Need a little dark destination inspiration?
We’ve got a watch list for you that’ll give you the chills, the creeps, and the consideration to act a little more responsibly as an American visitor coming across the pond.
Snuggle up on the couch and check out these horror movies set in Europe.
Film poster for Hostel (2005). Image Credit: 2006 Screen Gems, Inc. and Lions Gate Films Inc
Hostel (2005)
Set in Slovakia | Filmed in Czechia
Eli Roth’s Hostel is not the horror flick you want to watch before taking your first backpacking trip through Europe. Two friends do just that, and when they chase carnal pleasures to Slovakia, they find themselves helplessly trapped and tortured.
Hostel’s terrifying torture scenes were set in Slovakia, but most of the film was shot in the Czech Republic in cities like Prague, Český Krumlov, and Doksany. Slovakia wasn’t too happy about its bloody portrayal because we’re almost 100% sure that nothing of the sort will happen to you in either country.
Nosferatu (2024)
Set in Germany | Filmed in Czechia & Romania
Over 100 years after the original silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror hit screens, 2024’s Nosferatu gives Bill Skarsgård the chance to play another horror icon, Count Orlok. Also starring Emma Corrin (The Crown), Willem Dafoe (Poor Things), and Nicholas Hoult (Skins), Noserfatu finds the vampire with a bloodlust for a young woman. It was filmed in Prague (plus shots of Romania) but set in 19th-century Germany.
Film poster for Possession (1981). Image Credit: Gaumont
Possession (1981)
Set in and filmed in Germany
Possession was filmed in West Berlin during the Cold War, a time in history that no doubt added to this psychological horror film’s feelings of paranoia. What begins as a divorce presumably due to an affair evolves into a more horrific series of events.
Read also: Best things to do in East Berlin, Germany, beyond the Wall
Suspiria (1977) and (2018)
Set in and filmed in Germany, with some filming in Italy
Whether you’re a fan of the original or the recent remake, Suspiria is a fantastic supernatural film. Both versions see an American woman arrive at a prestigious German dance academy that may actually be a front for a coven of witches.
Watcher (2022)
Set in and filmed in Romania
Good on Watcher for giving us a horror film in Romania that has nothing to do with vampires or Transylvania. An American couple move into a Bucharest apartment. Across the street, a neighbor gets a little too comfortable watching them through the window — during a time when there happens to be a serial killer on the loose.
Film poster for Don't Look Now (1973). Image Credit: Paramount Pictures
Don't Look Now (1973)
Set in and filmed in Italy
The less you know about Don’t Look Now’s plot and classic ending, the better. A couple loses their child to drowning then move to Venice, Italy. A clairvoyant tells the couple that their daughter is trying to contact them from beyond the grave just as the husband starts seeing visions of his daughter that may or may not be real.
Spring (2014)
Set in and filmed in Italy
Spring is as close to a poignant body horror love story as you’re going to get. A young American man grieving the loss of his mother runs away to Italy where he catches feelings for a local. As tends to occur, things get a little messy after a night of unprotected sex. Pregnancy is the least of the boy’s worries: his new beau is actually a 2,000 year old reptilian monster.
Midsommar (2019)
Set in Sweden | Filmed in Hungary
Midsommar’s opening scene will make you reconsider whether or not you’ve got the stomach, heart, and healthy mindset for this movie. At 2.5 hours long, this slow-burn film will eat at you without remorse, nibble by nibble. You’ll wince. You’ll squirm. You’ll feel like you need a shower, a good cry, and to rethink your threshold for horror by the time Midsommar’s credits roll.
The Orphanage (2007)
Set in and filmed in Spain
If creepy kids are your favorite horror genre, then you’ll be surprised at how great The Orphanage is. A woman, now with an ailing son, returns to the dilapidated orphanage where she grew up. When her son goes missing, her desperate search takes her to a medium in hopes of communicating with the spirits of those who died in the orphanage.
Film poster for The Ritual (2017). Image Credit: Netflix
The Ritual (2017)
Set in Sweden | Filmed in Romania
The Ritual is a solid warning to any tourists going for a hike in Europe. A jötunn creature (from Norse mythology) stalks a group of hikers who went off of the marked trail in Sweden. While you don’t have to worry about folklore monsters or the cults that sacrifice passersby to them, the life lesson you should take from The Ritual is that none of this would have happened had the group just stayed on the trail.
Piggy (2022)
Set in and filmed in Spain
Piggy is relatively new, so if you haven’t seen this Spanish horror film, we’ll keep details limited. A young girl is harassed by other girls at a local swimming pool; when she watches the bullies get abducted, the girl has to decide whether to tell the police or let the bullies get their just desserts.
