10 Incredible Australian Horror Movies – Terror Down Under – Ranked
Welcome to Ranking Horror where we do nothing but rank horror movies. If you like listicles and are looking for your next great horror movie, stick around. Yesterday we checked out 10 of the Worst Friendships in Horror History. Today we are mixing it up in a big way as we take a look at 10 Incredible Australian Horror Movies – Terror Down Under.
Table of Contents
Full disclosure, I am very biased when it comes to Australian horror. I think the Aussies are one of the best horror movie making nations on earth and punch hugely above their weight. In fact, I could make a list far bigger than this one. I wanted to mix things up and include a few movies that might have passed you by so don’t be surprised if one or two of your favourites are missing.
Whether it is amazing slashers, deep movies that fearlessly explore metaphysical topics, spooky paranormal stuff or, simply, bleak violence. The Aussies excel at scaring the hell out of horror fans the world over. Today we are going to condense it down to just 10 of the best Australian Horror Movies ever. Without further ado, let’s appreciate one of the greatest horror movie making nations on earth and check out 10 Incredible Australian Horror Movies.
| Rank | Movie Title (Year) | The Outback Factor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Loved Ones (2009) | Prom Night Torture |
| 2 | Lake Mungo (2008) | Documentary Despair |
| 3 | The Babadook (2014) | Grief Manifested |
| 4 | Sissy (2022) | Influencer Insanity |
| 5 | Bloody Hell (2020) | Action Horror Chaos |
10. Killing Ground (2016) – Camping Chaos
- Director: Damien Power
- Cast: Aaron Pedersen, Ian Meadows
- Runtime: 88 minutes
- IMDb: 5.8/10
Why it Ranked: I am always pretty hesitant to recommend Damien Power’s Killing Ground. It is just so relentlessly bleak and rather sadistic. In fact, there isn’t a great deal to recommend about the movie, as a whole. This is one of those movies that feels violent for the sake of being violent. Still, it is hard to deny the filmmaking talent present and some people absolutely love Killing Ground. Just don’t go into it expecting to feel remotely happy and you will be fine. It is a very depressing Australian horror movie with some very dark themes.
Synopsis: A couple’s camping trip turns into a frightening ordeal when they stumble across the scene of a horrific crime and discover a toddler wandering alone in the bush.
Where to Watch: AMC+, IFC Films Unlimited
9. Relic (2020) – Dementia Dread
- Director: Natalie Erika James
- Cast: Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin
- Runtime: 89 minutes
- IMDb: 6.0/10
Why it Ranked: Relic is an allegorical horror movie in the same vein as a very well known title that will appear later on in this list. Natalie Erika James has put together quite a moving story with Relic. One that will be all the more affecting to certain people who have experience with the situation the movie presents. Unfortunately, the monster here is something that altogether too many people can relate to. It slips up, at times, by being very on the nose and heavy handed with its message. It is still absolutely worth a watch, however, and very effective in parts.
Synopsis: A daughter, mother, and grandmother are haunted by a manifestation of dementia that consumes their family’s home.
Where to Watch: AMC+, Shudder
8. Cargo (2017) – Zombie Walkabout
- Director: Ben Howling, Yolanda Ramke
- Cast: Martin Freeman, Anthony Hayes
- Runtime: 105 minutes
- IMDb: 6.3/10
Why it Ranked: I hope you are ready for some more bleakness as we have tons of it on offer for you in 2017’s post-apocalyptic horror movie Cargo. Based on a 2013, 7 minute long, short and directed by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke. Cargo gets a bit of a mixed reception as it is a very slow movie. In much the same vein as other post-apocalyptic horror movies like The Road. Its focus is on the human struggle rather than actual horror, meaning it isn’t going to be for everyone. Cargo is incredibly sad, though, and deeply affecting. It is also gorgeous to look at. Just don’t go in expecting action and thrills.
Synopsis: Stranded in rural Australia in the aftermath of a violent pandemic, an infected father desperately searches for a new home for his infant child and a means to protect her from his own changing nature.
