Often called one of the ultimate cult zombie films, The Dead Next Door was filmed primarily in Akron. Directed by J.R. Bookwalter and partially funded by Sam Raimi (The Evil Dead), this movie has become a fan favorite for its low-budget charm and gory effects. Akron’s urban scenery and abandoned buildings provided the perfect apocalyptic setting for the zombie outbreak.
Filmed across Cleveland and Akron, The Dead Matter dives into a supernatural storyline involving a relic that grants power over the dead. Directed by Edward Douglas of the band Midnight Syndicate, the film not only showcases Ohio’s landscapes but also highlights the state’s growing indie horror scene.
This unique horror twist on the American folk legend Paul Bunyan was shot in parts of northeast Ohio. The film reimagines Bunyan not as a friendly lumberjack, but as a towering, murderous monster terrorizing unsuspecting campers. Ohio’s forests and outdoor backdrops added to the movie’s chilling atmosphere.
Though set in Wisconsin, large portions of The Bye Bye Man were filmed in Cleveland and surrounding areas. The city’s cold, moody weather and haunting architecture created the perfect environment for this supernatural thriller. The movie follows three college students who unwittingly unleash a deadly curse simply by saying the name “The Bye Bye Man.”
The original Carnival of Souls (1962) is considered a horror classic, but the 1998 remake brought production to Ohio. Some of its unsettling sequences were filmed in Akron and nearby areas, taking advantage of Ohio’s gritty and atmospheric urban locations.
From abandoned factories and dense forests to historic cemeteries and eerie small towns, Ohio offers horror filmmakers an authentic, haunting backdrop. The state’s affordable filming costs and wide range of locations have made it a surprising favorite for cult classics and modern scares alike.
