Mike Flanagan has become one of the most popular modern-day horror filmmakers out there and he has an abundance of movies and TV shows to keep his fans busy.
But Flanagan is also a genuine fan of film and has cultivated a healthy number of lists to accompany his various films and series. If you check out his Letterboxd, you'll find a dedicated list to almost all of his previous projects. We've created a list below comprising some of our favorite recommendations, perfect for anyone who wants to see where Flanagan gets his inspiration.
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
- Director: Charles Laughton
- Cast: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Evelyn Varden, Peter Graves, Don Beddoe, & Gloria Castillo
- Streaming: Tubi
It's funny that The Night of the Hunter has become such a classic, as the 1955 film was poorly received upon release because of its unique style, which was heavily inspired by silent films. Charles Laughton's bold creative choices would inspire the next generation of filmmakers, including Flanagan.
Serial killer Reverend Harry Powell prowls the city looking for women he believes have sinned. Powell is eventually captured and imprisoned for a different crime altogether, and behind bars, he meets another murderer who confesses to the self-proclaimed preacher that he's hidden $10,000 on the outside. Once free, Powell becomes obsessed with finding the money.
When a Stranger Calls (1979)
- Director: Fred Walton
- Cast: Charles Durning, Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst, & Tony Beckley
- Streaming: Prime Video & Peacock
I think the majority of us have heard the famous folk legend about a babysitter who receives a mysterious phone call from an unknown man, only for the police to inform her that the call is coming from inside the house. We've seen this premise depicted in several films, but the 1979 movie remains one of the most terrifying and classic examples. The opening 20 minutes or so of When a Stranger Calls have consistently been heralded as one of the best in horror history. Hush wears this film's inspiration on its sleeve.
The Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
- Director: Kim Jee-woon
- Cast: Im Soo-jung, Moon Geun-young, Yum Jung-ah, & Kim Kap-soo
- Streaming: AMC+
Korean film director delivers a harrowing and unrelenting spin on a Korean folktale with The Tale of Two Sisters, a psychological horror about sisters Su-mi and Su-yeon being reunited after one is finally free of a mental institution. The sisterly reunion is a warm affair, but the same cannot be said for their chilly reception toward their father's new wife, Eun-joo, who proves herself every bit the wicked stepmother.
Couple that with strange events around the house, like doors opening on their own and the sisters being plagued by nightmares, the story becomes a tense standoff between women as Su-mi and Su-yeon try to determine whether Eun-Joo is the source of their torment or if something supernatural is at work.
Mirrors (2008)
- Director: Alexandre Aja
- Cast: Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, & Amy Smart
In Alexandre Aja's (Crawl) Mirrors, Kiefer Sutherland plays a security guard terrorized by his reflection in the mirror as a malevolent force takes hold. Whatever the entity does under the guise of reflection also happens to the real person. If you liked Oculus and learning about the ominous Lasser Glass, then Mirrors is a great follow-up choice.
The Entity (1982)
- Director: Sidney J. Furie
- Cast: Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, & David Labiosa
The Entity is quite a disturbing paranormal film about a woman tormented by a paranormal being, one that ultimately sexually assaults her and traumatizes her for life. The film, which is inspired by the 1974 case where a woman claimed such a thing happened to her, is known for its exploration of victimhood, although how well it grapples with those complex themes is a subject of much debate.
Scanners (1981)
- Director: David Cronenberg
- Cast: Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane, & Michael Ironside
- Streaming: Max
Even if you haven't seen David Cronenberg's cult classic sci-fi horror film, there is a good chance you've seen GIFs of one of the film's bloodiest moments. This graphic body horror is set in a world where people known as "scanners" are gifted with telepathic and telekinetic abilities, An evil corporation intends to use these scanners to create high-tech weaponry, leading to a revolt and desire among rebellious scanners to form their own legion and go to war against the people trying to control them.