Classical Hollywood ran from 1910 to 1960 and might be the most influential and successful cinema ‘movement’ in history. Everybody knows major titles and film stars in the genre, some of whom have gotten a legendary status over the years. New Hollywood was a broadly defined movement starting in the 1960’s and ending in the early 1980’s. The big studio pictures had become less profitable and thus the movement was characterised by lower budgets, smaller films and the incorporation of more artistic elements from movements like the ‘French New Wave’.

Most importantly was the role of the director; instead of the studio the director was now the key figure in the making of the film. The lower budgets allowed this. New Hollywood is the start of the ‘auteur’ era, where directors had a lot of freedom, and could pursue their visions more accurately.

New Hollywood is the time of such diverse directors as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, John Cassavetes, Woody Allen, William Friedkin, George A. Romero, Brian De Palma, and even Steven Spielberg and George Lucas got their start in New Hollywood, before they came to define the studio system afterwards. It was a golden time for both main-stream American film and rolled out a stream of classics that made their mark on cinema forever.

The movement ended with a handful of monumental flops, most prominently Michael Cimino’s ‘Heaven’s Gate’. Titles like ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Jaws’ were the early bastions of what would become the blockbuster and that trend in many ways continues on until present day. Unfortunately, not only has period of the director as an auteur declined, but the mid-level financed film has all but disappeared. These studio-funded films with a medium budget but a lot of creative freedoms have always been a goldmine for interesting filmmaking. So to forget about the woes of current main-stream cinema, here are some great New Hollywood films you have probably never seen.

10. Dressed to Kill (1980)

As if Alfred Hitchcock directed a Pedro Almodóvar script, ‘Dressed to Kill’ by director Brian De Palma is an interesting mix of styles and ideas. When writing the script De Palma used experiences from his own childhood and mixed them with Hitchcockian tropes. The result is this unexpected film. Sexually frustrated housewife Kate Miller (a fantastic Angie Dickinson) rants to her psychiatrist (Michael Caine) and tries to find a fling in a museum.

Like always in a De Palma film you know style and tension building will be of the highest order. Indeed the tension that the director injects in ‘Dressed to Kill’ make the movie stand out, and its bizarre plot that is always twisting and turning adds to that. The whole film has a sleazy vibe to it. That all makes ‘Dressed to Kill’, made at the tail-end of the New Hollywood movement, an cool flick to see.

9. Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970)

Hard to watch film by the hands of director Frank Perry. Tina (Carrie Snodgress) is a housewife who lives with the excruciating company of her husband Jonathan (Richard Benjamin). Jonathan wants to move up in society desperately, and tries to attract all sorts of important people by constantly licking up. He exposes his wife to a constant barrage of demands, criticisms and petty childish behaviours. Tina meanwhile meets writer George (Frank Langella) at one of her husband’s parties, starts a fling with him.

‘Diary of a Mad Housewife’ is hard to watch because Jonathan is such a frustrating person, and meanwhile George is not much better. Obsessed with his virility and scared to death of any commitment or feelings he treats Tina badly. The film is clearly made from Tina’s perspective, which is an explanation why the people around her seem so awful. It is also Carrie Snodgress’ fantastic performance of the character that makes the film work. ‘Diary of a Mad Housewife’ is something different than usual, it’s barebones and quite bleak and it makes for an interesting film.

8. Point Blank (1967)

‘Point Blank’ by director John Boorman is like the Velvet Underground of films; a cult success that has inspired many following it but never becoming truly mainstream. The plot of ‘Point Blank’ is simple; a man named Walker (played by Lee Marvin) is wronged by a criminal, and years later seeks retribution on the people and organisation that wronged him. However, the story might be simple but the style is what truly matters in ‘Point Blank’.

It is not simply a question of style over substance. The style is the substance in ‘Point Blank’. What makes the film stand out is the audio-visual experience that it provides, think of the unforgettable scene where the sound of Walker’s footsteps imposed over other scenes leads in his revenge spree. Or the scene where Walker simply says nothing while her wife confesses her wrongdoings. Lee Marvin makes the character come alive through sheer physical presence. Walker is iconic in his interactions and way of occupying space. A cool action film that would inspire many a director.

7. McCabe & Mrs Miller (1971)

In the old West John McCabe (Warren Beauty) arrives in a mining town to set up a tavern. While in town he meets the sharp Mrs Miller (Julie Christie), a madam who works together with him to create a successful whorehouse.

Unlike your average western ‘McCabe & Mrs Miller’ is not a film of gunfights or all-American (or Italian…) heroes. It is simply a film centred around two people and a small town in a remote and harsh part of the US. The setting feels truly cold, the two main actors both shine in their respective parts and it has a beautiful soundtrack from Leonard Cohen.

6. Hardcore (1979)

Director Paul Schrader is probably best known for writing the Scorsese films ‘Taxi Driver’ and ‘Bringing Out the Dead’ or directing the excellent ‘First Reformed’. ‘Hardcore’ has an interesting setting: a heavily Calvinist (Protestant) Dutch community in the US Midwest. Jake VanDorn’s (George C. Scott) daughter goes missing, which prompts him to go on an obsessive search in the California pornographic world.

Director Schrader often creates alienated characters on an obsessive search for… something. George C. Scott’s makes of Jake one of the most interesting ones. An arch-conservative and pious businessman from a small town he is completely out of his depth in this seedy new world he enters. Jake makes use of increasingly bizarre schemes to find any hint of his daughter, shying away from almost nothing. Infamous are the scenes of him having to endure screenings in shady cinema’s, sometimes of his daughter sometimes of other unfortunates. ‘Hardcore’ is a dark film but it delivers.

One common narrative about present-day mainstream (US) cinema is that it is too fast and shallow. The average shot-length of a Hollywood action-film is around 2 seconds. There is no time allotted to let the mind rest, it’s all constant action; fast editing, short shots, loud music and a lot of special effects. Now the meaning of the value of those films can all be debated, but it’s clear that mainstream cinema has gotten faster over the years. Such mainstream films often don’t demand anything from the viewer, no introspection of what is shown on screen, instead they are an almost desperate attempt to keep the viewers attention at all times in an era where there are many other distractions.

Slow cinema has often gone hand in hand with an appreciation for the symbolic and a love for the cinematic language. Slower films tend to become transcendental experiences, their demand of the viewer is part of what makes the film so rewarding, if done well. If, however, the filmmakers makes demands of the watcher but does not offer anything special a film can become extremely frustrating. A slow (and lengthy) film therefore has to go the extra mile.

It is therefore not to say that slower or more demanding cinema is inherently better. It is not., it just has different merits. Slow cinema works well for filmmakers and watchers that are interested in contemplative or existential cinema; that want to be taken on a meditative journey and like to have the space to think during a film. For those watchers here are ten masterpieces that you should not miss.

