INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Watch These Four Overlooked Horror Movies On Amazon Prime

By Carter Lee
Published on: 20:19 PST, Feb 25, 2017

With titles like The Monster, The Witch, and Green Room, Amazon Prime is hosting some of the best horror movies from 2016. The site also hosts some of the best horror movies from yesteryear like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But those titles are nothing new to horror fans. If you’re an avid fan of horror movies then you know that finding a title that you haven’t yet seen can sometimes be a tiresome task. From guilty pleasures to genuine scary films, Amazon Prime is hosting a handful of horror movies that seemingly flew under the radar.

Grizzly

An 18-foot-tall grizzly casually kills people at a state park.

Older generations will love revisiting this cult classic that younger generations should be discovering. If you enjoy so-bad-they’re-good horror movies, then you will want to watch this guilty pleasure from the ’70s.

This widely-panned film is a blatant rip-off of Jaws, and considering it takes place on land and features a bear, that’s the biggest feat this movie accomplishes. But you will find it hard to not laugh out loud when you see glimpses of the bear’s arm (which looks like a stuffed animal) swat at the air which somehow sends human limb’s flying about. If you’re a fan of Birdemic or Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood, then you should appreciate the brilliantly-awful Grizzly.

[Image by Columbia Pictures]

Thirst

When a bloodthirsty alien lands in the desert where troubled teens are attending bad-kids boot camp, the teenagers must find a way to destroy the alien.

If you like your horror movies with cheesy monster-action, then you will enjoy Thirst. The film debuted on the SyFy Channel in 2016, but the production quality is much higher than most of the other movies featured on the station. Thirst is a perfect horror flick for when you’re in the mood for mindless entertainment. Plus, the alien looks really cool.

The Bay

Natural disasters strike the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and chaos ensues.

Even those who don’t particularly care for found-footage movies will probably enjoy The Bay. The majority of critics praised this compelling story. Time Out describes why this is one of the best horror movies on Amazon Prime.

“Maryland resident Levinson [director] takes his own fears about Chesapeake Bay, a place polluted with chemical fertilisers and steroid-heavy chicken manure, and pours them into a tale of mutated, insect-like isopods, which jump the species barrier from fish to humans and feed on their host’s intestines.

“More coherent and thought-provoking than most ‘found-footage’ horror movies, this should appeal to genre fans and eco-activists alike.”

[Image by Lionsgate]

The Phoenix Tapes ’97

If you’re in the mood for more found-footage horror after watching The Bay, this one is a clever addition to the subgenre. Most of the cleverness comes not from the movie itself, however, but from the way they are promoting it—by not promoting it. IMDB doesn’t list this movie, there is no Wikipedia page, and a Google search will first show results for a Reddit thread followed by an Amazon link. There is very little information on this film, which adds intrigue to the story. But if you search hard enough you may actually find the official website. Phoenixtapes97.com gives the premise, and a witty disclaimer, to the very unique horror movie.

“In 1997, four campers went missing during the Phoenix Lights incident and their bodies were never found. The Phoenix Tapes 97 is comprised of their final footage.

“This film is dedicated to the lives lost during the events displayed. To their families and friends and to the authorities who continue to search for answers.

“If you have any leads, clues, or can identify any of the four campers, please leave the information on the contact page.

“***This film has been banned from theatrical release in the United States and from all digital platforms with the exception of Amazon Video. We thank Amazon for their support of the 1st Amendment and Freedom of Information Act.”

The Phoenix Lights incident was a real event that occurred in Nevada in 1997. Thousands of people witnessed “otherworldly” lights appearing over a two hour period, and many witnessed a very large UFO that was triangle-shaped. Tying in a story to a true-life incident that’s surrounded by mystery is brilliant. With a runtime of just over one hour, it’s very convenient to enjoy this inimitable movie.