St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching. If you’re like me, then nothing gets you into the holiday spirit more than… horror movies. Okay, it’s not what St. Patrick’s Day is traditionally known for, but here are five Irish horror movies to help get you ready for the holiday. Plus, in the era of COVID, you can watch all of these safely at home.
No St. Patrick’s Day would be complete without these gems. Warwick Davis, best known as Professor Flitwick from the Harry Potter films, stars as an evil leprechaun out for blood in this delightful franchise. I truly believe that no St. Patrick’s Day is complete without watching these movies. The first one takes itself more seriously, but the sequels fully embrace their place as horror-comedy.
Billy Zane stars as a sheriff trying to protect people in a small town from a leprechaun’s revenge. It was made for the Syfy channel, so the plot is thin. I think this film is even funnier than the Leprechaun franchise, but I don’t think it’s intentional.
This Netflix gem offers a new take on the changeling myth. A woman and her son move to a house on the edge of the woods. After her son goes wandering in the woods alone, the woman believes that he returns with sinister intentions. The idea that she knows there’s something wrong with her child, but no one else believes her is genuinely creepy.
The Hallow also focuses on the changeling aspect of Irish mythology. It offers a sinister, if not particularly well-executed, look at the little people. This was a great idea for a movie, but the main characters make the worst decisions possible to the point where they verge on comical. It’s impossible to sympathize with them when they inevitably anger the fairies.
A priest is called to investigate a miracle in a home for unwed mothers in 1960 Ireland, but things are not what they seem. This film is by far the scariest one on this list, perhaps because it’s rooted in a truly dark aspect of Irish history rather than mythology. It’s an effective example of the found footage genre, although it’s difficult to believe that the priest was lugging around the large camera and sound equipment that would have been necessary in 1960.
Mackenzie Tastan
Reporter