The release of Halloween Ends this October was a timely reminder of just how long-lived classic horror movies can be. This is true of even those horror movies which are of more recent vintage, such as the 1999 film The Blair Witch Project.
Though the movie is most famous for being one of the first found-footage films to achieve widespread success, it also has a great deal in common with other non-found-footage horror flicks. For those who enjoy the way that it is understated in its approach to horror, there are a number of other movies that provide a similar sort of terrifying pleasure.
The Witch (2015)
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As the title suggests, the witch is one of the most important things about The Blair Witch Project. For those who enjoy this aspect of the story, The Witch is similarly unsettling. Set in the 17th century, it follows a girl, Thomasin, who is sent into exile with her parents.
While living on the edge of a forest, they soon find themselves haunted by the witch of the title, as well as a very sinister goat. It’s a broody and atmospheric film that immerses the viewer in the sinister and frightening world of folktales and legends.
Antlers (2021)
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The Blair Witch Project is, to be sure, a bit of a slow burn, and it keeps the audience guessing as to the full import of its story. This is also true of Antlers, which focuses on a boy who is harboring a demonic presence in his house.
As with the best horror, the movie uses the conventions of the creature feature to examine important issues such as trauma and child abuse. More than anything else, however, it is truly frightening and disturbing and shows signs of Guillermo del Toro’s involvement (he was a producer for the film).
The Wicker Man (1973)
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Like so many other horror movies, The Blair Witch Project involves people charging into danger, often assuming that they know more than they do. The Wicker Man follows a similar narrative conceit in that it focuses on a policeman who goes to an isolated island thinking that he is investigating the disappearance of a young girl.
Very quickly, however, it becomes clear that, in fact, he is the intended sacrifice and that the island is inhabited by a group of pagans who believe his death will restore prosperity. It is a truly disturbing piece of folk horror designed to leave the viewer both disturbed and genuinely frightened.
The Ruins (2008)
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There is a mystery at the heart of The Blair Witch Project, and this is what helps to keep its narrative moving forward. Similarly, there is an enigma that sets the plot of The Ruins in motion, as a group of American tourists explores a set of Mayan ruins, only to find themselves at the mercy of a terrible (and seemingly sentient) plant.
Though the premise might sound a bit silly at first, the film does have some genuinely disturbing imagery, particularly once the plant starts preying on the members of the group. In relying more on psychological tension rather than gore, it manages to be truly disturbing.
Jeepers Creepers (2001)
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The Blair Witch Project is very much a product of its time, straddling the line of the late 1990s and early 2000s. As such, there is always a bit of nostalgia attached to viewing it in 2022. Those who want to get a better sense of the horror of that period should also watch Jeepers Creepers, which managed to be one of the best horror movies of the 2000s.
The movie focuses on a pair of teens who find themselves hunted by a sinister being who takes the body parts of others to replenish itself. In addition to having some very frightening sequences, it has an ending that is rightly regarded as one of the most frightening in horror.
Annihilation (2018)
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In some ways, Annihilation is one of the best horror movies of the 2010s. Focusing on a group of scientists who investigate a mysterious anomaly known as The Shimmer, it is the type of movie that probes the meaning and stability of the human subject.
Narratively, it has some similarities to The Blair Witch Project, but it is like the 1999 film in other ways, as well. Most importantly, it is a reminder of the true power of horror to force the viewer to confront the unknown and the monstrous, much of which is often lurking in plain sight.
The Lighthouse (2019)
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After his tremendous success with The Witch, Robert Eggers followed it up with The Lighthouse, which is similar to The Blair Witch Project in that it focuses more on psychological than on traditional scares. At first glance, this story about two lighthouse keepers who descend into madness is simple.
In reality, however, the film is a brilliant mixing of various genres. It is a movie that is, at times, difficult to watch, but there is a powerful and almost feverish intensity to it that keeps the viewer riveted from the first moment to the last.
Midsommar (2019)
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In addition to directing many notable short films, Ari Aster has also established himself as one of the decade’s foremost horror directors. Midsommar is one of his most highly-regarded movies, with a slow burn to its story that is very similar to The Blair Witch Project.
It focuses in particular on a group of Americans who go to rural Sweden to observe a religious commune. Once there, however, they soon realize things are far more sinister, as they are intended to be sacrificial victims. It’s a horror movie that manages to be both very sinister and very beautiful at the same time, particularly since so much of it takes place in the brilliant northern sunlight.
Lamb (2021)
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Lamb is one of the more unusual horror movies to have emerged from the 2020s so far. However, this is precisely what makes it so compelling. Like The Blair Witch Project, it takes a little time to get fully immersed in, but once that happens, the viewer is left feeling chilled and more than a little disturbed.
The movie’s central story, about a woman who adopts a half-human/half-lamb hybrid in order to take the place of the daughter she lost, is one that is strangely tragic. At the same time, the ending, while somewhat nonsensical, is what elevates the film into the realm of the horrific.
The Others (2001)
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In many ways, The Others is one of Nicole Kidman’s best roles. It is a bit of a slow burn of a horror film, which makes it a good fit for those who enjoyed this particular aspect of The Blair Witch Project.
Just as importantly, it is also similar to Blair Witch in another key respect, as it has a twist at the end which makes the viewer rethink everything they think they have watched so far. It is a horror movie that relies on a brooding atmosphere to create a sense of unease.