10 of the best non-English horror movies in the history of cinema

World cinema hosts countless masterpieces and non-English language horror films have a special place. A list of the top 10 works of this genre, from Japan to Iran, invites you to a global horror.

Hollywood produces many horror movies every year, but the best works of this genre are not limited to American productions. In fact, many foreign horror films from around the world have had a profound influence on the horror genre as a whole. These works offer unique and lasting experiences to the audience, regardless of the country of production or the period of production.

10. Audition – Japan (1999)

The 1999 Japanese film Audition is based on a novel of the same name. The story is about a widower who is looking for a wife by holding a mock audition and meets Asami.

But Asami, contrary to the appearance of calmness, is a serial killer and leads the man into a terrible trap. The film has been praised for being shocking and dealing with deep social themes.

9. Incantation – Taiwan (2022)

Incantation, a 2022 Taiwanese film, tells the story of a single mother named Ronan who retrieves her daughter from the foster care system after being traumatized by a mountain cult’s taboo violation in their soul hunting program.

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But the cult’s curse haunts the family. This film is known as one of the most frightening works of the “found-footage” genre, offering a nightmarish experience with terrifying images and a surprising ending.

8. RAC (Rec) – Spain (2007)

The 2007 Spanish film Rec offers a different take on the zombie genre. Instead of focusing on action, this film prioritizes horror and uses the “found-footage” style, which is rarely seen in this subgenre.

Although it has sequels and American remakes, the quality of the original remains unsurpassed, creating a unique horror experience.

7. Under the Shadow – Iran (2016)

Under the Shadow, an Iranian film produced in 2016, is narrated in Tehran in the 80s in the midst of the Iran-Iraq war. Shideh, a tired mother, is locked in a house with her daughter, and in the midst of aerial bombardments, the girl meets a mute boy who tells her a story about jinns.

This evil creature soon begins to harass the family. As an outstanding war-horror work, the film raises philosophical questions about the reality of jinn and the psychological effects of war.

6. Eyes Without a Face – France (1960)

The 1960 French film Eyes Without a Face follows the story of a young woman whose face is severely damaged in an accident and is forced to wear a mask.

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Her father, a self-confessed surgeon, kidnaps women to transplant their faces onto his daughter’s. It has had a profound influence on subsequent horror films and has been praised for its disturbing and touching story.

5. Ju-on: The Grudge – Japan (2002)

Ju-on: The Grudge, a 2002 Japanese film, has had several Hollywood adaptations, but the original remains the best. The story is about a curse that haunts a house and turns former family members into vengeful ghosts.

This film is known as one of the scariest and most important works of J-horror, which changed the rules of the horror genre with its innovative and suspenseful horrors and left a lasting impression on it.

4. Ring (Ring) – Japan (1998)

The 1998 Japanese film Ringu, better known to Western audiences for its Hollywood remake, still holds the upper hand over the original. The story of this horror film is about a ghost girl who, after drowning, takes revenge through a cursed video tape.

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Anyone who sees the tape will receive a call informing them that they have 7 days left to live. This movie is a clear example of G-horror and is considered to be the originator of the “ghost girl with long black hair and white dress” stereotype in cinema.

3. Let the Right One In – Sweden (2008)

Let the Right One In is a 2008 Swedish horror-romance film based on the novel of the same name. The story is about Oscar, a bullied 12-year-old boy who finds an unexpected friendship in his new neighbor, a girl named Ellie.

Ellie reveals a terrible secret: she is a vampire and is responsible for recent murders in the area. This film has an important place in the horror cinema due to the presentation of an emotional, intelligent and different narrative from the vampire genre.

2. Onibaba – Japan (1964)

The 1964 Japanese film Onibaba takes place during the Nanboku-chō period of the 14th century, in the midst of the Japanese civil war. Two women ambush and kill samurai for a living. After killing a samurai, they find Hannya’s evil-looking mask.

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When one of them puts the mask on his face, he finds that for some supernatural reason, the mask won’t come off his face anymore. This pioneering work of G-horror has left a lasting impression on global horror cinema due to its terrifying atmosphere and bold concept.

1. Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror) – Germany (1922)

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, a German expressionist film from 1922, despite the remakes, the original is unsurpassed. This horror work is a free adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula.

The story is about a scary vampire named Count Orlok with an inhuman face played by Max Schreck. Despite its old techniques, Nosferatu is a very important and influential film that helped define the horror genre and is considered one of the most outstanding works in the history of cinema.