10. Solaris (1972)

Director Andrei Tarkovsky might be one of the most notoriously slow filmmakers. Tarkovsky’s films are characterised by their meditative pace, and often exhibit a dreamy quality. He tends to shoot movies according to an intuitive logic that demands the viewer to let go of standard film expectations, and instead let themselves float away in his highly symbolic and gorgeously shot scenes. ‘Solaris’ sees an astronaut go to a strange planet, consisting of a sea, where the previous crew has gone mad.

More so than director Tarkovsky’s other famous sci-fi work ‘Stalker’, ‘Solaris’ really takes its own pace and does not take the viewer by the hand. The film is a beautiful sometimes scary and often puzzling ride. It is not often that alien intelligence is portrayed as actually so very alien to our own way of thinking. Another must-watch for fans of slower cinema, and another classic from director Tarkovsky.

9. Harakiri (1962)

In 17th century Japan peace means the end of the usefulness of samurai. Without a purpose, one way to go out honourably is ritual suicide: hara-kiri. An old samurai (Tatsuya Nakadai) arrives at a clan’s house asking to be able to perform this ritual, but the clan doubts his seriousness, and tells him the story of another samurai that asked for the same thing last year.

‘Harakiri’ is a film about honour. Slowly but steadily the story unfolds itself, each time revealing more information about what actually happened. It asks difficult questions; what is honour truly, taking care for your family if it means abandoning sacred rituals and moral codes? Director Masaki Kobayashi shoots ‘Harakiri’ deliberately, with steady and well-placed shots, and takes a long time to build up his story and themes ending in an explosive conclusion. The film is a clear influence on Spaghetti-Westerns, with its duelling scenes, has inspired more action-oriented filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, and at the same time functions as a cinema masterpiece not afraid to ask difficult questions.

8. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011)

Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan (‘Three Monkeys’, ‘Winter Sleep’) is a Turkish director interested in existential themes, and prefers long takes, characters talking and a meditative pace. It is not surprising he is influenced by directors like Andrei Tarkovsky, Yasujiro Ozu and Michelangelo Antonioni. ‘Once Upon a Time in Anatolia’ tells the story of a group of policemen and doctors going out to the Anatolian countryside to find the body of a murder victim, but the suspect doesn’t remember the exact hiding place.

There is a lot of Tarkovsky in how the discussions of the men, stuck together for a day and a night, show the different viewpoints surrounding the themes director Ceylan wants to address. The children paying for the sins of the parents is an important one in ‘Once Upon a Time in Anatolia’, but also the complex and fleeting idea of ‘truth’. The film is shot as to be expected by director Ceylan, in long slow takes with a lot of attention to the setting and many Tarkovsky-esque symbolic shots. Beautiful, slowly unfolding drama from a filmmaker currently at the height of his prowess.

7. Love Streams (1984)

One of, if not the most, impenetrable film by director John Cassavetes. The multitalented filmmaker also plays one of the main characters, Robert Harmon, and the bad state of Cassavetes health adds to the character. It would be the last film he directed. ‘Love Streams’ tells the story of a brother Robert (Cassavetes) and a sister Sarah (Gena Rowland, Cassavetes wife and frequent collaborator) both lost in life and bereft of love. Robert is a miserable drunk who frequently pays prostitutes but pushes every real connection away, and Sarah relentlessly needs love from both ex-husband and her own daughter who is pushed away by her mental state.

‘Love Streams’ is a film which does everything slightly different. When an ex-wife drops of Robert’s supposed son, it’s not a story of reconnection. In fact Robert seems incapable to take care of anything including himself. Many scenes might have been played for laughs in other films, but in ‘Love Streams’ they’re just enormously tragic. It’s not a film with redemption arcs and has two thoroughly unlikeable, if pitiable, characters in the middle. Add to that little flourishes that director Cassavetes adds, like sudden jump cuts and abrupt music which make for a jarring effect, and you have a though demanding watch on your hands. ‘Love Streams’ is as unlikeable as its main characters, but it is a rich film for those who dare thread its waters. It goes to those corners of the human mind and human experience that we rather not visit.

6. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Director Andrew Dominik is an interesting filmmaker. He has only made three full-length feature films since 2000, and all are wildly different in style. The only real connecting thread is his interest in violent and self-destructive characters. ‘The Assassination…’ follows Robert Ford (Casey Affleck) who is obsessed with Jesse James (Brad Pitt) and becomes part of his gang. It is a story easily extrapolated to current times, mindful of the dangers of celebrity worship and idolization. Indeed Jesse James can’t live up to his fabricated image, he is a tortured and self-destructive man, and the tensions between the possessive Ford and the outlaw James grow more and more.

A special note should be made for the work of cinematographer Roger Deakins who really outdoes himself here, the train robbery scene at the beginning of the film alone offers some of the most beautiful and memorable cinematography in a long time. Cinematographer Deakins is definitely one of the main reasons that the film has such an ethereal quality to it, especially notable because ‘The Assassination…’ follows such brutish characters. It is a beautiful film about not-so beautiful, conflicted people.

Morally ambiguous protagonists have been a staple in stories and films. It is easy to see why: it’s interesting to follow a person whose morals differ from the norm. Cinema, as an art-form well-suited for putting the viewer in a whole different world, has thus used protagonists with rather interesting morals with great success across many different genres.

Characters with a completely different moral code are a staple of genres like crime or film-noir. Think of the moral code of gangsters, or the specific set of rules the private detectives tend to follow. Often these are characters that are partly outside of the normal world, and it is fascinating to explore a world that is so different than our own.

Then there are characters that are motivated by a strong drive, like vengeance, that will do whatever it takes and seem to break all the rules for the fulfilment of their goal. And there are simply characters that are ‘bad’; they spit on the normal morals and rules of society for the sake of it. The goal with this list was to find morally ambiguous protagonists across a number of genres, and avoid some more obvious choices. Here are ‘great movies with morally ambiguous protagonists’.

10. I Saw the Devil (2010)

Absolutely brutal Korean action-thriller. Jang Kyung-chul (Min-sik Choi) is a serial killer who takes young women and children as his victims, one day he murders the fiancée of a secret agent Kim Soo-hyeon (Byung-hun Lee). Kim swears his revenge and goes after the serial killer.

Likely inspired by his fellow countryman Chan-wook Park, who also shares an interest in revenge, violence and the dehumanization it creates, director Jee-woon Kim has created a stylish but brutal film in ‘I Saw the Devil’. Min-Sik Choi is completely chilling as the moral-less psychopath Jang Kyung-chul, who will get the blood out from under your nails. The way Kim Soo-hyeon hunts, tortures and releases him throughout the film turns equally dark. Is such an extremely violent and cruel response ever warranted? It is up to the viewer to make up his mind.

9. Your Friends and Neighbours (1998)

Cynical and pretty miserable picture by director Neil LaBute. It is pretty hard to find a moral character in the bunch. We mostly follow Jerry, played by Ben Stiller, who starts a relationship with Mary (Amy Brenneman) the wife of his good friend. This starts a chain-reaction in which all the couples friends and spouses get tangled up.

None of the characters are really likeable. Stiller and Aaron Eckhart are mostly pathetic, but Jason Patric as arch-misogynist Cary is legitimately a terrifying figure, and one that you can easily image being your neighbour you don’t realise is deeply twisted inside.

