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8 Great Obscure High School Horror Movies

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It’s Back to School month over here at Horror Press, which is my favorite time to watch high school horror movies. Mostly to remind myself of why I’m glad to have already graduated, but also because it’s fun! If you’re in the same boat, you’ve probably already seen the big ones – Scream, Carrie, etc. – a million times. If you’re looking for some variety this year, allow me to take you on a strange journey. Presented in chronological order, here is a variety of more obscure high school horror movies that you should check out. Classes aren’t always top of mind, but they’re all set in and around high schools or boarding schools. Or at least have a heavy focus on characters who are high school students.

8 Obscure High School Horror Movies You Need to Watch

Hasta el viento tiene miedo (1968)

The Mexican horror movie Hasta el viento tiene miedo (Even the Wind is Afraid) is a superb exercise in atmosphere. The blustery vibe of the title is reflected by the score and cinematography, creating an unshakeable sense of creeping dread. Plus, it excels as a high school movie. The students who populate the movie’s haunted girls’ school are all well-shaded, making them more than just shrieking meat puppets. This helps amplify the tension of the movie’s classical fright scenes and more subdued dialogue moments alike.

Hasta el viento tiene miedo is currently streaming for free on Tubi.

Penda’s Fen (1974)

Alan Clarke’s keyed-up treatise on national and sexual identity in Britain is perhaps more melodrama than horror. But it has some truly dazzling phantasmagoric imagery as its lead, a Worcestershire teenager, grapples with his notion of himself. Plus its themes, while potentially impenetrable to American audiences, make it a surprisingly great double feature with 28 Years Later.

Strange Behavior (1981)

Have you seen the 1998 James Marsden and Katie Holmes movie Disturbing Behavior? Well, meet its daddy. Both movies admittedly owe a heavy debt to The Stepford Wives. However, Strange Behavior is the progenitor of the “these perfect students sure are creepy” story. In addition to being a compelling sci-fi horror romp, it’s got an exquisite small town vibe. The sense of place runs deep, in spite of a bit of sleight of hand. This U.K.-Australia-New Zealand co-production was set in Galesburg, Illinois, but shot in Auckland.

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Strange Behavior (1981) is currently streaming for free on Plex.

Deadly Lessons (1983)

You may recoil in terror when you hear the words “TV movie slasher,” but hear me out. Deadly Lessons, which follows girls being picked off at a luxurious boarding school, is an absolute blast. Sure, the kills are anemic, but it leans into everything that makes the 1980s television movie format fun. It embraces delirious soap opera melodrama at every turn. Plus, it has a cast to beat the band. We’re talking Ally Sheedy, Bill Paxton, CHiPs’ Larry Wilcox, and Top Gun’s Rick Rossovich. We’re talking Bart Simpson herself, Nancy Cartwright. We’re talking Donna Motherflippin’ Reed, folks!

The Majorettes (1987)

This movie about a killer stalking, guess what, majorettes, is a strange bird. It starts off as a generic slasher, which isn’t a terrible thing to begin with. However, somewhere around the end of the first act, it takes off like a shot into Looney Tunes territory. I’m not exaggerating. We run headlong into stuff like gang violence and a topless woman dancing with a snake. The cherry on top is a gratuitously shirtless man running through the woods with a gun like he’s John Rambo. The Majorettes stays weird, wild, and effortlessly watchable.

The Majorettes (1987) is currently streaming for free on Tubi.

Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge (1989)

Phantom of the Mall is, as you might expect, a retelling of Phantom of the Opera set in a mall. Where could you go wrong? It’s the entire 1980s distilled into one gleaming ball of chintzy glory. Plus, this movie probably boasts the second most star-studded cast of this entire list, behind Deadly Lessons. Pre-Melrose Place Rob Estes and Kelly Rutherford! Morgan Fairchild! Ken Foree! Pauly Shore! Slasher royalty Tom Fridley (Jason Lives) and Brinke Stevens (Slumber Party Massacre)! Plus a toilet snake! Why aren’t you rushing out to see this movie right now?!

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Prom Night III: The Last Kiss (1990)

Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II has already begun to rise from obscurity, taking its place in the slasher firmament. However, I daresay it’s high time for its immediate follow-up from the Prom Night franchise to join it. The Last Kiss is cheaper and more tawdry, sure, but that’s not really a demerit. It’s also one of the last fun post-Freddy supernatural slashers before that torch was absconded with by the Leprechaun franchise. The prom queen ghost Mary Lou Mahoney returns in this one, now played by Courtney Taylor. She is also now obsessed with high schooler Alex Gray (Tim Conlon), visiting outlandish kills upon anyone who threatens him. Including stabbing a teacher with ice cream cones. It’s a stupid movie, but it’s also a furnace blast of pure cartoonish joy if you’re in the right mindset.

