Top 100 Best Horror Movies On Netflix
Horror is a genre chock-full of stories. It’s only logical then, that the biggest streaming service in the world is overflowing with horror movies.
The obstacle is not finding horror films to watch on Netflix. The issue is that not all movies on offer are good.
We have perused Netflix’s horror collection to put together a list of the top movies in the genre available for streaming right now.
So, you should have no lack of horror flicks to watch for a long time.
Before we start the list properly, a few disclaimers. The list is based on personal preference.
Your ranking might vary but all the films here provide at the very least some decent horror fare.
Without further delay, let’s get into the list
Recommended:
1. Hereditary
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Hereditary |
Release Year | 2018 |
Watch time | 127 min |
Directors | Ari Aster |
Cast | Toni Collette, Milly Shapiro, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff |
Domestic Box office | $44.07M |
IMDb Rating | 7.3 |
Metascore | 87 |
Writers | Ari Aster |
Music By | Colin Stetson |
Cinematography By | Pawel Pogorzelski |
Costume By | Grace Yun |
After an old woman passes away, her family is left behind to mourn her loss or be indifferent about it.
With everyone dealing with death in their own way, the granddaughter, who is most deeply affected, starts to see things that the others do not.
Even as the memory of the previous loss is still fresh in their minds, the Grahams are struck with yet another catastrophe.
The second loss leaves the family devastated and resentful of each other. Within the shadows of their grief, strange occurrences start happening around them as they realize the curse they have been left with.
Hereditary is an excellently terrifying horror film, but at its core, this film is an examination of grief.
Toni Colette is the MVP here, giving a heart-wrenching performance of a lifetime. The first half of the film steadily builds up an underlying sense of dread and the final third of the film is an explosion of unbelievably eerie and petrifying moments.
That being said, the less you know before going into this film the better. So, that is all you need to know.
Now go experience this masterpiece for yourself.
Recommended:
2. The Cabin in the Woods
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Cabin in the Woods |
Release Year | 2011 |
Watch time | 95 min |
Directors | Drew Goddard |
Cast | Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz |
Domestic Box office | $42.07M |
IMDb Rating | 7 |
Metascore | 72 |
Writers | Joss Whedon |
Music By | David Julyan |
Cinematography By | Peter Deming |
Costume By | Martin Whist |
Five college friends arrive at a remote forest cabin looking for a mischievous vacation. Little do they know that terrible horrors await them in the woods.
One by one, the youths fall victim to creatures of myth and legend, but there is more at play than meets the eye.
A team of scientists is manipulating the horror behind the scenes, but as the body count continues to rise, there is another layer of mystery behind the terror.
Among horror comedies parodying and satirizing the genre, The Cabin in the Woods is easily the best one.
This film looks at the formula many horror films follow and tosses it out of the window.
Quite a few of the scenes and tropes that you see in this film, especially early on, will appear familiar at first sight.
Until that is, the film subverts your expectations and then beats you over the head with them.
There is absolutely nothing predictable about this film. Even if you have watched this film before, it will still surprise you on a re-watch.
The best part about The Cabin in the Woods is the obviously great amount of love and respect it has for the horror genre.
The movie was able to win multiple awards and nomination that includes the Saturn Award for Best Horror/Thriller Movie, and Bram Stroker Award for Screenplay.
Recommended:
3. Under the Shadow
Set during the Iran-Iraq war, the film follows Shideh who lives with her daughter and husband in an apartment building.
After Shideh’s husband is called away to the frontlines to serve as a medic, their building is hit by a missile.
A superstitious neighbour claims that the missile was cursed and carried with it a malevolent Jinn who now haunts the building.
Dismissive of the suggestion at first, Shideh slowly becomes convinced that the malevolent spirit is real and wants to possess her daughter Dorsa. Left with no other choice, Shideh must confront the Jinn if she is to save her daughter and herself.
Under the Shadow is an examination of the position and circumstances of women in 1980s Tehran.
The main character is a former student activist who struggles within society because of her past as a progressive in a now firmly conservative city.
