Sure, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, The Exorcist, and The Conjuring are all legendary horror films that earned hundreds of millions at the box office, spawned franchises, and have been immortalized by pop culture. But there are tons of fantastic horror movies out there that didn’t have big budgets and major studios behind them. Some were made by indie filmmakers who simply knew they had a good story to tell and wanted to tell it.
This October, in addition to rewatching all the classics, be sure to check out some great indie horror movies that are guaranteed to scare and excite. From the worst STI you’ve ever had to Bigfoot (yes, Bigfoot) running loose in the woods, here are five indie horror movies you need to check out this October.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Exists (2014)
Eduardo Sanchez, the director of The Blair Witch Project, returned in 2014 with another found-footage horror movie, Exists. The film centers around a group of friends vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods. But they soon find themselves being stalked by Bigfoot. The premise sounds a bit stupid, but somehow Sanchez managed to create a genuinely scary and effective Sasquatch movie.
When you think about it, Bigfoot is the perfect slasher villain. Big, strong, and elusive like a wild animal, but able to think and plot like a human. We have tons of ghost movies and the MonsterVerse has made King Kong cool again, so why not try a Bigfoot movie?
Hatchet (2006)
The goal of Hatchet was to revive the classic ’70s and ’80s slasher flick. The movie’s tagline leaned into this by proclaiming the film to be a return to “Old school American horror.” In the film, Victor Crowley was a deformed young boy who was bullied by everyone. One night, kids from his school set his rural cabin on fire with Victor trapped inside. Desperate to save his son, Victor’s father tried to smash through the door with a hatchet… but ended up sending it straight through Victor’s skull.
The origin story was heavily inspired by Friday the 13th, and now in the present day, a full-grown, monstrous, never-dying Victor has risen from the dead, hellbent on killing anyone who comes near his cabin on the bayou (again, very much inspired by Jason Voorhees). Thanks to some great humor, tons of throwbacks to classic slasher films, and lots of genuinely scary scenes, Hatchet is both an homage to the slasher genre while also being a solid entry.
Watch Hatchet on Plex.Terrifier 2 (2022)
Art the Clown is horror’s newest it boy. Originally he appeared in the 2013 anthology film All Hallow’s Eve before getting his own film Terrifier in 2016. But it was 2022’s Terrifier 2 that really introduced Art to a wider audience – and luckily for viewers, you don’t really need to watch the previous movies to enjoy it, though it is fun to see his origins.
In Terrifer 2, Art encounters his greatest enemy yet, Final Girl Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera). Like all proper slasher flicks, Art kills everyone around him, building the suspense before his final battle. But what really separates the Terrifier movies from other more mainstream horror films is the totally gory, gruesome, and wild kill scenes. Somehow, the film’s kills are so bombastic that it adds a perverse and sadistic dose of humor.
Watch Terrifier 2 on Freevee.Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)
Behind the Mask is a super unique and fun slasher movie that centers around a reporter and her crew filming segments about notorious serial killer Leslie Vernon. But they’re not just talking about the infamous killer … they’re actually following him around, getting a first-hand account of his life. Immediately, the premise disarms you. You can’t tell if the film is a comedy or a proper horror movie.
But the third act changes everything and proves that Leslie had a plan of his own the entire time. No spoilers here, just know you’re in for a great surprise and one hell of a good time. It also stars two horror legends, Robert Englund (aka Freddy Krueger) and Zelda Rubinstein from Poltergeist.
Watch Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon on Shudder and AMC+ .
Contracted (2013)
Before It Follows was released, Contracted was the original sexually transmitted horror movie. In the film, a young woman named Samantha is raped at a party, and it turns out the man who raped her is a necrophiliac who recently had sex with a diseased corpse.
Soon, Samantha’s body starts to fall apart and her actions become erratic and violent. Eventually, she deteriorates away into a bloodthirsty zombie. Just like It Follows, the combination of sex and horror makes Contracted terrifying. But its added dose of body horror makes it a truly squirm-worthy movie that’s disgusting, vile, and will absolutely haunt your dreams.
