Film
Don't Let Them In
- Horror
- Psychological thriller
- Fantasy
- Very dark
A 13-minute horror film about a man whose obsession with the Black Eyed Kids urban legend draws their attention to his home. It's lo-fi folk horror with a paranoia that creeps under your skin, structured around the simple terror of doors you cannot open and things that want in. For anyone who loves internet folklore made flesh.
If you liked this
The Wailing2016
A Korean masterpiece about faith collapsing under supernatural pressure. Stunning cinematography, performances that break your heart, and a mystery that genuinely unsettles. Ambiguity as a feature, not a bug.
But It's 156 minutes and demands your full attention. The ending will frustrate you if you want answers wrapped up.

Insidious2011
James Wan's masterclass in suggestion and sound design. Genuinely scary without gore, using silence and the spaces between moments. A haunted-house film that understands dread.
But The third act leans into spectacle in ways the first two don't. Some will find it shifts the mood awkwardly.

The Babadook2014
Psychological horror that embodies grief and shame. Brilliant performance, gorgeous design, and a creature that *means* something. It stays with you long after the credits.
But Slow burn in every sense. The mother's unraveling may exhaust you emotionally before anything supernatural happens.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Don't Let Them In
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Marble Hornets2009
Both emerged from internet folklore obsession; both suggest that studying the unknowable brings it closer. Both are about the horror of being noticed by something that doesn't belong.
A found-footage web series born from a 4chan creepypasta. Shot like a fever dream with genuine scares and a mythology that deepened over 86 episodes. It proved internet horror could be sustained and terrifying. Influenced everything after it.
But Early episodes are genuinely difficult to watch—low resolution, handheld, lots of static and distortion. Requires 40+ hours to reach the good stuff. Feels like an endurance test.

More like this (8)
Sinister2012
A film about a man digging into evil for a book, discovering something that shouldn't exist. Genuinely unsettling imagery and a sound design that haunts you. The murder sequences are horrifying precisely because they're sparse.
But It dips into jump-scares, and some will find the final act too conventional. The pacing sags in the middle.

The Lighthouse2019
Paranoia, isolation, and two men slowly losing it in a confined space. Black and white, strange aspect ratio, folk-horror atmosphere without folklore. Visually hypnotic and completely unhinged.
But Intentionally obscure, deliberately frustrating, and the accents can be hard to parse. Not a comfort watch in any sense.

A Dark Song2016
Slow-burn supernatural drama about grief and obsession. A woman and an occultist in a house, rituals that don't work, reality bending. Quiet, meditative, and deeply strange.
But Very little happens in conventional terms. If you need plot momentum, you'll find the pacing glacial.

The Machinist2004
Christian Bale's skeletal performance in a nightmare about a man unraveling. Paranoia, insomnia, and guilt made visual. Low-key dread that accumulates into something unbearable.
But Bleak and difficult. The twist will feel obvious if you're paying attention, which some find lessens the payoff.

Starry Eyes2014
Body horror meets ambition and corruption. A young actress makes a deal with LA and pays the price. Gorgeously shot, genuinely transgressive, unforgettable imagery.
But The transformation sequences are deliberately hard to watch. If you're squeamish, this will test you.

Under the Skin2014
Scarlett Johansson in a film about something alien pretending to be human. Minimal dialogue, hypnotic score, and imagery that lodges in your brain. Pure cinema as atmosphere.
But Glacially paced and cryptic. There's no conventional narrative. You're either on its wavelength or frustrated for two hours.

Mothlight1963
Both trust implication over explanation. Both use minimalism and constraint to build horror. Both suggest the dread comes from *not* understanding what you're looking at.
Stan Brakhage cut filmstrips and insects directly into 16mm stock to create pure visual poetry. Three minutes of iridescent chaos. It's not a story—it's sensation. The technical audacity alone is stunning.
But There's no narrative, dialogue, or conventional structure. If you need meaning handed to you, you'll be lost. It's closer to visual music than cinema.

A Tale of Two Sisters2003
Both find horror in obsession with things we can't stop looking at. Both suggest the real threat is what's happening *inside* the house—or inside the mind. Both use folklore as a mask for psychological disintegration.
A Korean horror film that deconstructs the haunted-house film through trauma and mental illness. Stunning production design, a twist that recontextualizes everything, performances that break your heart. It's art made from suffering.
But Requires patient viewing and probably a second watch. The slow portions feel indulgent, and the ending may feel like it cheats if you weren't paying attention.

People
Cast
Hoyt RichardsDan Metzger
Elizabeth SandySarah Foster- Kambri PellerinBlack Eyed Kid #2
Julia ParkerRachel Metzger
Directing
- David LawrenceDirector