15 Horror Movies Inspired by Greek Mythology to Watch After The Odyssey: From The Lighthouse to Oldboy
by Alex Kaan 24 July 2026
A24
With Christopher Nolan’s epic incorporating horror elements, we’ve selected 15 full-blown horror films inspired by Greek mythology, from a twisted Yorgos Lanthimos thriller to a sleazy 80s B-movie to an overlooked 60s Hammer Horror gem. You’ll find films from Emerald Fennell, Robert Eggers, Ridley Scott, and more.
The Killing of the Sacred Deer (2017)
Curzon
Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) adapts the tragedy of Iphigenia with this absurdist psychological horror about a surgeon (Colin Farrell) who is given an unthinkable ultimatum by a sinister young teenage boy (Barry Keoghan in his breakout role) with a connection to his past. Nicole Kidman also stars.
The Lighthouse (2019)
A24
Before playing the villainous Antinous in The Odyssey, Robert Pattinson starred opposite Willem Dafoe in Robert Eggers’ historical psychological horror about a pair of stranded lighthouse keepers who slowly lose their minds. Pattinson’s storyline evokes the myth of Prometheus, while Dafoe’s character mirrors the prophetic sea god Proteus.
Oldboy (2003)
Show East
After being imprisoned for 15 years without knowing why or by whom he was captured, a former businessman (Choi Min-sik) is drawn into a world of crime and conspiracy as he looks to uncover his captor’s motive and get revenge. Park Chan-wook’s brutal classic parallels Oedipus Rex.
Blood Tide (1982)
Arrow
In this 80s creature feature filled with gore, nudity, and more B-movie sleaze, a young American couple (Mary Louise Weller and Martin Kove) travel to a remote Greek island, where they find an obsessive treasure hunter (James Earl Jones) has accidentally awakened an ancient sea monster.
Prometheus (2012)
20th Century Studios
Taking its name from the myth of the Greek Titan who gave humanity fire and was later punished by the gods, Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel expands on the slasher elements of his 1979 original with an existential, theological horror film about the relationship between creation and creator. Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, and Charlize Theron star.
A Wounded Fawn (2022)
Shudder
In this atmospheric Shudder Original shot on 16mm, a museum curator (Sarah Lind) goes on a romantic weekend getaway, only to learn her partner (Josh Ruben) is a serial killer. The Furies, Greek goddesses of vengeance, play a major role in the film as it shifts from an Argento-esque thriller into surrealist horror.
Theorem (1968)
BFI
In this queer arthouse thriller mystery for fans of Saltburn, an enigmatic stranger (Terence Stamp) infiltrates a rich Milanese family and proceeds to seduce the entire household. This mid-career effort from Salò director Pier Paolo Pasolini was made between his adaptations of Oedipus Rex and Medea, and evokes the rhythms of a Greek tragedy.
Together (2025)
Neon
This gnarly body horror stars real-life partners Dave Franco and Alison Brie as a couple who start to physically fuse together after they move into an isolated woodland home. With allusions to The Pool of Salmacis, the film explicitly cites the Ancient Greek belief that Zeus originally split humans in two, forcing them to search for their “better half”.
The Gorgon (1964)
Hammer
Dracula director Terence Fisher re-teams with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in this Hammer horror film about a series of mysterious deaths in a small German town, where victims are turned to stone by the titular monster.
Malpertuis (1972)
Radiance
In this Greek mythology-fuelled erotic Gothic horror from Harry Kümel, the director of lesbian vampire classic Daughters of Darkness, a young sailor (Mathieu Carrière) finds himself trapped alongside his eccentric relatives in the labyrinthine mansion of his occultist uncle (Orson Welles), where whoever attempts to escape is brutally murdered.
Saltburn (2023)
Warner Bros.
Emerald Fennell’s erotic psychological horror follows a mild-mannered Oxford student (Barry Keoghan) who becomes obsessed with a handsome, popular peer (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to spend the summer at his lavish country house. The film references Icarus, Daedalus’ maze, and the Minotaur.
Triangle (2009)
Icon Film Distribution
A woman (Melissa George) is rescued by an ocean liner after a boat trip goes wrong, but once aboard, she is struck by a strange sense of déjà vu in this psychological horror film based on the myth of Sisyphus, a figure condemned to endlessly push a boulder up a mountain.
The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)
Warner Bros.
Inspired by the tale of Pandora’s box, this 2016 post-apocalyptic sci-fi follows a teacher (Gemma Arterton) who tries to find a girl who is immune to a parasitic fungus that has turned most of humanity into zombies.
Land of the Minotaur (1976)
Cathay Films
Scream king Peter Cushing stars in this British-Greek horror about a satanic cult that kidnaps tourists to offer them as sacrifices to the Devil, who has taken the form of a Minotaur statue.
Minotaur (2006)
Lionsgate
This 2006 British horror film pairs a pre-fame Tom Hardy with horror legend Tony Todd for a loose retelling of the myth of Theseus (Hardy) and the Minotaur.