Heretic, a recently released A24 film, is one of my favorite horror films this year (although the ending wasn't quite my favorite). Even with a small cast, the performances and the setting of this narrative climbed under my skin and has remained there, as I am still thinking about this movie. There's something eerily haunting about a film like Heretic that does so because of the intimacy of the storytelling. Are there more like it?
Googling the term 'chamber films' is like going to the library in 1995 and using the card catalog to do your research. I almost changed my writing topic, but I am no quitter. From what I was able to gather, the original reference came from the 1920s during the German Kammerspielfilm movement. At the end of World War, the German film industry was almost nonexistent. Using the few resources that were available to filmmakers of that time, they made theses films that were simplistic in cast and hosted for small audiences, similar to that of a chamber play. Fast forward to the present, chamber films focus on a small set of characters in one location, usually over a short period of time, and are driven by dialogue and mystery, much like Heretic.
If that sort of tension and narratives shrouded in mystery entice you, here are five other chamber horror films that are streaming right now for you to check out.
5 Chamber Horror Films Now Streaming
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
The Autopsy of Jane Doe is about a father (Brian Cox) and a son (Emile Hirsch) who work as coroners. Late one night, a Jane Doe (Olwen Kelly) is brought in and the two are investigating how she died. During the autopsy, strange things start to happen around them as they get closer to the truth of the mystery surrounding this unknown woman.
This film is another good example of a film that has a small cast, as it primarily focuses on the father and the son, and set in one location, the coroner's office. It also happens over the course of one night. The two uncover the mystery of what happened to the Jane Doe through mostly dialogue and talking things out as they do the autopsy. If you're looking for some simple frights, this is a good one to add to your watchlist.
Directed by Andre Øvredal. Streaming on Netflix and AMC+.
1408 (2007)
In 1408, Michael Enslin (John Cusak) is an author that debunks the paranormal. He decides to check into a known haunted room: room 1408. Once there, he meets Mr. Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), the hotel manager who tries his best to keep Michael from staying in the room. Over the course of the film, Mr. Enslin uncovers more that he bargained for.
1408 explores so many themes and does so very well. It pulls you in as a viewer and as the mystery unravels, there is no moment where you want to look away. It is filled with dread, suspense, and a few scares that even the most desensitized of us horror lovers will be thinking about this film long after the credits roll.
Directed by Mikael Håfström. Streaming on Peacock.
Cube (1997)
Cube is about a group of strangers who wake up to find themselves trapped inside a cube prison of different cells. Some of the cells are booby-trapped and the characters have to work together to try to escape. When you put a bunch of strangers in a room together, the often don't trust each other and there's always one that is only looking out for themselves.
This film is nothing but mystery and also features a fairly small cast in one main location. While this one is a little more elaborate that the movies above, I still believe it checks off enough of the boxes. And, it's a pretty good watch.
Directed by Vincenzo Natali. Streaming on Tubi.
Pontypool (2008)
Love is in the air; or it is a deadly virus? Pontypool is about Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) who works as a radio DJ for a Canadian radio station. Set in the station itself, we watch as a seemingly normal Valentine's Day radio show gets crazier and crazier as what seems to be a zombie apocalypse is happening outside the radio station walls. Throughout the film, Grant and his crew try to use the hints from callers and news reports to try to understand what is going on outside in order to keep the public informed and protect themselves from an untimely end.
Pontypool is a wild ride and it all happens in one space over the course of a day. With only a few cast members and them using mostly audio and sounds to interpret what's really happening in their small town, it's the perfect recipe for a horrifying chamber film.
Directed by Bruce McDonald. Streaming on AMC+.
Oxygen (2021)
More sci-fi thriller than horror, but to me there's nothing more scary than waking up inside of a confined space and not having any memory of how you got there, why or how to get out. And that is what Oxygen is. A truly suffocating experience with a few surprises, a woman wakes up in cryogenic chamber with no recollection of how she got in there and she has to find a way out before she runs out of air.
The cast really can't get any smaller here and neither can its location. Everything about this film is a mystery and it plays on your fears with ease. As someone who has a fear of tight spaces (The Descent is still on the top of my mind), films like this are always scary AF to me. Definitely make the time to check this one out. The director of this film knows how to do this type of horror well: Crawl, Never Let Go are a couple of his best films.
Directed by Alexandre Aja. Streaming on Netflix.
There are quite a few other great chamber horror films out there and are some of my favorite types of films. If you're in the mood for a good mystery and a few scares, definitely add these films to your watchlist.
What other chamber horror films can you think of? Drop them in the comments.