OTT: 10 horror films to feast on this Halloween weekend
OTT platforms offer cinephiles a gory, bloody carnival of films. The Federal rummages through the terror chest and picks top ten horror films on OTT made in the new millennium
Weird-looking, twisted repulsive monsters munching on human beings; houses haunted by malevolent spirits; remorseless, ruthless psychopaths tormenting their victims feeding off on their fear and pain, people trapped in claustrophobic places teeming with rats and vicious goo dripping beasts – a seemingly innocent child with deadly malevolence in her heart. This is just a gist of what is on offer in the form of horror films on OTT platforms on Halloween weekend.
OTT platforms offer cinephiles a gory, bloody carnival of films to feast on. Besides the release of a new scary, creepy anthology by the granddaddy of spine-chillers, Guilldermo del Taro, there is some old favourites that give enough jump scares and can send cold shivers down the spine.
Here, The Federal rummages through the terror chest and picks top ten horror films on OTT made in the new millennium. Though classics like the 2008 Swedish film, Let the right one in, a remarkably moving horror tale, about a pale, bullied twelve-year-old boy and his first love, who happens to be a vampire, (which got 98 per cent in Rotten Tomatoes) or the Devil’s Backbone, a potent ghost story and an intelligent political allegory, are not easily available on the regular platforms in India, there’s still enough gore to sink into.
Cabinet of Curiosities
It may be apt to kick off the weekend with Cabinet of Curiosities by the legendary master of horror, Mexican filmmaker Guilldermo del Toro. Known to whip up terrifying tales weaving in politics and symbolism, his richly crafted stories also have well-defined characters. His monsters are most grotesque but they are set against the backdrop of a frightening and compelling story. A self-described monster lover, del Toro’s passion for fantasy and misunderstood creatures (Shape of Water) made him one of the most unique filmmakers of his generation and a two-time Oscar winner.
This Mexican filmmaker is skilled in not just screenwriting and directing but is adept at bringing forth fantastical beings to audiences. For this reason, del Toro has studied special effects and makeup. This cinephile is so fascinated with horror and fantasy that he even has a separate home called Bleak House for his collection of art, movie props, memorabilia and more.
In this anthology Cabinet of Curiosities (on Netflix) presented by del Toro, there are eight episodes directed by different directors. Each episode has monsters of different sizes and shapes, strange beings of the underworld, graveyard rats – aimed at creating sheer blind terror and crippling fear. The Outside, an 80s-set body-horror about a meek woman who wants to be beautiful and The Viewing, are rated as the best in this anthology.
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The Host
Korean auteur and Oscar-winner Bong Joon-ho (Parasite)’s first crossover hit was the 2006’s The Host. Horror movies are not common genre in Korea, and Bong revealed in an interview that people initially laughed when he first decided to make a monster film. But, The Host went on to become the highest-grossing Korean film that year and also was a hit in America, where he picked up fans like director Quentin Tarantino.
Incidentally, the film takes off from a real life case in 2000 when a US morgue official was convicted of dumping hazardous chemicals into the Han River in south Korea. In the film, an American scientist orders his Korean subordinate to pour a large amount of formaldehyde down the lab drain and out of this emerges a monster years later to terrorise the city.
The city goes under lockdown since the authorities feel the monster has set of a virus (viewers can surely relate to this) and it is left to the dysfunctional Parker family to rescue their little girl from the monster. Check it out on Amazon Prime.
28 days later
When London bike courier Jim (Cillian Murphy) wakes up from a coma he finds the city deserted. On the run from the zombie-like victims of the Rage, Jim stumbles upon a group of survivors, including Selena (Naomi Harris) and cab driver Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and joins them to fight for survival.
One reviewer wrote: “The vanished London society that Cillian Murphy wakes up to at the start of this movie is one of the most brilliantly staged horror movie openings ever, and the survivalist battle that closes it caps a powerful story of disease paranoia.” It is considered to be one of the best British zombie film in decades. According to another reviewer, the rage virus can be read as a metaphor for increasing xenophobia, hatred, and intolerance or the general dehumanizing consequences of an oppressive global society. Available on Apple TV, YouTube for a fee.
