History Main / FolkHorror

Belief, fear, and culture are key themes, and often a greater threat than the thing people are scared of - therefore, MaybeMagicMaybeMundane and HumansAreTheRealMonsters are common tropes here as well. Things are dangerous enough even ''without'' overtly supernatural happenings. In fact, [[https://www.revenantjournal.com/contents/introduction-defining-folk-horror-2/ some academic work]] points to the “monstrous tribe” (a social group bound by shared beliefs and values seen as monstrous to visitors/viewers) as an even greater identifying feature of folk horror than the rural setting.

Compare with WitchWorks, which has a lot of overlap, and HorrorHippies and HillbillyHorrors, both of which have a similar rural horror feel. Watch out for TheFairFolk, take care with the {{Sleep Paralysis Creature}}s at night and DontGoInTheWoods. May overlap with DarkFantasy. See also GothicHorror and SouthernGothic, which have a lot of overlap with this subgenre. In some ways, Folk Horror could even be seen as a modern take on gothic horror.

* ''Film/TheBoxersOmen'' - ditto, both movies sharing the same director.

[[folder:Television]]

[[folder:Film - Animation]]

* ''Film/{{Apostle}}'' - sinister, violent happenings at a nature-worshipping CultColony off the Welsh coast

[[folder:Film]]

* ''Film/BlackDeath''

* ''Film/TheBloodOnSatansClaw''
* ''Film/{{Bloodlands}}''

* ''Film/TheFieldGuideToEvil''

Belief, fear, and culture are key themes, and often a greater threat than the thing people are scared of - therefore, MaybeMagicMaybeMundane and HumansAreTheRealMonsters are common tropes here as well. Things are dangerous enough even ''without'' overtly supernatural happenings.

* ''Film/IKnowWhatYouDidLastSummer'' - a '90s slasher taking its cues from campfire ghost stories and urban legends

This subtrope of ReligiousHorror is less concerned with organized faiths and divine beings as much as it's concerned with the old folkloric rituals in isolated rural areas. Thus, while it can still focus on a modern religion, it is more likely to focus on the pagan faiths of yore. Demons, {{cult}}s and goblins haunt the woods while regular people try to survive. Organized religion is most likely corrupt and/or useless, though [[SinisterMinister sadistic clergymen]] can be the [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters true danger]]. If you're lucky, you'll have one heroic BadassPreacher among the whole lot, but it might not do any good against beings much older than any god we know. The phrase was coined by director Piers Haggard in an interview in the early [=2000s=] to describe his earlier film ''Film/TheBloodOnSatansClaw''.

* The early portion of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' plays up the tropes and imagery of an ominously insular, rural village with its own customs and religion that ''really'' doesn't like outsiders, but you quickly discover that the villagers' violent behavior and single-minded devotion to the local religion are caused by a PuppeteerParasite, not an adherence to tradition.

* ''Film/CityOfTheDead''

* The Literature/SilverJohn stories - DarkFantasy [[FantasyAmericana Americana]] series inspired by rural Appalachian folklore, about a [[WalkTheEarth travelling]] guitar player encountering magic and monsters

* Creator/HPLovecraft would often mix a bit of folklore and history into the [[CosmicHorrorStory cosmic horror stories]] for which he is best known. ''Literature/PickmansModel'' and ''Literature/TheDreamsInTheWitchHouse'' both tie into the [[SalemIsWitchCountry Salem witch trials]], and ''Literature/TheShadowOverInnsmouth'' draws on New English nautical traditions, mermaid folklore, and - to a lesser extent - ancient Mesopotamian mythology.
* In Creator/JamesHerbert's ''Literature/{{Once}}'', some of the ''faerefolkis'', elemental beings race memories of whom inspired [[TheFairFolk human folklore]], enjoy tormenting humans. Its demon-worshipping villain manipulates nature to insidious end, and conjures [[IKnowWhatYouFear horrific phantasms]].

* In Creator/JamesHerbert's ''Literature/{{Once}}'', some of the ''faerefolkis'', elemental beings race memories of whom inspired [[TheFairFolk human folklore]], enjoy tormenting humans. Its demon-worshipping villain manipulates nature to insidious end, and conjures [[IKnowWhatYouFear horrific phantasms]].

* ''VideoGame/BarrowHill'': Menaces from pre-Celtic times arise after being disturbed by archeologists (first game) and teenagers (second game), and must be placated via folklore-inspired ritual offerings.

* ''VideoGame/MermaidSwamp'': Inspired by Japanese mermaid folklore.

Horror based on old folklore.

* ''Film/{{Men}}'' - Uses the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Man Green Man]] as a recurring visual motif.

This subtrope of ReligiousHorror is less concerned with organized faiths and divine beings as much as it's concerned with the old folkloric rituals in isolated rural areas. Thus, while it can still focus on a modern religion, it is more likely to focus on the pagan faiths of yore. Demons, cults and goblins haunt the woods while regular people try to survive. Organized religion is most likely corrupt and/or useless, though [[SinisterMinister sadistic clergymen]] can be the [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters true danger]]. If you're lucky, you'll have one heroic BadassPreacher among the whole lot, but it might not do any good against beings much older than any god we know. The phrase was coined by director Piers Haggard in an interview in the early [=2000s=] to describe his earlier film ''Film/TheBloodOnSatansClaw''.

* ''VideoGame/FishingVacation'' is set in a remote lakeside cabin in the mountains and features a book telling the story of Sedna, the Inuit ocean goddess [[spoiler:which turns out to be high relevant to the strange goings-on at the lake]].

* "Literature/TheLottery"
* ''Literature/PetSematary'': The crux of the plot is an ancient Native American burial ground (the Miꞌkmaq Tribe, specifically) were those who are buried come back to life...[[CameBackWrong more or less]]. Naturally, things go horribly wrong with this.