When considering some of the best horror movies in the world, Australia is one country I automatically think of. While there are plenty of upcoming horror movies that everyone should be excited about, sometimes you need a new film to obsess over – and Australia has you covered.
From the latest and greatest to some older films, here are thirteen Australian horror films you must check out at least once.
Talk To Me (2023)
Considered one of the best A24 horror films, Talk to Me comes from 2023 and follows a group of teenagers who get a high from speaking to the dead through a hand, but as they experiment further, their idea of fun comes back to haunt them.
I could go on for hours about Talk to Me. Seriously. This movie was one of the scariest films I have seen in years. It’s not all about gore or pain, but the suspense and moments where everything breaks and falls apart – unlike anything else. It keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Truthfully, I compare Talk to Me to other greats from A24, like Midsommar or Hereditary. Indeed, it is one of the best, and you should most definitely check it out if you haven’t.
Rent/Buy Talk to Me on Amazon.
The Loved Ones (2009)
The Loved Ones stars Xavier Samuel and Robin McLeavy and follows what happens to a teenage boy when he declines a girl’s offer to go to the school dance with him. Bad things happen when she does not take it well.
This is such a simple film from the start. I would compare it to many of the best ’80s films focused on coming-of-age stories, but take those and turn them into horror. It’s such a vibe.
Stream The Loved Ones on Paramount Plus.
Rent/Buy The Loved Ones on Amazon.
Relic (2020)
Starring Emily Mortimer, Relic is a psychological horror movie. It follows a grandmother and her granddaughter on the hunt to find their relative in a remote home, only to find it locked outside and something strange leaking from the walls.
This film is spooky and scary and builds great suspense from the beginning, which is all you ever really need for a horror film like this.
Stream Relic on AMC+.
Rent/Buy Relic on Apple.
Black Water (2007)
You know how there’s that meme where everything in Australia is trying to kill you? That’s Black Water, but this time, it focuses on a predator that can chew you to bits – a crocodile and the people trying to survive it.
As someone who is lowkey desperately afraid of crocodiles, yeah, this movie scared the ever-loving crap out of me when I first saw it, and I would highly recommend it.
Hounds Of Love (2016)
No, not that Kate Bush’s song – Hounds of Love is another excellent Australian thriller/crime film, but many consider it horror. This movie follows a young woman who is kidnapped by a married couple after sneaking out of her parents’ house.
What makes Hounds of Love so scary is that this kind of thing can happen to anyone. It’s a seemingly ordinary couple at first, and then suddenly, they’re trying to harm you with their strange desires.
Rent/Buy Hounds of Love on Amazon.
The Babadook (2014)
Game-changing female director Jennifer Kent directed The Babadook, which follows a young, widowed woman who has to protect her son from an evil monster in her home.
You knew The Babadook would be on here. This horror film is filled with excellent acting and terrifying moments. It’s one of the best free movies you can watch right now.
Stream The Babadook on Tubi.
Rent/Buy The Babadook on Amazon.
You Won’t Be Alone (2022)
A co-production of Australia, the U.K., and Serbia, You Won’t Be Alone is a horror fantasy film that follows a young woman who is stolen and turned into a shape-shifting witch in the 19th century.
This film is much more than you would expect and has some great lessons about life. Also, Sara Klimoska gives an outstanding performance.
Stream You Won’t Be Alone on Starz.
Rent/Buy You Won’t Be Alone on Amazon.
Next Of Kin (1982)
Next of Kin is an excellent film from the 1980s in Australia. This horror film follows a young woman who inherits a retirement community from her mother after her death, only to realize bad things are starting to happen.
The film is unsettling in many ways and features an excellent performance from John Jarratt and Alex Scott.
Stream Next of Kin on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Next of Kin on Vudu.
Lake Mungo (2008)
Lake Mungo is a great horror film that is also a mockumentary. It follows the story of a family trying to come to terms with their daughter’s death, and the strange, supernatural things that begin to happen after it occurs.
The film, directed by Joel Anderson, is an excellent example of the usage of found footage-style films, and it should have gotten way more hype when it came out.
Stream Lake Mungo on FreeVee (via Amazon).
Rent/Buy on Apple.
Wolf Creek (2005)
Wolf Creek is probably one of the most well-known Australian horror films. This film, starring John Jarratt, follows three backpackers who are traveling across the land of Australia when they are taken captive – and then hunted down one by one.
Again, this is another example of a terrifying story because I genuinely feel like this could happen in real life. The events that occur in the movie are reminiscent of real-life murders of backpackers, so that makes this even more terrifying.
Stream Wolf Creek on FreeVee (via Amazon).
Rent/Buy Wolf Creek on Apple.
Run Rabbit Run (2023)
Sarah Snook of the Succession cast knocked it out of the park with this one. Run Rabbit Run is an original Netflix film from Australia that follows a woman who starts to notice her daughter is beginning to act strange, only for things to get worse.
I love Sarah Snook as a whole, so it’s great to see her in a horror movie – and she freaking rocks it from the very beginning.
Stream Run Rabbit Run on Netflix.
Sissy (2022)
Welcome to the world of horror films that have something to do with social media. Sissy is an Australian horror film that follows a social influencer who is invited to a bachelorette party by her friend from childhood. Still, it quickly becomes something out of her worst fears.
This movie starts a little slow, admittedly, but once it gets going, it gets going, if you know what I mean. It doesn’t quit until the end as soon as the horror begins and offers great lessons on the dangers of social media.
Little Monsters (2019)
Last but not least, we have one of Lupita Nyong’o’s best films and a great horror comedy. Little Monsters follows three unlikely allies as they unite to protect school children from a zombie outbreak.
This movie is silly in the best way and also terrifying in plenty of moments. While CinemaBlend’s reviewer Mike Reyes said it needed a little more meat, there’s no denying Nyong’o’s excellent performance.
Stream Little Monsters on Hulu.
If you want to check out any of these films, I’d recommend every one of them. Now, I’m going to watch Talk to Me again for the umpteenth time.