ListsOctober 28, 20241,049 views

5 Punk Horror Films to Watch Halloween Week

Punk Horror Halloween 2024

By Kirstie Rouse

Halloween week is upon us, bringing with it a celebration of all things creepy, and that makes it the perfect time for horror fans. The horror genre caters to diverse tastes, featuring everything from zombies to serial killers and plenty more. One often overlooked aspect of the genre though, is its connection to music, especially punk.

There are countless ways to weave music into horror narratives, such as a band offering a sacrifice to the devil in exchange for fame, or maybe a DJ playing an album backward to summon a malevolent spirit. The possibilities are virtually limitless, and attempting to catalog them all would be an impossible task, but we've compiled a few to keep you busy this week.

Here are five of the best punk horror films to add to your Halloween watch list.

 




Green Room (2015)

Dir. Jeremy Saulnier

2015’s Green Room has everything you could ever want in a horror movie. Blood and some punks singing a cover of Dead Kennedys “Nazi punks f—- off!” The movie centers around a band playing a show at a neo-Nazi bar in the middle of the woods where they witness a murder and are held captive in the venue’s green room where the band ultimately spends the night fighting for their lives. The cherry on top of this film is that it features the one and only Patrick Stewart, who plays a phenomenal antagonist.
 


 

Jennifer's Body (2009)

Dir. Karyn Kusama

This 2009 flick written by Diablo Cody is about the life of Jennifer Check and how she was sacrificed by a band called Low Shoulder to Satan in exchange for fame and fortune. Jennifer devolves into an over-confident blood-thirsty demon and ruins the lives of those around her while her best friend Neely does what she can to try to stop her. Jennifer's Body feels like a horror comedy coming of age story that is perfect to watch this season.

 


 

Uncle Peckerhead (2020)

Dir. Matthew John Lawrence

The members of punk band Duh are ready to take the next step in their journey– going on tour. They quit their jobs and are ready to embark, only to have their van repossessed. During their search to find a new van they encounter Uncle Peckerhead, who has a van and is more than willing to be their driver and roadie. Everything seems to be looking up, except for one tiny problem. Every night at midnight, Uncle Peckerhead turns into a monster. This 2020 horror comedy is a perfect watch for this Halloween season.

 


 

The Driller Killer (1979)

Dir. Abel Ferrara

This 1979 horror comedy film shows how music can make one go mad. The film follows the story of painter Reno Miller who is feeling all of the stress from the world around him. From struggling to pay bills to trying to care for his two drug-addled roommates, Reno’s sanity is hanging on by a thread. Punk band The Roosters begin practicing in a nearby apartment and the noise is driving Reno further into madness. Reno ultimately succumbs to this madness and begins a killing spree across the city, with none other than a drill as his weapon of choice. This cheesy 70’s horror film is sure to delight any horror fan.

 


 

The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

Dir. Dan O'Bannon

It wouldn’t be a Halloween film list without at least one movie about zombies. Written by the co-creator of Night of the Living Dead comes The Return of the Living Dead. While the film doesn’t necessarily feature any punk bands, it does have one of the best punk film soundtracks of all time featuring tracks from The Cramps, Tall Boys, and The Damned. In this horror treasure, we find two mortuary workers and their punk friends trying to survive the night after a toxic chemical brings the dead back to life. This is a quintessential film that belongs on not just every horror fans list, but every movie lovers list.
 


0 comments

Post Comment
Be the first to comment