10 African Horror Films to Watch This Halloween

‘The Origin: Madam Koi Koi’ (Nigeria, 2023)

Nigerian urban lore has its fair share of horror characters, none more infamous than Madam Koi Koi, the ghost who haunts dormitories, toilets and classrooms in boarding schools. In The Origin: Madam Koi Koi, the titular character goes after a group of boys after they assault a female schoolmate. The two-part film leans into the mythical features associated with Madam Koi Koi, making her an executor of vengeance and justice. Although it has some cloying missteps as a horror film, it’s a worthwhile watch, even if it’s only for its inspirational character.

Where to watch: Netflix

‘The Fix’ (South Africa, 2024)

Watch the trailer on YouTube.

Set in a dystopian future in Cape Town, The Fix follows a model who takes a designer drug at a party and starts to understand a transformation that follows. In a time where the air is toxic, the effects of the drug prove to be revelatory and forces with competing interests chase after who they consider not just a test subject, but a potential human race savior or cash cow. Directed by Kelsey Egan, The Fix has body horror, sci-fi and superhero elements, anchored by strong performance by lead actor Grace van Dien (Stranger Things), as well as strong showings by Daniel Sharman (Fear the Walking Dead), Clancy Brown (John Wick 4, The Penguin), and Nicole Fortuin (Heart of the Hunter).

Where to watch: Showmax

‘Inside Life’ (Nigeria, 2024)

In modern Nollywood, Lagos is often portrayed with a slick glamor, which is sometimes juxtaposed by grit, but in spirit, Nigeria’s commercial capital is filled with horrors. Clarence Peters’ Inside Life, a six-part limited series, shows how a sequence of mundane, or even tense events, can instantly lead to a horrific outcome. You could go with your friend to meet a local street boss and end up in jail for a crime you didn’t commit; you might enter a bus at night and be abducted by ritual killers; and going for an audition might be the last time you see your family. Beyond its moments of gore, authentic storytelling is the power of Inside Life, a show based on the real Lagos experience.

Where to watch: Netflix

Good Madam (Mlungu Wam) (South Africa, 2022)

A young woman, Tsidi (Chumisa Cosa), together with her young daughter, temporarily moves into the Cape Town mansion where her mother, Mavis (Nosipho Mtebe), has worked as a domestic servant for decades. Upon arrival, Tsidi is upset to find that her mom remains slavishly devoted to her now infirm boss. Tsidi is also disturbed by the house itself, haunted by noises and visions that make no sense to her. Are they real or imagined? Director Jenna Bass deploys deft sound design, strong pacing and generous social commentary to make a case for the banality of evil.

Where to watch: Shudder

Saloum (Senegal, 2021)

This surprise smash from Congolese director Jean Luc Herbulot is a mad-cap fever dream of a film that works as a thrilling exercise in genre-bending. During its slim running time (80 minutes), Saloum manages to feel like a gangster drama, an action thriller, a horror show and a bloody spaghetti western all at once. Saloum follows the Bangui’s Hyenas, three notorious mercenaries who crash land in the mystical Sine-Saloum region in Senegal. In this realm - a sort of swamp adjacent wasteland - the supernatural and the criminal coexist quite nicely, and one or the other is determined to get the protagonists.

Where to watch: Shudder

The Tokoloshe (South Africa, 2018)

The tokoloshe myth is a mainstay of Zulu culture, and has been the source of many a childhood haunting story. With this 2018 film, Jerome Pikwane attempts a reimagination of the tokoloshe story, updating it to fit into more contemporary realities. Hint: Men are bad. Busi (Petronella Tshuma) is a homeless woman working as a cleaner at a hospital where she puts up with a horrible boss. At work, Busi comes across a young girl who she believes is tormented by a supernatural being - a tokoloshe. To save the child from this ruthless monster, Busi will have to face up to her own inner demons.

Where to watch: Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play

8: A South African Horror Story (2019)

Also known as The Soul Collector, or just 8, depending on which side of the world you are watching from. Rooted in folklore and mythology, 8, revolves around an elderly sangoma who is fated to collect souls for eternity. Seeking atonement after trading his daughter's soul, he comes in contact with a trusting family looking for a fresh start. Harold Hölscher directs this period piece that delivers potent chills but also looks to interrogate how people process guilt, and the aftereffects of the grieving process.

Where to watch: YouTube

Juju Stories (Nigeria/France, 2021)

For their latest trick, the Surreal 16 Collective - made up of the trio Michael Omonua, Abba Makama and CJ Obasi tackle popular Nigerian folklore, adding a deliciously evil bent. The three-part anthology Juju Stories sees the casts spin widely held beliefs, myths and superstitions into real life cautionary tales. What happens when a desperate woman turns to supernatural tricks to keep her dream man? Everyone knows not to pick up money you didn’t drop from the ground but what happens when you do? And what does a naïve college student do when she suspects her roommate is a witch? Juju Stories has the answers.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Gaia (South Africa, 2021)

A trippy ecological cautionary tale, Gaia broke through last year at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival where director of photography Jorrie van der Walt scooped the Zeiss Cinematography Award. Directed by Jaco Bouwer, Gaia tracks an injured forest ranger, Gabi (Monique Rockman) who, on a routine mission, is rescued by two off-the-grid survivalists. What starts out as a timely rescue soon grows into a hellish nightmare for Marie as she observes a cultish devotion to the forest among her hosts. Meanwhile, the cabin is also being attacked by a strange presence.

Where to watch: Hulu, Showmax

Kati Kati (Kenya/Germany, 2016)

More spiritual than scary, Kati Kati, the debut feature by Mbithi Masya is a finely imagined take on the afterlife. The film’s protagonist, Kaleche (Nyokabi Gethaiga), confused and not at all oriented, stumbles upon a safari lodge where a motley crew of people inform her that they are all dead and trapped in a sort of limbo state. Produced by Tom Tykwer, Kati Kati - Swahili for in-between - has many things on its mind, one of which is a culturally specific yet universal allegory. What would it look like if a country like Kenya was made to confront the many ways it has failed its people?

Where to watch: AfroLandTV, Plex, Amazon Prime Video