Travel broadens the mind, opening our eyes to other cultures and incredible lands beyond our own. With traveling being limited these past several years, the opening of travel lanes has gifted the world with an influx of tourism. People crave these new experiences, so they fly off around the world in search of adventure.
It always benefits the would-be traveler to approach each new situation with a sense of caution. If horror movies have taught us anything, the outside world can be a scary place, but these 10 films take the idea to a whole new level. After watching the films on this list, the idea of traveling abroad may no longer hold the same appeal for you. In fact, the monsters and threats they introduce may just convince you to never leave your house again.
10The Wicker Man (2006)
The Wicker Manopens like most typical noir thrillers. Police officer Edward Malus receives a call from his ex, Willow. He learns that her daughter, Rowan, has gone missing on a remote island off of the coast of Washington state. There, he finds a once-thriving society of pagan worshipers, who survive financially off of their now-dying honey farms. As his investigation into Rowan’s disappearance escalates, and he discovers that the citizens of this island society are shrouded in secrets, Malus’ adventures on the island quickly turn horrifying.
While the original 1973 film is by far the better movie, the remake starring Nicolas Cage is the more memed of the two, and it better shows the horrors of travel. Edward Malus might only be a few miles off of the coast of American soil, but he is completely out of his element amidst this neo-pagan coven. His agenda forces him to experience nearly every part of their culture, from their education to their religion. This culture shock culminates in one of the most brutal (andarguably most hilarious) ritual death scenes in any horror movie.
9As Above, So Below (2014)
Equal partsIndiana JonesandThe Descent,As Above, So Belowis one of the moreunderrated gemson this list. Scarlett Marlowe is obsessed with finishing her father’s life work: finding the Philosopher’s Stone. This alchemical tool can supposedly turn iron to gold and grant the user eternal life. After finding evidence that the Stone might be buried deep beneath the Paris Catacombs, Scarlett enlists a team to sneak into the deepest, darkest corners of the underground network. However, nothing is as it seems, and as the magic of the stone begins to alter their perceptions of reality, the team must face their greatest fears.
Given their popularity as a tourist hotspot, the Paris Catacombs are the perfect destination for an internationally focused horror movie. Full of the bones of thousands of deceased, the location is chilling all on its own. Throw in the mystically charged visions the expedition is forced to confront, detailing their darkest failures, and you might just have enough incentive to take Paris off of your list of dream destinations.
8The Ritual (2017)
The idyllic mountain views. The lush forests of evergreens.The Ritualmakes a great case for visiting Sweden, at least in the beginning. Four friends honor their fallen friend by taking a hiking trip into the Swedish wilds. After one injures their knee, they decide to cut their journey in half by stepping off the path. When they arrive at an abandoned cabin with a wooden idol in the attic, things start to get weird. Something is hunting them in the woods, something that can make them see visions of their worst fears, and as they die, one by one, they learn that sometimes you should just stay on the path.
The Ritualis brilliant in the way it introduces the viewer to the beauty of the region before ripping it all away in sudden, bloody violence. The monster at the heart of this film isn’t seen until the very end, but its presence is felt in every cracking twig and moving shadow.The Ritualworks because it isn’t about the monster; it is about the four friends, lost and broken in more ways than the physical. While the hiking trip was only meant to bring them closer together, it only ensures their demise. Also, if you’re interested in other work adapted from Adam Neville’s novels, check outNo One Gets Out Alive,which focuses on rampant colonization and the theft of cultural artifacts.
7The Conjuring 2 (2016)
The Conjuring 2sees famed demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren take their paranormal adventures overseas as they are asked to investigate a potential case of demonic possession in London. The Hodgson family is being besieged by a powerful demonic entity, one that has even stretched its bony fingers into American hauntings. With the rainy streets of London as a backdrop, Ed and Lorraine must work together to stop Valak’s incursion into our realm and save the young girl, even if it puts their lives at risk.
The Conjuringuniverse of films has made Ed and Lorraine Warren’s adventures iconic in not only the supernatural communities but in pop culture as well. WhileThe Conjuring 2wasn’t as well received as the first, it is still full of the terrifying spirits and touching storytelling that are hallmarks of this series. London is a city full of paranormal history; the center for spiritualism in the late 1800s, it only makes sense that the Warrens found themselves there in 1977. While the city doesn’t play a major role in the film, the dark history of London only feeds the terror at its heart. It is the perfect setting for the introduction of one of horror’s most terrifying antagonists in Valak
Related:The Conjuring Universe: Every Movie, Ranked
6Old (2021)
We all crave a warm, sunny tropical vacation. With the sun above and the sand between our toes, it seems like time simply slips away. M. Night Shyamalan took this concept and made it reality in his 2021 filmOld.Capitalizing on pandemic-driven fears surrounding travel and isolation,Oldfollows a group of tourists as they vacation at a luxury hotel, given access to a secret, private beach. While there, they quickly discover that they are losing years of their lives with each hour that passes, turning their idyllic beach vacation into a nightmare.
Shyamalan’s filmscan be divisive for horror fans, but it is hard to argue thatOldis terrifying in a whole new way. There isn’t some looming monster waiting to devour the tourists. Just a beach and a few poor decisions. The group of tourists simply came to this tropical island to relax and unwind; instead, they lost years of their lives and the vast majority end up dead. There is, of course, a Shyamalan twist at the end of the film, revealing that there is an overarching villain, but it doesn’t change the fact thatOldmakes you rethink that beach resort vacation.
