Sayak Basu
Stephen King is known as a writer of horror stories, but it would be criminal to label his work as simply horror and nothing beyond it. Most of King’s works are actually about fear and how it manifests itself in various forms in front of us. The thing we are afraid of the most is the unknown. Whatever we cannot comprehend within the limited scope of our perception becomes a thing to be feared. This is the human tendency that King has always played with masterfully in his stories, and the Canadian Netflix original film, ‘In The Tall Grass‘ does the same. It must be noted here that this story is not the work of King alone, as he chose to co-write it with his son, Joe Hill.
The film begins on a very simple premise – a brother-sister duo gets concerned when they hear a child’s desperate cry for help. They figure out that the noise is coming from a vast field of grass, and they run into the foliage in order to help this child. As soon as they enter the field, they get lost in it, as if it were a realm unto its own. The film starts off with a solid premise, but then suddenly loses its flow. Unfortunately, it does not remain creepy after a point. Director Vincenzo Natali, who also helmed the famous science-fiction horror film ‘Cube‘, had chosen a topic right up his alley. But here he fails to translate the fear factor from the pages to the screen. However, if you have enjoyed watching ‘In The Tall Grass’ and are looking for more similar films, then we’ve got you covered. Here’s the list of best movies similar to ‘In the Tall Grass’ that are our recommendations. You can watch several of these movies like ‘In the Tall Grass’ on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime:
7. Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
Dan Gilroy, who took us all by surprise with his brilliant 2014 neo-noir film ‘Nightcrawler‘, tried his hands at horror with this 2019 Netflix original also starring Jake Gyllenhaal. The story is set in the world of high art and centers around painters, art curators, and art dealers. Gyllenhaal plays the role of Morf Vandewalt, a critic whose voice is powerful enough to make or break a career. Morf’s friend Josephina, who is also his sexual partner at times, comes across the works of an unknown artist of unspeakable brilliance. However, all his works are extremely dark and mostly deal with death in one form or the other. As we navigate this world where art and money collide, these paintings of this unknown artist start becoming the force of resistance. They possess a supernatural power that kills anyone who wants to make a profit out of selling or buying art. The film does criticize the contemporary art scene, but the critique is too cursory for it to be taken seriously. Gyllenhaal, though, impresses as usual.
6. 1408 (2007)
Also adapted from a Stephen King novel, ‘1408’ tells the story of a writer called Mike Enslin who is a complete skeptic and refuses to believe anything without logic to back it up. He comes to know of The Dolphin hotel in New York and the story that the said hotel’s room number 1408 is haunted. The hotel’s manager sternly refuses Enslin the right to stay in the room, stating that around 56 people have died in the same. However, the manager has to give in after a lengthy argument and hands Enslin the key to the sinister room. Confident at first, as the night progresses, Enslin realizes that he should have paid heed to the manager. Now his chances of survival look pretty dim. Set in a single hotel and specifically within a single room, ‘1408’ has all the elements required in a tense horror film. The performances of John Cusack as the writer and Samuel L. Jackson as the hotel manager are brilliant.
5. Pet Sematary (2019)
Trust Stephen King to come up with the most ingenious concepts to create unparalleled horror. The 2019 film ‘Pet Sematary‘ is a story about Louis Creed and his family which has moved to Maine from Boston along with their family cat. Their days in the rural countryside start off happily, but soon they get trapped into something beyond the realm of logic. The family comes to know about a cemetery nearby, which is completely dedicated to pets.
Further along, there is an ancient burial ground where the Creeds bury their family cat once it passes away. The inexplicable thing about this cemetery is that whatever is buried here comes alive. The Creeds soon realize that there is truth to this rumor when their cat comes back as well. When one of the children dies, Louis’ wife Rachel is hell-bent on burying her at the same place. But is it wise enough to bring back the dead? The film is brilliantly made and there are certain genuine moments of scare interspersed throughout the narrative. If you like jump scares, ‘Pet Sematary’ is a film which will not leave you disappointed.
4. 1922 (2017)
One of the best Netflix original horror films of all time, ‘1922’ is also based on a Stephen King novel. The central character of this film is a rancher called Wilfred James, and it is his confession regarding a crime committed by him in 1922 that becomes the central narrative of this film. Wilf’s problems with his wife began when the duo started fighting over whether to sell their country house and move elsewhere. Something comes over Wilfred and he ends up brutally killing his wife with the help of his son. The duo then throw the body inside a dry well, which is then eaten up by rats. However, the matter doesn’t end there, and soon, Wilfred is haunted by rats everywhere. Even his son suffers heavily in his own life. Wilfred is sure that it is his crime that has come back to haunt him. The production value and the performances in this film are exquisite. The psychological devastation that the leading character goes through is brilliantly portrayed through the film’s rich, layered writing.
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3. Graveyard Shift (1990)
John Hall (David Andrews) is the central character of this film. Hall is a drifter who gets work at the mill when he comes into Maine without having any contact in the city. He works the graveyard shift at the mill where one night, along with some of his colleagues, Hall is asked to go to the basement to clean it up. But the workers soon realize that there is a murderous creature inside the basement and even if they enter the area, chances of them returning alive are pretty dim. The film is nothing extraordinary, and there is no element in it that might qualify it to be a standout horror movie. Director Ralph S. Singleton did have a great material at hand, but the movie turned out to be way too simplistic.
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2. Carrie (1976)
One of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel, ‘Carrie’ is a film about a young and innocent girl who has always been bullied and ridiculed at school. She constantly becomes the brunt of the joke and carries the humiliation within her wherever she goes. One thing that her friends do not know is that Carrie possesses telekinetic powers. The day she cannot repress the humiliation anymore, a lot of people will have a lot to lose. ‘Carrie’ will leave you with an unnerving sense after you’re done watching the film. Brian de Palma is a true master of cinema, and in his hands, this Stephen King story finds a new life.
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1. The Mist (2007)
Fear always arises from the unknown, and this is as true in ‘The Mist‘ as it is in ‘In The Tall Grass’. This 2007 film centers around a father-son duo who get stuck in a supermarket when the entire city gets covered by a dense fog. Whoever goes outside dies immediately. The supermarket becomes the safe haven for people as a dark and sinister force takes over the outside world. Staying confined within this space, infighting naturally arises between the survivors. However, they need to work together to get out of this situation alive. The film is brilliantly made and it captures the essence of the story. As fear grips a group of people, their sanity slowly starts fading away, and they become no less than the monsters outside.
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