7 B-Horror Movies You Will Unironically Enjoy
Low budgets, messy acting, and schlock. To some, this might elicit horror or, at least, a nose turn. After all, the average viewer doesn't want to waste their time watching "subpar" movies when films like The Godfather (1972) and Interstellar (2014) exist. However, if you're like me, these types of B-horror movies feel like a warm blanket. They're fun, comforting, and, dare I say, soothing.
B-horror doesn't always mean bad. In fact, many of them are loads of fun and know exactly the type of film they are. Ranging from the '70s to modern cult classics, these seven B-horror movies will bring you all kinds of enjoyment. The good news is that many of them can be found on free streamers like Tubi, Plex, and more.
A lot of '70s horror is gritty, grounded, and boundary-pushing. Remember, this is the decade that brought us movies like The Last House on the Left (1972), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), and Alice, Sweet Alice (1976). All these movies are fantastic, but they're not always fun to watch. That's where Squirm comes in. While these other films tackle dark, difficult topics like sexual assault and cannibalism, Squirm gives us a natural horror story about carnivorous earthworms that perform most of their carnage offscreen.
Although it's much less gory than the other entries on this list, Squirm is still a practical effects treat. Production used millions of worms to build literal earthworm walls. At times, it's a little slower-paced, but once the action ramps up, Squirm proves its campy, charming, and loaded with a Southern Gothic atmosphere that we don't see quite enough in the genre.
I will recommend Alligator any chance I get, especially if you like campy creature features with '80s sensibilities. The movie asks the very important question of what would happen if someone flushed a baby alligator down the toilet? Obviously, it would survive on chemically-infused carcasses (long story) and mutate into a man-eating monster that lurks in the sewers. Would you really expect a story like this to play out any other way?
At times, Alligator feels like it belongs in an episode of The X-Files (1993). At other times, it will feel like one of the stupidest movies ever made. However, don't get it twisted. Alligator is surprisingly clever. If you appreciate animals-gone-berserk films like Piranha (1978) and Razorback (1984), you'll pick up exactly what Alligator throws down.
When it comes to B-movie goodness, Slugs is a masterpiece. Gory, cheesy, and absolutely absurd in all the right ways, this is the type of movie that you watch with friends and end up laughing the whole time. (And, in my opinion, it's much more fun than the aforementioned Squirm, depending on your vibe.) Loosely based on a Shaun Hutson novel, Juan Piquer Simón, who also directed Pieces (1982), leans into exploitation and delivers the ultimate guilty pleasure movie in the process.
Slugs, as the name suggests, chronicles the residents of a small town's encounter with carnivorous slugs. There is plenty of carnage, oodles of the red stuff, and one of the most creative kills in horror movie history. While an unnecessary sexual assault scene dampens the ending, the vast majority of the movie is lighthearted, fun, and downright wild.
If you love '80s horror but want something that ups the gore, grossness, and vulgarity of Slugs and Alligator, then consider Night of the Demons. Set on Halloween, the movie kicks off with the ultimate trope of high school students partying in an isolated location where they're picked off one by one. In this case, that location is an abandoned funeral parlor, and the antagonist is a demon unleashed by a seance.
Yes, Night of the Demons is built on cliches and tropes, but that's what makes it so fun. It combines that very particular (and nostalgic) '80s hair band style with a dreary gothic atmosphere—and it somehow works! Think of it like The Evil Dead (1981) meets The Slumber Party Massacre (1982). The practical effects are a blast, and honestly, some moments are pretty scary.
Surely a movie titled Frankenhooker can't be feminist, right? Wrong! Frank Henenlotter, once again, proves his exploitation films are just as smart as they are stupid. In this R-rated Bride of Frankenstein retelling, amateur scientist Jeffrey Franken (James Lorinz) reanimates his dead fiancée (Patty Mullen) with determination, super crack, and the body parts of various sex workers. As we watch Jeffrey work, it becomes clear he cares less about bringing back his lover as the woman she was and more about creating the type of woman he wants.
So, yes, Frankenhooker is gratuitous and trashy, but it's also darkly smart. It has something to say, and it transmits the message in a way that everyone can get behind. If you like low-budget horror with a sci-fi flair like Re-Animator (1985), then you'll fall in love with Frankenhooker—Patty Mullen's performance as the titular "Frankenhooker" is worth it alone.
Dog Soldiers might be a B-movie, but like many of the films on this list, it feels quite secure in its identity. Action-packed, funny, and wholly unique, Dog Soldiers is the type of movie you put on when you think you've seen every take on werewolves in the genre. It follows a team of British soldiers who must contend with vicious werewolves while out in the Scottish Highlands to complete training.
What's special about Dog Soldiers is the genre meshing. It's got the action of Underworld (2003), the humor of The Howling (1981), and a setting that feels ripped straight from Night of the Living Dead (1968). The result is a stylish romp with some very competent special effects for a $2.3 million budget. How can one of the best werewolf movies of all time be so underrated? I don't know, but it's a darn shame.
Frankie Freako isn't just a B-movie; it's deliberately a B-movie. If you've seen Psycho Goreman (2020) and The Void (2016), then you know that director/writer Steven Kostanski has a unique retro yet otherworldly style where practical effects shine. Frankie Freako is no exception. Here, Conor Sweeney plays a workaholic "square" whose quest to lighten up pulls him into a bizarre situation involving a trio of rebellious, partying goblins.
Love Ghoulies (1985)? Dig Gremlins (1984) or even Critters (1986)? Then, Frankie Freako is a no-brainer. Its absolute adoration for the "little creature" horror movies of the '80s is on full display. The effects and puppetry are a blast, and the story that anchors it all is surprisingly sweet. You'll be hard-pressed not to end this movie with a soft spot for Frankie Freako and his ragtag gang.
