Horror and fear are Universal languages, that's why audiences should be looking outside their native tongues for new and exciting content on offer. In recent years, horror has been big box office news with the IT remakes, Halloween sequels and the newest installment of Scream making headlines and a fair amount of money. It could be a sign of the times, or it could be the cyclical nature of trends but either way the renewed interest in the genre is definitely bringing fans more content than ever before.

Netflix has been doing its part to contribute new offerings with its myriad of Originals, including the multiple limited series by Mike Flanagan, and has also been making a greater effort to showcase more international horror in its library. With that being said, let's look at 5 underappreciated foreign language horror films available on the platform.

Updated August 28, 2022 by Mark Sammut: Netflix is an international brand, and that goes beyond just its distribution rights. The streaming service has an impressive library of non-American or British movies, and these projects can serve as a gateway into lesser-known film industries. Although cultural differences exist, horror is a rather universal genre since these stories frequently deal with primal fears experienced by most people regardless of their country of origin. This article has been updated to highlight a few more of the best foreign horror movies on Netflix​​​​​​.

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Pagpag: Nine Lives (2013)

Filipino film Pagpag: Nine Lives is based upon the superstition of never going home directly after a wake in case evil spirits follow. Obviously, this tradition is ignored and for a group of friends who unwittingly stumble into a funeral while out at night it becomes a deadly reality as they are haunted by the unquiet dead. Each of the friends unknowingly interacted with the casket that night, leading spirits to inhabit objects, such as a handkerchief, and cause the untimely deaths of almost all of them.

Stylish and fun, Pagpag may be light on scares, but it still offers an interesting look at Filipino traditions and how myths are made. The final act also features some fun ghosts and good practical makeup effects.

Veronica (2017)

2017 Spanish film Veronica is another entry in the genre of "young girl uses Ouija board, and it goes horribly wrong" subgenre of films that is admittedly already quite saturated. However, Veronica is one of the best and most effective films of its kind and loosely based on a real-life case from 1991 of a young girl dying mysteriously after using an Ouija board. After Veronica and her friends hold a séance at their Catholic school, it becomes apparent that some kind of malevolent entity is either following Veronica or already inhabiting her.

While it isn't the most original story, what Veronica does have is an excellent lead actress in Sandra Escacena and effective pacing. Too often this subgenre goes overboard with jump scares and demons pouring out of every dark corner, but this is a much more understated affair that builds to a terrifyingly tense crescendo as Veronica tries to protect her siblings from the evil she has wrought.

The Strange House (2020)

A more family-friendly kid-centric horror is an Austrian film centered around a family that moves out of the big city in favor of a quieter small town life. Of course, once they move into their new house the youngest boy, Eddi, is almost immediately possessed, and begins sleepwalking and carving weird symbols into things. Now his older brother Henrik and their new friends have to decipher the mystery of the old house and what haunts it in order to exorcise the spirit and free Eddi from its grasp.

While The Strange House is geared more towards a younger audience, it is still an excellent watch for adults. There are some genuinely creepy moments and an unmistakable Stranger Things and IT: Chapter One vibes as the four kids band together to help the spirits let go of the past while reconciling their present.

Raw (2016)

French filmmaker Julia Ducournau is one of the most exciting new names in horror. Both of her features, 2016's Raw and 2021's Titane, are lurid character studies centering around women driven by strange obsessions based on relatively mundane objects. Raw follows a vegetarian named Justine who, during a college hazing ritual, gets her first taste of meat. This experience triggers something in the protagonist, causing her to develop an insatiable appetite for flesh.

This film is deeply uncomfortable, albeit in a way that demands attention. Although certainly not lacking in grotesque sequences that might inspire a viewer's stomach to turn, Raw does not use its gore as a crutch for a lack of substance.

Dabbe: The Possession (2013)

The fourth entry in the Dabbe franchise, The Possession is a Turkish film that hits many beats that horror aficionados should be intimately familiar with. On her wedding day, a woman becomes possessed by a djinn, leading to a tragedy. Looking to disprove these types of matters, a psychiatrist films the following exorcism in hopes of creating a documentary that dispels these myths.

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Dabbe: The Possession is presented as a found footage film, which might turn off some people. While not completely free of these style's shortcomings and frustrations, the movie uses this framing device well, crafting an intense and gripping tale that tackles themes of spiritualism.

Stree (2018)

A horror comedy from Indian director Amar Kaushik, Stree revolves around an urban legend about a spirit of a woman who tries to abduct men when they are alone at night. Horror and comedy might sound like contradictory genres, but plenty of filmmakers have succeeded in mixing the two tones to create something special. Stree serves as an admirable example of such a project.

More than anything, this movie is simply entertaining. The actors have good chemistry with each other, the humor is mostly on point, and the film's attempts at scares generally deliver the goods. Although a bit on the long side, Stree has more than enough high points to keep most people invested.

A Classic Horror Story (2021)

After a ride-sharing app brings them together, a group of strangers finds themselves stranded somewhere in the Italian wilderness when a car accident leaves them trapped. The group soon comes across the obligatory creepy house in the woods and evidence of ritualistic sacrifices having been freshly made nearby. What ensues is a fight for survival as they are picked off one by one by the masked cultists.

What is different about A Classic Horror Story is its pastiche approach to the genre. The film mixes influences from Cabin In The Woods and Wrong Turn blending elements from both to create a meta movie that is perhaps trying a little too hard to be smarter than it is but is nonetheless an enjoyable and grisly tour of tropes.

The Guardian (2021)

The Guardian is the story of a backup singer trying to get into the spotlight after the idol Phuong that she sings backup for commits suicide. Right from the start there are a lot of creepy dolls in The Guardian. Known as Kumanthong dolls, they are a sort of guardian angel bringing luck to those that have them, as long as they are blessed correctly. After the death, Ly becomes obsessed with the dolls and their ability to alter the trajectory of her life. As she rises to stardom, she finds out that it is definitely all its made out to be and horrible things start happening around her.

The Guardian is a very well-crafted supernatural suspense film that goes to unexpected places, switching genres and ramping up tension in the third act. An indictment of the trappings of fame, vengeance and superstition The Guardian is a surprising and incredibly engaging film filled with misdirections and tinged with sadness.

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