Virginia: The perfect backdrop for several horror and thriller films

(WFXR) — Halloween is a time when thrill-seekers are looking for their next scare, whether that means a haunted house, corn maze, spooky amusement park, or a scary movie!

Virginia is a perfect backdrop for many horror and thriller films. Below is a list of some movies that you might have seen that were filmed across the Commonwealth.

“The Redeemer: Son of Satan!”

This 1978 American horror film takes place during a 10-year high school reunion. That’s when a group of people all of a sudden become trapped inside the school while a mysterious killer is on the loose. This psychotic masked preacher, known as the Redeemer, kills them off because of the sinful lives they live.

According to IMDB, the filming locations took place in Staunton, which is located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The city is full of history, with the presidential library and museum that holds the legacy of Woodrow Wilson or the chance to take a walk with the people who migrated from the Old World to America at the Frontier Culture Museum. The city also offers a night of theatre at the American Shakespeare Center.

“Virus”

In 1999, an American science fiction horror film was released called “Virus.” The movie’s plot follows a crew on a tugboat that discovers a high-tech alien life form that took control of a Russian research vessel and is creating mechanical warriors to destroy all humans.

According to the IMDB website, filming locations for the movie took place in Newport News, Norfolk International Airport, and at Pier 14 of the Norfolk Naval Station.

“Cherry Falls”

This slasher film was made in 2000 and involves a serial slasher who goes on a rampage at Cherry Falls High School in a small Virginia town.

This movie was shot at several locations across the Commonwealth, including Dinwiddie, Petersburg, Warrenton, and Richmond, according to IMDB.

Dinwiddie has a rich history with roots dating back to the county’s founding in 1752. The county’s website says the first settlers were Paleo Indians, but the county was named after Robert Dinwiddie, who became the lieutenant governor of Virginia.

“Hannibal”

Ridley Scott directed “Hannibal,” the 2001 psychological horror film that was based on the 1999 novel by Thomas Harris. This movie is the sequel to “The Silence of the Lambs” from 1991. In “Hannibal,” FBI special agent Clarice Starling tries to capture Hannibal Lecter before Mason Verger, a surviving victim, gets to him first.

The IMDB website says that some of the filming locations were in Richmond and Montpelier.

“Broken Springs”

This independent horror film was produced, directed, and edited by Neeley Lawson, a Virginia native. It was filmed in the fall of 2008, but wasn’t released until 2010. “Broken Springs” is about a group of high school students who drank some tainted moonshine and turned into flesh-eating zombies.

Part of the movie was filmed in Gate City, a place in southwest Virginia with some historic routes, including the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail. Besides history, nature lovers can check out the Natural Tunnel, which was carved through naturally, stands as tall as a 10-story building, and is more than 850 feet long.

“Carver”

In 2008, “Carver” was released to theaters. This horror film states it is based on a true story and follows the events of five people who end up going camping and never return home.

According to IMDB, the movie was filmed in the Town of Occoquan. Located just 20 miles south of Washington, D.C., the town is known for its small and family-owned businesses.

“The Box”

The psychological thriller “The Box,” which was released in 2009, follows a married couple who ends up receiving a small wooden box. They are given a choice: open the box and win a million dollars, but in return, kill someone they don’t know.

Parts of the film were shot in Hampton at NASA’s Langley Research Center. You can find Hampton at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. It is one of America’s oldest cities, established in 1610, according to the city’s website.

“House Hunting”

In 2012, “House Hunting” was released at the Virginia Film Festival. This psychological horror-thriller is about two families that go house hunting. During their search, the families come across what appears to be an abandoned house, but while inside, they find a little girl. The families soon find out they can’t leave.

On the IMDB website, it says the film was shot in Charlottesville. This central Virginia city sits within the upper Piedmont Plateau at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“House of Good and Evil”

This psychological thriller was shot in Floyd County and initially screened there. “House of Good and Evil” came out in 2013, following the story of a married couple who have a miscarriage. The two try to save their marriage by starting over and purchasing a home in the deepest woods, but it turns out that evil also has a key to this home.

Floyd County is known for its music, natural beauty, and arts. It’s located atop the Blue Ridge Plateau in southwestern Virginia.