We played a game to determine the top 18 folk horror films

 Screen Drafts is a film game podcast where collaborators try to create the best possible list on a film topic. Players have vetoes and veto overrides. If something is vetoed, it is only vetoed at that spot. If the veto is overridden, the movie stays at that spot. If the game ends and a player still has vetoes or overrides, one or each or either can carry over into the next game. Four of us (myself, my wife Vanessa and friends Nick and Scott) played on a late Monday night at Hop's Pub.   From our last Sam Raimi game, Scott and Vanessa have one extra veto and one extra override. Nick has an extra override, and I got nothing.

Our friend Rene provided trivia to help us determine who got what picks. 

Option A: picks 18,14, 9, 6 and 1 (comes with one veto) this one was selected by Scott, so he is playing with 2 vetoes and one override

Option B: picks 17, 13, 11, 7 and 2 (comes with two vetoes and one override). This was selected by Vanessa, so she has 3 vetoes and two overrides.

Option C: picks 15, 12, 5 and 4 (comes with three vetoes) I came in last place and was left with this option.

Option D: picks 16, 10, 8 and 3 (comes with two vetoes and two overrides) this was selected by Nick who is playing with two vetoes and three overrides. 

Scott selected this topic and came up with a good size list of eligible films and where to stream them. V and I and Nick finished over fifty and Scott watched or had seen prior 76 films.  This is a roughly two month process so one can only do so much.

1.  Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made (2018) – tubi, rental (Budapest)

2. Apostle (2018) – Netflix  (Wales)

3. Armageddon Gospels (2019) – tubi, rental  (England)

4.  Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched (2021) – Shudder (doc)

5. The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) – tubi  (England)

6. Bone Eater (2007) – tubi, rental  (America)

7. Final Prayer (2013) – tubi, rental  (England)

8. Celia (1989) – tubi  (Australia)

9. Children of the Corn (1984) – tubi, rental  (America)

10. Cry of the Banshee (1970) – rental (England)

11. Dark August (1976) – rental  (America)

12. The Dark (2005) – tubi, rental  (Wales)

13. Daughters of Satan (1972) – tubi, rental  (America?)

14. The Devonsville Terror (1983) – Shudder  (America)

15. Draug (2018) – tubi, rental  (Sweden)

16.  Errementari (2018) – Netflix  (Spain)

17. Eye of the Devil (1966) – rental  (France)

18. Eyes of Fire (1983) – Shudder  (America)

19. The Field Guide to Evil (2018) – tubi, rental  (various)

20. Gretel & Hansel (2020) – rental, dvd  (Germany)

21. Hagazussa (2017) – tubi, rental  (Austria)

22. The Hallow (2015) – rental, Shudder  (Ireland)

23. The Hole in the Ground (2019) – Max, rental, kanopy  (Ireland)

24. Impetigore (2019) – rental  (Indonesia)

25.  Invasion of the Blood Farmers (1972) – tubi, rental  (America)

26. Kill List (2011) – rental  (England)  

27. Kwaidan (1964) – Max, rental  (Japan)

28. The Lair of the White Worm (1988) – rental  (England)

29. Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) – kanopy, rental  (America)

30. Mark of the Devil (1970) -tubi, rental  (Austria)

31. The Medium (2021) – rental, Shudder (Thailand)

32. Midsommar (2019) – Max, rental  (Sweden)

33. Pumpkinhead (1988) – dvd, tubi, rental  (America)

34. Pyewacket (2017) – rental  (Canada)

35. The Queen of Black Magic (2019) – rental  (Indonesia)

36. The Ritual (2017) – Netflix  (Sweden)

37.  Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps (2010) – tubi, rental  (Switzerland)

38. Sleepy Hollow (1999) – rental  (America)

39.  They're Outside (2020) – tubi, rental  (England)

40. Trollhunter (2010) – tubi, rental  (Norway)

41. The Unkindness of Ravens (2016) – tubi, rental  (Scotland)

42. Poison for the Fairies (1986) – tubi, rental  (Mexico?)

43. Viy (1967) – tubi, rental  (Russia)

44. The Wailing (2016) – kanopy, rental  (South Korea)

45. Wake Wood (2009) – tubi, rental, Shudder  (Ireland)

46. The Wicker Man (1973) (2006)  - rental, Prime  (Scotland)

47. A Dark Song (2016) – rental  (Wales) (Zach recommendation)

48. The Wicker Tree (2011) – rental  (Scotland)

49. Witchcraft (1964) – tubi, rental  (England)

50. Krampus (2015) – rental, dvd  (Germany)

51. La Llorona (2019) – rental  (Mexico)

52. Moloch (2022) – rental  (Netherlands)

53. November (2017) – kanopy, rental  (Estonia)

54. The Feast (2021) – rental  (Wales)

55. Candyman (2021) (1992) – rental , dvd (or either of the sequels)  (America)

59. The Golem (2018) – rental  (Israel)

60. Antlers (2021) – dvd  (Algonquin)

61. Lamb (2021) – dvd, rental  (Iceland)

62. You Won’t Be Alone (2022) – rental  (Macedonia)

63. The Old Ways (2020) – dvd  (Mexico)

64. Lord of Misrule (2023) – dvd, rental  (England)

65. Men (2022) – dvd, rental  (England)

66. Rawhead Rex (1986) – rental  (Ireland)

67. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) – rental  (Australia)

