Scandinavia usually refers to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, but the name sometimes also denotes the corresponding Nordic countries Finland and Iceland. Known for more than its ancient Vikings, Scandinavia also has a strong cinematic tradition, and Scandinavian directors know how to make good horror movies.
Perhaps it's due to the infamously long winters in the region, but the Scandinavian horror movies on this list are saturated with the imminent sense of doom that comes along with a harsh, snow-filled night. While these films have different styles and approaches to horror, they're all marked by the eerie, ancient landscapes that define the region. From bloody to psychological to campy to witchy, these films are representative of decades and decades of scary and chilling movie-making.
Let The Right One In (2008)
Critically acclaimed worldwide, this 2008 Swedish vampire tale follows two a young boy who becomes involved with a strange girl with even stranger eating habits. It turns out she's a vampire.
The duo exist in a severe and bleak world, where residents move between cold, sparse exteriors and compact, towering apartment complexes. The boy, Oskar, is constantly ridiculed by bullies, and as this outsider gets closer to the elusive Eli, the world around them collapses violently. Let the Right One In is a terrifying and perfectly-paced reexamination of the bloodsucker trope.
Antichrist (2009)
Infamous Danish director Lars Von Trier made his most horrific film to date when he released Antichrist in 2009. While filmed in Germany, the movie evokes the forested, dense scenery scattered throughout Scandinavia.
Antichrist stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe as a couple reeling from the death of their toddler. They attempt to reconcile with the loss in their remote cabin, aptly titled Eden, but the natural world seems to turn against them as they both deal with psychological trauma. Dafoe's character is a therapist, and his tendency to treat Gainsbourg's character as a patient comes back to haunt him through violent, psychosexual interactions.
Day Of Wrath (1943)
Beloved Danish director Carl Theodor Dreyer, also known for Vampyr and The Passion of Joan of Arc, created a horror masterpiece with Days of Wrath. Made in 1943, it was adapted from a play inspired by events that occurred centuries before.
Days of Wrath takes place in 1623 Denmark, focused on the life of a woman accused of witchcraft. After she's heard cursing her husband, a preacher who dies of a heart attack soon after, the woman becomes implicated. The resulting hysteria and inquisition results in the poor woman being tortured to the point of losing any sense of her own identity.
Trollhunter (2010)
Based on its title, Trollhunter doesn't sound like an especially frightening movie, but it's actually just that. Unraveling in documentary style, this 2010 Norwegian horror film follows a group of college students trying to interview a suspected bear poacher who turns out to be a troll hunter.
The trolls in this film are absolutely terrifying: ghoulish, large, strong, and disgusting. The monster reveals and attack sequences unravel in shock horror fashion, but none of the scares feel cheap. Trollhunter, in the end, is an engaging, hair-raising spoof on nature documentaries gone horribly wrong.
Hour Of The Wolf (1968)
Perhaps the most famous name in Swedish cinema, Ingmar Bergman directed this 1968 psychological drama about a married couple whose union falls apart. Max von Sydow plays a painter who spends a summer in isolation with his pregnant wife, played by extolled Swedish actress Liv Ullmann.
The painter, Johan, starts experiencing hallucinations and discombobulating visions. As the insanity spread to his wife, hidden secrets about Johan's life are exposed, culminating in violence. A horrifying domestic drama, Hour of the Wolf emphasizes the demons that haunt people involved in creative pursuits.
Next Door (2005)
A Norwegian sensual horror film, Next Door tracks the life of a heartbroken male who becomes involved with his next-door neighbors, a pair of attractive sisters who involve him in a psychosexual game.
This intelligent, anxious flick created a lot of hype when it was released for being the fifth Norwegian film ever to receive an over-18 rating due to its graphic, carnal content. Since it was released in 2005, Next Door, titled Naboer in Norwegian, is still viewed as a stellar example of Scandinavian horror.
Dead Snow (2009)
The requisite grindhouse horror film on this list, Dead Snow is actually many movies rolled into one: a zombie parody, a Nazi thriller, and an homage to Scandinavian folklore. It was also an international success after its release in 2009.
In the world established by the film, it turns out Nazi who were banished - and presumed dead - after WWII in the remote mountains of Norway transformed into a legion of undead fascists desirous of human flesh. A group of vacationing medical students finds themselves caught up in the action. At least they have the anatomy and physiology knowledge to defend themselves better than many other humans.
Fear Has 1,000 Eyes (1970)
Made in 1970, this witchy, demonic tale about a bizarre love triangle between a priest, his wife, and their Satan-worshipping friend has also been released under the title Sensuous Sorceress.
Sweden's take on the popular psychedelic, devil-worshipping British Hammer horror classics that defined the 1960s and 1970s, Fear Has 1,000 Eyes includes all the seduction, witchcraft, and lust anyone could ever ask for. Erotic and shocking, this movie blurs the lines between good and evil.
Valhalla Rising (2009)
While some moviegoers may not consider Valhalla Rising a true horror film, it's inclusion on this list is proof that it defies genres, blending horror with action and historic epic. Directed by Nicolas Rinding Refn and starring Mads Mikkelsen, Valhalla Rising is a true Scandinavian masterpiece, immersing its viewers in the violent world of medieval Europe.
Set in the Scottish highlands, Mikkelsen plays an enslaved Norwegian who is a powerful fighter eventually able to fight his way to his own freedom. Traversing the rugged, dramatic landscape, knowing imminent death is everywhere around him, Valhalla Rising is a Viking nightmare brought to life on screen.
The Phantom Carriage (1921)
The oldest horror film on this list, and one that was influential to many of the directors on this list, The Phantom Carriage was released in 1921 by beloved Swedish director Victor Sjöstrom. Creepy and atmospheric, this film employed many special effects that made filming grueling, including double exposure.
This pre-Hollywood classic is based on a Swedish legend about a ghostly carriage that materializes on New Year's Eve and takes the souls of people who have sinned. In the film, one man must redeem himself from his past misdeeds before the stroke of midnight, or else he will be carried off by the phantom carriage.