There are some settings that just suit horror movies. Old, abandoned buildings and dilapidated houses are all perfect places for any number of slasher, thriller, or jump-scare films. Even just seeing an old, creepy house on your own block immediately makes you think of some horror classics.
But sports are not so easy to associate with the films we love. Underdog stories of small teams overcoming the odds are all fine enough – and also do well on all the sports betting sites these days – but your average football or basketball game doesn’t scream out horror to us.
But that’s not to say that some filmmakers haven’t had a go at bringing some chills to the sports world. Admittedly, they have not always done a great job – or made much in the way of box office cash – but at least they have put in the effort. Here are seven sports-themed horrors to check out if you feel like something a little bit different from the norm – and we’re not even mentioning Jason just because he wears a hockey mask!
The Catcher (1998)
Before we carry on, we really need to remind you that not all horror movies are that good. Some are downright awful. But there is something strangely alluring about a low-budget gore-fest
horror – and The Catcher certainly falls into that category. You will definitely remember this one after watching it.
We follow the murderous exploits of Johnny, a former baseball player who brutally killed his father on the baseball diamond back at the beginning of the 1980s. Now he’s released from the asylum and is out to wreak havoc on the local town – with a series of increasingly bizarre baseball-related murders.
Frozen (2010)
No, not that one. This Adam Green movie acts as a kind of prequel to his Hatchet series and is set in the world of winter sports – well, kind of. It is one of those movies where all the action takes place in a very confined space. In this instance, on a trapped ski lift in the mountains.
We meet three friends who have to figure out how to make it through the freezing night, stranded 30 feet up in the air. But it is not just the bitter cold that the trio must endure. Even if they do make it down from the broken ski lift, they will then have to contend with a pack of ravenous wolves.
All Cheerleaders Die (2013)
It is noticeable that a lot of horrors that use sports as a plotline also bring the comedy as well. Maybe it is something to do with the juxtaposition of the two subjects that makes doing it for laughs more acceptable. Anyway, this remake follows a girl who joins the cheerleading team – but for nefarious reasons.
Her friend had died in a freak cheerleading accident (of course) and she has vowed to take revenge on the team and the football players involved. That brings its own horror antics but then everyone gets caught up in a strange supernatural battle that allows for even more gore and laughs.
The Battery (2012)
This ultra-low-budget horror is an excellent example of how a good filmmaker can elicit chills without having to spend millions on CGI. Jeremy Gardner made The Battery for around $6,000 and does a wonderful job of keeping the audience on the edge of their seats throughout.
The plot follows two former baseball players (that’s the sports connection, by the way) who travel through plague-filled rural New England, trying to stay one step ahead of the zombie hordes intent on adding them to the numbers of undead. Let’s just say that baseball bats are used in a non-sporting way.
Figure 2 In the right hands these can be used for violence and horror
Rollerball (1975)
Time for a real classic now. Directed by Academy Award-nominated Norman Jewison and starring the late, great James Caan, Rollerball was nominated in the American Film Institute’s top ten sci-fi films and is set in a future where sports have turned very much more violent than today.
Caan is a veteran rollerball player who has left the sport because of the way that violence has taken over. He comes back for one last game and has to decide between killing an opponent or scoring a goal. The social commentary is a surprise – especially considering all the violent sports scenes.
Monster Brawl (2011)
This is another sports horror that is played very much for laughs and takes the idea of which classic monster would be best at wrestling as its main plotline. This is another low-budget movie and the audience can really get into the competition – especially if they are already big grapple fans.
Cyclops, Swamp Gut, Frankenstein’s Monsters, Lady Vampire, Werewolf, Mummy, Witch Bitch, and Zombie Man all go head-to-head in fight-to-the-death bouts in order to crown the king, or queen, of the monsters. The setting for the tournament is a suitably creepy cursed graveyard.
Billy the Kid and The Green Baize Vampire (1985)
Better known for his string of social commentary dramas and plays, Alan Clarke also made what the BFI has called “undoubtedly the only vampire snooker musical in cinema history”. You may not know a lot about the sport but the green baize is the fabric that covers the table.
The vampire in question (based on a real-life star of the game) sets up a challenge match against a brash young player with the hidden contract clause that the loser will never play snooker again. The movie stars a whole host of top British TV talent of the time and has become something of a cult classic.