68. A Field in England (2013) – kanopy, rental  (England)

69. It Lives Inside (2023) – dvd, rental  (India)

70. Exhuma (2024) – rental  (South Korea)

71. Suicide Forest Village (2021) – tubi, rental  (Japan)

72. The Village (2004) – rental  (America)

73. The Watchers (2024)  (Ireland)

74. She Will (2021) -dvd  (Scotland)

75. Arang (2006) – kanopy, rental  (South Korea)

76. Leptirica (1973) – tubi, rental (Serbia, Yugoslavia)

77. Unwelcome (2023) – rental (Ireland)

78. Get Out (2017) – rental  (America)

79. Satanic Hispanics (2023) – dvd  (Mexico)

80.  Gwen (2018) – rental  (Wales)

81. Enys Men (2023) – rental  (England)

82. Ravenous (1999) – rental  (America)

83. The Lighthouse (2019) – dvd, rental  (America)

84. Suspiria (1977) (2018) – kanopy, Amazon (Germany)

85. Lords of Salem (2012) – tubi, dvd, rental (America)

86. Hereditary (2018) – kanopy, rental, dvd (America) 

87. Starve Acre (2024) – rental (England)

88. The Devil’s Bath (2024) – Shudder, rental (Austria)

89. The Vourdalak (2023) – rental

90. Evil Does Not Exist (2023) – rental (Japan)

91. Hellbender (2022) – rental, Shudder (America?)

92. The Night House (2021) – rental (America)

93. The Company of Wolves (1984) – rental, Shudder (England)

94. Pet Sematary (1989) (2019) – rental, dvd (America)

95. Leda (2022) – tubi, rental (America)

96. Clearcut (1991) – rental, Shudder (America)

97. Alison’s Birthday (1981) – rental, Shudder (Australia)

98. The Blair Witch (2000) (2016) – rental (America)

99.  All You Need is Death (2023) – rental, Shudder (Ireland)

100. Cat People (1942) – rental (Serbia)

101. The King Tide (2024) – rental (Canada)

102. The Heretics (2017) – rental (Canada)

103. Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964) – tubi, rental (America) 

104. Curse of the Cat People (1944) – rental (Serbia)

105. The Reckoning (2021) – Shudder (England)

106. The Noonday Witch (2016) – Shudder (Czechia)

107. Tower. A Bright Day (2017) – Shudder (Poland)

108. Darklands (1996) – Shudder (Wales)

109. Good Madam (2022) – Shudder (South Africa)

110. Lokis (1970) – Shudder (Lithuania)

Predictions

I am writing this section a few days before we sit down to play. I will make a couple predictions. Vanessa will play Exhuma somewhere in the top ten. She will likely also play The Lighthouse. Scott will play either Lord of Misrule or The Wicker Man (original) at one (which may lead to a veto). He will also play Lamb somewhere. Nick will play Apostle, Lords of Salem and Sleepy Hollow. I will try to get Evil Does Not Exist or Picnic at Hanging Rock as high as possible. My favorite film on the list is Two Thousand Maniacs. But I think it is a great hicksplotation and a great gore comedy, not folk horror, so I have no inclination to play it and may veto if played by someone else. Scott's only prediction was that I would veto him at number one. My wife thought Scott would play Men. Nick thought I would play it. My wife had me down for Evil Does Not Exist, The Feast and Devonsville Terror. She thought Nick would play the Nick Cage version of Wicker Man. Nick agreed that Scott would play the original Wicker Man and that Vanessa would play Kwaidan and Candyman.

Of the four of us, nobody had a great knack of predictions. One thing worth nothing, we were not veto happy here so we all start the next game (Season one and the movie of The Twilight Zone) with an extra veto. And all but I will have an extra override.

18. Starve Acre (2023)

It is worth noting that Scott brought copious notes for every pick which was appreciated because of his five picks, three were somehow unseen by the rest of us. He went hard, and we appreciated the extra work and background on the films up until we were inebriated and our attention spans floated away. Scott really liked the Celtic mythology and how the dated look of the film elevated the subject matter. No vetoes offered here.

17. Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made (2018)

Vanessa picked this one because of its creepy 70's vibes. Scott thought it was fine at this position. I thought the documentary aspects worked but was not impressed by the Antrum film within film. Nick relayed a story about being in church and finding out pets didn't go to heaven. He stopped going to church soon after and may or may not have dug a hole about it.

16. Kill List (2011)

Nick picked this. He really enjoyed the hints at folk horror throughout but admitted it didn't all hit until the end and items like assault rifles took away from folk feeling. After this and A Field in England, Scott was feeling allergic to (the director) Wheatly. Vanessa thought the film was okay as did I even as the characters were somewhat cartoony and the ending mirrors A Serbian Film for some reason. No vetoes offered here.

