7 chilling horror films shot in Oregon
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Oregon is a horror filmmaker's dream. Photo: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Dark, rain-soaked forests, foggy coastlines and creepy rural backroads have made Oregon a magnet for Hollywood horror filmmakers.
Zoom in: While "The Shining" is perhaps the state's most well-known horror classic (the exteriors were shot at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood), Oregon's film history stretches beyond big-budget thrillers to indie slashers and more.
Here's our seven favorite horror movies filmed in Oregon.
"Green Room" (2015)
A touring punk band goes head-to-head with a band of neo-Nazi skinheads who are trying to cover up a murder. The result is a grungy slasher that isn't afraid to be totally gruesome. So of course it was shot in and around Portland.
"The Rental" (2020)
Jeremy Allen White and Alison Brie star in this Dave Franco-directed, Bandon-filmed movie where two couples on a beach getaway fear they're being watched.
"Just Before Dawn" (1981)
A machete-wielding killer is on the loose in Oregon's backwoods and stumbles upon five happy campers, who are picked off one by one. Viewers may notice the trails and waterfalls surrounding Silver Falls specifically.
"Cthulhu" (2007)
Based on a reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft's famous short story, a Seattle professor uncovers the truths of his father's cult all while taking in the serene scenes of Astoria's seaside dunes.
"The Ring Two" (2005)
No, the iconic well scene wasn't filmed here, but the ominous lighthouse is indeed the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse and the Astoria house where it was filmed has some history of its own.
"The Haunting of Sarah Hardy" (1989)
Pittock Mansion is a character in this made-for-TV movie that leans more gothic and psychological, as the titular character is driven to madness by unseen forces.
"Twilight" (2008)
Is it horror? Or just horrible? Either way it has vampires and werewolves, as well as shots of the Columbia River Gorge, Tillamook State Forest and Ecola State Park that make up the atmosphere of this massive mainstream success.