While Oregonians may like to brag about our nationally praised food scene, spectacular landscapes, and tempting vacation spots, our state has another distinction, one that’s especially relevant as Halloween approaches.
We’re talking about Oregon’s starring role in horror movies and scary TV shows. Even if the projects didn’t film on location, their Oregon settings seem designed to give audiences a case of the creeps.
Though the trend has been on the increase lately, it’s not brand new. Just think of “The Shining,” the 1980 movie directed by Stanley Kubrick, adapted from Stephen King’s novel. Haunting exterior shots of Timberline Lodge stood in for the fictional Overlook Hotel, the ultra-eerie establishment, supposedly in Colorado, where Jack Nicholson’s character went berserk.
Here are some examples of movies and TV shows with Oregon connections that are spine-tinglingly suited to this spooky season.
“Twilight” (2008): Though many fans swooned over the romance between the human Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and her vampire beau, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattison), the first in what turned out to be a lengthy saga had its chilling moments, especially when the vampires faced off against each other. Set in Forks, Washington, “Twilight” actually filmed in many Oregon locations, and made the most of our cloudy weather. (Streaming on platforms including Amazon Prime Video)
“The X-Files”: The delightfully unnerving series chronicling the adventures of FBI agents Fox (nicknamed “Spooky”) Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) delved into all sorts of paranormal weirdness over the years. But in case you’ve forgotten, the series’ very first episode sent Mulder and his then-new partner Scully to the town of “Bellefleur” in Oregon, as they investigated a case Mulder — of course — suspected had to do with alien abduction. Years later, the series was briefly revived, and in 2016 an episode titled “Mulder & Scully Meet the Were-monster” was a witty treat set in “Shawan,” another town supposedly in Oregon. This time, Mulder and Scully were looking into reports about a “man-size horned lizard with human teeth.” Neither of those episodes actually filmed in Oregon, but we’ll bask in the glory anyway. (“The X-Files” is available to stream on platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Sling)
“Grimm”: Portland never seemed more mysterious than in “Grimm,” the clever NBC fantasy/procedural about a Portland Police homicide detective who also inherited the ability to identify Wesen, the supernatural creatures lurking within people who otherwise appear to be ordinary humans. The show, which aired from 2011 to 2017, filmed on location in the Portland area, and the dark woods, overcast skies, and damp greenery lent the show a feeling that was somewhere between fairy tale and horror story. (Streaming on platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, and Sling.)
“The Rental” (2020): The Bandon-filmed thriller focuses on two couples who decide to celebrate a successful business development by renting a house on the Oregon coast. Despite the view of the ocean, the outdoor hot tub, and other amenities, things turn suspenseful as members of the group start uncovering secrets and threatening surprises. Dave Franco (”The Disaster Artist”) directed, and the cast includes Alison Brie (who is married to Franco), Dan Stevens (”Downton Abbey”), Sheila Vand and Jeremy Allen Whiite, who at the time was best known for “Shameless” and has since gone on to awards and acclaim as the star of “The Bear.” (Streaming on platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Netflix, and Sling)
“Significant Other” (2022): Maika Monroe and Jake Lacy star in this scary but pretty preposterous suspense drama about a couple who go camping in what should by an idyllic Northwest setting. Unfortunately, the woods turn out to be anything but peaceful. But we knew that was coming, right? The movie was filmed in Oregon, in such locations as Silver Falls State Park, Silverton, Nehalem, Cloverdale, Estacada, Sublimity, Eagle Creek, Sandy and Cornelius. (Streaming on Paramount +)
“Knock at the Cabin” (2023): OK, the only Oregon connection in this apocalyptic thriller from director M. Night Shyamalan is a fleeting glimpse of Cannon Beach being inundated by a tsunami, a moment the characters see on their TV screen. Not a lot of people seem to still be talking about “Knock at the Cabin,” but Cannon Beach and Haystack Rock are still attracting visitors, so there’s a happy ending after all. (Streaming on platforms including Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Philo, and Sling)
“Longlegs” (2024): When it opened this summer, this horror movie became a surprise box office hit, so much so that its writer-director, Osgood Perkins (son of “Psycho” star Anthony Perkins) has another horror movie, “The Monkey,” scheduled to open in early 2025. Described by some as a “Silence of the Lambs” for this era, “Longlegs” takes place in 1990s Oregon (it wasn’t filmed here, though). Horror vet Maika Monroe, who starred in the Oregon-filmed thriller, “Significant Other,” plays an FBI agent on the hunt for a serial killer, a character played by Nicholas Cage. (Available to rent or buy at Amazon Prime Video)
“Strange Darling” (2024): The summer of Oregon-set horror got another entry with this drama, which did film in the state. “Strange Darling” is, as an opening claim says, “A dramatization of the true story of the final known killings of the most prolific and unique American serial killer of the 21st century.” (Available to rent or purchase on platforms including Amazon Prime Video)
“Cellar Door” (2024): Here’s another story about a couple who live to regret moving to Oregon. As the official synopsis says, “In this suspenseful thriller, a city-dwelling couple (Jordana Brewster, Scott Speedman) is looking to relocate to the suburbs of Portland. While visiting the grandiose home of Emmett (Laurence Fishburne), a mysterious man with a talent for pairing the right property with the right people, the couple is suddenly gifted the house of their dreams with one nonnegotiable condition — they must never open the cellar door. As time passes, the couple realizes that old houses are indeed like people…they all have their deep, dark secrets.” The project did film in the Portland area. (Scheduled to open in theaters, on digital platforms and on demand on Nov. 1.)
“Wolf Man” (2025): This one keeps the Oregon-set thriller streak going into next year. An update of the classic horror tale, “Wolf Man” is described as a story about what happens when Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, “inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Garner) fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth).”
Uh, oh. These rural Oregon-set tales have a way of taking ominous turns, as the press description goes on to say: “But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.” Christopher Abbott (“Poor Things”) and Julia Garner (“Ozark”) star, and the film was shot in New Zealand. (Scheduled to open in theaters on Jan. 17.)
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