52 CULT PICS AT THE MOVIES CHALLENGE 2025
WELCOME TO THE CHALLENGE
This is a year-long journey through the grimy, glorious underbelly of cult cinema. Born from a deep and possibly concerning love of Video Nasties and classic drive-in fare, this challenge will drag you through 52 weeks of exploitation, horror, and transgressive cinema from around the globe. Whether you're a seasoned cult film veteran with a shelf full of Italian horror Blu-rays or just beginning to explore beyond the multiplex, there's something here to disturb and delight everyone.
Fair warning: by December, you'll either be a convert to the Church of Fulci or you'll never want to see another cannibal film again. Possibly both.
THE RULES
1. ONE FILM PER WEEK
Each week has a specific prompt. Watch one film that fits that week's criteria between Monday and Sunday. The challenge is designed to follow the calendar week, because structure is important even when you're watching Turkish exploitation cinema at 2 AM.
2. NO REWATCHES
You must watch films you haven't seen before. The point is discovery, not revisiting old favorites. If you've already seen it, it doesn't count—pick something new. Yes, even if you "barely remember it." Especially if you barely remember it.
3. FOLLOW THE WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Prompts are assigned to specific weeks for a reason—the themes flow seasonally and build throughout the year. Watching a Christmas horror film in July defeats the purpose. While life happens and you might fall behind, the goal is to stay on schedule. Your future self will thank you when October rolls around and you're actually ready for Video Nasty Season.
4. ONE FILM = ONE PROMPT
Each film can only fulfill one prompt. You can't "double-dip" even if a film technically fits multiple weeks. Yes, we know Pieces could work for about seven different prompts. Pick one and move on.
5. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF
This is your challenge. No one's checking your homework, and there's no cult film police (though if there were, they'd probably be Italian and inexplicably well-dressed). If you're stretching a film to fit a prompt or pretending you haven't seen something, you're only cheating yourself out of discovery.
GUIDELINES & CLARIFICATIONS
What counts as a "film"?
Feature-length films (generally 60+ minutes) • Made-for-TV movies and direct-to-video releases count • Documentaries about cult films do NOT count (watch the actual films, you coward) • Anthology films count as one film, not separate segments
What if I can't find a specific title?
Many prompts are flexible by design. "A giallo film" gives you hundreds of options, most involving black leather gloves and inexplicable architecture. "A film by Lucio Fulci" gives you his entire filmography to choose from. Do your best to find something that genuinely fits the spirit of the prompt, and remember that half the fun is the hunt.
What if a film fits multiple prompts?
Save it for whichever week feels most appropriate, or watch multiple films that fit and choose the best match. This is a feature, not a bug—it means you'll discover even more weird cinema than you planned.
What about content warnings?
Many of these films contain extreme violence, sexual content, sexual assault, racism, and other potentially disturbing material. These are exploitation films—they were literally designed to shock and transgress, often with all the subtlety of a chainsaw to the face. Research films beforehand if you have specific triggers, and skip prompts if necessary. Your mental health comes first, and there's no shame in tapping out. Some of these films are genuinely rough, and watching them doesn't make you cool or tough—it just means you watched them.
Can I swap prompts around?
The weekly order is intentional and follows seasonal logic (hence Christmas horror in December, not August). But if you absolutely need to swap due to accessibility issues or unavailability, use common sense. Just don't use it as an excuse to cherry-pick the easy prompts and skip the challenging ones. We see you eyeing that Troma week.
What if I fall behind?
Life happens. Jobs exist. Sleep is allegedly important. Do your best to catch up, but don't stress if you miss weeks. The challenge is meant to be fun, not a source of existential dread (you'll get plenty of that from the films themselves). That said, try to maintain the integrity of watching films in their intended seasonal context. A summer camp slasher just hits different in September.
Can I watch with friends or in a group?
