Aussie filmmakers have quite the knack for capturing the scary stuff on screen. Whether it’s fighting off zombies in the deep red of the outback or finding something sinister hiding under the bed, if these five films are anything to go by, the land down under is one heck of a freaky place. If you’re looking to scare your socks off this Halloween, grab the popcorn, dim the lights, and pop on one of these flicks to feel a fright a little closer to home.

BRING HER BACK Twin-brother directing duo Danny and Michael Philippou are no strangers to good ol’ Aussie horror. Their debut feature – 2023’s Talk to Me – scared the bejeebers out of horror fans all across the world. Their most recent foray into the scary genre is no different. Released just earlier this year, Bring Her Back follows a brother-sister duo as they make a home in a new foster family. However, everything is not quite as it seems. Prepare to laugh, cry, scream, and maybe even throw up a little. Yes – it’s that scary.

RELIC A tale of family, history and home, Natalie Erika James’ 2020 spooky silver screen debut Relic isn’t the kind you’d want to watch if you’re a renter. After the elderly Edna disappears from her remote family home, Edna’s daughter and granddaughter arrive to sort out the situation. While Edna reappears, the three women are left to deal with the scariest monster of all… black mould. That’s right, folks, this unruly beast is swallowing the house and there ain’t nothing anyone can do about it. Terrifying stuff.

LAKE MUNGO If you’re a fan of The Blair Witch Project, feast your eyes on this 2008 Aussie take on the found-footage docu-fiction genre. Joel Anderson’s Lake Mungo is compiled of home video and mobile phone camera footage, piecing together a story with horrifying realism of a family’s struggle with grief after a young girl’s death. Proof that clever creatives don’t need whopping big budgets or fancy equipment to scare the living daylights out of their viewers, Lake Mungo is an underrated ripper in the Australian scary film canon.

CARGO Would you like some zombies with your Australiana? Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke’s 2017 flick Cargo follows a couple and their baby as they traverse remote Australia in the middle of a pandemic. Depending on your feelings about our good old friend COVID, the outbreak of a deadly disease in this film will either be the scariest or the least scary part of it. Starring Englishman Martin Freeman alongside some of Australia’s favourite faces – like Susie Porter and David Gulpilil – Cargo is proof that sometimes even the simplest ideas are the most fruitful.

DEAD CALM Widely considered her breakthrough role to an international audience, Our Nicole (Kidman) was just 20 years old when she starred in Phillip Noyce’s 1989 psychological thriller, Dead Calm. Set onboard a boat in the middle of the open sea, Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman play a married couple whose adventures into the ocean are interrupted by a curious guest, played by Billy Zane. You’ll be on the edge of your seat for this flick – without zombies nor mythical monsters, the only thing left to fear is the terror of another human being. Come for Nicole, stay for the adrenaline-inducing action.