‘Your Friends and Neighbours’ is best seen as a (even more) cynical Woody Allen picture, with adults acting like little children in their relations with each other. It echoes pictures like ‘Manhattan’, but in its darker moments the film might reach ‘Match Point’ in amorality. Specifically one well-acted but chilling scene with Patric, Eckhart and Stiller in a sauna. This is a film for those watchers that do not think particularly highly of humans.

8. Fallen Angels (1995)

Another stylish but violent film ‘Fallen Angels’ tells the story of a hitman and his female partner falling in love. Both are questionable characters who deal in violence. ‘Fallen Angels’ is set against the backdrop of Hong-Kong nightlife while it follows its characters.

Director Kar-Wai Wong was influenced a lot by photographers when creating this film. That gives the film a disjointed, and energetic feel, and adding in a cool soundtrack that takes influence form such diverse genres as trip-hop and reggae and you have a very unique film. Kar-Wai Wong doesn’t fear both violence and comedy in his crazy film, that is at its core really a romance story.

7. Bullhead (2011)

‘Bullhead’ is the debut of director Michaël R. Roskam and it is an interesting picture. Farmer Jacky (Matthias Schoenaerts) pumps himself and his cows full of hormones, to that end he is also involved in the hormone mafia in Belgium. An childhood friend of his Diederik (Jeroen Perceval) goes undercover with the police to investigate that same mafia.

Central to ‘Bullhead’ is Jacky and the performance by Schoenaerts. He is a damaged figure whose traumas come through in every scene, played perfectly by the smouldering Schoenaerts in a highly physical performance. Despite his massive appearance and frequent bouts of aggression he is a hurt character.

It is not often that the crime subplot of a film is the least interesting part, but ‘Bullhead’ manages to do just that. It is much more interesting to follow Jacky and his demons, and only later does the audience learn the depth of his emotional and physical trauma. It does make the film a bit unbalanced at times but that should not detract potential viewers because ‘Rundskop’ is quite the film experience.

6. Naked Lunch (1991)

Peter Weller plays Bill Lee, a bug exterminator who gets high on his own bug powder and accidentally kills his wife while under influence. This film by director David Cronenberg is based on the novel by William S. Burroughs and mostly plays as a film noir on psychedelics (or indeed bug powder).

Bill Lee is a typical noir-ish anti-hero who stoically wanders through the bizarre plot of ‘Naked Lunch’ which involves typewriters looking like aliens; communicating with typewriters that look like giant bugs with anuses under their wings and a whole lot of sexual escapades including with a notorious couple played by the late Ian Holm and Judy Davis (who also plays Bill Lee’s wife).

‘Naked Lunch’ is in part based on William S. Burroughs real-life experiences with drugs and the accidental killing of his wife in a game of Wilhelm Tell. It makes the character of Bill Lee more tragic if questionable.

Europe and horror go a long way. Already in the 1920’s we see the German Expressionist movement, which is responsible for such classics as ‘Nosferatu’, ‘The Golem’ or ‘Dr Caligari’. From there on out horror was there to stay and occasionally flair up; like the Giallo films from Italy and the New French Extremity starting in the early 2000’s and encompasses both arthouse and more traditional shock cinema.

Most of these waves and subgenres saw significant experimentation in how to scare the viewer, how to create that sense of unease. Filmmakers pushed the bounds of how far they could go. Some of these genres have remained mostly on the downlow with the scenes they depicted; think of the infamous cannibal subgenre coming out of Italian b-film cinema in the 1970’s. These films remain controversial because of the (sexual) violence, racist connotations and real animal killings that one could wonder about the value they still hold for watching.

There are many ways to approach the genre of horror, it holds opportunities to work out the strangest themes. In this list the goal was to find a wide variety of European horror pictures and subgenres, from a number of different countries, from extreme to moody to almost clinically made. Here are great European horror films you have probably never seen.

10. Hagazussa (2017)

‘Hagazussa’ is a bit different than your average horror movie. Director Feigelfeld lets the story move slowly, and where ‘Hagazussa’ excels is in its gorgeous visuals and most importantly: mood. The film follows a pagan woman (Aleksandra Cwen) in 15th century Europe where pagans are distrusted and held at arm’s length. She builds up something of a friendship with another woman.

There are scenes in ‘Hagazussa’ that are truly uncanny. The film’s slow movement lets those scenes hit harder, because it sucks you in its atmosphere. As often with movies about witches, (female) sexuality plays a role, and ‘Hagazussa’ uses that to great effect. Spellbinding film.

9. Frontiere(s) (2007)

‘Frontiere(s)’ by director Xavier Gens opens with riots in Paris after the election of a conservative government. A band of young thieves (mostly non-white) flee the city, and the police presence, and end up in a motel in Belgium ran by Neo-Nazi’s.

This over-the-top premise tells you all you need to know about ‘Frontiere(s)’: this is not going to be a subtle thriller with horror-elements, this is a film that goes for maximum horror and violence. And you will get just that. It is the horror scenes where this film really excels and the excellent tension building.

That the acting in ‘Frontiere(s)’ is lacking here and there (though Jean-Pierre Jorris has a great time with his larger than life character), and character choices are not always logical is unfortunate but manageable in a horror film like this. Just go with it to be thoroughly disgusted by this dark but entertaining film.

8. The Borderlands (2013)

Yet another found footage film. Luckily ‘The Borderlands’ is just a bit better made than your average found footage movie. The film follows a team of investigators send by the Vatican to investigate supposed miracles. They come to investigate a small church where a supposed supernatural presence is found.

‘The Borderlands’ works where so many of the genre fail mainly because of its strong last act and ending, but besides those the whole film is solidly made. It helps that the mystery of the story remains mysterious until the very, horrifying, end. Because of this the tension is never relieved and the whole film has a creepy claustrophobic feel. One of the stronger entries in the found footage genre.

7. Schramm (1993)

‘Schramm’ is a short but unsettling film by Jörg Buttgereit of ‘Nekromantik’ fame. It follows serial killer Lothar Schramm (Florian Kurner von Gustorf) as he reflects back on his life, which was filled with violence and self-abuse. The film is shot in a disjointed and choppy way, in keeping with the theme of a dying man seeing his life flash before his eyes.

The premise already tells you that ‘Schramm’ is not for the weak-stomached. In fact, director Jörg Buttgereit goes so far that for many viewers the film might be one of the most extreme ones they have ever encountered, despite its low-budget and short running time. Its story reflects on a man dealing with humiliation and rejection, who takes it out other people and his own body.

There is a scene in ‘Schramm’ where the camera momentarily drifts away from the main character and follows a man in the background who shoots himself. It doesn’t have anything to do with the plot directly, but it might show you the type of vibe the film has. It has a nasty lingering quality.

6. Goodnight Mommy (2014)

Austrian thriller by the hands of directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz. A pair of twins living in a secluded villa with their mom start thinking that the person coming back from a surgery isn’t their mom but somebody else.

