Five established horror movies worth watching on HBO Max
- Carla Davis
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
I recently wrote an article concerning the new/new-ish horror selections available on HBO Max, and during my research, I came across some older films that I enjoyed. So, I thought I would recommend them for our readers, let’s talk about them.
The Blair Witch Project – Yes, I know – it’s cool these days to bash this ground-breaking found footage horror movie. I also know that things were different in 1999, so it’s maybe a phenomenon that wouldn’t happen if it were released today.
But it’s a film I re-watch every year or so, and for me, it holds up. For those who haven’t seen it, I recommend watching it with all the lights out (preferably at night).
Three film students are working on a documentary about the legendary Blair Witch, who is said to haunt the woods in Burketsville, Maryland. They first visit the town and interview several residents, learning about the story of the witch, and about why many of them believe it to be true.
They then traipse into the woods, and that is where this tale gets scary. They are tormented by the sound of children running around outside their tent, they are hopelessly lost, and one morning, Josh has just disappeared. A bundle containing teeth, blood, and hair is found, and they can hear him screaming, but he is never found.
What makes The Blair Witch Project so good is the fact that much of it is unscripted, that it was filmed by the actors themselves, and that the actors often found out where the storyline was going on the spot. Heather’s tearful closeup confession is a master class in improv.
Book of Shadows: Blair Witch II – Honestly, Blair Witch II is not a bad movie. Its biggest downfall is that it’s not a true sequel, and it also wasn’t filmed as a found footage movie. Instead, it’s the story of a group of fans of The Blair Witch Project who decide to visit Burkitsville.
A resident who is a former mental patient conducts a tour with the group, who are a motley bunch. Tristen and Stephen are doing research on mass hysteria (Tristen is pregnant), Erica is a Wiccan, Kim is a goth girl who has some psychic abilities.
When the group camps for the night in those terrifying woods, some craziness happens. The research documents and a camera are found to be destroyed, and when they return to town due to a medical emergency, sh*t gets even weirder.
Blair Witch – Adam Wingard’s 2016 film was definitely a direct sequel to the original. The main character is James Donahue, and his sister is Heather, who was one of the filmmakers that disappeared in those Maryland woods. After seeing a YouTube video filmed at that creepy house in the woods, he is convinced that a fleeting image of Heather can be seen.
Of course, he convinces three friends to help him investigate, in the hopes of finding his sister. A couple of locals who filmed the video join them, and many of the strange events that happen mirror those that occurred in the original film – stick figures show up, the group gets lost, time goes all wanky.
Blair Witch honors The Blair Witch Project’s found footage style, and they even tweak it to make it more modern, adding a drone to the standard cameras. And especially in the final twenty minutes or so, the scary action amps up to an almost unbearable degree.
I went into Blair Witch with very low expectations, and was excited leaving the early preview I was fortunate enough to attend. I was surprised that it wasn’t received better than it ultimately was, and I still recommend watching it.
HBO Max is including a great Irish horror film in their lineup
The Hole in the Ground – I saw this Irish horror film when it released in 2019, and it stuck with me. It was written and directed by Lee Cronin (Evil Dead Rise, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy), and the two main characters are Sarah (Seana Kerslake) and her shy little boy Chris (James Quinn Markey).
As Sarah and Chris are driving through the countryside to their new home, they nearly hit an old woman named Noreen, but they do make it home. Chris runs off into the woods after arguing with his mom about his dad. Sarah goes after him, and finds him standing next to a very large, very deep sinkhole.
When Noreen insists that Chris is not Sarah’s son, and he begins acting very oddly, Sarah starts to become suspicious, and the story gets even darker. The Hole in the Ground is genuinely chilling.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me – The Twin Peaks television series was very popular in its first season, though viewership declined in its second (mostly due to the network insisting that creator David Lynch wrap up the central mystery of “Who killed Laura Palmer”). But there were enough fans still interested that a movie prequel was released in 1992.
Fire Walk with Me is mainly focused on the final week of Laura Palmer’s life, and brings back many of our favorite characters. Though Donna returns, she is portrayed by Moira Kelly, rather than Lara Flynn Boyle.
It’s nice to see more of Sheryl Lee’s Laura, she is an excellent actor. Though she was a very important part of the Twin Peaks lore, Laura was only seen in flashback sequences; Lee had more screen time as Laura’s cousin Maddy.
With this film being part of the dreamy, puzzle-like Twin Peaks universe, it is rather hard to put the plotline into words, so I won’t even try. All I will say is that if you enjoyed the series, Fire Walk with Me is essential viewing.
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