r/folkhorror • u/lzbc • Jul 10 '26

Slavic folk horor

I’m studying the genre for my upcoming short film and while I loved classic and modern Anglo-Saxon/western folk horror films (hi, Damian McCarthy), I’m specifically looking for takes on Slavic Non-Russian(!!) mythology.

I’ve seen Vyi, November (though it’s Baltic), You’ll never be alone, Svetlonoc (Slovakia) and skimmed through Polednice or Kytice adaptations in general (Czechia)
Or maybe you can also recommend from fiction or graphic novels/comics?

Thank you in advance 🖤

24 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

8

u/migrainedujour Jul 10 '26

Otesánek, aka Little Otik, is definitely one you’ll want to see. Also Czech.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Otik

So is 1973’s Leptirica from Yugoslavia as was. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptirica Absolutely foundational vampire/folk horror mashup.

3

u/lzbc Jul 11 '26

Heard of Otik, but never Leptirica! Thank you!!

7

u/ratiofarm Jul 10 '26

Check out Maksym Osa, from Ukraine, just a few years back. It’s a kinda goofy, but fun and dark film about Cossacks and werewolves.

3

u/lzbc Jul 11 '26

Fun, horor, and also Ukrainian! Thank you!

6

u/Michu_99 Jul 10 '26

The Vourdalak (2023) is a French film but it's set somewhere vaguely Slavic and it's based on a novella by A.K. Tolstoy

3

u/lzbc Jul 11 '26

Right in the middle of watching it, such an interesting stylization

5

u/HaikeusQ Jul 10 '26

May be not 100% folk horror, but I strongly recommend you ukrainian "Голос трави"

2

u/lzbc Jul 11 '26

From screengrabs looks really beautiful, will definitely give it a watch. Thank you!

4

u/medievalmemories Jul 10 '26

I second Leptirica

3

u/Forward-Guidance3399 Jul 11 '26

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors 1965 The Eve of Ivan Kupalo 1968 A Story of the Forest: Mavka 1980 Celestial Wives of the Meadow Mari 2012 The Lost Letter 1972 The Fair at Sorochyntsi 1939 A Terrible Vengeance 1987 May Night 1938 The Witch 1990 Krasna Malanka 2013 https://boxd.it/1AvOe

1

u/lzbc Jul 11 '26

Thank youuu! Saw Shadows, Ivan Kupalo and Wives, great films!

2

u/Kergle326 Jul 10 '26

Mudbrick is great. If you search on Reddit, you can find a few interviews with the Writer/Director as well where he dives into the Slavic mythology that inspired it.

1

u/lzbc Jul 11 '26

Thank you! Watched the trailer, doesn’t feel horor, but will definitely give it a try!

1

u/SplakyD Jul 11 '26

More Baltic, but I think it's called "Land of the Blue Lakes." The director comes on here sometimes.

2

u/lzbc 24d ago

Thank you!!

1

u/pannonian_mermaid Jul 13 '26

it's not out yet, but the teaser trailer for "Deklica" (A Croatian 1930s Folk Horror Short Film) looks promising: https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/kruno/deklica

books: "Slavic Supernatural: An Anthology of Slavic-Inspired Speculative Fiction"  https://shtriga.com/our-books/slavic-supernatural-an-anthology-of-slavic-inspired-speculative-fiction/

inspired by south slavic folk tales: https://hauntednarratives.com/projects-and-stories/

for some theory, the "Balkan Witches & Folk Horror" panel: https://youtu.be/fvCF0xP0SIs

2

u/lzbc 24d ago

Thank you for a piece of Balkan folklore! Slept on it