15. Clearcut (1991)

This was my first pick. The folk element involves a trickster demon but could as easily be an Id story. I like that it presents a problem, a lack of respect for Native land and posits that violence might be a required solution. Everyone else liked the film too (one of two of my non-controversial picks) and even thought it could be higher.

14. Hagazzusa: A Heathen's Curse (2017)

Scott first tried to play The Feast (2021). The demon was talked about as well as the class elements and family in turmoil. 
This was one everyone saw and everyone was enthusiastic about especially Vanessa who vetoed it at that spot, and Nick ended up playing it at ten. 

Scott played the German Hagazussa in its place. This sounded like a really somber story of a woman and a dead baby and her descent into religious society. No one else got to it but no vetoes offered.

13. The Devonsville Terror (1983)

Vanessa played this. She loved the feminist aspects to the story and how a teacher suggesting god may be a woman, gets everyone riled up, much like today. We all admired the feminist message with a touch of exploitation and Playboy playmate type actresses. Nick had it a touch higher but no vetoes were offered.

12. Candyman III: Day of the Dead (1999)

Don't leave. Hear me out. First I tried to play the Criterion approved La LLorona (2019). I think it is a very of the moment film about protest and about the ghosts of past atrocities. Vanessa did not think it was folk horror enough. And Nick didn't like how the crying woman was portrayed or the film in general and vetoed. I was watching the newer Candyman reboot and was struck how it used both Day of the Dead and the art world (including the mirror piece) as main plot elements, same as part three did. I chose part three because I find the idea in that film that to destroy Candyman you have to destroy Daniel Robitaille's art frightening. I place art above just about anything. Scott had not seen the film. My wife did not remember the film but felt it was bad. And Nick was incredulous or perhaps shocked with joy. No veto offered.

11. Exhuma (2024)

Vanessa truly loves this film. She was impressed learning about Feng shui and general elements of work on display. We talked about teeth scene and the samurai warrior. We all liked the film. Vanessa found it effectively scary.

10. The Feast (2021)

09. Lamb (2021)

Scott picked this admiring the wholly original tale of grief being presented. Everyone else found it a bit oppressive but did not offer a veto as it is well made.

08. It Lives Inside (2023)

Nick spoke so well about this film about how much he liked the mother character, about the theme of rejecting culture only to have to embrace it to save oneself. He was so convincing that I or my wife offered no veto (even as we didn't finish this one). Scott owned the film so he certainly liked it.

07. The Medium (2021)

There is much on offer with Vanessa's next to last pick from the character of Mink, to the thoughtful depiction of the life of a shaman to the dreary terror on display. Everyone had good feelings about this pick.

06. You Won't Be Alone (2022)

Scott's next to last pick was unseen by the rest, but Scott saw it at the cinema and it has been on his mind since. He liked the sleeping beauty narrative and was moved by a moment of sacrifice intregal to the story. No vetoes were offered here.

05. Evil Does Not Exist (2024)

We talked a lot about the ending, the only part of the film that has folk horror elements. We talked about community (all my choices before veto were about community) and the lack of care in corporate thinking. This film is so good that as long as it is even vaguely eligible, I had to play it. 

My next choice at 04 was Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975). I found that to be the most moving film on the list. John Jarratt gave the performance of a lifetime in that. But my wife (the only other one of the group who watched it) did not think it had any horror elements and Scott ultimately vetoed because he was (it turns out) hoping I'd play Two Thousand Maniacs (1964). I did not.

04. The Curse of the Cat People (1944)

Everyone was more accepting of this choice. The only complaints I heard, everyone felt the first was better (nah) and that the Sleepy Hollow section did not quite fit. I admired the film for the way teachers, old ladies and servants are portrayed with dignity. Mostly, I loved that a woman who had a tough go of it in the other film got to exist as a child's angel (if you will) in the second. It was heartwarming.

03. Midsommar (2019)

Nick has been viewed as a wildcard in the past and maybe he is, but no one objected to this. I hadn't seen it, but everyone else had. He pointed out that all the folk horror elements were in place for this movie, but what made it unique is the drug use. He found the way drugs were depicted particularly compelling. Vanessa despite being a product ofDARE offered no veto.

02. Kwaidan (1963)

Vanessa loved this one. She pointed out that she loved the snow woman story best and did not think he should have been docked for confiding in his wife. She loved the visuals of the ears and the art direction in general. Scott felt the film was too long but felt it belonged high for its reputation. Nick and I had no notes.

01. The Wicker Man (1973)

Scott felt there was no other choice. He said most folk horror after it was just ripping it off. He found it strange and wonderfully compelling. We all expected this and could live with it. My wife loved the music of the film. I was not going to veto, but if I had The Lighthouse would have been his next choice which would have made me happy. But his one is understandable. I feel like the game list was very interesting this time around, and everyone had a good time.