When her husband is sent off to support the war effort, Shideh is left behind to care for their daughter alone and fight a war of her own in the confines of her own home.
Critics of Rogerbert as well as Metacritic have appreciated this Farsi language movie for the scariest and unnerving experience it delivers to the audience.
The movie emerged winner of the BAFTA Awards for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer.
Recommended:
4. Kingdom: Ashin of the North
Presented as a special episode of the Kingdom zombie horror series, Ashin of the North tells the story of a mysterious woman from the main series.
Ashin is a girl from a Jurchen village in Northern Seongjeoyain where she lives with her family.
Ashin’s father serves as a spy against the bordering Pajeowi tribe for the Joseon Deputy Commander stationed on the border.
When her father is sent on a mission following the deaths of fifteen Pajeowi men in the forbidden forest of Pyesa-gun to mitigate hostilities against Joseon.
Everything goes wrong though, setting on a path of hatred and revenge. Kingdom is, without a doubt, one of the best and most unique pieces of zombie media.
Setting the story so far in the past is a stroke of genius and the cinematography, sets, and costume design completely immerse the viewers into the time period.
The zombie design might not be the most imaginative, but it serves it sure is terrifying and thus, serves its purpose to perfection.
If you are clamouring for new and exciting takes on a genre that is often running the risk of stagnating, you cannot do much better than the entire series of Kingdom.
And no, you do not need to watch the two seasons before watching Ashin of the North.
While this film does set up certain plots and fleshes out certain details for the series, the story of Ashin of the North functions just as well on its own.
The movie is a Netflix Original so you can watch it anytime if you have a subscription.
5. Us
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Us |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 116 min |
Directors | Jordan Peele |
Cast | Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker |
Domestic Box office | $175.08M |
IMDb Rating | 6.8 |
Metascore | 81 |
Writers | Jordan Peele |
Music By | Michael Abels |
Cinematography By | Mike Gioulakis |
Costume By | Ruth De Jong |
Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home with her family where she had been raised as a child. Haunted by a nightmarish memory from her secretive past, Adelaide starts feeling as though everything is about to go wrong.
Her deepest fears become a reality when four masked strangers attack the house, forcing the Wilsons to fight tooth and nail to survive.
However, when the masks come off, the Wilsons are faced with the horrifying revelation that each attacker is an exact lookalike of one of them
Jordan Peele makes his return to horror after the success of Get Out, this time with a greater science-fiction bend to the story.
While its predecessor took a subtler, more contained approach to comment on the state of inequality and racism within American society, Us blows the doors wide open and upscales its criticism from that of wealthy white suburban America to the entire country.
This film might feel too political, but the film elicits a necessary conversation from its viewers.
Commentary on race and class dynamics aside, Us is vastly engaging and terrifying science fiction horror.
This film does not shy away from depicting violence as brutally as possible. The main plot twist is also wonderfully bizarre in the tradition of other great films in the genre.
6. The Host
In 2000, an American military pathologist orders his Korean assistant to dump tonnes of formaldehyde down a drain leading into the Han River in Seoul.
Six years later, an unidentified monster appears from the river, kills hundreds, and carries off Hyun-Seo.
When the family learns that she is being held captive, they set out on a dangerous rescue mission.
Bong Joon-ho has proven himself to be a heavyweight within international cinema time and again, and it all started with this film.
Like his latest masterpiece, Parasite, The Host also uses the seemingly innocuous and simple science fiction premise to deliver a deeper, subtler critique of Korean society and the callous attitude of the US military stationed on foreign soil.
Beyond all that, however, The Host is ultimately a touching tale about family and how far people will go to protect their loved ones.
The family dynamic in this film is some of the most positive in any piece of media as the entire family bands together in the face of insurmountable odds to save on of their own.
With a great and disgusting creature design and a harrowing portrayal of the violence and destruction brought on by said creature, The Host is undoubtedly one of the best monster movies of all time.
7. His House
A refugee couple makes a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, but then they struggle to adjust to their new life in an English town.