‘Goodnight Mommy’ can be somewhat slow moving in parts and the directors keep the reigns tight. The film is neither truly supernatural or particularly gory, it has a bit of both though, and remains with its simple but chilling set-up all the way through. Suffice to say is that the third act is worth the slower first half which is tense but more subtle. The acting of the three main actors is strong throughout. It is best to know as little as possible about ‘Goodnight Mommy’ before you watch it.

World cinema is somewhat hard to define as a term. Usually it has the following components: it is not a Hollywood production, it is often not English spoken (but not by definition), and the term carries a feeling of ‘art-house’ sensibilities. It can be a bit of an Anglo-centric term. Most people associate ‘world cinema’ with a certain degree of ‘foreignness’, or more exotic films. For the purpose of this list titles are chosen from a variety of continents and genres. The focus is on smaller productions, mostly from countries with smaller, or less watched abroad, film industries.

The entries on this list consist of various classic pieces of world cinema. Some of these films and / or filmmakers are quite well known in their respective countries. Some have enjoyed international successes, or can be well-known in certain circles. But for whatever reason these films remain more obscure than they deserve to be. Here are forgotten masterpieces of world cinema.

10. Voyage to the Beginning of the World (1997, Manoel de Oliveira)

Manoel de Oliveira was at one point considered to be the oldest active director, dying in 2015 at age 106. He had been directing shorts in his native Portugal since the silent era. De Oliveira has a massive filmography, with dozens of features, shorts and documentaries to his name. ‘Voyage to the Beginning of the World’ is an excellent small-scale drama about a director (Manoel) and a group of friends taking a French actor, Afonso, to his roots in a small village in Portugal. Along the way the director visits memories of his childhood.

‘Voyage’ is seemingly a simple film, but because of that simplicity it becomes quite powerful. Its story is inornate but very human and close to the heart. It is a partly autobiographical film for director de Oliveira, having taken a friend to Portugal for the same reason a decade beforehand, and this personal connection with the material shows in how heartfelt the film turned out. A sad little titbit, main actor Marcello Mastroianni, who plays Manoel, died before the release of this film.

9. The Red and the White (1967, Miklós Janscó)

It is quite hard to make a film that is truly anti-war. There are many great films made about war, but often they can’t help but glamorise the camaraderie and heroism. ‘The Red and the White’ by Miklós Janscó has no such problem. It follows an episode in the Russian civil war, a brutal time in Russia seemingly absent from film outside of Soviet propaganda. ‘The Red and the White’ does not really have a central character, but it mostly follows an Hungarian battalion in the Russian war.

‘The Red and the White’ paints war as utter chaos. It is a nihilistic, bleak and violent picture. The films plays on the banks of the Volga river, where both sides of the fighters overtake a monastery and a field hospital, only to be overtaken again by their enemies as if in a grotesque dance. Characters are introduced, some of their plans shown, only for them to die shortly afterwards. Director Janscó uses long takes to put the watcher into the war. Noteworthy is the lack of non-diegetic music; there are only two instances of music in the film, both performed by the films characters in pivotal scenes. It is clear what Janscó thinks of war, and remarkably he has managed to keep glamorisation at bay.

8. The Girl with the Red Scarf (1977, Atif Yilmaz)

Atif Yilmaz was an almost legendary and extremely prolific Turkish director. Based on a book by Chingiz Aitmatov it tells the story of Asya (Türkan Soray) a woman in a small town who falls for a charming man, Ilyas (Kadir Inanir), from Istanbul and they get married quick. In the end her marriage and the ensuing problems will force Asya to make a hard choice.

‘The Girl with the Red Scarf’ stands out with its strong acting and characters. Inanir, and Soray are great in their respective roles, transforming their characters in real feeling people. Ahmet Makin is especially striking as the dependable, likable Cemsit with a weary heart from the past. ‘The Girl with the Red Scarf’ is a very emotional film, and one must like that kind of drama. If you do however, you cannot go wrong with this film about hard choices of love and logic.

7. Close-Up (1990, Abbas Kiarostami)

Iran is, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, a source of great films and filmmakers. Despite its authoritarian and censor-happy regime the country has produced fantastic pictures; nowadays Farhadi is probably the best-known filmmaker, but there is also Jafar Panahi, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Abbas Kiarostami. Director Kiarostami is the one responsible for the intriguing film ‘Close-Up’, but Makhmalbaf also has an interesting role to play. ‘Close-Up’ is a biographical/documentary film, following a lower-class man (Sabzian) impersonating famous director Makhmalbaf and practising acting with the kids of a upper-class family promising them a job on his new project. The film takes place for the most part from a courthouse where the faux-Makhmalbaf is being sued by the family, and re-enacts certain scenes of the events that happened.

‘Close-Up’ is both a documentary and a re-enactment of the above story. And it is such an interesting story. One aspect that stands out is how Sabzian’s opinion finally mattered as a well-known person, and was not listened to when he was just a poor man. The question always remains; is his act at the trial, one of a dejected, poor man rueful of his misdoings, just another performance? We can never really know. One thing is clear; the social interactions this film, and the inside look at Iran’s justice system are fascinating, and Kiarostami directs a different but great film that should not be forgotten.

6. Onibaba (1964, Kaneto Shindô)

Japanese horror, the so-called ‘J-Horror’, is quite infamous nowadays. But Japan has excellent old horror films to offer as well. ‘Onibaba’ by the master filmmaker Kaneto Shindô is one of those films. Made in the 60’s it might not be as visceral for modern audiences as it once was, but it retains its excellent tension, and the intuitive feeling of something ‘feeling wrong’. Two women, a mother and the wife of her son, live in a small hut and kill stray soldiers who wander in their domain to sell their belongings. A local man returns with news that the son and husband has died in battle.

Unique about ‘Onibaba’ is how well it conveys a sense of location. The whole film takes place in a grassland, with grass and reeds growing above the heads of the characters who live there in small huts. The sea of grass feels endless in this film, the heat muggy. It is often like spirits and ghosts whisper through the grass.

‘Onibaba’ only has few characters, and the way they are presented with their personalities and desires creates considerable tensions. Nobody in ‘Onibaba’ is really likeable, and the whole film has a uniquely brooding, sexual undertone. For those who like an atmospheric horror film, look no further.

A thriller is a film made to excite. A thriller wants to elicit responses like surprise, suspense and anxiety. The genre therefore relies on the experiential part of films. A good thriller creates an intense experience for the watcher, it must leave them on the edge of their seat. To do this filmmakers have come up with countless ways to trick the viewer into excitement, even though they are merely sitting in a safe chair in the cinema or at home.

To create tension and excitement a filmmaker has a number of tools at their disposal. It helps that film has since its inception been used to entice excitement into the viewer. A filmmaker can create a story like a puzzle, each piece reveals more and chances the film and its characters. Or a filmmaker can put their characters in tense situations; create use the audio-visual experience of film to put the viewer in the action happening on screen. Examples of all of these will be found in this list.

