Best Irish Horror Films: Top 10
Many Irish horror films pull from the Green Isle’s mythical past, which fuels great storytelling. Most impressive is the thematic value of these films and the strong atmospheres they conjure.
10. The Cured (2018, Ireland/France) 3.5 stars
After a cure for zombiism is discovered, the once infected are shunned by society. Now, a hostile public and a ruthless government combine to create a maelstrom of Hell for these new outcasts, including Ellen Page.
9. The Canal (2014) 3.5 stars
Rupert Evans plays a film archivist who discovers that a brutal murder had taken place in his house in the early 1900s. When his wife disappears, he fears that otherworldly forces are at work. The music is fantastic!
8. The Eclipse (2009) 3.5 stars
In the Irish town of Cobh, a somber widower and a British writer of ghost stories may be falling in love. But when the widower starts seeing ghosts, his world may disintegrate.
7. Stitches (2012) 3.5 stars
Ross Noble rocks his role as Stitches the clown in this pretty damn dark horror/comedy. Stitches returns from the dead to avenge his death – and that’s far from pretty.
6. A Dark Song (2017, Ireland/UK) 3.5 stars
A mother wants to connect with her deceased son, and hires an occult specialist to bring that to fruition. But when the mother changes the game, both their lives may be in danger.
5. Dorothy Mills (2008, Ireland/France) 3.5 stars
In a brilliant debut, Jenn Murray plays the disturbed Dorothy Mills, but her psychiatrist, the ultra-phenomenal Carice van Houten (one of the greatest actresses of our times) is on the troubling case.
4. Outcast (2010, UK/Ireland) 4 stars
A couple’s on the verge of breaking up, but a monster has other plans. Throw in some magic weilding hunters, and you have something far removed from the average B-horror creature feature.
3. Wake Wood (2011, Ireland/UK) 4 stars
Grief leads to a young couple taking a chance on seeing their dead child one more time. Add this creepfest to your list of “be careful what you wish for” movies and the nightmare that follows.
2. Grabbers (2012, UK/Ireland) 4 stars
This is one horror/comedy that’s a true blast! An alien comes to a small Irish isle to feast on the blood of the locals. But the only way to beat them is if you’re drunk off your ass.
1. Isolation (2018, Ireland/France) 3.5 stars
An isolated farm, a handful of people, and one bizarre experiment. What can go wrong? Everything. Great oppressive atmosphere and imagery, features Babadook star Essie Davis, and it’s like Alien in a barn.
Other Great Horrors with Irish Production Help
These international productions are 3.5 out of 5 stars and definitely worth watching…
Come to Daddy (2020, Ireland/Canada/New Zealand/USA), Dark Touch (2013, France/Ireland/Sweden), Gretel and Hansel (2020, Canada/USA/Ireland/South Africa)
The Plot Sickens: Crash presents a list of Go-to Horror Films!
Billy Crash
Also known as William D. Prystauk, he loves great, in-depth characters and storytelling in horror, and likes to see heads roll. However, if you kill a dog on screen he’ll cry like a baby. Crash, an award-winning screenwriter and novelist, co-hosts THE LAST KNOCK horror podcast on iTunes and Spotify (among other venues), and can also be found on Twitter, LinkedIn, IMDb, Amazon, Behance, YouTube, and Instagram. He’s currently in pre-production on a dramatic thriller feature while working on the fourth novel in his award-winning Kink Noir crime thriller series.
THE LAST KNOCK horror podcast is a Crash Palace Productions’ featured show. Besides this site, you can find THE LAST KNOCK on iTunes and Spotify (and more) with new shows posted every other Sunday at 9 PM ET.
Crash Palace Productions website design and creation from Brian Yount Digital Enterprises with banner, gif, and all THE LAST KNOCK art from Palko Designs.
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Note: What’s up with the one-man shows as of late? Never fear, Jonny Numb and Billy Crash are still The Last Knock duo! But due to work demands, COVID-19 vaccine recovery, and individual writing projects, time has been demanding. The pair will get on the same wavelength soon enough!
(Isolation movie still from Lions Gate Pictures.)