However, the dilapidated house with peeling wallpaper and abysmal furnishings in a rundown neighbourhood on the outskirts of London they are accommodated in has other tenants hiding in the shadows.
Horror is at its best when it is being used as a vehicle to deliver a deeper meaning beyond simply terrifying the audience.
Much like The Platform, His House uses its horror to critique social issues plaguing much of the world.
This film tackles everything from personal trauma to the refugee crisis, to deep-seated racism within Western societies.
Following a refugee couple, the film makes you realize that the horror for these people did not start with the haunting of their new house, it started long before with the conflict that forced them to flee their home in the fear of death.
What terrifies most people are not the perceived spirits around them, but rather the traumatic events of the past, the ghosts of which we carry with us for the rest of our lives.
That does not mean that the film is in any way lacking in the department of scares though, as anyone who watches this film will come away with a distinct sense of being deeply unsettled by the supernatural horror on display.
8. The Ritual
Reuniting after the tragic death of their friend, four college pals set out to hike through the Scandinavian wilderness.
A wrong turn leads them into the mysterious and sinister forests straight out of Norse legends, where an ancient evil presence starts stalking them at every turn.
This is one of the best British horror films in recent memory. The Ritual starts off by establishing the dynamic between a group of friends, only to pull the rug out from under the audience by unceremoniously disposing of one of them within the first five minutes.
Unlike most horror films, this death is not played simply for the shock value. From this moment forward, the dynamic between the remaining friends shifts fundamentally and influences the entire plot.
If you just want a horror film to scare you though, you will not find many films more terrifying than The Ritual.
Once the characters find themselves in the Norse forest, things go wrong pretty quickly. From then on, the film escalates the horror to make each scene more terrifying than the last.
To say any more about the film would be revealing too much. Watch and find out the rest for yourself.
9. Annihilation
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Annihilation |
Release Year | 2018 |
Watch time | 115 min |
Directors | Alex Garland |
Cast | Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Benedict Wong |
Domestic Box office | $32.73M |
IMDb Rating | 6.8 |
Metascore | 79 |
Writers | Alex Garland |
Music By | Geoff Barrow |
Cinematography By | Rob Hardy |
Costume By | Mark Digby |
Lena, a biologist, and former soldier is left behind while her husband is sent on a dangerous mission inside Area X.
When he returns seeming changed somehow, Lena joins a mission to uncover the sinister and mysterious phenomenon inside Area X as it continues to expand across the American coastline.
Upon entering, the expedition discovers a world of landscapes and creatures mutated by the mysterious force that resides in Area X.
At the expense of one of their own, the expedition discovers that the mutated land is as dangerous as it is beautiful, and it threatens both their lives and sanity.
Alex Garland has proven himself time and again as one of the most underrated science fiction directors of all time.
He brings all his writing and directing force to bear with Annihilation. The film is one of the most beautiful, visually satisfying feasts for the senses.
The creature design is more wildly imaginative than anything else in the genre and Garland does a wonderful job of drawing the audiences in with appealing aesthetics, only to deliver terrifying consequences for the characters when you least expect them.
The script, especially in relation to the personal story of the main character is emotional and heartbreaking.
Garland is just as diligent in writing the secondary characters as each one feels unique, and the great writing is brought to life by great performances across the board.
Annihilation is a must-watch for anyone with even a passing interest in science fiction and/or horror.
10. The Platform
This Spanish psychological horror thriller depicts a future where private corporations have all the power.
One such corporation allows people the opportunity to live in a mysterious underground complex called the Vertical Self-Management Centre until the completion of their contract in exchange for benefits at the end of their tenancy.
However, no one knows what actually goes on inside the complex or what purpose it serves.
The plot follows Goreng as he signs away six months of his life in exchange for a diploma and wakes up on level 48 of the complex referred to by the residents as the Pit.
Goreng soon finds out why as the horrors of life inside the Pit slowly reveal themselves.
The Platform is one of the most honest, scathing, and brutal examinations of capitalism. The title of the film refers to a platform stocked with food that is lowered once a day through the Pit.