The goal here was to put together classic thrillers that for some reason are ‘underwatched’ nowadays. Furthermore, care was taken to put together a diverse group of thrillers, with different themes, approaches to filmmaking and from different countries and times. Avid film fans will definitely recognise a number of directors whose features are named on this list. Here are the greatest thriller classics you’ve probably never seen.

10. Blow-up (1966)

‘Blow-up’ is a thriller by the hands of Italian master Michelangelo Antonioni. It follows Thomas (David Hemmings) a photographer who seems to find something nefarious in the back of one of the pictures he took. The film takes a while to get going, and Antonioni meanders through its plot to establish Thomas’ view of the world. How things look from his perspective as a person (and a photographer), which is important for figuring out the puzzle that is ‘Blow-up’.

‘Blow-up’ is carried partly by David Hemmings’ strong central performance as the stand-offish Thomas, who gets obsessed by the images he took. Likely the best sequence of the film is in the middle is where he endlessly edits and waits to develop new photographs, looking for the tiniest details based on just a hunch. ‘Blow-up’ is not a film for those that get easily frustrated, it seems less concerned with what really happened than it is with what the personal interpretation of the watcher is. That makes it at times a hard film, but definitely also an interesting challenge of a thriller.

9. Elevator to the Gallows (1958)

‘Elevator to the Gallows’ by Louis Malle (Au Revoir les Enfants) is one of the first ‘French New-Wave’ films; a roughly defined film movement characterised by a freer view of film and audio-visual inventiveness. It produced such films as ‘Breathless’, ‘Cleo from 5 to 7’, or ‘The 400 Blows’. ‘Elevator to the Gallows’ opens explosively with a few heavy jump-cuts making a potential boring telephone scene spring to life. The whole film is filled with cool audio-visual tricks to deliver a movie experience.

‘Elevator to the Gallows’ follows a Julien (Maurice Ronet) who murders his boss, whose wife Florence (Jeanne Moreau) he has an affair with. It is a stylish thriller sliding through a strange plot. Many of the scenes are visual gems, like the interrogation scene with its characters appearing and disappearing from darkness, and even scenes of Florence walking through the dark city are beautiful. Add to that a jazz soundtrack by Miles Davis and you have a cool stylish thriller.

8. The Fourth Man (1983)

Last Dutch film director Paul Verhoeven made before his departure abroad. It would be the closest Verhoeven would ever come to art-house until he made ‘Elle’ in 2016. This gloomy, stylish thriller follows Gerard Reve (Jeroen Krabbé), a writer, who gives a reading of his work in a town and becomes obsessed with a local woman. He begins to get visions of his own demise related to this mysterious temptress Christine (played wonderfully by Renée Soutendijk).

‘The Fourth Man’ is based on a book by Gerard Reve an established writer in his own country and a person who does not shy away dark sides of sexuality. The main character, his namesake, is something of a pervert, and the whole movie has an uncomfortable sexual tension going on. Gradually the mystery of Christine’s past becomes more clear, and the fate of Gerard darker. One of those film experiences that just leaves you feeling exhausted and somewhat violated. But for a dark, sexual thriller that is not a bad thing.

7. Benny’s Video (1992)

When hearing the name Michael Haneke you know it is going to be a rough ride. The director has such films as ‘The White Ribbon’, ‘Amour’ or ‘Funny Games’ to his name, and is notorious for his bleak view of humanity. ‘Benny’s Video’ is no different in that regard. It follows the teenager Benny, obsessed with films who one day films a crime of his own.

‘Benny’s Video’ is a dark, dark thriller. It is also quite unconventional. There is not really an antagonist in the film. Much of the tension comes from the unnatural situation the characters find themselves in. In the second part of the film there is a vacation that becomes hard to watch because the characters have such a different view of what went on before. That discrepancy delivers considerable tension, and is frustrating and heart-breaking. In short: ‘Benny’s Video’ is another misanthropic masterpiece by director Michael Haneke. Not the type of fun thriller you watch after a long day of work to unwind, but one you watch to delve into the depths of human misery.

6. House of Games (1987)

David Mamet is probably best known for his screenwriting (the Untouchables) but his directorial efforts are nothing to sniff at. ‘House of Games’ is the best one. Psychiatrist Margaret Ford (Lindsay Crouse) wants to help a compulsive gambler but is dragged into a bizarre world of con men and dark games, which proves attractive to her.

‘House of Games’ is a relentless thriller, following who is really playing the game on whom becomes harder and harder while the film becomes more complicated. The film in that sense is almost like a puzzle that finally fits in the end. It is also compelling as a viewer to get sucked into the strange world director Mamet paints, with its endless small cons and games. Fun thriller.

Even the greatest and most well-known directors have created movies that fly under the radar, for one reason or another. Sometimes they simply made a movie in their home-country before they became big abroad, or they put together a film with little to no funds before their career got started. Sometimes a smaller movie simply does not stand out between larger critically acclaimed pictures in a directors filmography. Marketing, or lack-thereof, can also play a role. Some of these filmmakers can have such daunting filmographies that potential small classics just fall of the map!

After one has exhausted the classics out of a directors oeuvre, it is time to sift through all the smaller, lesser-known films they have made. Perhaps to learn what a director came from, what their influences are and how they contextualise their work. When doing this sometimes one encounters films worthy of standing with that director’s best. It can be a director exploring something completely different of what makes them famous, or a smaller film that captures much of their worldview.

In this list it was the goal to find movies in the back catalogue of a diverse set of directors, with films covering different genres. Films that are somewhat overlooked but deserving of more attention. Here are awesome movies by great directors you’ve probably never seen.

1. Werner Herzog – Heart of Glass

Werner Herzog is a legendary filmmaker and documentarian, many stories about his life and pursuits over the year would be worthy of a film in and of itself. The documentaries ‘Grizzly Man’ and ‘Little Dieter Needs to Fly’ and his output with the insane, unworkable Klaus Kinski ‘Aguirre’ and ‘Fitzcarraldo’ are some of his best known exploits. The filming of ‘Fitzcarraldo’ is even documented in the film ‘Burden of Dreams’. ‘Heart of Glass’ is another film worthy of the above named titles, and it even has yet another crazy story associated with it: Herzog hypnotised the whole cast during the filming.

‘Heart of Glass’ follows a town in the German Alps. The local glassmaker has died and took with him the formula to ‘ruby glass’, the factory of which supplies the whole town with work. As a result the locals lose all aim in life. This is where the hypnotization comes in. It is not just a gimmick; it helps build a mood and vibe of a community floating around with no goals or vision.

Herzog’s ‘Heart of Glass’ is not an easy film. It is very desolate, if at times shot gorgeously. All sorts of parables could be seen into the story of the film; from mankind’s rise and demise throughout the centuries to the simple one of a community lost. Herzog does not hold the viewers hand, and once again provides an uncompromising cynic view of humanity.

