guy with their car, soon become embroiled in a zombie outbreak.
WhileDead Meatmay not be one of thebest zombie movies of all time, it leans heavily towards its zombie roots in a gleefully gory way, albeit on a limited budget. The movie follows a Spanish tourist and her boyfriend who, after hitting a guy with their car, soon become embroiled in a zombie outbreak. Despite budgetary restrictions, the movie boasts some decent effects. Plus, there are multiple very gory deaths,one involving a vacuum sucking brains out through an eye socketand others involving decapitation, disembowelment, and other nasty surprises.
Female horror directorsare at the forefront of the modern horror genre, with superb recent entries such as 2019’sSaint Maud, by the excellent Rose Glass, leading the way.Hoping to follow a similar path is director Lynne Davison, whose 2022 movie,Mandrake, shares some of the DNA and wonderfully inventive chills of Glass' debut feature. Also, despite being largely set in a wood, the movie manages to avoid the stereotypes associated with that environment.
What setsMandrakeapart from similar genre movies, is how it bypasses the typical horror conventions by becoming something more realistic and bleak. The movie, like a lot of Irish horror, leans heavily into the folklore of the country, and the themes of paganism and demonic rituals are very much brought into play by the film’s denouement. This isn’t one for hardcore gore-hounds to sink their teeth into,but its slowly built dread makes it a must-watch for folk horror fans.
Byzantium
Byzantium is a 2013 gothic horror film directed by Neil Jordan. It stars Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton as a mother-daughter duo of vampires who seek refuge in a run-down coastal resort. As they establish their sanctuary, their dark past and centuries-old secrets threaten to unravel their precarious existence. The film combines elements of horror and drama, exploring themes of immortality and survival.
Fresh off the back of the warmly receivedOndinein 2009, Irish director Neil Jordan returned to his horror roots with a vampire movie boasting a cool concept and a great cast.The movie wasn’t necessarily met with the warmest of welcomes by fans and critics, but it revels in the sensuality of the vampire genre to full effect. The plot follows Gemma Arterton’s centuries-old vampire Clara and her daughter Eleanor, played by Saoirse Ronan, who take up residency at the titular Byzantium Hotel.
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Robert Eggers has some very specific words to describe his version of Count Orlok in Nosferatu, and they promise to end a tiring vampire trend.
Neil Jordan’s assured direction makes the transition between the past and the present in the plot effortless.There’s also some nice gore in the form of a blood-spurting garroted head. However, most of the fun comes from how it successfully moves away from the shimmering vampires inTwilight, into something more brutal and akin to whatblood drinkers in vampire movies should really look like.
Let the Wrong One In
Let the Wrong One In follows 16-year-old Matt as he grapples with a difficult decision when he discovers his estranged brother Deco has become a vampire. Torn between helping his sibling and preventing the spread of vampirism, Matt must navigate familial loyalty and personal safety.
The Irish horror genre has increasingly become known for its comedy, folklore, and blood-splattering violence. Director Conor McMahon manages to inject all of these in his movies, andLet the Wrong One Inis no exception. He created a horror comedy that does justice to the genre while also showcasing some very good talent to lead the movie. He obviously knew what he was doing with the movie’s referential title as well.
The Dublin-set movie follows bickering brothers Matt and Deco, who come together after Deco, a drug addict, is bitten by a vampire.
One major coup for director McMahon is the casting ofBuffy the Vampire Slayerstalwart, Anthony Head, as a train-loving vampire hunter.You can see the influence of the movie from classics such asBram Stoker’sDracula, as well as plenty of visual nods toNosferatufrom 1922. There’s a lot of fun to be had from the many scenes of inventive, bloody mayhem, especially the scene with the neighbor’s pet rabbit.
You Are Not My Mother
You Are Not My Mother is an Irish horror film directed by Kate Dolan. It centers on Char, a teenage girl whose mother, Angela, mysteriously disappears only to return with a drastically changed demeanor. As Char seeks to uncover the cause of her mother’s unsettling transformation, she delves into dark family secrets and folklore. The film explores themes of identity and maternal relationships against a backdrop of supernatural elements.
Another Dublin set horror movie,Your Not My Motherproves that Ireland’s capital city can be a great hunting ground not just for vampires, but also for thebest modern folk-horror subgenre.You Are Not My Motheris steeped in Irish tradition, most notably the belief system of theAos Sí,a supernatural race in Gaelic folklore.Rightly considered one of the breakout hits of recent years, the film is a deeply disturbing depiction of a mother’s mental health, plus the effect this can have on a child.
