March has arrived in a wash of rain here in New York City, which means I’ll be spending the month watching movies in the cozy cocoon of the local theater or from the comfort of my own couch. And since I’ve got no travel plans for the foreseeable future, I plan to see the world through the latest international horror offerings coming to our screens.
Thankfully, March has no shortage of them. Exploring everything from fucked-up family secrets to bigotry-spreading parasites and mysterious nighttime visitors, here are seven new horror releases from around the world that have me reaching for the popcorn.
1. Amelia’s Children (Portugal)
Journey to a magnificent villa in the mountains of Northern Portugal in Amelia’s Children, the wild solo feature debut of director Gabriel Abrantes (Diamantino). Featuring a fun multi-character performance from Carloto Cotta, the film follows a young man’s search for his biological family—all while his partner (the superb Brigette Lundy-Paine) gets closer to uncovering a monstrous family secret that will make you rethink taking a DNA test any time soon.
2. Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme (Philippines)
The sixteenth entry in the long-running Filipino horror anthology series Shake, Rattle & Roll, and the first installment since 2014, Shake, Rattle & Roll Extreme crashed onto Netflix on March 1.
The anthology’s three segments (directed by Jerrold Tarog, Joey de Guzman, and Richard Somes, respectively) feature a demonic children’s TV character, a group of Mukbang influencers encountering flesh-eating shapeshifters, and rage zombies infected by a meteor. As far as I know, you don’t have to watch the other fifteen films first to enjoy this one, though Esquire Philippines recommends these six if you’re curious about the broader franchise.
3. T-Blockers (Australia)
“Never fuck with queer filmmakers”—especially Alice Maio Mackay (So Vam, Bad Girl Boogey), who’s back this month with the deliciously bloody and cathartic LGBTQ+ horror film T-Blockers. With a predominantly queer, nonbinary, and trans cast and crew that includes drag artist Etcetera Etcetera, T-Blockers centers around a young filmmaker, Sophie (Lauren Last), and her friends as they face off against a terrible evil spreading in their small town.
Full of squirmy parasites and bigots getting their heads bashed in, T-Blockers is available on demand from March 5. Dunk your head into the ooey-gooey trailer here.
4. Stopmotion (United Kingdom)
If you missed the phenomenal Stopmotion in theaters last month, never fear! Director Robert Morgan’s feature debut arrives on VOD on March 15.
Blending live action with the unsettling stop-motion animation that Morgan is known for, Stopmotion sees animator Ella Blake (Aisling Franciosi) struggling to control her demons as her creations seemingly take on a life of their own. After you’ve watched the film, don’t miss this enlightening interview between Morgan and fellow stop-motion master Phil Tippett.
5. The Animal Kingdom (France/Belgium)
Weaving in elements of fantasy, horror, adventure, and drama, director Thomas Cailley’s The Animal Kingdom is set in a world where a wave of mutations has begun to turn some humans into animals. Roman Duris plays François, who, along with their son Emile (Paul Kircher), sets off on a quest to find his affected wife after she and some of the other creatures disappear into a nearby forest.
Following its world premiere as the opening night selection of the Cannes Un Certain Regard last year, The Animal Kingdom takes flight in theaters and on VOD on March 15.
6. Femme (United Kingdom)
A celebrated drag artist, Jules (Candyman’s Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), aka Aphrodite Banks, endures a brutal homophobic attack in thriller Femme, the debut feature of co-writers/directors Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping. After spotting his attacker in a gay sauna months later, Jules begins a closeted affair with the man with an eye for revenge.
I’ve been excited about Femme ever since I missed it at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival last year (damn work schedule!), so I’m thrilled to see it opening in New York City on March 22. Not based in the Big Apple? You can catch Femme in Los Angeles and Chicago from March 29 and nationwide from April 5.
7. You’ll Never Find Me (Australia)
A Shudder Original, Aussie horror You’ll Never Never Find Me knocks on the streaming platform’s door on March 22.
Directed by Josiah Allen and Indianna Bell, You’ll Never Find Me takes place in a mobile home at the back of a desolate caravan park. There, an isolated man (Brendan Rock) is visited by a desperate young woman (Jordan Cowan) seeking shelter from a violent storm. But as the storm worsens and the pair begin to feel threatened, a question emerges: who should really be afraid?
That’s it for March, folks! I’ll see you in April for more international horror thrills.