2. Joon Ho Bong – Mother

Joon Ho Bong might have made the most talked about film of 2019 with ‘Parasite’, and has been widely known for his ‘Zodiac’-like debut ‘Memories of Murder’ which is one of the most masterful detective films ever made. ‘Mother’ is also filmed in his home country South Korea and is also a dark murder mystery. It follows the titular mother who tries to prove her mentally handicapped son is not the perpetrator of a murder. ‘Mother’ mostly sees the mother (Hye-ja Kim) doing het detective work in the village. She is hindered by the fact that her son easily confesses the murder and the fact that the detectives don’t seem to investigate all that intensely.

‘Mother’ is a barebones thriller. It rests on a tight script and the performance by Hye-ja Kim as the devoted elderly mother. The film is often frustrating, like it is for mother character herself, and does away with the expected conventions of the genre. ‘Mother’, however, is not all gloomy, it also finds unexpected comedy like so many South Korean films do. It is an emotional ride, start to finish, but one your glad you’ve taken.

3. Woody Allen – Sweet and Lowdown

Woody Allen’s tendency to release a film almost every single year since the seventies has created quite the daunting filmography. The director responsible for classics such as ‘Annie Hall’, ‘Manhattan’ and ‘Match Point’ (among others) has between those created literally dozens of smaller films of varying quality. ‘Sweet and Lowdown’ is one of those diamonds in the rough.

‘Sweet and Lowdown’ tells the story of a gypsy guitarist, Emmet Ray played by Sean Penn, who lives life on the edge. Ray is completely unreliable, theatrical, enjoys booze and women, and is completely helpless when catching feelings for the mute Hattie (Samantha Morton). His lifestyle and personality put him into all sorts of trouble.

‘Sweet and Lowdown’ is shot as something of a faux documentary of a real jazz legend, complete with talking heads on screen telling about the life and dealings of Emmet Ray. The stories are mostly based around that of real life gypsy jazz player Django Reinhardt, a masterful player who invented a whole new genre but lived an exciting life and died young.

The film portrays Ray as a person for whom life only makes sense when he is up on a podium playing. Director Allen manages to find the balance between comedy and tragedy, not in the least helped by two great performances of Penn and Morton. It is almost like discovering a hidden legend of jazz.

4. Mike Leigh – Meantime

Mike Leigh, who in the 90’s made furore with his brutally honest kitchen dramas like ‘Secrets and Lies’, made the nihilistic ‘Naked’ and nowadays continues his acclaim with films like ‘Another Year’, has been behind the camera for a long time. Already in 1983 he made ‘Meantime’, a made for tv-movie, though its quality does not reflect that. ‘Meantime’ follows two young adult brothers living in Thatcher-era Britain with their (jobless) parents in a tiny apartment. When one gets offered a job from their rich aunt the other gets jealous.

Like many of Leigh’s films, ‘Meantime’ follows people at the bottom of society. The world surrounding the two brothers is bleak and filled with hopeless characters. Leigh demonstrates his understandings of human behaviour, especially the not so beautiful parts of it. ‘Meantime’ therefore is quite a harsh film at times. The acting is superb, and besides the main character Mark played as a frustrated adolescent by Phil Daniels, we see a young Tim Roth and Gary Oldman both of whom get to shine. Especially Roth stands out in his quiet, disturbed role.

5. Lars von Trier – The Boss of It All

Lars von Trier is something of an enfant terrible of European cinema. While some of his works have had across the board success, ‘Melancholia, ‘Dogville, ‘Breaking the Waves’, many of his films have remained at the least divisive. Von Trier is not afraid to experiment with his films, and use the medium film to almost wreak havoc on his viewers like removing all exteriors of buildings in ‘Dogville’ or assaulting the viewer with the sexual violence in the fever dream ‘Antichrist’.

Between all this bombast he made a cool comedy ‘The Boss of it All’, back in his home country of Denmark. Von Trier himself says at the start of the film, in a fourth wall breaking moment, ‘it is just a comedy, nothing more going on’. Of course this is a blatant lie. However, ‘The Boss of it All’ really is first and foremost a delightfully twisted comedy. The boss of an IT company invents a president for his company, who he uses as a scapegoat for unpopular decisions. To sell the company he has to hire an actor (Jens Albinus) to play this non-existent president, who immediately gets attacked on all sides for all the decisions he made through out the years.

Albinus’ interactions with his new ‘underlings’ are the dark and funny heart of the film. His character ‘Svend E’ is hilarious in how bad he is at acting the boss’ role bestowed on him and how the co-workers respond to him. The von Trier aspects come to the forefront in the misanthropic way all the characters are viewed, and their selfish actions. It wouldn’t be a von Trier film if there wasn’t some strange experimentation going on: all camera angles in ‘The Boss of it All’ are picked by a computer program, leading to an overall odd mood and a feeling somebody is watching a strange documentary. Cool comedy for those who like their comedies dark and a bit absurdist.

Art-house films are usually smaller films aimed at niche markets. Many art-house directors and producers create films for artistic value, they have something to say and have more value beyond mere entertainment. Though some art-house films can also be incredibly entertaining.

Art-house often transcends genres, or utilises multiple genres to create unique films. In this sense art-house and sci-fi fit together well. Science-fiction is a genre that can be utilised for anything, from big blockbusters (Independence Day) to small obscure features shot in rented garage boxes (Primer). It mixes well with other genres like horror, action, drama and art-house.

A common theme in science-fiction is the human condition, and often sci-fi concerns itself with profound questions like what it means to be human, or the meaning of life in general. This is also something sci-fi has in common with art-house. It is therefore not strange that there are a number of great art-house sci-fi films around. They range all the way from well-known classics like ‘Stalker’ to small productions like ‘Évolution’, both of which are included on this list. Many great directors have tried their hand at art-house sci-fi, in the following list a well-rounded film fan would recognise quite a few names. Here are the greatest art-house sci-fi films.

15. Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which a book burns. Guy Montag (played by Oskar Werner) is a fireman, which means he looks through peoples belongings to confiscate books and burn them. François Truffaut, one of the main pioneers of the ‘French New-Wave’, tackles Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel. He paints a picture of a society complacent and wilfully ignorant. People live mostly inside, communicate through their televisions and hold vapid parties just to feel ‘popular’. Most importantly they do not read books because all those stories just serve to make you uncomfortable and unhappy.

‘Fahrenheit 451’ is one of those stories that tends to come back every generation. The more unique aspect of ‘Fahrenheit’ specifically is that the people themselves for the most part take care of their censorship. The mysterious government in the film seems to let even the book readers at rest if only they remove themselves from normal society. And most people seem rather content not to be disturbed by books; they enjoy their superficial entertainments and numbing drugs well enough. The parallels to current society in both censorship, mass-media and rise of reality tv are clear. In most societies 1984 never truly arrived (thankfully), but our complacency is all too prevalent.

14. Timecrimes (2007)

‘Timecrimes’ is an inventive little sci-fi horror that follows a man who accidentally gets send back in time. What follows is like almost all time travel movies confusing and paradoxical. However, ‘Timecrimes’ is smarter than most and uses its paradoxes to up the tension and create some unforgettable images. It drops you into the action and never lets go.

