Jonesing for more Yellowjackets? me too.
If you’ve been lost in the wilderness these past few weeks, Yellowjackets is the female-led horror series that just completed its first season on Showtime. The show follows a high school soccer team, the ‘Yellowjackets’, after a plane crash leaves them stranded and (mostly) adultless in the woods.
Hungry, freezing, and with a strange otherworldly presence maybe sorta lurking out in the woods, few girls survive the ordeal. We know this because the majority of the series takes place in the present, where the surviving Yellowjackets must come to terms with the stigma, trauma, and gravity of what really occurred while they were stranded as teens. Which surprise, surprise, they’ve kept secret all these years. So yeah, pretty much everyone thinks they went cannibal.
The series was created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, and stars horror standouts Jasmin Savoy Brown (Scream 2022),  Sophie Nélisse (47 Meters Down: Uncaged), Christina Ricci (Sleepy Hollow), Melanie Lynskey (Castle Rock), and Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers).
Lord of Flies with a female twist, Yellowjackets hit that sweet spot of dramatic thriller and full-blown folk horror. With such a novel premise, it’s been a hard task drumming up recommendations to watch after you’ve binged the first season.
But by golly, I’ve done it! So let’s buzz on through to my list of
5 Horror Moves to Watch after Finishing YellowJackets
5. The Descent (2005)
Six friends embark on an all-girls trip turned caving expedition. After the thrillseeker of the group leads them red flares first into an un-mapped system, the vacation turns to nightmare as the girls fight for their lives from some strange cave-dwelling beasts.
It probably comes as no surprise we went with The Descent for our first Yellowjackets recommendation. It’s got that girlpower vibe, features some serious otherworldly ‘wtf’ moments, and has some pretty terrifying elements to hurdle in the setting alone.
4. I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
Four teens drunk drive after their small-town Fourth of July parade and hit a guy with their car. Instead of going to the police, they chuck him in the river and pretend nothing ever happened. One year later, their eggs come home to roost. Someone knows. The summer is filled with blackmail, haircuts, and crabs in trunks.
Why are we recommending this one, Yellowjackets fans? Why, teens and blackmail of course!
3. Downrange (2017)
A gaggle of young people are stranded on the side of the highway after a blowout. Though a jack and a spare usually prevent situations like these from turning into a full-blown horror film, the youths in Downrange just so happen to be within the hunting grounds of a hidden sniper, hellbent on picking them off one by one. It’s a pitstop of horrors.
Why are we recommending this one for Yellowjackets fans? While the threats in this film aren’t so much the natural elements, our protagonists are isolated, phoneless, and exposed. Not so unlike our favorite Soccer team.
2. Backcountry (2014)
A young couple head out on a camping trip. After their preferred hiking trail is closed, they go off-route (“good idea” – no one ever). Also, they have no map or cell phone. Oh, and a giant, man-eating bear is after them, and he’s definitely a resilient boy.
So, what makes this one a good Yellowjackets follow-up? ..Honestly? It’s got trees and a big bear. Those girls like bear meat, this bear likes human meat. Connection made.
1. Wolf Creek (2005)
Three backpackers end up lost and hunted in Wolf Creek National park, Australia. After becoming stranded, they quickly learn their lesson of putting in trust in the wrong person after accepting help from a zany local. Whoops, he’s a sadistic murderer. The fight for survival begins.
This one is a good Yellowjackets recommendation because it plays with isolation, the wilderness, and themes of trust. Not everyone is what they seem. Except Missy. She’s exactly what she seems.
Bonus: Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970)
HOT AT THE SHOP:
Directed by Mario Bava, this mystery slasher homages Agatha Christie’s And Then They Were None. A bunch of beautiful, affluent people gather on a remote island for a little sun and fun. The trip turns from low-key business deals to the hunt for a killer after someone begins offing the guests one by one.
Why are we recommending this to Yellowjackets fans? Well, it’s a Giallo. (..get it? get it!?) Though plot takes a bit of a backseat, it’s got isolated island vibes — and honestly, the title is just really cool.
Those are our picks for 5 (+1) Horror Movies to watch after finishing Yellowjackets! Are you a fan of the series? Our picks? Let us know over on Twitter, or in the Nightmare on Film Street Discord! I promise I can take it.
