You know what's so painful about American Horror Story: Cult [1]? Well, I guess watching it in general [2] is pretty painful, but fans of the show (and horror in general) probably have a much harder time waiting for new episodes to air. When it comes to such an addicting series, weeks can feel like months. Luckily for you, we've thought of a great way to fill time. Once you're done having a meltdown over the latest episode [3] of AHS, you're going to need something to hold you over. We're turning to some great horror films that feature the things that make Cult so great: clowns, cults, and home invasion. Happy screaming! Or . . . streaming.
The Strangers
Ever since the premiere, Cult has garnered a ton of comparisons to The Strangers [4]. I mean, The Strangers is about a group of masked creepers who break into people's houses and murder them, so . . . yeah.
Watch it on HBO [5].
The Invitation
Seeing as the new season of AHS is all about a cult, we can't ignore this recent entry starring Michiel Huisman and Logan Marshall-Green. We don't want to give too much away, but let's just say it's very brainwash-y and very disturbing.
Watch it on Netflix [6].
The Purge
While The Purge doesn't have a cult in it, per se, there are a lot of strong connections between the film and AHS. They're both very politically oriented, and they're founded on the premise of total anarchy.
Rent it on Amazon [8].
It
Could there be a more perfect pairing between the clown-heavy It and AHS: Cult? It's pretty insane that both are getting a swell of attention and had releases within days of each other. The plots don't have much in common, but they share one key term: coulrophobia [9].
You'll have to see this one in theaters.
Hush
If you find the home-invasion aspect of Cult to be terrifying, Hush [10] is going to really get under your skin. As a bonus, it's got a pretty unique premise, and it's wonderfully executed.
Watch it on Netflix [11].
Rosemary's Baby
Look at that: we've got a double crossover here! To avoid spoiling the movie altogether, let's just say there's definitely some strange cult-like activity in Rosemary's Baby. The more striking similarity, though, is the poor plight of the main character. In both cases, we see a rattled, terrified woman who, it seems, is a victim of some pretty serious gas-lighting. It's hard to tell: is she crazy, or is everyone trying to make her think she is?
Watch it on Hulu [12].
Clown
Listen, it's hard to make a clown movie that's actually scary. We have It, and that's about . . . it. Sure, there's Killer Klowns From Outer Space and a few others, but most of them are pretty cheesy. Not this one, though. This one's f*cking terrifying.
Watch it on Netflix [13].
You're Next
This is another grisly home-invasion entry with a lot of blood and a couple pretty gnarly twists. Plus, the animal masks are so creepy and so on par with all the clowns on Cult.
Rent it on Amazon [14].
The Devil's Rejects
I'd like to think Rob Zombie and AHS creator Ryan Murphy both toe that line of f*cked-up insanity. They both have a lot of disturbing elements in their projects. And, I mean, I'd argue that the clown sex in the grocery store [15] and the other scarring clown activity in Cult really resonates with this one.
Rent it on Amazon [16].