The way timetravel works in this film is that the timeloop is ‘closed’: everything that happens already happened. This way of seeing timetravel clashes with the idea of free will, but seems more logical than the timetravel that can change the past (which creates paradoxes like accidentally erasing your own existence). It does change the film into an intricate chess-game of actions and reactions. Which does not mean it is not entertaining, ‘Timecrimes’ tempo and tension alone will keep you watching.

13. Repo Man (1984)

‘Repo Man’ by director Alex Cox is one of those rare films that combine all sorts of elements that seemingly should never be combined. But the stars aligned for ‘Repo Man’ and all parts fall into place to create a dynamic strange film that grew into a cult classic.

Otto (Emilio Estevez) a young punk is tricked/recruited into becoming a repo man by Bud (a fantastically sleezy Harry Dean Stanton). The rest of the plot involves a car with a high bounty on it with something mysterious in the trunk, shady government organisations and aliens.

‘Repo Man’ is a seedy little film, and it creates a world of strange and dysfunctional characters that is fantastic to watch. Gradually the bizarre plot starts slipping into these characters lives and what the watcher gets is a unique and slyly hilarious adventure.

12. Alphaville (1965)

‘Alphaville’ sees another legendary French new-wave director trying his hand at science-fiction. Here Jean-Luc Godard imagines the future off-planet city of Alphaville as a dark and rigid, and populates this world with typical film-noirish characters and plot. Especially Anna Karina’s performance with her expressive eyes as the very noir Natacha von Braun is impressive. Secret Agent Lemmy Caution is send to Alphaville to find and destroy its ruler. The city and its inhabitants are for a large part dependant on the computer Alpha 60 and their society is oppressive. Love and poetry are banned in favour of logic.

‘Alphaville’ seems to have inspired many films to come. How Godard brings the computer Alpha 60 to live reminds one of HAL in ‘2001’, and the typical Godard playing with cinematic rules has been enthusiastically adopted by directors like von Trier and even Tarantino. As always Godard here experiments with cinematic language; his use of jump-cuts, extreme-close ups and the camera moving away from what we expect to see to emphasize certain details. It may not always work perfectly but it is always interesting.

11. Évolution (2015)

‘Évolution’ is a Lovecraftian vision following a young boy living on an island where there are no men, only boys and adult women. Nicolas, played by an impressive young Max Brebant, starts finding out things are not right.

‘Évolution’ is directed by Lucile Hadzihalilovic with a precise hand. There is little exposition and when Nicolas starts exploring his environment (first the island, later a nightmarelike hospital) the scenes he encounters are rarely explained. The mood is perfectly nightmarish and director Hadzihalilovic makes each shot a painting. Meant for those that like to be immersed in a unique vision.

10. Hard to be a God (2013)

Director Aleksey German spent nearly 13 years shooting this dense sci-fi film. It follows a number of scientists sent to a planet where the inhabitants destroy every person who shows intellectuality. This has made the population effectively stuck in medieval times. The group of scientist have taken over parts of this realm and rule like gods.

‘Hard to be a God’ is not easy to grasp. It is a long film, shot in beautiful black and white in long takes and it abhors any exposition. It mostly shows obscure rituals, the world it portrays is violent, dirty and the frame always crowded with objects and people not unusually covered in what is hopefully mud.

The best way to categorise ‘Hard to be a God’ is probably that it echoes a twisted, nihilistic Tarkovsky film. The look of the film is comparable to ‘Andrei Rublev’; with its numerous peasants drudging through the mud and rain, but without the spiritual elements to hypnotise you. ‘Hard to be a God’ is, well, a hard watch. It is violent, uncompromising, and uncomfortable. But it is an absolutely unique experience.

9. Midnight Special (2016)

After two highly acclaimed films (‘Take Shelter’, ‘Mud’) Jeff Nichols made this lesser-known sci-fi gem. ‘Midnight Special’ follows a father and son on the run from the authorities; the son is assumed to have special abilities the government would like to get their hands on.

‘Midnight Special’ is something of a science-fiction fairy-tale. It takes you on a tense ride, with themes of fatherhood and ethics along the way. As always Michael Shannon gives a fantastic performance, and “Midnight Special’s” final conclusion is one of beauty. You don’t need to know too much about it, just dive in.

Horror is a strange genre, and not an easy one to tackle. A horror film first and foremost must provoke the watcher to emotions, often negative. First and foremost this is fear, but also disgust, tension and harder to describe feelings like unease, or anxiety; the idea something is not right. A good horror film has something that gets under your skin and will not let you go to bed easily. Because of this the horror genre has to be visceral, and filmmakers have to get creative. Sight and sound must be used to create the above feelings, all while the audience is sitting safely in their seats.

George Méliès, something of a grandfather of all movies, already experimented with horror in the 19th century. Since then the genre had its ups and downs but proved its staying power with more than a century worth of titles, and horror has been enthusiastically adopted by a wide variety of cultures.

In this list the goal was to find classic films in a variety of horror-subgenres, years of release and produced in different countries, but above all films that have proved themselves over the years. Every time subgenre, time period and culture have different fears and anxieties that filmmakers can draw on to create their horrors. As it turns out the medium of film is well suited for instilling fear in people. Here are the greatest horror movie classics you’ve probably never seen.

10. The Brood (1979, David Cronenberg)

David Cronenberg might be one of the most infamous ‘masters of (venereal) horror’ but his early output is often sadly overlooked. ‘The Brood’ falls on the Cronenberg timeline between early cult-classic ‘Shivers, which is more iconic than it is watched, and ‘Scanners’. It is however a classic Cronenberg in the sense of emotions manifesting themselves physically. This connection between mind and physical matter, and the connection between flesh and inanimate matter, comes back in Cronenberg’s work again and again.

‘The Brood’ follows a man trying to reconnect to his wife who is institutionalised and following unconventional therapy by doctor Hal Raglan (a cold Oliver Reed). This therapy has some… interesting results leading to violent effects and is connected to a string of murders.

Cronenberg shoots the film in his characteristic clinically detached style and the eery score by Howard Shore and it all makes for a film experience that is still unsettling some four decades later.

9. Ravenous (1999, Antonia Bird)

The American trek westwards was not without its risks, as the infamous Donner Party can attest. The migrants became trapped in heavy snows in the Sierra Nevada and members reportedly resorted to cannibalism.

This grotesque episode seems to be an inspiration for Antonia Bird’s ‘Ravenous’, where, according to old native American legend, the eating of a man’s flesh gives the consumer the consumed man’s strength. Guy Pearce plays John Boyd, a decorated captain nonetheless sent to a remote 19th century military outpost. There he embarks on a rescue mission for a missing party.

‘Ravenous’ is an interesting film. It is simultaneously ridiculous and well crafted; tension build is nothing short of amazing, the characters and acting solid and it has an intense soundtrack made by Daman Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz). Add to that, that the location (snow-covered outpost in the mountains) is perfect for a horror film. Check it out.