Absolutely! Cult films are often better with an audience to share the "did that just happen?" moments. Just make sure it's your first time seeing the film. Also, be prepared to lose some friends. Not everyone is ready for Turkish Star Wars.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Track your progress using Letterboxd lists and diary entries • Log which prompt each film fulfilled in your review or diary entry • Share your experience by reviewing, rating, and discussing your discoveries • Try not to get too pretentious about it • Complete all 52 weeks or die trying (not literally, please)
COMPANION LISTS
Need help choosing films? Check out these companion resources:
52 Cult Pics Weekly Film Recommendations - 3-5 film options for each week, from gateway to hardcore
The DPP 39 (Successfully Prosecuted Video Nasties) - Complete list and guide to the core Video Nasties
Section 3 List (Prosecuted but Acquitted) - The Video Nasties that got away
THE 52-WEEK CALENDAR
JANUARY: NEW BLOOD
Start the year with slashers and survival
Week 1 (Dec 30 - Jan 5): A film from the original Video Nasty list
Week 2 (Jan 6-12): A slasher film made before 1980
Week 3 (Jan 13-19): A backwoods/hillbilly horror film
Week 4 (Jan 20-26): A film featuring a final girl
FEBRUARY: SINS OF THE FLESH
Love, lust, and depravity
Week 5 (Jan 27 - Feb 2): A giallo film
Week 6 (Feb 3-9): A women-in-prison film
Week 7 (Feb 10-16): A film directed by Jess Franco
Week 8 (Feb 17-23): A vampire film made outside the US/UK
MARCH: FOLK DEVILS & MORAL PANICS
When nature and the occult collide
Week 9 (Feb 24 - Mar 2): A folk horror film
Week 10 (Mar 3-9): A film that was banned in at least 3 countries
Week 11 (Mar 10-16): A witchcraft/satanic panic film
Week 12 (Mar 17-23): A film from the "Video Nasty" Section 3 list (prosecuted but acquitted)
Week 13 (Mar 24-30): A possession film
APRIL: CRIME & PUNISHMENT
Revenge, vigilantes, and dirty cops—basically everyone's having a bad time
Week 14 (Mar 31 - Apr 6): A rape-revenge film
Week 15 (Apr 7-13): An Italian poliziotteschi (crime) film
Week 16 (Apr 14-20): A biker exploitation film
Week 17 (Apr 21-27): A blaxploitation film
MAY: GRINDHOUSE SUMMER KICKOFF
Drive-in season begins—roll down those windows
Week 18 (Apr 28 - May 4): A carsploitation film (car chases, crashes, racing)
Week 19 (May 5-11): A film directed by Larry Cohen
Week 20 (May 12-18): A trucker exploitation film
Week 21 (May 19-25): A women-with-guns/action exploitation film
Week 22 (May 26 - Jun 1): A film featuring a kung fu or martial arts massacre
JUNE: CREATURES & MUTATIONS
Monster season—nature is angry and probably radioactive
Week 23 (Jun 2-8): A giant creature/animal attack film
Week 24 (Jun 9-15): A body horror film
Week 25 (Jun 16-22): An alien invasion drive-in film
Week 26 (Jun 23-29): A mutant/radiation monster film
JULY: EUROTRASH EXCELLENCE
Continental depravity at its finest
Week 27 (Jun 30 - Jul 6): A Lucio Fulci film
Week 28 (Jul 7-13): A Spanish horror film from the 1970s
Week 29 (Jul 14-20): A nazisploitation film
Week 30 (Jul 21-27): A French extreme horror film
AUGUST: APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION
Peak summer savagery—probably best watched with the lights on
Week 31 (Jul 28 - Aug 3): A cannibal film
Week 32 (Aug 4-10): A film by Ruggero Deodato or Umberto Lenzi
Week 33 (Aug 11-17): A nunsploitation film
Week 34 (Aug 18-24): A zombie film made before 1985
SEPTEMBER: SCHOOL'S OUT FOREVER
Campus carnage and teen terror—detention was never this deadly
Week 35 (Aug 25-31): A high school/college horror film
Week 36 (Sep 1-7): A summer camp slasher
Week 37 (Sep 8-14): A film featuring killer children or teens
Week 38 (Sep 15-21): A teen sex comedy with horror elements
OCTOBER: VIDEO NASTY SEASON
The main event—this is what you've been training for
Week 39 (Sep 22-28): A Dario Argento film
Week 40 (Sep 29 - Oct 5): A film prosecuted under the UK Obscene Publications Act
Week 41 (Oct 6-12): A film from the DPP 39 (successfully prosecuted Video Nasties)
Week 42 (Oct 13-19): An anthology horror film
Week 43 (Oct 20-26): A film that spawned a controversial franchise
NOVEMBER: GLOBAL GRINDHOUSE
International exploitation—because America doesn't have a monopoly on weird
Week 44 (Oct 27 - Nov 2): An Ozploitation (Australian exploitation) film
Week 45 (Nov 3-9): A pinku eiga (Japanese pink film) or ero guro film
Week 46 (Nov 10-16): A Turkish exploitation film
Week 47 (Nov 17-23): A film from the Philippines exploitation scene
DECEMBER: YEAR-END MADNESS
Finish strong with the weird and wonderful—you've earned this
Week 48 (Nov 24-30): A Christmas horror film
Week 49 (Dec 1-7): A film by the Soska Sisters, or a modern cult film (2010+)
Week 50 (Dec 8-14): A mockbuster or so-bad-it's-good disaster
Week 51 (Dec 15-21): A Troma film
Week 52 (Dec 22-28): A midnight movie classic
RESOURCES & TIPS
Finding Films: Streaming services (Shudder, Tubi, Arrow, Criterion Channel) • Physical media (especially for rarer titles—some of these will never stream) • Archive.org for public domain titles • Library interlibrary loan systems (librarians have seen some things) • Repertory cinema screenings • That one friend with the suspiciously large hard drive
Research: The official Video Nasties list (DPP 39 and Section 3) • Letterboxd lists and user reviews • Cult film books and documentaries • Genre-specific forums and communities • The comment section on any Vinegar Syndrome release
Stay Safe: Read content warnings and reviews if you have triggers • It's okay to skip a prompt or substitute if needed • Remember these films often reflect dated, problematic attitudes—you can appreciate the craft while acknowledging the issues • Watching critically doesn't mean endorsing content • Have a palate cleanser ready (might we suggest a Pixar film?)
FINAL THOUGHTS
This challenge is about expanding your horizons, discovering hidden gems, and understanding the wild, transgressive history of exploitation cinema. Some films will be masterpieces of their form. Some will be irredeemable trash. Some will be both simultaneously, and you'll spend weeks trying to figure out which. You'll see things that can't be unseen. You'll develop opinions about Italian zombie films that you never knew you needed. You'll understand why people get tattoos of Coffin Joe.
Embrace the chaos, keep an open mind, and enjoy the ride through the margins of cinema history. Welcome to the underground.
Now get watching.