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Figure 1 Horror can come from anywhere
There are some settings that just suit horror movies. Old, abandoned buildings and dilapidated houses are all perfect places for any number of slasher, thriller, or jump-scare films. Even just seeing an old, creepy house on your own block immediately makes you think of some horror classics.
But sports are not so easy to associate with the films we love. Underdog stories of small teams overcoming the odds are all fine enough – and also do well on all the sports betting sites these days – but your average football or basketball game doesn’t scream out horror to us.
But that’s not to say that some filmmakers haven’t had a go at bringing some chills to the sports world. Admittedly, they have not always done a great job – or made much in the way of box office cash – but at least they have put in the effort. Here are seven sports-themed horrors to check out if you feel like something a little bit different from the norm – and we’re not even mentioning Jason just because he wears a hockey mask!
The Catcher (1998)
Before we carry on, we really need to remind you that not all horror movies are that good. Some are downright awful. But there is something strangely alluring about a low-budget gore-fest
horror – and The Catcher certainly falls into that category. You will definitely remember this one after watching it.
We follow the murderous exploits of Johnny, a former baseball player who brutally killed his father on the baseball diamond back at the beginning of the 1980s. Now he’s released from the asylum and is out to wreak havoc on the local town – with a series of increasingly bizarre baseball-related murders.
Frozen (2010)
No, not that one. This Adam Green movie acts as a kind of prequel to his Hatchet series and is set in the world of winter sports – well, kind of. It is one of those movies where all the action takes place in a very confined space. In this instance, on a trapped ski lift in the mountains.
We meet three friends who have to figure out how to make it through the freezing night, stranded 30 feet up in the air. But it is not just the bitter cold that the trio must endure. Even if they do make it down from the broken ski lift, they will then have to contend with a pack of ravenous wolves.
All Cheerleaders Die (2013)
It is noticeable that a lot of horrors that use sports as a plotline also bring the comedy as well. Maybe it is something to do with the juxtaposition of the two subjects that makes doing it for laughs more acceptable. Anyway, this remake follows a girl who joins the cheerleading team – but for nefarious reasons.
Her friend had died in a freak cheerleading accident (of course) and she has vowed to take revenge on the team and the football players involved. That brings its own horror antics but then everyone gets caught up in a strange supernatural battle that allows for even more gore and laughs.
The Battery (2012)
This ultra-low-budget horror is an excellent example of how a good filmmaker can elicit chills without having to spend millions on CGI. Jeremy Gardner made The Battery for around $6,000 and does a wonderful job of keeping the audience on the edge of their seats throughout.
The plot follows two former baseball players (that’s the sports connection, by the way) who travel through plague-filled rural New England, trying to stay one step ahead of the zombie hordes intent on adding them to the numbers of undead. Let’s just say that baseball bats are used in a non-sporting way.
Figure 2 In the right hands these can be used for violence and horror
Rollerball (1975)
Time for a real classic now. Directed by Academy Award-nominated Norman Jewison and starring the late, great James Caan, Rollerball was nominated in the American Film Institute’s top ten sci-fi films and is set in a future where sports have turned very much more violent than today.
Caan is a veteran rollerball player who has left the sport because of the way that violence has taken over. He comes back for one last game and has to decide between killing an opponent or scoring a goal. The social commentary is a surprise – especially considering all the violent sports scenes.
Monster Brawl (2011)
This is another sports horror that is played very much for laughs and takes the idea of which classic monster would be best at wrestling as its main plotline. This is another low-budget movie and the audience can really get into the competition – especially if they are already big grapple fans.
Cyclops, Swamp Gut, Frankenstein’s Monsters, Lady Vampire, Werewolf, Mummy, Witch Bitch, and Zombie Man all go head-to-head in fight-to-the-death bouts in order to crown the king, or queen, of the monsters. The setting for the tournament is a suitably creepy cursed graveyard.
Billy the Kid and The Green Baize Vampire (1985)
Better known for his string of social commentary dramas and plays, Alan Clarke also made what the BFI has called “undoubtedly the only vampire snooker musical in cinema history”. You may not know a lot about the sport but the green baize is the fabric that covers the table.
The vampire in question (based on a real-life star of the game) sets up a challenge match against a brash young player with the hidden contract clause that the loser will never play snooker again. The movie stars a whole host of top British TV talent of the time and has become something of a cult classic.