The Canadian movie industry doesn't often get the credit it deserves. Even the most popular of Canadian actors tend to move down south to work in Hollywood, abandoning their native movie business altogether. It's understandable, as Canadian productions often receive smaller budgets and limited exposure. But just because something isn't famous doesn't mean it isn't good.
There have been many wonderful Canadian horror films made throughout the years. Some have reached mainstream and cult popularity, whereas others are known only to a select few. Regardless, they are all well worth watching.
Pontypool (2008)
Pontypool is a dark and dreary horror film based on Tony Burgess's novel Pontypool Changes Everything. The movie holds an incredibly small budget, mainly starring three principal actors and taking place entirely within the confines of a radio station.
This is a different kind of zombie story, as audiences mainly "hear" the outbreak over the radio thanks to the station's outside correspondents. It's not until the very end of the movie that the zombies appear, and even then, infection is spread through "words" rather than bites. It's a very weird movie, but also a very good one.
In The Tall Grass (2019)
based on Stephen & Joe King's novella, which was published in two parts through Esquire.
It primarily concerns a brother and sister who follow a mysterious voice into a field of tall grass, only to get trapped within it. While the movie certainly stretches its paper-thin premise, the movie is nevertheless well-acted, and the atmosphere is gloriously imposing and creepy.
Ravenous (2017)
Ravenous is another weird little zombie movie to come from Canada. This is a French-language film from Quebec, released in its home province under the name Les Affamés. Like most films of its ilk, this one concerns a small band of survivors who travel the rural Quebec countryside while avoiding zombies.
However, the zombies in this movie perform some truly strange and bizarre actions, like stacking monuments of chairs. It's never really explained, but therein lies Ravenous's mystique and identity.
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
The story of My Bloody Valentine is perhaps most well known through the 2009 American remake, which was released in 3D and grossed $100 million. The original is a Canadian production and was originally released in February of 1981.
The movie was shot on location in Nova Scotia, a very small province in Eastern Canada, for a measly $2 million. The slasher (involving a killer in mining gear) faced significant censorship by the MPAA, forcing the filmmakers to cut nearly ten minutes of blood and gore. To this day, it remains a cult classic of the slasher genre.
The Changeling (1980)
Today, ghost movies like the extended Conjuring series are grossing hundreds of millions at the worldwide box office. They owe their existence to a wonderful haunted house movie from Canada called The Changeling (among others, of course).
The story concerns a writer moving into a haunted mansion and was based largely on writer Russell Hunters' personal experiences. The movie is well regarded for its supernatural scares and George C. Scott's lead performance as John Russell, leading many to consider it one of Canada's greatest horror exports.
The Monster (2016)
Released through famed distributor A24, The Monster is an American-Canadian co-production starring Zoe Kazan. Kazan plays an abusive and alcoholic mother named Kathy.
While driving her 10-year-old daughter Lizzy to Lizzy's father's house, the pair are stranded on a deserted road and stalked by an unseen monster. The movie earned positive reviews for its subversive story and Kazan's lead performance. Its creature effects were also compared to those in Alien, and there's really no higher praise than that!
Prom Night (1980)
The early 1980s were clearly the time for Canadian slashers, as both Prom Night and My Bloody Valentine were released in the span of just seven months. Released in the summer of 1980, Prom Night concerns a group of graduating high school seniors who are stalked by a killer on prom night.
While some critics bemoaned its violence against women, Prom Night is now regarded as a cult classic and a massive influence on the wider slasher genre. Released just two years after Halloween, the movie helped define and mold the very conventions of the genre. It also helped establish Jamie Lee Curtis as the undisputed Scream Queen.
Summer Of 84 (2018)
One of the best horror movies of 2018 was made in Canada, and it was called Summer of 84. The story shares a lot in common with Rear Window and Disturbia, as it concerns a group of young children spying on their neighbor, who they are convinced is a serial killer.
Obvious inspirations aside, Summer of 84 received very strong reviews for its clever writing, acting, and a surprising amount of dark humor. It's much like Stranger Things if Stranger Things was a slasher. And it is every bit as good as that little blurb suggests.
Antrum (2018)
Antrum is a mockumentary concerning a supposedly cursed video from the '70s. "Antrum" was a Bulgarian movie released in 1979 that eventually developed a reputation for being cursed. At various showings of the movie, festival directors died, fires and riots broke out, pregnant women died, and popcorn was laced with LSD.
The movie subsequently disappeared...until it was discovered by a documentary crew in 2018. Antrum is a mockumentary detailing the making of "Antrum" and showing the fictional movie or the first time since 1993.
Binge & Purge (2002)
Binge & Purge simply sounds disgusting, and it is every bit as disgusting as its title suggests. The movie takes place in a near-future wherein the United States has become an Orwellian police state.
Following a string of mysterious and brutal murders, police detectives make their way to a fashion designer and a group of cannibalistic models. The story is obviously ridiculous, but Binge & Purge makes for a nasty little B-movie in the vein of Grindhouse films of old.