Bad Kids of Crestview Academy (2017)

This movie, which most people haven’t seen, is actually a sequel to a different movie that most people haven’t seen. That would be 2012’s Bad Kids Go to Hell. Don’t worry, you don’t need to have seen the original, though it’s fun enough in its own right. Crestview Academy follows kids in detention who find themselves trapped in school and dying one by one. It’s maybe the least good movie on this list, on its own terms. However, its enthusiastic commitment to bad taste is quite a bit of fun. Plus, special guest stars Sean Astin and Gena Gershon light up the screen whenever they stop by.

Bad Kids of Crestview Academy (2017) is currently streaming Amazon Prime Video.

Brennan Klein is a millennial who knows way more about 80's slasher movies than he has any right to. He's a former host of the  Attack of the Queerwolf podcast and a current senior movie/TV news writer at Screen Rant. You can also find his full-length movie reviews on Alternate Ending and his personal blog Popcorn Culture. Follow him on Twitter or Letterboxd, if you feel like it.

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The Best Horror You Can Stream on Shudder in November 2025

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Halloween season is over, and many streamers have forgotten about us horror kids. While they take their 11-month hiatus from the genre, we can be grateful that we still have an app that cares. We are so lucky that Shudder remains that girl year-round. Whether you’re finishing their new original show Guts & Glory, catching up on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans, or running at some of their deep cuts like I am, Shudder has your best interests at heart. As usual, she has quite a few titles fighting for our attention. Which is why I am here with five titles I think should be at the top of all of our watch lists this November. So, cancel your holiday plans and pick up your remote because we have got horrifying things to watch.

The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month

Habit (1995)

An alcoholic unwittingly enters into a relationship with a succubus in New York City. If you ever wondered what Larry Fessenden was getting up to in his youth, you need to see this ’90s gem. I lucked out and caught it at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival last year, and I lived my best life. While watching it on the small screen will not be the same, I plan to hit play anyway. Mostly because I love to see 1990s succubi leaving their mark on men…and also the horror genre. Shudder is also adding The Last Winter and Depraved, so we can spend a whole day with Uncle Larry’s work.

Sew Torn (2024)

A seamstress happens upon a failed drug deal and steals a briefcase. She soon finds herself caught in a deadly situation where all roads lead to death. I caught Sew Torn at SXSW last year and have been wondering what happened to it. So, I am very happy this odd little bird has found her way to Shudder. I cannot wait to make my friends who are looking for something cute and deadly watch. I knew nothing when I hit play on this, and I encourage you to know as little as possible, too. I fear I have already written too much in this blurb to be completely honest. 

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You can watch Sew Torn on November 1st.

The Retreat (2021)

A couple goes on a pre-wedding retreat and unwittingly becomes targets of a group of serial killers. We have seen too many movies about retreats, and I thought this one would be more of the same. This title does not completely reinvent the wheel, but it does set itself apart within this oversaturated subgenre. The Retreat is a surprisingly fun and tense little thriller that feels made for the winter watches. Come for the lesbian characters leading the film, and stay for the violence. I also encourage you to check it out while it is on Shudder, because it is usually on apps with ads.

You can watch The Retreat on November 1st.

The Creep Tapes (Season 2)

Peachfuzz returns with more tapes, chaos, kills, and WTF moments. Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice have reentered the TV arena and are making things weird again. If award shows were real, this duo would be leading the Emmys charge. I saw the first three episodes, and Josef/Peachfuzz is still the serial killer after our own hearts. Our Wolfie is still cutting up (literally and figuratively) in the most amazing ways. Guest stars in danger this season include David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil), Katie Aselton (The League), and Robert Longstreet (The Haunting of Hill House). 

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You can watch The Creep Tapes (Season 2) on November 14th.

Krampus (2015)

A kid accidentally summons demons during the holidays in this horror comedy. Krampus remains one of the top-tier Christmas horror titles for me. It is also my favorite Michael Dougherty film. Not only because it has the star power of Adam Scott and Toni Collette, either. This movie is wicked, and even the kids are in danger. I do not have many holiday horror movies I revisit every year, but Krampus is one of the very few. It still holds up, and I cannot wait to rewatch it with a festively boozy beverage. 