If Rosemary’s Baby was about the exploitation of a woman, the 2017 Get Out challenges racial stereotypes. It is a bizarre story of a young black man Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) lured by his white girlfriend to her family home in the country, where they plan to replace his brain with the brain of an older white person. But this low-budget film went on to become a huge success. It is a twisted satire, brilliantly written and a wonderfully uncomfortable neo- horror movie. Interestingly, Get Out is now regarded as a film to be studied for depicting race relations in America. There are some real tense moments in the film as Chris tries to somehow escape the white crazies! On Amazon Prime.
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The Others
There’s no blood-letting, slash gore in this dark and atmospheric film. It is a more quiet and brooding film on the lines of M Night Shyalam’s The Sixth Sense. Nicole Kidman, the devoutly religious mother of Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley), moves her family to the English coast during World War II. She waits to hear about her missing husband while protecting her children from a rare photosensitivity disease that causes the sun to harm them. Anne claims she sees ghosts, Grace initially thinks the new servants are playing tricks but chilling events and visions make her believe something supernatural has occurred.
There are haunted house regular scares like creaking floorboards, turning doorknobs, lamp-lit shadow play and strange moans. The 2001 film marked the English language debut of Spanish writer-director, Alejandro Amenabar, and it came before the Japanese horror remakes like The Ring or the extreme cinema of Saw and Hostel. This film can be seen on Google Play or Vudu.
Eden Lake is a gory film which has nothing to do with ghosts or the supernatural or monsters of the CGI kind. Here it is a bunch of teenage hoodlums who wreak havoc and terror on a couple – Jenny, a teacher, and her boyfriend, Steve, who are out on a peaceful weekend at a lake.
The teenage hoodlums tie up Steve (the eye-candy Michael Fassbender) and unleash unsparing violence on him. It is meant to be easily one of the most pessimistic, brutal, cruel and disturbing horror movies. The director builds up the controlled tension and horrifying sense of no escape, it’s a classic contemporary nightmare. Check it out on Vudu.
Set in 1971, the story is said to have been inspired by the files of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a husband-and-wife team of paranormal investigators. The action takes place in a 150-year-old Rhode Island farmhouse, where, after moving in, Roger and Carolyn Perron (Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor) and their five daughters start to experience disturbing events. It has some Catholic exorcism that makes The Exorcist, William Friedkin’s pioneering 1973 possession drama, seem like a documentary. It is the stuff that falls in the classic horror genre and the scares are of the deeply creepy kind. On Netflix.
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The Descent
A caving expedition goes horribly wrong in this 2005 British film, as the explorers get trapped inside and then pursued by a strange breed of predators. As they shuffle through tiny tunnels with about a millimetre’s space all around, there are ghastly beasts, blind humanoid mutants, who start popping up and have a taste for human flesh. It is rated 86 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and is considered to be directed well with strong performances from its all-female cast. Reviewers call The Descent a riveting, claustrophobic horror film.
Emily Blunt and John Krasinski star in this popular 2018 horror thriller A Quiet Place. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, a family attempts to live in complete silence to avoid blind extra terrestrial mysterious creatures that hunt by sound.
Knowing that even the slightest whisper or footstep can bring death, Evelyn (Emily) and Lee (Krasinki) are determined to find a way to protect their children while desperately searching for a way to fight back. The concept was innovative and gave room for tense, edge-of-the-seat moments. Author Stephen King praised the film in a tweet, saying, “A QUIET PLACE is an extraordinary piece of work. Terrific acting, but the main thing is the SILENCE, and how it makes the camera’s eye open wide in a way few movies manage. Check it out on Netflix.
Tumbbad
The only Indian film on this list, Tumbbad is based on the folktales of the hinterlands of Maharashtra. Isn’t that the trend today? A film by Sohum Shah, Tumbbad is based on the story of a family who builds a temple for Hastar, the devil God who should never be worshipped.
Reviewers have called it a “spectacle of epic horror”, and not meant for the squeamish or claustrophobic. This unusual blend of horror, fantasy and Indian folklore is a clear winner. And, this visually rich story of greed and gold has a moral underlying it as the film harps on Mahatma Gandhi’s warning: “The world has enough for everyone’s need, but not enough for everyone’s greed”. On Amazon Prime, check it out.