5Dracula (1931)
By now, everyone knows the story ofDracula, Bram Stoker’s iconic vampire that has given the world nightmares since 1897. While not the oldest vampire story, the Transylvanian Count has become the most iconic vampire in modern pop culture. The 1931 film follows Renfield, a London solicitor who arrives in Transylvania to sell properties in London to one Count Dracula. While there, he encounters several horrifying supernatural entities, including his vampiric host and his three monstrous wives. Enslaved to the vampire, Renfield escorts his new master back to London, completing his bloody world-spanning circuit.
While there have been plenty of adaptations of Bram Stoker’s story, the 1931 classic starring Bela Lugosi has defined pop culture. Lugosi is the face of Dracula in much the same way as Boris Karloff is the face of Frankenstein, and with the newUniversal Monsters comic bookseries coming to Image Comics, now is the perfect time to check out this terrifying classic. Renfield’s travels to Transylvania may be tame in comparison to modern horror, but this film is unique on this list as Renfield actually makes it home. And like any good trip abroad, his experiences in Transylvania follow him home, quite literally in his case.
4Midsommar (2019)
Ari Aster’sMidsommarhas become a horror classic alongside his debut film,Hereditary.WhileHereditaryfocuses on the struggles of a grieving family besieged by supernatural threats, the monster here is far more human. Another film on this list taking place in Sweden (seriously, Sweden, what’s the deal?),Midsommarfollows Dani, an American college student left reeling after the murder-suicide committed by her younger sister. In an attempt to ease her mind, her boyfriend Christian invites her along on a trip to a small community in Sweden. Once there, the group thinks they are about to witness the innocent pageantry of typical midsummer festivals, but under the veneer of bright flowers and charming folk music, they pay witness to some true horrors.
Midsommarsucceeds in the way it explores its themes of grief and of isolation. Dani feels truly alone in her group of friends, especially after losing her family in one fell swoop. The trip to Sweden was meant to ease her burden, and in some ways, the end of the film seems to suggest that it does. Even with the horrors she witnesses, Dani ends the film smiling as her boyfriend burns in a fertility sacrifice. Being introduced to a new culture is never easy, butwhat the group witnessesinMidsommaris beyond anything the travel guides will tell you.
Related:Director Ari Aster’s Best Movies, Ranked
3Final Destination (2000)
Final Destinationwins the award for the least distance traveled before the horror begins. Having just boarded a plane to Italy, seven American high school students have their plans changed when Alex Browning has a vision of the plane’s imminent destruction. His hysteria has Browning and his classmates removed from the flight, so they get to watch in terror as the plane explodes outside the window. However, Death is greedy, and these seven students were on his list. In some of the most iconic deaths in horror movies, the students begin to die in more and more mysterious ways.
While the horror largely takes place on home soil,Final Destinationopens with the group trying to experience a new country. However, fate had different plans for them, and like many travelers, their plans had to be changed at the last minute. While the vast majority of tourists don’t have to worry about their plane exploding or the vengeful hatred of Death,Final Destinationserves as a good reminder to always go with the flow when you’re traveling and to not let inconveniences slow you down. Even if said inconveniences find you being decapitated by flying shrapnel or strangled by sentient shower hoses.
2The Invitation (2022)
One of the newest films on this list, 2022’sThe Invitationbrings a whole new layer of fear to the vampire genre. After losing her mother, Evie feels lost and alone, with no family to support her. After taking a DNA test, she discovers that she does indeed have family. The product of a scandalous affair between a lady of a London household and a black servant, Evie’s ancestors found their way to America. When her new cousin invites her on an all-expenses paid vacation to the marriage of a lord, she thinks it’s a dream vacation, especially after meeting the devilishly handsome Walter De Ville. However, her dream vacation turns into a nightmare when the true bride and groom are revealed, and she is forced into a bloody fight for survival.
The Invitationturned heads on its releasefor its discussion of race and status, and the stately London manor setting brings forth comparisons to its obvious influences inDraculaand other period horror pieces. Combining the sexiness and the monstrousness of vampires in the same film is a tall order, but director Jessica M. Thompson manages to craft a story that perfectly balances the two. More than that, she goes to great lengths to ease the viewer’s tension while watching Evie sink into her fantasy vacation, only to make their blood run cold as the vacation sours into violence.
1Influencer (2022)
The Shudder original filmInfluencerdoesn’t have a big supernatural threat, a triple digit body count, or massive budget CGI effects. It doesn’t need these things to succeed. Instead, director Kurtis David Harbor decided to focus on the real world horrors of traveling abroad. When Instagram influencer Madison travels alone to Thailand for a period of good content and cultural immersion, she finds herself bored and alone in the hotel. This all changes when she meets CW, a local, who takes her to see the best Bangkok has to offer. However, not everything is as it seems with CW, and after a boat excursion to an isolated island goes wrong, Madison’s perfect vacation takes a turn for the worst.
Influencersucceeds as a perfect warning for those traveling alone in another country. Its focus on identity theft and the dangers of traveling ignorantly are made all the more terrifying by how realistic they are. Everything that happens to Madison has happened to unfortunate travelers all around the world. It isn’t just a brilliant scary movie. It is a very real warning to educate yourself on what could happen when traveling abroad so that you may have the most enjoyable and safest trip possible.