8. Jacob’s Ladder (1990, Adrian Lyne)

The America-Vietnam war has been a thankful subject for filmmakers. The war plays an important part in the conscience of the American public and was instrumental in shaping the way American society saw its government nowadays. It has inspired many directors to make classic films, culminating in the maddening insanity of ‘Apocalypse Now’. ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ is a completely different take on the war; following a Vietnam vet (Tim Robbins) in a terrifying descent into madness and paranoia.

Director Adrian Lyne (‘Fatal Attraction’) expertly juggles reality, dreams, memories and delusions constantly shifting your expectation of where the film is going. It is more a psychological movie than straight up horror; but it has some of the most visceral and scary scenes put to film. The scene in the hospital and two well-crafted scares alone instil more fear than most horror films do in their entire run time. Therefore it earned its place on the list.

7. Repulsion (1965, Roman Polanski)

‘Repulsion’ by Roman Polanski tells the story of Carol Ledoux (Catherine Deneuve) a quiet and sensitive young woman, whose mental state deteriorates more and more after being isolated in her apartment.

‘Repulsion’ is a film that works on the psychological level. That is one of the reasons that it still works today. Carol’s obsessive repulsion against men and sexuality permeates through the entire film; and remains a relevant topic following sexual traumas. Carol’s burglary and rape visions are still disturbing, and there is specifically one moment in this film that makes you jump out of your seat. Overall a strong psychological horror with staying power.

6. Santa Sangre (1989, Alejandro Jodorowsky)

Alejandro Jodorowsky is best known for his surreal output with ‘El Topo’ and ‘The Holy Mountain’, however his more conventional (for Jodorowsky principles) horror film ‘Santa Sangre’ is somewhat under watched. ‘Santa Sangre’ follows Fenix who has to act as his mother’s arms (literally) and commit murders in her name.

‘Santa Sangre’ is about a parent completely controlling her son. In classical Jodorowsky-style this horror story becomes free of conventions and thus becomes completely unpredictable and unique. He does not shy violence to deliver his message, and ‘Santa Sangre’ has some of the most strange visual images put to screen. Watch it to take a dive in the deep, scary and strange mind of Jodorowsky.

Sequels are everywhere today, and the horror genre might be the king of sequels. Unfortunately most of them are uninspired, boring and worst of all: not scary. There was, however, an abundance of material to sift through. Horror films can be really cheap to make, which is why there are so many, and over the years many young entrepreneurial directors have tried their hand. Often working with small means they had to get creative, and this is one of the strengths of the genre. It forces people to think outside the box.

When coming up with this list, one of the main criteria was: does the director (and his team) care about this film? Did they find inspiration in the movie and its themes? Did they get creative in making you scared? Making you flinch? Or in using horror to explore other themes?

Unfortunately when watching horror sequels, these questions are usually answered with a resounding no. But finding those diamonds in the rough, where these questions are answered with a yes, is made even more exciting by their rareness. Especially for those with a passion for horror.

10. Ouija: Origin of Evil

Having seen the first ‘Ouija’, one could easily come to the conclusion that this series would be useless. Fortunately this sequel by Mike Flanagan is vastly superior to the original film.

‘Origin of Evil’ fits for the fans of films like ‘The Conjuring’; that is, family is living in a creepy old house with spirits roaming and suffers the consequences. Director Flanagan and his writing team deliver a tightly shot film that starts of slow but is never boring. Especially the middle of ‘Origin of Evil’ is strong and there are some really creepy scenes with the youngest daughter (are kids in horror films ever not scary?).

The ending of this film hits harder than I expected going in, and that is a welcome surprise in a horror film. That the cast is on the whole quite solid as well only helps.

9. Alien 4

Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s ‘Alien: Resurrection’ is an odd one in the Alien series. Often unfavourably compared to the classic first two instalments, it might be skipped by casual watchers, and that is a shame because ‘Resurrection’ has a lot to offer.

Whereas ‘Alien’ is more of a slow burn, ‘Resurrection’ goes for overall chaos and insanity. Scientists use Ripley’s blood to not only clone her but also new xenomorphs for testing. As expected things go out of hand and Ripley finds herself stranded on a spaceship with numerous xenomorphs and a crew of oddballs (played by Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman and Dominique Pinon). With the rub; in the cloning Ripley got some of the xenomorph characteristics as well, like increased accuracy and strength and, not to forget, a strange connection with them too.

Jeunet’s bizarre mix of body horror, drama, action and sensuality was not easy to swallow for the unsuspecting viewer, even if it makes sense for the watchers of his earlier horror-comedy ‘Delicatessen’. ‘Alien: Resurrection’ is certainly not perfect, but it is most definitely unique(-ly gross) and entertaining. The colourful cast is fun to watch. Especially the scene where Ripley meets her failed clones is memorable, and so often parodied that people don’t even seem to remember where it originated.

8. Four Flies on Grey Velvet

Third instalment of master of horror Dario Argento’s ‘Animal Trilogy’, because no horror-list is complete without a giallo film. Like so many Argento’s films, ‘Four Flies’ has an intricate plot related to a killer whose POV we often see without knowing their identity.

Drummer Roberto accidentally kills a man that has been following him, immediately he realises he was set up by a masked stalker. The rest of the film consists of Roberto trying to get out of his predicament meeting a colourful set of characters while those that know too much get killed off.

Argento skilfully builds the tension in this horror-mystery but the strength in the film lies in its inventive, stylish visual direction. ‘Four Flies’ uses slow-motion bullet effects way before the Hong-Kong action films do, and certain shots have inspired many films to come (especially the scenes in the park). Add a cool soundtrack by Ennio Morricone and you’ve got a classic giallo!

7. The Devil’s Rejects

One would be forgiven to not carry high hopes for a sequel to ‘House of a 1000 Corpses’ by Rob Zombie. ‘The Devil’s Rejects’ is a bit more down to earth and its gritty feel makes the violence and horror stand out much more. In this sequel, three of the Firefly family members are on the run from the force of law, which is personified in a demon-like sheriff that is ethically barely above the criminals he chases. Despite being hunted, the Fireflys take every opportunity to brutalize people they run into and their hostages.

There are some truly demented scenes in this film that might make even the more grizzled horror fans flinch. Rob Zombie’s direction and design here creates a dirty but much more realistic Southern US vibe that fits well with the cat and mouse game being played out on the screen. For the lovers of a Tobe Hooper-like vibe that are not afraid of a little violence.

6. Final Destination 3

‘The Final Destination’ series is all about creative and gruesome deaths. People that stopped watching the series after the second instalment can rejoice that the third one lets go of the more pompous plotlines of the second film and goes straight for the horror.

‘Final Destination 3’ above all excels in finding new Rube Goldberg-esque ways for ‘death’ to reign back in its cheaters. Think of such creative ways as tanning beds and a complicated series of events involving gym equipment (which will give you some new phobias in the process). This third chapter in the series also boasts one of its darkest finales.

It is worth mentioning that Mary Elizabeth Winstead is arguably the strongest lead in a series plagued by mediocre acting, and her role elevates the tension by creating a character that one actually cares about. That some deaths have ironic and darkly hilarious elements only adds to the experience.