As the weather transitions to the cool snap of autumn and Halloween fastly approaches, lovers of cinema are beginning to dust off their favorite horror film collection to celebrate the season.
With Ryan Coogler’s horror film Sinners still making a huge impact, along with rumors of a special Halloween re-release this year, and the new sports thriller Him starring Marlon Wayans, Black horror films are more prevalent than ever before. We may have Jordan Peele to thank for that, with his monumental 2017 release of the haunting Get Out that still gets brought up in conversations as one of the most sinister Black horror flicks there is.
Black horror films hadn’t often catered to the Black community. And when they do, we are often the first ones to die or depicted as the enemy.
However, there are some thrilling classics that have Black actors at the forefront with compelling, gut-wrenching horror stories that will give you goosebumps. Many of which some people have never heard of.
So, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite Black horror films to add to your movie list this Halloween season.
The People Under The Stairs (1991)
Where a young boy, played by young actor Brandon Adams, breaks into the home of greedy, slum landlords and comes across incestuous adult siblings who mutilate a number of young boys and keep them hidden in the home under the stairs.
You can rent this movie on most streaming platforms.
Where young divinity student Joel (James Bond III) starts to question his faith and visits his friend K (Kadeem Hardison) in New York and he takes him out partying. On a night out they meet a gorgeous woman, played by Cynthia Bond, who is a lustful, succubus demon spirit who lures men to their death. When she sets her eyes on Joel, they turn to the help of an old officer who specializes in the supernatural.
Directed by Bill Gunn, this film follows anthropologist Hess Green (Duane Jones) who later becomes a vampire after his assistant stabs him with an ancient, cursed dagger. Green then falls in love with the assistant’s widow, who quickly learns the truth of her husband’s death and Green’s haunting new secret.
This movie is available to watch on the Roku Channel or to rent on Amazon Prime.
Deemed as a classic thriller, Night of the Living Dead follows a group of individuals who take refuge in an abandoned home while the dead come to life in search of humans to eat. This thriller stars Duane Jones and was directed by George A. Romero.
A newly restored, high-definition version of the film is available to watch on YouTube.
Glynn Turman starred in this cult classic, where a notorious New Orleans gangster is killed and 30 years later his soul possesses the body of a young law student. Fans of Blaxploitation movies will love this film.
You can rent this movie on most subscription websites or apps.
This star-studded thriller follows the story of Jimmy Bones (Snoop Dogg), who rises from the dead 20 years after his death to find those who betrayed him.
We all know the sinister thriller that is this cult-classic, Candyman. But for those of you not familiar with the original, a graduate student skeptical of the superstitions of a Chicago housing project. Soon, she learns that the horrors of the one they call “Candyman” are true.
A unique retelling of the classic Frankenstein, this thriller follows a young genius who believes death is a curable disease. After the brutal murder of her brother, she finds herself obsessed with trying to bring him back to life.
After narrowly escaping his kidnappers, a young boy is forced to return to where his best friend is being held captive after hearing his cries for help. This movie is a thrilling game of cat and mouse that leaves you on the edge of your seat.
This movie is available to rent or buy on several major movie subscription sites.
A lesser-known Denzel Washington flick, the whodunit Fallen follows detective John Hobbes (Washington) and his partner investigating a string of murders eerily similar to that of an executed serial killer.
This is available to watch on the Roku Channel and other subscription sites.