What this does is that it allows the people on the higher platforms to eat as much as they like while the people on the lower levels starve.
On top of that, the assigning of levels happens after a month and is entirely random.
All of this is an obvious allegory for capitalism, not only does this film explore the depths of human depravity under a capitalist structure, it lambasts the people that allow such a structure to exist in the first place.
The horror of the platform is derived just as much from the realization that a system that brings out the worst in people is allowed to exist across the world, as from the violence against the characters in the film.
11. Zombieland
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Zombieland |
Release Year | 2009 |
Watch time | 88 min |
Directors | Ruben Fleischer |
Cast | Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin |
Domestic Box office | $75.59M |
IMDb Rating | 7.6 |
Metascore | 73 |
Writers | Rhett Reese |
Music By | David Sardy |
Cinematography By | Michael Bonvillain |
Costume By | Maher Ahmad |
The film starts with a shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio. Not long after, he is joined by a gun-toting bruiser on a bizarre crusade to find the last Twinkie.
The unlikely duo then becomes an even unlikelier quartet as they come across a pair of sisters striving to get to an amusement park. The four join forces in a trek across a zombie-filled America, each looking to fulfil their dream.
One of the most fun horror comedies ever, Zombieland holds nothing back in its ridiculing and subversion of the tropes of a genre that has often been accused of stagnation.
This film is a breath of fresh air and, with a sub-hour and a half runtime, it feels like a breeze to watch with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and a surprisingly heartfelt plot.
12. Sinister
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Sinister |
Release Year | 2012 |
Watch time | 110 min |
Directors | Scott Derrickson |
Cast | Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, James Ransone, Fred Thompson |
Domestic Box office | $48.09M |
IMDb Rating | 6.8 |
Metascore | 53 |
Writers | Scott Derrickson |
Music By | Christopher Young |
Cinematography By | Christopher Norr |
Costume By | David Brisbin |
This film follows Ellison Oswald, a true-crime writer who moves with his family into a house that was the site of gruesome murders some decades ago in the hopes of being able to write a novel to pull him out of his decade-long slump.
The secrets he finds buried in the house might prove to be more than he bargained for.
What is it with writers and their inability to stay away from danger? Luckily, it makes for a great horror premise.
Sinister is a truly terrifying supernatural horror that is at times scarier because of what it withholds than what it chooses to reveal.
13. Hush
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Hush |
Release Year | 2016 |
Watch time | 82 min |
Directors | Mike Flanagan |
Cast | John Gallagher Jr., Kate Siegel, Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.6 |
Metascore | 67 |
Writers | Mike Flanagan |
Music By | The Newton Brothers |
Cinematography By | James Kniest |
Costume By | Elizabeth Boller |
Maddie, a deaf writer has retreated into the woods to lead a solitary life in the hopes of replicating the recent success she had with her book ‘Midnight Mass’.
It is here that she is attacked and confined inside her house by a masked man who seeks to make her another one of his victims.
But Maddie is not one to give up without a fight. Yet another high-quality horror film by Mike Flanagan to make its way onto the list, Hush puts a unique twist on the horror-thriller genre by putting the audience in the shoes of a deaf protagonist.
This raises the stakes very effectively and adds even more tension to an already tense premise.
14. Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Dracula |
Release Year | 1992 |
Watch time | 128 min |
Directors | Francis Ford Coppola |
Cast | Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves |
Domestic Box office | $82.52M |
IMDb Rating | 7.4 |
Metascore | 57 |
Writers | Bram Stoker |
Music By | Wojciech Kilar |
Cinematography By | Michael Ballhaus |
Costume By | Thomas E. Sanders |
In this arguably greatest on-screen adaptation of the classic story, an enraged Vlad Dracula swears to avenge the death of his lover Elisabeta when she commits suicide.
Things take a turn for the worse when he encounters Mina Harker and takes her to be the reincarnation of his beloved Elisabeta
Meanwhile, Jonathan Harker attempts to rescue his wife with the help of an old by the name of Abraham Van Helsing.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a textbook example of how to produce a macabre gothic horror film.
