Maine
Maine’s a spooky place. Here are 11 films that prove it.
William Stewart in “Alien Absolution.”
The first week of October is when the reality of another fleeting Maine summer sinks in – and the fresh, crisp tingle of some great Maine spookiness takes its place. We all know Maine’s creepy. A certain Bangor-based author has essentially made our state Spooky Central. And over the years, I’ve written about innumerable Maine filmmakers who’ve seized upon this innate in-state eerie vibe to create some truly impressive and unnerving Maine-made, Maine-based scares.
So here’s a rundown of some of the best Maine horror movies and where to see them.
“Are You the Walkers?” (2011)
Director Derek Kimball’s early entry in Maine’s own horror and dark fiction short film anthology series Damnationland is not just the best Damnationland movie I’ve ever seen, but one of the best, most atmospheric and downright chilling short horror films I’ve ever seen. Two estranged friends spend a weekend at a cabin on the shores of a frozen Maine lake. And then there’s a knock at the door. No, I’m not saying any more.
Watch it: On DVD, for sale at the Damnationland Bandcamp page. (And get ready for this year’s 14th annual Damnationland, premiering Oct. 18.)
“Dead Whisper” (2024)
Recently featured in this column, Conor Soucy’s eerie psychological thriller sees a grieving man (Brunswick native Samuel Dunning) compelled to investigate one of those mist-shrouded Maine islands you should never go to alone when you’re carrying psychological baggage. For those who like their horrors on a slow burn, this one will burn you. Slowly, but lastingly.
Watch it: Rent on Apple, or with your Hoopla or Tubi subscription.
Samuel Dunning as Elliot Campbell in “Dead Whisper.” Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment
“Alien Absolution” (2024)
Bath filmmakers Christian and Sarah Matzke’s no-budget fan film set in the outer space backwaters of the “Alien” movie universe is a meticulously crafted, loving – and genuinely scary – short fan work. A lonely space cop (Will Stewart) allows a shady deal concerning an even shadier mysterious shipping container go through – with the expected slimy, toothy results. Atmospheric and ambitious, it’s what fans should do when their favorite franchise disappoints. You know, rather than griping on the internet.
Watch it: For free on YouTube.
“Bone Cold” (2023)
Maine’s Billy Hanson takes full advantage of a cold, cold Maine winter to inject some sci-fi tinged action horror into the landscape. Following a pair of military snipers as they track a supposed Russian target whose icy retreat may or may not (OK, it does) hide a mind-bending, otherworldly secret, Hanson crafts a gripping, visceral tale of survival – with some killer twists.
Watch it: For rent on Apple TV.
“Swallowed” (2022)
Bowdoinham native Carter Smith (2008’s big budget “The Ruins”) returned to rural Maine to film this queer body horror film about two friends whose unwise choice to be drug mules turns into a gut-wrenching ordeal once the truth of what they’re smuggling (internally) is revealed. Featuring Jena Malone and “A Nightmare on Elm Street. 2: Freddy’s Revenge” star Mark Patton.
Watch it: Rent or buy it on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.
“One for the Road” (2021)
Stephen King may be a jillionaire, but he’s nothing if not generous – especially when it comes to spreading his Maine horror universe around. Filmed as part of King’s “Dollar Babies” program (where filmmakers can snap up rights to adapt King’s short stories for, you guessed it, a buck), the Brunswick-Topsham team of David Jester and Leigh Doran brings King’s tale of a stranded motorist back home. Sadly for him, his car broke down near the fictitious town of Jerusalem’s (or Salem’s) Lot, so King fans might have a guess as to what’s lurking out in the Maine fog.
Watch it: For Free on Film Freeway.
“Dirigo” (2021)
Portland’s own Noah Bessey saw this short horror tale snapped up as the Maine representative of Dystopian Film’s ambitious, one-from-every-state horror anthology series “The United States of Horror.” The Maine-shot short has all the basics (young people, cabin in the woods, unnerving visitors), all with a pine-scented twist and plenty of atmosphere packed into its running time.
Watch it: For rent on Amazon Prime Video.
“The Dead Ones” (2009)
Baltimore-born filmmaker Jeremy Kasten (“The Attic Expeditions,” “The Wizard of Gore”) resurrected this early high school-set horror film after he relocated to Maine with his family. Filmed in an abandoned inner city school, it sees four troubled teens assigned to a sort of all-night “Breakfast Club”-style cleanup crew, only to confront the seeming ghosts of a seriously traumatic school shooting. Provocative, gory, and intense, with just a touch of all-too-relevant real world violence.
Watch it: For rent on Apple and Amazon, or with your Tubi subscription.
“Sweet Meats” (2023)
If you like your horrors to have some satirical bite, then this Damnationland short from Maine’s Myshrall sisters (Rebecca and Emily) is right up your dark alley. Set in an alternate universe where women rule with bloody impunity, this tale of dark empowerment includes plenty of hallucinatory yet trenchant imagery – including a scene ghoulishly worthy of the title.
Watch it: For sale (hooray, physical media!) on the Damnationland Bandcamp page.
“The Hanover House” (2012)
Writer-director (and Maine film teacher and movie maven) Corey Norman’s tale of a grieving man whose return to his Maine childhood home awakens some seriously dark secrets.
Watch it: Look for it under its re-release name “The Calling” on Hoopla, Tubu, Freevee and Amazon Prime Video (with subscription.)
“The Wrong House” (2009)
One of the first Maine films I ever covered in this column, Shawn French’s nasty feature is a classic grindhouse tale of a group of obnoxious city folk robbing weed from, as the title implies, the very wrong house in rural Maine. Co-writers Sue Stevens and French play the inhabitants, a loving, sadistic couple with a hunger for torture and disproportionate vengeance. Think Rob Zombie in the Maine woods.
Watch it: There appears to be one DVD left on Amazon – which feels ominous.