Today is St. Patrick’s Day and do you know what that means?! No, it’s not the holiday time when we all indulge in those suspiciously-sweet lime green concoctions called McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes. It’s an apt occasion to surf the multitude of the best streaming services for a selection of hauntingly-good Irish horror flicks and series to shake the shillelaghs from you and your mates.
The Emerald Isle is notorious for nerve-rattling movies centered on superstitious legends and folklore featuring restless spirits, marauding monsters, lascivious leprechauns, and strange woodland creatures. If you’re looking for something other than Darby O’Gill and the Little People or Finnegan’s Rainbow to watch this St. Paddy’s Day, check out my five fright-filled picks below.
Sea Fever (2020)
- Rotten Tomatoes:
- Where to watch: Shudder (US; UK), AMC+ (US), Plex/Kanopy (US), Prime Video (UK), Disney+ (UK), Foxtel (AU)
From Dublin-born, BAFTA-winning director and writer Neasa Hardiman, this absorbing horror release stars Hermione Corfield, Connie Nielsen, and Dougray Scott. It involves Siobhan, a marine biology student on a research voyage with a trawler crew that’s fishing in the West Irish seas. While drifting deep in the Atlantic Ocean, an alien life form seizes the boat and the crew becomes marooned with a deadly parasite infecting their water supply. This gooey sea-based invader invades the fishermen, transforming Siobhan’s trip into a pandemic-like survival effort.
Mandrake (2022)
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- Where to watch: Shudder (US, UK, AU), AMC+ (US, AU), Hoopla (US)
Ireland is filled with vast expanses of ancient hills and mist-filled forestland where occult forces linger, the ideal location for supernatural happenings. Here, probation officer Cathy Madden is assigned the job of rehabilitating the infamous ‘Bloody’ Mary Laidlaw after two decades in prison. A chilling folk horror tale ensues when two children vanish in the vicinity of Mary’s farm, launching an angry mob determined to stop the former killer’s witchcraft and summoned demon. A gem of an indie film, loads with pathos and dread for the perfect Irish-based scarefest.
The Hallow (2015)
- Where to watch: Shudder (US, UK), AMC+ (US), Prime Video (AU)
This is a “cabin in the woods”-type entry that perfectly serves up the Irish-style scares about a family that relocates to a rural forested abode in Ireland. Bizarre noises and phenomena begin and the clan must fight for their lives against dangerous supernatural beings. After suffering attacks by these nocturnal creatures, parents Adam and Clare must try to save their kid from being taken by murderous monsters. Plenty of black fungus and body horror for hardcore fans!
Bodkin (2024)
- Where to watch: Netflix (US, UK, AU)
With a tagline that states, “Based on a true story overheard in a pub,” how could anyone go wrong?! This dark Irish comedy series stars Will Forte (Nebraska), Siobhán Cullen (The Dry), and Robyn Cara (Trying) as a trio of true crime podcasters investigating a mysterious disappearance in a tiny Irish village. Some truly unsettling occurrences are afoot here, lurking just underneath the placid surface of this charming town which was the site of several disappearances 25 years ago during the annual Festival of Samhain, the Irish Night of the Dead. But just how much of this violent historical event is fact and how much is fabricated?
The Hole in the Ground (2019)
- Where to watch: Kanopy (US), MGM+ (UK)
Delivered by first-time director Lee Cronin, here’s a disturbing entry about a single mom named Sarah fleeing a fractured past who moves to the Irish countryside with her son. Following an odd meeting with one of the town’s residents, Sarah descends into a quagmire of fear and paranoia surrounding an ancient sinkhole and the effects it has on her son’s real identity. Is the boy who emerged from that unholy depression really her son, or some weird doppelganger? Filled with a haunting quality and sublime atmosphere of dread, this is an outstanding debut feature.
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