Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 takes fans of the interwoven horror trilogy back in time to meet Sarah Fier before she became the namesake of a centuries-spanning curse. Homaging 2015's The Witch, the first half of the film is set in a puritanical 17th century when Shadyside was known as the Union. After a plague affects their crops and their pastor becomes possessed with an unquenchable bloodlust, the townspeople vow to find who cursed their settlement.
The finale of the trilogy, directed and co-written by Leigh Janiak, is the franchise's take on folk horror. Although devotees don't always agree on what qualifies as folk horror, its bloody heart is rooted in tales where its characters stumble upon forces they cannot understand -- in a small community, typically a rural one -- and try to control them. Like a cinematic urban legend, these lore-led stories show what happens when unsuspecting individuals play with forces or intervene in rituals they shouldn't and then face deadly consequences.
Here are eight folk horror takes that are sure to make viewers think twice before they whisper into a mirror or dare to buy a book that promises to grant revenge.
Pyewacket (2017)
Leah Reyes (Nicole Muñoz) is still getting over the unexpected loss of her father while she watches her grieving mother cry herself to sleep almost every night with a wine bottle. Wanting to make a change for herself and her daughter, Mrs. Reyes (Laurie Holden) moves their family to a small home in the woods. A huge fan of the occult, Leah is furious that her mother would take her away from her friends at a time when she needs them the most. Following a heated conversation, Leah summons the demon Pyewacket from one of her dark magic books to kill her mother.
This indie Canadian horror film starts off fairly quiet but its demonic thrills are heartbreaking and a perfect example of the dangers that come with playing with supernatural forces.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Police Sgt. Howie (Edward Woodward) is determined to solve the disappearance of a girl named Rowan Morrison. Acting on an anonymous tip, Sgt. Howie travels to the Scottish island of Summerisle, where he meets a community of pagans, led by Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee). The devout Catholic officer is shocked when he witnesses their rituals -- particularly those that are openly sexual in nature.
A pivotal entry in British folk horror, The Wicker Man brutally depicts why it's best not to meddle with the beliefs of other cultures, and resist the colonization-driven nature to "modernize." Thinking the residents of Summerisle are barbaric, Sgt. Howie tries to enlighten them. In turn, he becomes caught in an inescapable ritual.
Midsommar (2019)
When Midsommar premiered in 2019, a lot of attention was focused on whether it was an homage, or a ripoff, of 1973's The Wicker Man. While that debate can continue until the next May Day, Midsommar is one of the most female-driven cathartic horror films to hit theaters in decades. Director Ari Aster's film follows a grieving Dani (Florence Pugh of Black Widow), who goes on a retreat with her terrible boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) -- and his scholar bros -- to their friend's fabled midsummer festival in Sweden. The men are interested in attending and documenting this rural festival, which isn't known to be accepting of outsiders, for their anthropology thesis. That prodding at people's ways of life mirrors The Wicker Man in the sense that the men who visit the rural setting want to find something that will make their careers. Dani, however, is in search of community.
The Americans discover this small community is a pagan cult that doesn't take too kindly to disrespecting their ways.
Noroi: The Curse (2005)
Noroi: The Curse takes the best of folk horror and found footage, and weaves it into a compelling supernatural mystery. Following investigative reporter Kobayashi (Jin Muraki), known for his work in documenting supernatural activities and lore, the film seeks to reveal the entity Kagutaba. Utilizing its format as a report-style video, Noroi includes clips of game shows in which children test their psychic abilities, a local "madman" psychic who supposedly contacted this entity, and rituals previously conducted to summon or appease Kagutaba.
Directed by Kōji Shiraishi, Noroi's timing is impeccable, and its found-footage approach is so spot-on that if you didn't know you were watching a fictional tale, you might think you tuned into a Japanese broadcast of a local legend. Its ending will haunt you for many nights to come.
The Witch (2015)
Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 is, in a lot of ways, an homage to 2015's The Witch. Although the latter film isn't the first to explore a puritanical settlement's fear of women, it was a hit for A24, and paved the way for many dark, supernatural thrillers from the company. Part Three - 1666 definitely nods to The Witch through its attention to period-specific dialogue and feminist sensibilities. That being said, The Witch really did its homework and is as delightful to watch for history buffs as it is for horror fans.
The film follows Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her family after they're banished from their Puritan colony and forced to settle, alone, at the edge of a secluded forest. When demonic forces begin to exert an influence on the family and farm, all eyes turn to teenage Thomasin, who's accused of inviting the devil into their lives.
The Wailing (2016)
Written and directed by Na Hong-jin, The Wailing is a masterpiece of folk horror. While this South Korean film has a long runtime, it's an epic that doesn't feel as long as it is. Jong-goo (Do-won Kwak) is a hapless police officer who tries to figure out why there's seemingly a rage-filled plague that's infecting his town. After several murders take place, and his daughter becomes possessed, Jong-goo is convinced the new Japanese resident, aka The Japanese Man -- played by Jun Kunimura (Kill Bill, Audition) -- is to blame.
At its heart, The Wailing explores the dangerous assumptions that come with xenophobia. It uses the historically tense relationship between Korea and Japan as a backdrop for a mythic tale that really asks, Are you willing to trust something new over your deeply ingrained beliefs?
Candyman (1985)
Candyman is a prime example of how, even when warned not to summon a murderous, hook-armed man, people will still try, just to see if he's real. The film follows graduate student Helen (Virginia Madsen) as she researches local superstitions within the Cabrini–Green housing project, in Chicago's North Side. After she learns about the legend of Candyman (Tony Todd), the entity begins to stalk her. The film serves twofold lore: what happens when an educated white woman tries to intervene in a culture that she has no place touching and a real-life metaphor for how Chicago housing projects faced inevitable poverty and destitution due to Chicago racially segregating its neighborhood lines.
To see just how deep the hidden, racist tragedy goes, horror fans should dig into the real-life lawsuit against the Chicago Housing Authority from the late 1960s to the 1980s.
Impetigore (2019)
Written and directed by Joko Anwar, Impetigore is an Indonesian horror film that follows Maya's (Tara Basro) supposed inheritance of a house in her ancestral village. She returns there, after trying to make a life for herself in the city with her friend Dini (Marissa Anita), but she's not quite prepared for the horrors that await her.
Maya is unaware of the village's plan for her and how it connects to a curse that's plagued their town for years. The 2019 horror/mystery brings plenty of supernatural gore, thrills, and feverishly timed runs through the woods. Coming home might mean you never escape.