Where to Watch: Netflix
7. The Tunnel (2011) – Underground Terror
- Director: Carlo Ledesma
- Cast: Bel Deliá, Andy Rodoreda
- Runtime: 90 minutes
- IMDb: 5.9/10
Why it Ranked: We are off into the abandoned tunnel network below Sydney in found footage horror movie The Tunnel from 2011. This is one of only a few major Australian found footage horror movies but it is a very good one. The slow, mockumentary like, build up keeps you engaged in the mystery that drives our protagonists into the underground. While the maze like structures of the tunnels set up scare after scare in this genuinely exhilarating Australian horror movie. Lots of fun and legitimately very tense and atmospheric.
Synopsis: An investigation into a government cover-up leads a network of journalists into a network of abandoned train tunnels deep beneath the heart of Sydney, where they are hunted by something that dwells in the dark.
Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy), Tubi
6. Talk to Me (2022) – Possession Viral
- Director: Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
- Cast: Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird
- Runtime: 95 minutes
- IMDb: 7.1/10
Why it Ranked: More allegorical horror storytelling next with 2022’s Talk To Me. Talk To Me was a huge horror hit in 2022 and is frequently cited as one of the best horror movies in years. It wasn’t, personally, one of my favourite movies of the 2020s but it is hard to deny how effective it is. It tells a tale of drug abuse through the medium of supernatural shenanigans and manages some very good scares in the process. It is just a shame the cast are so damn unlikable.
Synopsis: When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.
Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy), Paramount+
5. Bloody Hell (2020) – Finland Fightback
- Director: Alister Grierson
- Cast: Ben O’Toole, Meg Fraser
- Runtime: 93 minutes
- IMDb: 6.6/10
Why it Ranked: An American former military man with a past shrouded in mystery flees the country in Bloody Hell. Only to find himself in a place far far worse than he could have imagined. If darkly hilarious chaos is what you are after, you have found it here. After all, one thing that Australia does incredibly well is horror comedy and Alister Grierson’s Bloody Hell is no exception. Fast paced, legitimately funny, compelling and full of tiny little nods to some absolute horror classics. This movie came out of nowhere in 2020 and still manages to go massively under people’s radars. Genuinely fantastic stuff and full of surprises.
Synopsis: A man with a mysterious past flees the country to escape his own personal hell, only to arrive in Finland and be captured by a cannibalistic family.
Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+
4. Sissy (2022) – Influencer Insanity
- Director: Hannah Barlow, Kane Senes
- Cast: Aisha Dee, Hannah Barlow
- Runtime: 102 minutes
- IMDb: 6.0/10
Why it Ranked: 2022 was such a great year for horror movies. In fact, it was such a great year that I feel like quite a few incredible titles went completely under the radar. Australian comedy horror movie Sissy is one of those titles. Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes write and direct this hilarious horror comedy that manages to blend the modern idea of hypocritical social media influencers with vicious slasher villains in the most funny way possible. With a biting, witty script that pokes fun at the modern obsession with influencers and the traits of the terminally online. There are so many great moments in Sissy. All the while it manages to subvert expectations over and over again. Awesome stuff and definitely deserves more attention.
Synopsis: Cecilia is a successful social media influencer living the dream, until she runs into her ex-childhood best friend and is invited away on her bachelorette weekend. Suddenly, Sissy finds herself stuck in a remote cabin with her school bully.
Where to Watch: Shudder, AMC+
3. The Babadook (2014) – Grief Monster
- Director: Jennifer Kent
- Cast: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman
- Runtime: 93 minutes
- IMDb: 6.8/10
Why it Ranked: Directed by Jennifer Kent, The Babadook is one of those movies that changed horror. Metaphorical monsters were always a thing in horror movies but, after 2014, they became even more common. When I first watched The Babadook, I found it to be a legitimately compelling story with a couple of moments that were, honestly, quite scary. Essie Davis is sensational as the struggling mother and her tale of grief and struggle is one that many can relate to. The gradual worsening of the situation lends a type of tension to the film that you can almost touch. Awesome stuff but, perhaps, a bit on the overhyped side of life.