Let the Right One In (2008)
Set in and filmed in Sweden
A young bullied boy meets a mysterious new neighbor and the two strike up a friendship…but Let the Right One In isn’t a feel-good story for most of the characters involved. If you’re into vampires, this Swedish film should top your must-watch list.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Set in and filmed in Scotland
30 years prior to Nicolas Cage’s remake, The Wicker Man of 1973 is a cult classic folk horror flick. A police officer arrives on a Scottish island to search for a missing girl. It’s not a shock-and-awe film, but one of a disturbing nature that leaves you swimming in discomfort before you realized you had waded in.
Film poster for Witchfinder General (1968). Image Credit: American International Pictures
Witchfinder General (1968)
Set in and filmed in England
A Vincent Price deep cut, Witchfinder General was based on the novel of the same name. It follows a witch hunter during the English Civil War of the 1640s and, like many tales of the righteous going after presumed “evil”, Witchfinder General shows that it’s the everyday humans that are the real monsters.
The Cornetto Trilogy
Set in and filmed in England
The Cornetto Trilogy is director Edgar Wright’s anthology series that starred Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible) and Nick Frost. The series began with Shaun of the Dead, a zombie comedy, then Hot Fuzz, a police murder-mysterdy comedy, and, finally, The World's End, a supernatural comedy.
Hammer Horrors
Set in England and Romania
Not to be confused with its UK horror anthology, Hammer House of Horror, Hammer Film Productions is a near-century-old London company that’s set many of its films in Europe. Horror diehards might know the studio’s The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, or The Mummy movies made in the 1950s. More casual moviegoers might recognize 2020’s The Lodge with Richard Armitage (Fool Me Once) or 2010’s Let Me In.
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Set in England and Romania
Dracula has more movies to his name than nearly any other horror character. In 1992, Francis Ford Coppola added his loose interpretation of the famous story as Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It starred Gary Oldman (Harry Potter) as the fanged fiend and also featured a solid cast which included Anthony Hopkins (Transformers The Last Knight), Richard E. Grant (Saltburn), and Cary Elwes (A Castle for Christmas).
🚆 Trainline Tip 🚆 If you’re looking for the real life places that inspired the novel, check out our guide to Bram Stoker’s Dracula locations
Film poster for Hellraiser General (1987). Image Credit: New World Pictures
Hellraiser (1987)
Set in and filmed in England
Illinois has Michael Myers, New Jersey has Jason Voorhees, but Clive Barker’s iconic Cenobite calls England home. Affectionately known by horror fans as Pinhead, the Hell Priest of Hellraiser is a demon from Hell who descends upon the Earth when his mysterious puzzle box is solved by a mortal. The Hellraiser series has 11 films, though only the first two are set in England and filmed in London.
The Omen (1976)
Set in and filmed in England
“Look at me, Damien! It’s all for you.” The Omen gave the Antichrist a full-length feature film that’s still considered one of the best horror films of all time. Filmed primarily in London and Surrey, it finds the Thorn family awaiting the birth of their child. Unknown to the mother, the baby dies just after childbirth; the father secretly adopts another baby whose mother died in childbirth. Little did they know that they were bringing the Antichrist to the UK.
28 Days Later (2002)
Set in and filmed in England
28 Days Later is a modern-day zombie classic even though it doesn’t technically feature zombies. The “Rage” virus spreads throughout the United Kingdom turning the infected into creatures with zombie-like qualities. It also contains the unedited shot of star Cilian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) standing on the Westminster Bridge in a seemingly empty London.
🚂 Trainline Trivia 🚂 28 Weeks Later was set in London and its trilogy sequel, 28 Months Later was filmed in Somerset.
Film poster for Village of the Damned (1960). Image Credit: MGM-British Studios
Village of the Damned (1960)
Set in and filmed in England
Village of the Damned is a good sci-fi, supernatural movie that a Stephen King fan would enjoy. Set in the fictional English village of Midwich, but primarily filmed at a studio in Borehamwood and on location in Letchmore Heath, Village of the Damned sees its female residents suddenly become pregnant at the same time. These curiously conceived children grow at an alarming rate, develop telepathy, and start forcing the adults to hurt themselves.
Under the Skin (2013)
Set in and filmed in Scotland
Think twice next time an attractive stranger on the streets of Glasgow gives you a flirty look. Under the Skin stars Scarlett Johansson (Asteroid City) as an alien who takes on a female human form to seduce men and send them to her home planet to eat. More of a sci-fi-thinker than a straight out horror movie, Under the Skin still has its unsettling, skin crawling moments.
Ready to watch these horror movies set in Europe on your way to their filming locations? We can help with the journey. Download the Trainline app, purchase tickets for destinations throughout Europe, and stream these horror flicks on the journey.
Header Image Credit: Maglara
