These three horror films offer scary streaming experiences

With an alarmingly anemic supply of theatrical releases in 2022, the one saving grace for the box office is a string of surprisingly good horror films released throughout the year.

They’ve been cheap to produce and advertise, satisfying to an audience wanting to get out of the house, and filling studios coffers even on modest gains. It’s a win for everyone!

Since most "normies" don’t watch scary movies until right around Halloween, I wanted to briefly praise some honorable horrors available at home. This is not to say you should ignore seeing "Smile" or "Terrifier 2," two films that are really slaying as we speak, and well worth catching with a crowd if you can.

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"Barbarian"

Coming out this Tuesday on HBO Max, "Barbarian"is a tough film to review since so much of the delight is in its surprising direction. A young woman (Georgina Campbell) pulls up to an Airbnb on a dark, desolate street in Detroit only to learn it’s already booked by another traveler (Bill Skarsgard). This set-up suggests one thing.

But then, halfway through, the film seemingly veers into another direction both in substance and tone involving the film’s other billed performer, Justin Long. Although this mis-direction ends up back to the same place, the film does another detour into a fully-realized flashback that (largely) explains what is going on with the house.

I misspoke. It’s impossible to review "Barbarian" without giving away what makes it so good. What I can say is the film has a very defined understanding of time and place, pinpointing the unsettling nature of urban rot and how the rubble of a modern city landscape provides for dark, foreboding tales slightly underneath the surface.

Moreover, as we learn about the story behind the "evil force" at the center of the film’s action, there’s a surprising level of sympathy cultivated. That’s not something we see much in modern horror, but the filmmakers here put in the time to make the macabre memorable.

If you can handle a few moments of gore, "Barbarian" is worth the ride.

"Watcher"

Released this summer and largely unwatched, "Watcher" is a very cool, very isolating thriller well-suited for the modern era. A young actress (Maika Monroe) moves to Bucharest, a city where she doesn’t speak the language and knows no one. She senses she is being stalked by a man who lives across the way. With no one believing her, she begins to stalk him right back.

If you’ve watched enough of these types of movies, you sense where the plot will go. But the pace and style of Chloe Okuno’s direction creates a consistent level of dread and fear that will remind you of Polanski at the height of his filmmaking power. Things get a little bloody by the end, but this offers more psychological chills. If you have a Sling premium subscription, you can watch it there or rent it from any of the larger streamers.

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'X'

Ti West’s "X" not only captures the aesthetic of the 1970s horror slasher, but also nails its Puritanical themes. A group of actors and technicians decamp at a Texas farm to shoot a porno film. The owners are initially unaware of the specifics of the production. When they find out, let’s just say they don’t handle it well.

A big part of the film’s effectiveness lies in Mia Goth’s dual performance as actress Maxine as well as the murderous matron Pearl. It was so good, in fact, I didn’t realize it was her buried under all of that makeup until days later when I was reading about the film.

Further, West is a proven manipulator of the horror genre. He has made effective forays previously with "The House of the Devil" and "Innkeepers." More relevant to local interests, he had a supporting role in the Columbia-filmed "You’re Next."

He doesn’t just lift old looks and styles of horror, but understands what makes them tick; picking up on how sexual impulses and violence interconnect in those earlier slashers, making them so effective.

The concept is so good West was allowed to shoot the prequel "Pearl" back-to-back. It was released in mid-September and already has left theaters with an early-December streaming release. Interesting in its own way, you will have to wait for that. I should also point out West has been given the green-light to shoot "Maxine," a sequel to "X" that should come out next year.

If you want to watch the effective middle chapter of the "X" trilogy, it’s on Showtime now and can be rented from the big streamers.

When it’s all said and done, 2022 is going to be a banner year for horror films. I’ve offered you a pretty decent sample of what you can watch at home just to get a taste for it.

In real life, James Owen is a lawyer and executive director of energy policy group Renew Missouri. He created/wrote for Filmsnobs.com from 2001-2007 before an extended stint as an on-air film critic for KY3, the NBC affiliate in Springfield. He was named a Top 20 Artist under the Age of 30 by The Kansas City Star when he was much younger than he is now. 

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: How 'Barbarian,' 'Watcher' and 'X' are perfectly scary streaming choices