Jennifer Aniston, Cillian Murphy and Samantha Mumba: Irish films to watch for Halloween
Scary movies, filmed or set in Ireland, with Irish directors, or starring Irish actors
Irish actor, Ruairí O'Connor stars in a classic horror which is released today — just in time to have you jittering and jumpy for Halloween.
So let's take a look at this and some other scary movies with Irish connections.
Sky Cinema
On July 18, 1981, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga) lead the fraught exorcism of 11-year-old David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard). The boy's parents and older sister Debbie (Sarah Catherine Hook) watch helplessly until Debbie's boyfriend Arne (Ruairí O'Connor) intervenes. "Leave him alone and take me," Arne begs the demon. Plenty jump-scare entertainment here.
A 1993 American comedy horror film written and directed by Mark Jones. It stars Jennifer Aniston in her film debut.
It stars Warwick Davis ( 's Professor Flitwick) in the title role — he plays a vengeful leprechaun who believes a family has stolen his pot of gold. As he hunts them, they attempt to locate his gold to vanquish him. The film was a critical flop — and a cult hit.
Jennifer told the of her mortification when her fiancé Justin Theroux came upon her first movie while flicking through TV channels: “Actually, it was a mortifying moment when Justin (Theroux) and I had just started to date. He was flipping through the channels and he stumbled upon that. And that was our next two hours much to my embarrassment.”
Strange things are happening in an Irish town, Erin Island: the crew of a fishing boat disappears, whales start appearing dead on the shore, a local lobsterman catches a strange tentacled creature in his trap. Residents realise they have to keep their blood alcohol levels high to stave off ‘grabber’ creatures — it’s time to rally the villagers, arm the troops…and head to the pub.
This one's written by Derek Landy of Skulduggery Pleasant fame and stars Samantha Mumba, Domhnall Gleeson, Deirdre O'Kane, and Amy Huberman's brother, Mark. A rom-com with zombies — a teenage boy comes back to life as a zombie.
An after-an-apocalypse movie, starring Elliot Page, Sam Keeley, and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. The Maze Virus swept through Europe, transforming its victims into a homicidal, zombie-like state and Ireland was particularly badly affected. A cure was discovered but some are resistant to the cure — they are held in captivity, despite public fears that keeping them alive could lead to another outbreak.
A young woman begins to suspect that her son's disturbing behavior is linked to a mysterious sinkhole. Stars Seána Kerslake.
Adam Hitchens, a British conservationist specialising in plant and fungal life, his wife Claire, and baby son Finn travel to a remote Irish village surrounded by a large forest. While exploring the forest with Finn, Adam stumbles upon an animal carcass with a strange fungal substance that has burst open the body. Stars Dublin actor Michael McElhatton and Michael Smiley.
This stars Cork actor Cillian Murphy along with Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns and Brendan Gleeson. It's writen by Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle.
Critically acclaimed, the plot depicts the breakdown of society following the accidental release of a highly contagious virus.
Filmed in Bantry, West Cork and directed by Damian McCarthy. A creepy job, a creepy house on a creepy island — and a creepy bunny-rabbit toy.
'Hoodie-horror' psychological horror film written and directed by Ciarán Foy. Tommy, a widower must raise his baby alone after an attack by a gang leaves his wife dead and him suffering from agoraphobia.
