Ti West’s X blends modern style with throwback grit for his original ’70s set slasher. Like the filmmaker did with The House of the Devil, West imbues authenticity in his period horror and avoids overly nostalgic pastiche. This week’s streaming picks center around contemporary 1970s-set horror movies, from family-friendly genre fare to grisly R-rated slashers.
As always, here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
House of 1000 Corpses – AMC+, Kanopy, Plex, Pluto TV, Roku, Tubi, Vudu
Rob Zombie’s directorial debut employs a mishmash of cinematic inspirations, and the film’s dark house conception brings a very atypical, vivid aesthetic to the period. A group of friends traveling the backroads of Texas in search of urban legends on All Hallows Eve in 1977 finds more than they bargain for when they cross paths with the sadistic Firefly clan. The gritty handheld footage of the Firefly clan-inflicted torture against the pristine neon haze of Spaulding’s dark ride, and Dr. Satan’s underground layer is just as manic as the Firefly family themselves. It’s tonally as dark and gory as it is dementedly funny, with a late supernatural element; it’s easy to see why this 1970s-set horror movie kicked off a trilogy, featuring The Devil’s Rejects and later 3 from Hell.
Frailty – HBO Max
Bill Paxton’s Texas-set feature directorial debut is an underrated entry in psychological horror that showcases how dysfunction tends to be cyclical. He also stars as the Meiks family patriarch, a man wholly convinced that he’s been tasked with a divine mission from God to destroy humans masquerading as demons on Earth. He also thinks that it’s a family business and brings his two young sons into the bloody fold. Adam (Jeremy Sumpter) believes his father, while Fenton (Matt O’Leary) thinks dad has cracked. The story toggles between the present and the summer of 1979.
Super 8 – HBO Max
If you need something to tide you over until “Stranger Things” returns, this Steven Spielberg-produced sci-fi feature should do the trick. J.J. Abrams infuses the Amblin feature with all the frenetic thrills and sci-fi style you’d expect, but it’s grounded by affecting characters and family bonds. During the summer of 1979, a group of young friends is making a Super 8 zombie film for a competition when they witness a train accident that unleashes something otherworldly into their small town.
We Are Still Here – Plex, Prime Video, Tubi, Vudu
Following the death of their only son, Anne (Barbara Crampton) and Paul Sacchetti (Andrew Sensenig) decide to move to snowy, rural New England. Paul is hoping the change will shake Anne from her deep depression. Instead, Anne becomes convinced Bobby’s spirit inhabits the house. The truth is far more horrific; the house is cursed to awaken every thirty years and demand a sacrifice. Set in 1979, writer/director Ted Geoghegan creates a massive love letter to Lucio Fulci’s House by the Cemetery that permeates just about every detail of this moody haunter. Right down to the insanely bloody finish. For puzzle solvers and Easter egg hunters, read through the house’s history in the end credits.
Suspiria – Prime Video
Set in Berlin during the fall of 1977, a prominent dance company’s lead dancer disappears just in time for aspiring dancer Susie Bannion (Dakota Johnson) to arrive in the hopes of claiming a coveted spot within the troupe. She quickly catches the eye of the artistic director, Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton), and is brought under her wing. But the art of the dance is the perfect cover for spellcasting, and the faculty behind the dance company is a coven of witches. Luca Guadagnino’s methodical vision makes for a very different beast from Dario Argento’s 1970s horror movie classic, biding its time with witchy horror until a glorious bloodbath of a finale.
Knife + Heart – Kanopy, Shudder
Set in the Paris summer of 1979, Vanessa Paradis stars as Anne, a producer of low-budget gay porn. When her lover, who also happens to be her film editor, leaves her, she strikes out to make her most ambitious film yet in an attempt to win her back. The only problem is that a masked killer is picking off her cast and crew one by one in the most brutal fashion. The masked killer is unsettling, and those kills are downright vicious. Yann Gonzalez’s film is a gorgeous Giallo through and through, complete with all the familiar trademarks and tropes. If you love Giallo movies, this modern gem is not to be missed.
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