10 Movies Like The Town That Dreaded Sundown

Description: A grim and visceral revenge thriller that explores the brutality of human nature, with a raw, documentary-like style that heightens its unsettling impact.

Fact: The film was marketed with the tagline 'To avoid fainting, keep repeating, It's only a movie...' to emphasize its extreme content. It was inspired by Ingmar Bergman's 'The Virgin Spring.'

Description: An early slasher that uses a holiday setting to contrast festive cheer with brutal violence, featuring an unseen killer whose presence is felt through disturbing phone calls and POV shots.

Fact: It's considered one of the first films to use the 'killer's POV' shot, later popularized by Halloween. The movie was originally titled 'Silent Night, Evil Night' but was changed to avoid controversy.

Description: A gritty, low-budget horror film that blends elements of slasher and exploitation cinema, featuring a relentless killer and a rural setting that amplifies the sense of isolation and terror.

Fact: The film was marketed as based on true events to heighten its shock value, though its connections to real crimes are tenuous. It was shot in sweltering Texas heat, adding to the actors' genuine discomfort.

Description: Pioneering the slasher genre with its masked killer stalking victims in a suburban setting, it emphasizes suspense and the fear of the unknown, much like films centered around small-town terror.

Fact: The iconic mask worn by Michael Myers was a modified Captain Kirk mask purchased for $

Description: A survival horror film that pits ordinary people against grotesque, feral antagonists in a desolate landscape, mirroring the tension and brutality of rural-set horror.

Fact: The film's mutants were inspired by the legend of Sawney Bean, a Scottish cannibal. Much of the cast and crew endured harsh desert conditions during filming, adding to the movie's raw intensity.

Description: A psychological horror film that delves into the mind of a deranged killer, using gritty, first-person perspectives to immerse the audience in his madness.

Fact: The film's controversial poster featured a seemingly decapitated woman, leading to bans in several countries. It was shot guerrilla-style in New York City, often without permits.

Description: A summer camp slasher featuring a disfigured killer seeking vengeance, with a focus on gruesome practical effects and the vulnerability of isolated young characters.

Fact: The film's special effects were created by Tom Savini, who turned down Friday the 13th Part 2 to work on this project. It was one of the first films distributed by Miramax.

Description: A carnival-set horror film that combines eerie atmosphere with slasher tropes, playing on fears of enclosed spaces and distorted faces lurking in the shadows.

Fact: The film's mutant killer was designed by Rick Baker, who later won an Oscar for his work on 'An American Werewolf in London.' The carnival scenes were shot at a real, dilapidated fairground.

Description: A post-war slasher with a mysterious killer in military garb, blending historical undertones with gruesome murder set pieces and a small-town backdrop.

Fact: Tom Savini's special effects in this film are considered some of his best work. The movie was briefly banned in the UK as part of the 'Video Nasty' crackdown.

Description: A self-aware slasher that balances horror with dark humor, featuring a power-drill-wielding killer and a group of teens trapped in a suburban nightmare.

Fact: The film was written as a parody by feminist author Rita Mae Brown but was shot straight as a horror movie. It's one of the few slashers directed by a woman, Amy Holden Jones.