The Middle East is a transcontinental region that includes Western Asia, Turkey, and Egypt. This diverse and expansive area has a rich artistic tradition, including numerous important contributions to cinema. While the Western news focuses on the political turmoil and religious extremism that makes life difficult for millions of everyday citizens, the vast majority of Middle Easternerners strive for a normal existence.
Considering the region’s complex history, some Middle Eastern filmmakers have turned to horror to explore the fears, struggles, and ghosts that haunt their home countries. The movies on this list represent decades of terrifying and gripping additions to the genre, ranging in themes, styles, and languages. Whatever the case, the 10 Middle Eastern horror films on this list will provide legitimate scares for anyone who watches them.
Under The Shadow (2016)
This Persian-language debut feature from the Iranian-born Babak Anvari focuses on a young family in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. After her husband, a doctor, is called into military service, Shideh stays in her city apartment with her daughter despite frequent bombings due to the ongoing War of the Cities.
As things intensify, Shideh and her daughter begin to realize they are being targeted by malevolent spirits living in their building. Incorporating political upheaval, ancient Arabic mythology, and terrifying special effects, Under the Shadow is an alarming and spooky horror movie.
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)
Full of vampire tropes, Western vibes, and artsy imagery, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is a promising first feature from Iranian-born Ana Lily Amapour. Shot in black and white, this Persian-language gem tells the story of a skateboard riding female vampire who is on the hunt in Bad City.
She meets a young, down-and-out man named Arash and, despite being a blood-hungry vampire, falls for him. Fueled by drugs, dancing, and some seriously gory moments, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is considered one of the best horror films of the 2010s.
The Ambassador Of Hell (1945)
This moralistic devilish fable is directed by Egyptian Yusuf Wahbi and filmed in Arabic. In it, the devil disguises himself as a wealthy man who takes pity on a poor family, bestowing a fortune upon them.
However, the devil monitors what the family does with its wealth. Instead of being frugal and generous, they are greedy and excessive. It soon becomes obvious the devil has special plans for the family, using the money to test their ethics. When they fail the test, retribution seems around the corner.
Big Bad Wolves (2013)
This dark and comedic Israeli horror movie follows a trio of men who are attempting to track down a brutal serial killer. Big Bad Wolves is the second feature from Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado, who also made the 2010 horror movie Rabies.
In Big Bad Wolves, a vengeful father, a police detective, and a religion teacher join forces to find the person responsible for a series of child murders. The killer, it seems, has eluded police for quite some time. Employing tense dialogue and lively action sequences, the movie is a roller coaster ride. Quentin Tarantino called it the best movie of 2013.
The Talisman (1987)
Another Egyptian horror film in Arabic, The Talisman digs into what happens when a family refuses to sell their home to a menacing, annoying man. Starring acclaimed Egyptian actors Mahmoud Yassine and Youssra, it is directed by Mohammed Shebl, known for a string of horror films in the 1980s and 1990s.
In the movie, the menacing, annoying man turns out to be a warlock. He employs the supernatural in order to force the family out of the house, tormenting them with demonic activity.
Baskin (2015)
This grisly Turkish horror movie won praise for its unique story and atmospheric pacing. Baskin begins with five police officers responding to a call for backup in an old, abandoned building. They realize too late they have interrupted a brutal ritual and they have actually entered Hell.
Showing the influence of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser series, Baskin involved demonic entities, time warps, and insane body horror. The director, Can Evrenol, followed it up with the 2017 fantasy horror film Housewife.
ZAR (2017)
This trepidatious Iranian psychological horror movie is a powerful first feature film from Nima Farahi. ZAR follows a newlywed couple who decide to spend their honeymoon in a remote village with their friends. They choose the village because of its haunted history.
The group gets what they bargained for and more, falling victim to a series of terrifying paranormal events. ZAR is Persian for “crying,” and the movie uses cerebral horror to create scares.
The Humans And The Jinns (1985)
Another Egyptian horror auteur, Mohamed Radi, is responsible for this tale steeped in Middle Eastern mythology. The aforementioned actor Youssra plays Fatima, a woman who returns to Egypt after receiving her doctorate from America. Once back, she catches the attention of a strange suitor: a demon.
The evil entity poses as a tourist agent named Galal, who tries whatever he can to convince Fatima to end her engagement and marry him instead. A sort of horror romance meets a comedy of errors, The Humans And The Jinns is a classic.
Warda (2014)
Warda is an Egyptian found-footage horror movie about a video blogger who returns to his family home, where his family has been dealing with creepy and strange paranormal activity. Much like the Paranormal Activity franchise, Warda relies on slow, writhing vibes and jump scares to deliver its horrific message.
This movie is directed by native Egyptian Hadi El Bagoury, known for non-genre features like The Right One and The Guest.
Kandisha (2008)
While a film of the greater Middle East, this Moroccan movie features an Israeli lead actor and was shot in Arabic, English, and French. Directed by Jerome Cohen-Olivar, Kandisha brings together themes of loss, professional life, and ancient deities to provide audiences with a compelling horror story.
Hiam Abbas plays a successful lawyer reeling from the death of her son. She decides to take on a case involving a medieval Morrocan spirit known as a Kandisha. Once she gets involved, the lawyer is brought into the vengeful world of the old supernatural being.