Synopsis: A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son’s fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.
Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy), Tubi
2. Lake Mungo (2008) – Documentary Despair
- Director: Joel Anderson
- Cast: Rosie Traynor, David Pledger
- Runtime: 87 minutes
- IMDb: 6.3/10
Why it Ranked: A found footage horror movie at number 2? Am I crazy? When it is as good, as moving, and as thoroughly creepy, as Lake Mungo, you better believe it. I should just take this opportunity, however, to remind you that this list is my subjective opinion as I know Lake Mungo doesn’t do much for some people. For me, however, its story of a grieving family trying to come to terms with the loss of their daughter is one of the best to ever come out of the Australian horror movie scene. The relatable story of a family struggling to cope with loss pushes the supernatural side story out of focus, only to bring it marching back in later on. Leaving the viewer with some seriously moving explorations into the human condition as well as some legitimately haunting closing visuals. Amazing stuff.
Synopsis: After a teenager drowns, her family experiences strange events in and around their home. They hire a parapsychologist and a psychic, unlocking a mystery that goes far deeper than a simple haunting.
Where to Watch: Tubi, Shudder
The New Wave of Aussie Horror
For decades, Australian horror was defined by “Ozploitation”… Gritty, low-budget films about tourists getting murdered in the bush. But a new generation of directors is changing the game, trading jump scares for deep-seated psychological trauma.
- 🎬 The YouTube Generation: Danny and Michael Philippou (Talk to Me, Bring Her Back) transitioned from high-energy YouTube chaos (RackaRacka) to cinema, bringing a frantic, visceral energy that feels distinctly modern and unpolished.
- 🏚️ Gothic Decay: Natalie Erika James (Relic) is mastering the art of “emotional horror”, using crumbling houses and rotting walls as metaphors for dementia and the slow loss of self.
- 🧠 Psychological Scars: Following in the footsteps of Jennifer Kent (The Babadook), this new wave focuses less on external monsters and more on internal demons – Grief, addiction, and family trauma.
The Outback is still scary, but these directors are proving that the terrifying things inside our own heads are far worse than any crocodile.
1. The Loved Ones (2009) – Prom Night Torture
- Director: Sean Byrne
- Cast: Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy
- Runtime: 84 minutes
- IMDb: 6.6/10
Why it Ranked: Again, this list is subjective and some may not agree but I think Sean Byrne’s brilliant Horror Comedy The Loved Ones is the best Australian horror movie of all time. I know, it’s fine, go ahead and laugh. I just can’t think of too many movies quite this enjoyable. Robin McLeavy is simply brilliant as Lola and provides laugh after laugh as she dementedly tortures poor Brent. Putting on a performance that is thoroughly quotable and absolutely hilarious. As far as fun horror movies go, I can’t think of too many that are simply quite as effective. The escalation keeps things interesting and it is impossible not to feel sorry for the protagonist. Definitely my favourite Australian horror movie of all time and an annual must watch in my house.
Synopsis: When Brent turns down his classmate Lola’s invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.
Where to Watch: Amazon (Rent/Buy), Paramount+
Aussie Rules
There we have it, 10 incredible Australian horror movies that prove the land down under is one of the best in the business when it comes to scares. From the claustrophobic terror of The Tunnel to the candy-coloured nightmare of The Loved Ones, there is something here for every kind of horror fan. It is a nation that isn’t afraid to get weird, dark, and brutally honest, and we love them for it.
I’ll be back soon with more lists. In the meantime, why not check out some of our other international horror rankings? Stay spooky.
🇦🇺 Quick Picks: Aussie Horror Essentials
- 🏆 The Must-Watch: The Loved Ones (2009)
- 👻 The Modern Classic: The Babadook (2014)
- 📹 The Found Footage Gem: Lake Mungo (2008)
- 🤪 The Fun Ride: Bloody Hell (2020)
- 🩸 The Viral Hit: Talk to Me (2022)
