Since Rob Hood has kindly provided us with his comprehensive overview of Aussie horror movies, and because our own essay on the subject cannot be placed on this website (it being a part of Kim Newman's BFI Companion to Horror), this is something different. It is simply a list of those locally-made movies we recommend. As such this is a more personal view than an objective summary (with all relevant disclaimers applying), and includes movies that include horrific elements within another genre.

Highly Recommended

Seek these ones out:

Bad Boy Bubby (1994), Rolf de Heer
Bliss (1985), Ray Lawrence
The Cars that Ate Paris (1974, aka The Cars that Eat People), Peter Weir
Chopper (2000), Andrew Dominik
Daybreakers (2009), The Spierig Brothers [Review]
Dead Calm (1988), Phillip Noyce
Ghosts... Of the Civil Dead (1988), John Hillcoat
Incident at Raven's Gate (1988, aka Encounter at Raven's Gate), Rolf de Heer
In the Winter Dark (1998), James Bogle
The Last Wave (1977), Peter Weir [Review]
Mad Max (1979), George Miller
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Peter Weir
The Proposition (2005), John Hillcoat
Road Games (1981), Richard Franklin
Romper Stomper (1992), Geoffrey Wright
Spirits of the Air, Gremlins of the Clouds (1988), Alex Proyas
Two Hands (1999), Gregor Jordan
Wake in Fright (1971), Ted Kotcheff [Review]
Wolf Creek (2005), Greg McLean

beDevil (1993), Tracey Moffatt
The Big Hurt (1985), Barry Peak
The Boys (1998), Rowan Woods [Review]
Cassandra (1986), Colin Eggleston [Review]
Celia (1988), Ann Turner
Contagion (1987), Karl Zwicky
Dangerous Game (1988), Stephen Hopkins [Review]
Dark Age (1987), Arch Nicholson [Review]
Dark City (1998), Alex Proyas
Dead End Drive-In (1986), Brian Trenchard-Smith [Review]
Dead Sleep (1991), Alec Mills
Demonstone (1989), Andrew Prowse
The Dreaming (1988), Mario Andreacchio
Dying Breed (2008), Jody Dwyer
Fatal Bond (1991), Vincent Monton
Homesdale (1971), Peter Weir
Hostage (1983), Frank Shields (aka Savage Attraction)
Howling 3: The Marsupials (1987), Philippe Mora
The Interview (1998), Craig Monahan
Long Weekend (1977), Colin Eggleston [Review]
Lost Things (2003), Martin Murphy [Review] [Interview]
The Magician (2005), Scott Ryan
Metal Skin (1994), Geoffrey Wright
One Night Stand (1984), John Duigan
Patrick (1978), Richard Franklin
The Plumber (1979), Peter Weir
Rogue (2007), Greg McLean
Razorback (1984), Russell Mulcahy [Review]
Summer of Secrets (1976), Jim Sharman [Review]
Thirst (1979), Rod Hardy
Undead (2002), the Spierig Brothers [Interview]
Violence in the Cinema, Part 1 (1971), George Miller
Visitors (2003), Richard Franklin [Review]
The Well (1997), Samantha Lang

Movies of interest by Australian directors or writers

Blind Fury (1989), Phillip Noyce
The Bone Collector (1999), Phillip Noyce
The Crow (1994), Alex Proyas
Fearless (1993), Peter Weir
The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), Stephen Hopkins
Hearts in Atlantis (2001), Scott Hicks [Review]
Highlander (1986), Russell Mulcahy
Kiss or Kill (1997), Bill Bennett (Australian, but not quite horror)
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989), Stephen Hopkins
Psycho 2 (1983), Richard Franklin
Queen of the Damned (2002), Michael Rymer
Resurrection (1999), Russell Mulcahy
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Jim Sharman
Saw (2004), James Wan
Species (1995), Roger Donaldson (not really an Australian, but he did train here)
Until the End of the World (1991), co-written by Peter Carey
The Witches of Eastwick (1987), George Miller