Thanks to a string of postponements on the theatrical front, along with theaters closing worldwide, the current box office slate is looking relatively sparse between now and late April. Luckily there’s no shortage of streaming services available, with endless horror titles at our fingertips. So much so that it can sometimes be overwhelming to choose just one.
To help, we’ll be offering up worthwhile options currently available to stream right now. Inspired by St. Patrick’s Day, this week’s streaming picks revolve around Irish horror.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Crackle
One of the most faithful adaptations of Irish author Bram Stoker’s classic tale, there’s never a wrong time to revisit this grand sweeping epic horror film. Stoker forever changed the genre with his literary introduction to the Gothic horrors of Count Dracula, which has been theorized to draw inspiration from the Irish legend of Abhartach, not Vlad the Impaler. While you could pick any adaptation, it’s hard to top Francis Ford Coppola’s gorgeous take as well as Gary Oldman’s riveting performance of the famous bloodsucker. If you’d prefer a more straightforward Irish vampire flick, then check out the primal From the Dark on Shudder.
The Company of Wolves – HBO
Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan has delivered numerous memorable genre films worth checking out, like Interview with the Vampire, Byzantium, and Greta. Dark werewolf fantasy movie The Company of Wolves, though, is an absolute must. Jordan’s sophomore feature offers a horror twist to the fairy tale Red Riding Hood and other stories, making for a dreamy sort of anthology. It was a UK production, however. If you’re looking for something more Irish by the Irish filmmaker, then check out ghostly horror-comedy High Spirits, featuring Irish actor Liam Neeson. That title is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.
Images – Prime Video
Robert Altman’s Palme d’Or nominated psychological horror film follows a wealthy children’s book author losing her grip on reality. After a terrifying outburst, her husband takes her to the Irish countryside to help reduce her stress. Except, she’s afflicted with increasingly disturbing hallucinations, no longer able to tell what’s real or not. Shot on location in County Wicklow, Ireland, the lush setting becomes just as important as the characters on screen. A surreal, psychological slow burn, this won’t be for everyone, but it does offer a unique and haunting portrayal of schizophrenia.
The Canal – Hulu
Written and directed by Ivan Kavanagh, this Dublin production sees a film archivist’s sanity crumbling after his work colleague gives him a 16mm reel depicting a horrific murder that once occurred in the very same house where he lives. When his wife goes missing and is later found dead, it sends him on a downward spiral. The question becomes whether the man is losing his mind, or if he is indeed haunted by the remnants of the old murder. The Canal is atmospheric and unsettling, and the final thirty minutes make for some bleak and shocking stuff.
Grabbers – Hulu
If you’re in the mood for a horror-comedy creature feature, this is the answer. A small island off the coast of Ireland becomes ground zero to an alien invasion. These tentacled monsters, dubbed Grabbers by the locals, have an affinity for human blood. That’s terrible news for the locals until they discover that alcohol is extremely toxic to the spaced invaders. Naturally, they deduce the only way to survive the attack is to get hammered. Drunk villagers versus man-eating aliens make for an entertaining way to spend St. Patrick’s Day. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina actor Richard Coyle stars.
Bonus: Catcalls – Shudder
For those in the mood for bite-sized horror, this nine-minute short on Shudder should do the trick. Written and directed by Kate Dolan, Catcalls unleashes a quick little creature feature. A man chooses the wrong pair of women to mess with in this terror tale.