You can watch Krampus on November 15th.

Those are a few reasons I am grateful for Shudder this holiday season. While the rest of you are fighting with your family and friends, I will be parked in front of my TV. You can have your turkey because I would rather gorge myself on episodes of The Creep Tapes anyway.

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Let me know what Shudder shenanigans you have got your little eye on. I am nosy and want to make sure I am not missing anything on my favorite streamer.

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The Best Horror You Can Stream on Netflix in November 2025

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The year is winding down, and I don’t know about you, but I am trying to pack in as many 2025 horror movies as I can. Is this because I love making end-of-the-year lists? Yes. Is it because I am an unhealed overachiever? Also, yes. So, I am assuming some of you are also cruising the streamers to see what you may have missed. While Netflix has had my favorite new slasher Heart Eyes for a bit, and I have mentioned that in previous streaming guides, they also have other new horror titles to show you.

I do not talk about them as much because I did not have a good time with them. However, that does not mean you won’t enjoy some of these titles. That’s why I am taking the high road and finding something to be grateful for about each of them. That way, you will know there is a silver lining if you do watch them. Allow me to help you figure out what to prioritize this month and what to skip. Check out this chaotic Netflix hitlist below! 

The Best Movies to Stream on Netflix This Month

28 Years Later (2025)

A group of survivors on a small island has built a fortress to protect them from the rage virus. However, a young boy discovers what is really outside the walls of their community and sets off to find a cure for his sick mother. We all loved 28 Days Later, and some of us liked 28 Weeks Later. So, 28 Years Later was never going to live up to the hype with almost thirty years of anticipation. While I didn’t love it, I did enjoy seeing Danny Boyle helm another zombie installment. What he does in the subgenre is top-tier, and we are welcome (even if the script left me wanting more). That might have gotten buried in all the talk about the dicks seen in the movie, though.

Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)

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A group of girls competing for prom queen starts disappearing, leaving the underdog to figure out what is happening to her competition. I had a lot of thoughts about this lackluster installment in Netflix’s Fear Street adaptations. As someone who grew up reading Fear Street books and wanting to adapt them myself, I do not understand how this movie came out so badly. Which made it hard to find something nice to say about this title. However, the soundtrack slaps, and it is not the soundtrack’s fault that it was wasted on a low-energy bottom-tier slasher. So, if you hit play on this, you can at least look forward to hearing some retro bangers selected by music supervisor Nora Felder. If you are familiar with her work on Yellowjackets and Stranger Things, you know Felder does not miss.

Maa (2025)

To battle a demon’s curse, a mother transforms into the legendary goddess Kali. As usual, Netflix did not advertise an international horror movie that seemed to have some potential. If they had told us Maa was an Indian Hindi-language mythological horror movie, most people who yell for intersectionality and originality would have run at it. Instead, we had to find out about it months later while looking for something we hadn’t already seen on the app. This movie is too long, and I cannot say it is good by any stretch of the imagination. However, it also made me realize how little I know about the goddess of destruction. If you are a nerd like me, this might lead you down a cool rabbit hole. You can also say you gave a view to a horror movie starring Brown people. Who knows, maybe you could be one of the few who enjoy this chaotic film.

Until Dawn (2025)

A group of friends find themselves trapped in a time loop where they keep getting killed in gruesome ways. I love the video game and was so bummed this adaptation was so bad. However, the practical effects are very cool and should be celebrated more. I think the stuff that the SFX team pulled off might be the only reason to watch the movie personally. I’m happy the actors whose work I enjoy got paid, and that’s another positive thing I can say. However, if we want to see young people in deadly time loops, we have so many movies that do it better. Excuse me as I look right at Happy Death Day and all of the movies that have tried to copy her.

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Ziam (2025)

A Muay Thai fighter battles through a zombie apocalypse to save the woman he loves. Netflix fumbled the advertising for this one too, because who doesn’t want to see a Thai zombie film? So, I was excited to watch it, but then sad I did not like it. However, I think this one is on me. It is an action-horror with a lot of heartfelt moments, and that’s not my bag. I wanted more violence and zombie action because I am a broken and heartless ghoul. So, Ziam might be the only movie on this list that does not deserve my bombastic side eye. I am waiting for other people to watch it and let me know if they have a better time with it, though. 

While I was not the audience for these movies, I am assuming some of you will dig them. Worst-case scenario, you cross off a few more 2025 horror movies and have something to talk about at Friendsgiving. Happy Horrordays! I will see myself out now…

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