It’s time to enter the Blumhouse. Too corny? Regardless of said corniness, Blumhouse Productions has given horror fans plenty to savor over the years, with hits like Get Out (2017), Freaky (2020), and the recently released The Black Phone (2022). Most horror fans know about Blumhouse’s catalog, but the problem is that the most are well known dominate the conversation, which leaves other horror movies that may be enjoyable in the dust. Of course, that’s nothing new, but it doesn’t mean people shouldn’t try other films.
That leads me to the decision to list off underrated Blumhouse horror movies, rather than list the horror that’s been on countless lists (for good reasons, usually). Horror movies being under-appreciated isn’t uncommon. In fact, some movies become cult classics years after they are released into the wild. We’ve seen it time and time again, and maybe none of these will ever be cult classics or don’t qualify as such, but each movie has a different flavor, and to me, they deserve more recognition out of all the Blumhouse Productions films.
The Lords of Salem (2012)
One mention of Rob Zombie, in terms of his horror movies, and people get very vocal—understandably so, as he casts Sheri Moon Zombie in his films all the time, which doesn’t always vibe with folks. However, 2012’s The Lords of Salem may serve as a pleasant surprise to Rob Zombie’s usual schtick. The Lords of Salem (2012) is a supernatural horror movie about Heidi (Sheri Moon Zombie), a disc jockey who lives in Salem. Her life evidently becomes entwined with a coven of witches that have their own agenda. It’s a pretty graphic film and has a lot of twisted moments.
Out of all of Sheri’s performances throughout RZ’s horror films, this is one of her best. If she didn’t do at least a half decent job, the movie would fall flat in tone. The one thing I’d change, if I could, would be her character’s dreads. (That’s another whole conversation.)
Unfriended: Dark Web (2018)
It may not be super underrated, but as far as horror with a twist goes, this is actually solid. The group of friends actually comes across as such, and that makes their deaths so much worse. Unfriended: Dark Web focuses on a group of friends that foolishly play around with a stolen laptop, only to end up being stalked by a group of hackers from the dark web.
This movie not being supernatural in nature is a change of pace for the found footage film genre, which normally focuses on supernatural forces. This time, the threats are human, and that’s somewhat scarier. The whole thing is pretty much a game to the hackers, leaving our main characters helpless in the end. If you like found footage with characters that aren’t incredibly unlikable, then this is for you.
Sweetheart (2019)
Creature features with a Black woman as the lead? A thousand times yes. Sweetheart not only has a terrifying creature, but nerve-racking moments and social commentary that’s woven so well into the story. The movie follows Jennifer (Kiersey Clemons), a castaway who is forced to survive on the island she washed up on—while a sea monster stalks her with murderous intentions.
There’s so much suspense, and Kiersey Clemons embodies the resilience that’s needed in a situation like that. Without spoiling too much, she gets a powerful moment in the end. Jennifer knows nobody will believe her (for a number of reasons), and she’s even doubted by her boyfriend. All in all. it’s one of those movies that you need to give at least one try.
Nocturne (2020)
Is there anything Sydney Sweeney can’t do? And how iconic is carrying bloody tampons as everyone stares at you? Very iconic. Nocturne follows Juliet (Sydney Sweeney), a pianist in her senior year of high school, who’s constantly overshadowed by her twin sister.
The depiction of the jealousy that one may feel towards a sibling is very accurate, though the movie may not be satisfying enough if you’re expecting aggressive scares. But considering it’s psychological horror, it’s meant to frighten you in a different way. Sydney Sweeney shines as the lead and goes from meek to more confident, making the ending so tragic for her character because of how long it took for her to get there.
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin (2021)
For whatever reason, people seem to heavily dislike this movie, even though the Paranormal Activity franchise isn’t actually peak horror cinema. The movie follows a group of folks making a documentary about an Amish community, only to discover horrible secrets that the town keeps. Margot (Emily Bader) is one of those main characters that you’re just shaking your head at. Her lack of hesitancy to go to the middle of nowhere with her friends is silly. Aside from the character decisions, this movie is actually creep, and it does have some twists that you may or may not expect.
(featured image: Amazon Studios)
