Could it be… Is that a chill I feel in the air? And do my eyes spy Halloween candy in stores and pumpkin spice lattes on every corner? That can only mean one thing: it’s high time you start building your scary season watch list, my friend! And if you’re looking to diversify that list, you’ve come to the right place.
September’s new horror movies and new-to-streaming releases include a wealth of international titles—from a dysphoric Norwegian nightmare to a convention-defying Indonesian horror-comedy, and so much more. Pick up a bag of candy corn (no, it’s not too early—I’ll allow it) and let these round-the-world picks spirit you away.
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Dangerous Animals (Australia)
DANGEROUS ANIMALS (Credit: Shudder) If you missed the wildly entertaining Dangerous Animals in theaters, get your ass to the couch and log into your Shudder account stat! The Aussie serial-killer-thriller-meets-creature-feature sunk its teeth into the streaming platform on September 5.
Directed by Sean Byrne, whose previous titles include cult favorite The Loved Ones and the hugely underrated The Devil’s Candy, Dangerous Animals stars Jai Courtney as a shark-obsessed killer who likes to take his victims for a swim. But when he kidnaps lone-wolf surfer Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), he may have finally met his match. Pair it with a 50th anniversary rewatch of Jaws for a fin-tastic evening (I’ll see myself out).
Above the Knee (Norway)
ABOVE THE KNEE (Credit: Varde Film) One of several fascinating international horror movies joining SCREAMBOX’s catalog this month, Above the Knee stars Freddy Singh as Amir, a man with a seemingly perfect life—and a dark secret. For as long as he can remember, he has been convinced that his left leg doesn’t belong to him. Tormented by visions of the limb rotting, Amir becomes determined to amputate—whatever the cost.
Above the Knee was directed by Viljar Bøe, who also helmed the quirky (and disturbing) Good Boy. (The one about the man with a live-in human-dog pet, not the upcoming chiller from the perspective of the dog. Don’t mix them up on date night.) Catch it exclusively on SCREAMBOX from September 9.
Perewangan (Indonesia)
PEREWANGAN (Credit: Pichouse Films) From writer-director Awi Suryadi, whose previous credits include KKN Di Desa Penari, the highest-grossing Indonesian film of all time, Perewangan is set to bring supernatural terror to Shudder on September 12.
In the film, after their once-thriving family business starts to crumble, sisters Maya (Davina Karamoy) and Wulan (Beby Evelyn) are forced to confront a greed-driven evil that has been passed down through their family for generations. Indonesian musician Shanty also stars.
Rabbit Trap (United Kingdom/US)
RABBIT TRAP (Credit: SpecrtreVision) You know what supernatural beings don’t feature in enough horror movies? Fairies. Oh, you laugh now, but there are plenty of truly malevolent fairy folk in British and Celtic folklore. Writer-director Bryn Chainey is dipping his toes into the fairy circle in his feature debut, Rabbit Trap, fluttering into theaters on September 12.
Set in the 1970s, Rabbit Trap stars Dev Patel (The Green Knight) and Rosy McEwen (Apartment 7A) as a musical married couple. They’ve just moved from the chaos of London to a cozy cottage in Wales to complete their new album. Charming. But when they accidentally record a hitherto-unheard mystical sound, their sick beats bring a strange, nameless child to their door…
A Mother’s Embrace (Brazil)
A MOTHER'S EMBRACE (Credit: Lupa Filmes) History of the Occult director Cristian Ponce returns this month with A Mother’s Embrace, streaming exclusively on SCREAMBOX from September 16.
In the 60s-set horror film, Ana (Marjorie Estiano), a young firefighter, and her team are called to help evacuate a retirement home at risk of flooding during a historic storm. But it soon becomes clear that the residents aren’t as innocent as they seem—and as Ana uncovers the sinister truth, she must confront her own trauma to escape.
“A Mother’s Embrace delves into horror through a story deeply rooted in our culture, brought to life by a cast and crew from Brazil and Argentina,” co-writer André Pereira told Variety, adding that the film “represents a true collaboration in Latin American genre cinema.”
Dirty Boy (United Kingdom)
DIRTY BOY (Credit: Saint Halo Productions) The feature directorial debut of Doug Rao, folk horror-thriller Dirty Boy follows Isaac (Stan Steinbichle), a reclusive young man with schizophrenia who has been raised in an oppressive cult. So, probably not the best childhood, but it gets worse: the cult’s leaders are planning to frame him for a series of ritualistic murders! If Isaac wants to prove his innocence, he’ll have to destroy the evil sect from within—and save its next victim from the chop.
Scottish actor Graham McTavish (Preacher) also stars in Dirty Boy, which is getting a limited theatrical release on September 19.
The Draft! (Indonesia)
THE DRAFT! (Credit: Vokasi Studios) Close out the month with a little meta horror from Indonesia! From director Yusron Fuadi, The Draft! brings a chill to SCREAMBOX on September 23.
The film follows five college student stereotypes—the jock, the nerd, the pretty one, the rich one, and the popular one—who head to a remote villa for the weekend. Along the way, they encounter and promptly ignore a doom-spewing harbinger, only for strange and unsettling things to start happening as soon as they arrive at the cabin. You’ve seen this movie before, right? Well, not quite. The Draft! is here to subvert your expectations and take you on a wild ride, and the less said from me, the better.
That’s it for September, folks! Need a few more titles to fill out your road to Halloween watch list? Take a peek at these 60+ horror movies that you can stream for free right now, and check back next month for more international horror in time for All Hallows’ Eve.
