Killer bees and serial killers: 12 Texas-set horror films to add to your watchlist
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Spooky season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than watching horror movies?
While Leatherface might've put Texas on the map with horror, his films aren't the only ones to be set in the Lone Star State. From Southern vampires to a Satan-worshipping family, there are quite a few scary movies to prove everything is bigger in Texas.
Here are a dozen horror movies set in Texas to add to your watchlist this October.
'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' (1974)
When Sally hears her grandfather's grave may have been vandalized, she, her brother and friends set out to investigate. After a detour to their family's old farmhouse, they discover a group of murderous outcasts living next door. Attacked one by one by the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface, who wears a mask of human skin, the survivors must do everything they can to escape.
Where to stream: Available to stream on Amazon Prime, Showtime and Shudder.
'The Town That Dreaded Sundown' (1976)
In this film that is loosely based on a true story, a Texas Ranger hunts for a hooded serial killer terrorizing the residents of Texarkana.
Where to stream: Available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
'The Swarm' (1978)
A scientist and a general join forces to fight killer bees that have deadly venom and attack without reason.
Where to stream: Available to rent for $2.99 on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
'Near Dark' (1987)
A Midwestern farm boy reluctantly becomes a member of the undead when a girl he meets turns out to be part of a band of Southern vampires who roam the highways in stolen cars.
Where to stream: Unfortunately, the film is not available on streaming services or to rent at the moment.
'Bats' (1999)
Genetically mutated bats are on the loose, and it's up to a bat expert and a local sheriff to stop them before they kill the entire town of Gallup, Texas.
Where to stream: Available to stream on STARZ.
'Frailty' (2001)
A man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts from his childhood how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to kill people who were demons.
Where to stream: Available to stream on Cinemax and HBO Max.
'Bubba Ho-Tep' (2002)
Elvis Presley didn't die; rather, he switched identities with an Elvis impersonator years before and is now an elderly resident in a East Texas rest home. Now, he must team up with a man claiming to be John F. Kennedy and fight an ancient Egyptian mummy to save the souls of their fellow residents.
Where to stream: Available to rent for $3.99 on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
'House of 1000 Corpses' (2003)
Two teenage couples are traveling across the backwoods of Texas to search for urban legends of serial killers. On their journey, they end up as prisoners of a bizarre and sadistic family.
Where to stream: Available to stream on HBO Max.
'The Devil's Rejects' (2005)
The Firefly family are ambushed at their home by the town's sheriff and a squad of armed men, but Baby and Otis are able to escape unharmed. Hiding in a motel, the siblings meet up with their father, Captain Spaulding, and kill whoever stands in their way of freedom.
Where to stream: Available to stream on HBO Max and Shudder.
'Teeth' (2007)
Dawn, an active member of her high school's abstinence club, meets Tobey at a group session. On a date, Tobey becomes aggressive and forces himself upon Dawn. They suddenly learn she is a living example of a dentata myth when the encounter takes a gruesome turn.
Where to stream: Available to stream on Amazon Prime and Showtime.
'A Ghost Story' (2017)
Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to console his wife, only to find he has become unstuck in time. He is forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away.
Where to stream: Available to stream on Showtime.
'X' (2022)
In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas. When their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast and crew find themselves fighting for their lives.
Where to stream: Available to rent for $5.99 on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+.
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John Oliva covers entertainment and community news in South Texas. Contact him at john.oliva@caller.com or Twitter @johnpoliva.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Here are 12 Texas-set horror movies to add to your watchlist