It’s a horror trope that’s been told before, for example in the similarly excellentRelicfrom 2022, but Dolan’s film effortlessly weaves everyday Irish traditions into its narrative.
When a young girl’s mentally ill mother returns after apparently going missing, she begins to believe that the person who returned may not in fact be her mother.It’s a horror trope that’s been told before, for example in the similarly excellentRelicfrom 2022, but Dolan’s film effortlessly weaves everyday Irish traditions into its narrative. The conclusion is suitably heartbreaking and terrifying all at once, with the reveal that the girl was swapped at birth, a brutal punch in the gut.
The vampire genre has seen manyexamples of powerful vampiresover time, but never before has it been given an Irish spin quite like what we see inThe Boys from County Hell, whose title is almost as genius as the movie itself.Set in a fictional rural town, the film focuses on a father and son who must rid the town of an ancient, very hungry, vampire who has risen from his prehistoric tomb.
What works so well in the movie is how it takes its roots in Irish folklore, and blends them with the actual legend of the Irish creature, the Abhartach, which may have been the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’sDracula.Mostly, however, it works because it’s hilarious and features many of the trademarks of the vampire movie;there’s blood being drunk, death by impalement, throats are slit, plus the comedy is all very quintessentially Irish.
Stitches
Stitches is a horror-comedy film centered around a deceased clown named Richard “Stitches” Grindle, who returns from the grave to seek vengeance on a group of teenagers. Following a fatal accident during a child’s birthday party, Stitches revives six years later with sinister intentions at another birthday celebration.
Clowns have been a huge favorite for horror fans over the years, and that trend doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon, thanks to thehuge success of projects likeTerrifier 3at the box office.Stitchesmay not be as gory as theTerrifierseries, nor does it have the gravitas of a Stephen King novel behind it. However, what it does so well is to bring a fresh, gory take on the slasher sub-genre, while utilizing many clown gags in its kills.
Starring English comedian Ross Noble, the movie focuses on the titular clown, played by Noble, who comes back to life to exact his revenge on the people who caused his untimely demise.One scene sees an unfortunate victim have his head inflated by a bike pump until it explodes, another shows a girl’s eye being impaled by an umbrella, plus there’s also some tasty-looking brain chomping by way of an ice cream scoop. Director Conor McMahon once again proves he has the guts for horror.
Grabbers
Grabbers is a science fiction horror-comedy film directed by Jon Wright. The story takes place on a small Irish island, where a group of eccentric characters must band together to survive an alien invasion. The twist: the monsters are vulnerable to alcohol, and the islanders use this to their advantage, getting drunk to fend off the creatures.
Irish horror certainly knows how to come up with an original concept, and the premise in Jon Wright’s horror comedy, that you must get drunk to survive, is almost as fresh asShaun of the Deadwas in 2004.While it can’t quite compete with the Edgar Wright classic,Grabbersis a delight from beginning to end. AlthoughThe Boys from County Hellmay be regarded as one of the best breakthroughs in Irish horror,Grabbershad already held that title almost 10 years earlier.
The fact that the only weakness of the villains is alcohol, is genius.
The plot of this creature feature follows Lisa Nolan, an officer of the Irish Garda, who accepts a temporary assignment to cover for a colleague on vacation. Unfortunately, it also appears that vicious, bloodthirsty aliens have also arrived at the Island for their own kind of bloody vacation.There’s much joy to behold as the film kicks into gear and the Grabbers pick the townsfolk off in amusingly sick ways.The fact that the only weakness of the villains is alcohol, is genius.
As directorial debuts go, you can’t get much better thanCavaetby Damien Mc Carthy.The title alone is fairly understated in itself, and its largely one-location setting is handled with terrifying skill. The plot follows a lone drifter called Isaac, who’s tasked with looking after a psychologically troubled woman in a house on an abandoned island. This synopsis hints at the dread to follow, and the movie evokes memories of Robert Eggers wild movieThe Lighthousefrom 2019.
Mc Carthy builds the creeping dread in the film with some great, if slightly stereotypical, horror tropes; whispers appear from old paintings, plus a toy rabbit menacingly foreshadows the threat to come by repeatedly banging on a drum. Richard G. Mitchell’s excellent score builds underneath the tense action without being overbearing like more mainstreamhorrormovies would. This is a great, and chilling, example of how to craft an effective horror film on a tight budget.
