Fans of Tubi often equate it to old-fashioned video stores. Based on the amount of horror movies this streaming service has to offer, that’s a very apt comparison. You can bet you’ll never run out of horror there.
On top of all the popular and well-known titles it features, Tubi boasts a number of hidden gems. These are movies that have gone unnoticed by the masses, or they’ve been forgotten. In either case, they’re entertaining and deserve more eyes on them.
The following are ten horror hidden gems that can now be found at Tubi.
Death Weekend (1976)
You may know Brenda Vaccaro from her stage work, from movies like Midnight Cowboy, or that Golden Girls episode where she played Sophia’s daughter-in-law. Regardless of how you recognize Vaccaro, don’t overlook one of her most visceral and vulnerable performances. After being hard to find for a number of years, this Canadian slice of exploitation is now tucked away on Tubi. It’s presented in the 4:3 aspect ratio, but that only elevates its drive-in quality. In William Fruet‘s Death Weekend (a.k.a. The House by the Lake), a couple’s romantic getaway is disrupted by a group of cruel home invaders.
The Enchanted (1984)
Folk horror varies from movie to movie, but for the most part, they’re about someone’s unusual beliefs. This applies to the spellbinding The Enchanted, a regional folktale shot in rural Florida. Here, a sailor (Will Sennett) returns from sea, and while fixing up an old ranch, he meets a local family. A neighbor played by Julius Harris advises him to steer clear of Miss Twyla (Casey Blanton) and her weird kin, but of course that warning goes unheeded.
The Caller (1987)
You’re advised not to read a thing about Arthur Allan Seidelman‘s The Caller beforehand. It’s best to go in not knowing any details about this movie other than the setup. In this two hander, the only characters, who are simply credited as The Girl (Madolyn Smith) and the Caller (Malcolm McDowell), are trapped with each other’s company. The Girl allows this random stranger into her remote house in the woods, unaware of his intentions. Keep in mind, his host has secrets of her own. Once again, do watch The Caller without spoiling yourself. That way the ending will come as more of a shock.
Demonwarp (1988)
From the director who brought us New Year’s Evil is this wild-as-hell Bigfoot movie. Emmett Alston‘s Demonwarp looks to be a basic cryptid slasher, but soon it turns into something else entirely. The schlock factor, however, never fades. Here, George Kennedy and his young co-stars are in for a nightmare as they deal with not only a rampaging Bigfoot, but also the strange forces lurking in these woods.
The Wrong Door (1990)
Fans of regional horror may be interested in Bill Weiss and Shawn Korby‘s The Wrong Door. Shot on Super 8 and for very little money, this largely all-in-one-night suspense tale is worth seeking out. The trouble begins after mystery-loving college student Ted (Matt Felmlee) gets mixed up in a mystery of his own. During his part-time job as a singing telegram deliverer, he briefly goes to the wrong address. The woman who answered is mouthing things like “help me” to him, but Ted doesn’t understand. That is until the same woman later turns up dead, and the killer then comes after Ted.
Campfire Tales (1997)
Conceived in 1995, and almost put into theaters, the anthology Campfire Tales has garnered a following, in spite of its relative unavailability for some years. Then all of a sudden, it found its way to streaming. In this omnibus, which was co-directed by Martin Kunert, David Semel and Matt Cooper, four young people (including The Craft‘s Christine Taylor) are stranded in the woods after a car accident. They then bide their time by telling tales based on urban legends and ghost stories. Other before-they-were-famous stars in the movie are James Marsden, Ron Livingston and Amy Smart.
The Paranormal (1998)
To all the shot-on-video enthusiasts reading this, your assignment is to watch The Paranormal ASAP. Todd Norris‘ Kansas-shot movie is more charming than scary, but that’s no reason to let it collect more dust. This lo-fi production centers around a paranormal academic (Norris) who’s given a new field assignment; a theater in his hometown is reportedly haunted. Any assumptions you ever had about SOV will be challenged after one viewing of this sharp and well-made movie. Oh, and be on the lookout for Darren Lynn Bousman; he played a zombie here before directing movies like Saw II and Repo! The Genetic Opera.
Infection (2004)
Infection (a.k.a. Kansen) hails from a series of movies called “J-Horror Theater”. Other installments in this line include Takashi Shimizu‘s Reincarnation and Kiyoshi Kurosawa‘s Retribution. In Masayuki Ochiai‘s entry, a hospital is overcome by what seems like the supernatural after a doctor (Kōichi Satō) and his team make a grave medical error. This goopy, creepy movie is based on Ochiai’s segment in the 1991 anthology Tales of the Unusual: Spring Edition; the story was inspired by the hospital setting of The Exorcist III.
Butterfly Kisses (2018)
Tubi is a fountain of found footage, but as many would agree, it can be tough to sift through everything there. Even so, you can always count on Butterfly Kisses, a movie from the last ten years that has rightfully gained a sizable fanbase. Erik Kristopher Myers concocted a frightfully fun urban legend, then spun it into a story that’s both terrifying and affecting. One of this movie’s additional strengths is the attention paid to its complex main character.
Initiation (2020)
While it’s not a remake of 1984’s The Initiation, John Berardo‘s Initiation is also a slasher. And unlike the former movie, this is a rather grounded take on the formula we all know and love. However, the story is timely with its themes and content; a case of sexual assault on a college campus leads to a spree of brutal murders committed by a mysterious, masked killer. Initiation is definitely heavier than some of its contemporaries, but it also never forgets to be a slasher. You can expect suspenseful chases, vicious kills, and a surprising unmasking.