Despite being released in the early 90s, this film still holds up as the yardstick by which many other similar films are measured to this day.
15. Orphan
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Orphan |
Release Year | 2009 |
Watch time | 123 min |
Directors | Jaume Collet-Serra |
Cast | Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, CCH Pounder |
Domestic Box office | $41.60M |
IMDb Rating | 7 |
Metascore | 42 |
Writers | David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick |
Music By | John Ottman |
Cinematography By | Jeff Cutter |
Costume By | Tom Meyer |
A devastating tragedy strikes the idyllic life of John and Kate as they lose their unborn child. This takes a devastating toll on their marriage as well as Kate’s already fragile psyche as she is plagued by nightmares about her past.
They decide to adopt a child in a desperate attempt to restore some sense of normalcy to their lives.
At the orphanage, the couple finds themselves warming to a young girl named Esther, but Esther may not be the person she seems at first glance.
A classic in the genre, Orphan’s winning stroke is the twist that seems so ludicrous on paper that the film can hide its biggest reveal in plain sight with the audience none the wiser.
Yet, the film does such a great job of heightening the tension that when the twist is revealed, the only sound you will be capable of making is a shocked gasp.
16. Cloverfield
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Cloverfield |
Release Year | 2008 |
Watch time | 85 min |
Directors | Matt Reeves |
Cast | Mike Vogel, Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan, T.J. Miller |
Domestic Box office | $80.05M |
IMDb Rating | 7 |
Metascore | 64 |
Writers | Drew Goddard |
Music By | Michael Bonvillain |
Cinematography By | Kevin Stitt |
Costume By | Doug J. Meerdink |
This found footage science fiction horror records a group of friends navigating a perilous New York following the invasion of the city by a giant monster.
Rob, Hud, Lily, and Marlena desperately try to survive even as they resolve to rescue their friend Beth who is trapped in her apartment on the other side of the city.
A great way to wrap up the saga of found footage horror films on this list, Cloverfield is one of the best films in its genre.
Matt Reeves perfects the art of the found footage movie by using the direction to emphasize the scale of the monster and the battle raging across the city.
17. Run
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Run |
Release Year | 2020 |
Watch time | 90 min |
Directors | Aneesh Chaganty |
Cast | Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen, Sara Sohn, Pat Healy |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.7 |
Metascore | 67 |
Writers | Aneesh Chaganty |
Music By | Torin Borrowdale |
Cinematography By | Hillary Spera |
Costume By | Jean-Andre Carriere |
Speaking of films with a midway twist that completely flips the story on its head, Run is a horror mystery released on Netflix earlier this year.
It follows Chloe, a teenager, who is kept in isolation due to a debilitating illness.
The mother and daughter have spent 17 loving years in peace. Things change drastically when she starts suspecting her mother of keeping dark secrets and decides to investigate.
Run is far from the scariest films out there, but it might just be the most stressful to watch.
When mysteries are uncovered and truths revealed, the film elicits a tension that will make you hold your breath for much of this film.
The tension is delivered perfectly by the great performances, especially from the two lead actors.
18. Don’t Breathe
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Don’t Breathe |
Release Year | 2016 |
Watch time | 88 min |
Directors | Fede Alvarez |
Cast | Stephen Lang, Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto |
Domestic Box office | $89.22M |
IMDb Rating | 7.1 |
Metascore | 71 |
Writers | Fede Alvarez |
Music By | Roque Baños |
Cinematography By | Pedro Luque |
Costume By | Naaman Marshall |
A group of three young delinquent friends decide to break into the house of Norman, a blind veteran of the gulf war, believing him an easy target.
There are rumours of a huge fortune that the veteran has hidden away somewhere in his house.
However, it’s not long before they realize their mistake in assuming Norman to be a defenceless old man.
There is no horror-thriller out there quite like Don’t Breathe. Don’t Breathe pulls the twist of the victim becoming the aggressor halfway through the film, only it flips character morality more completely than anyone could have imagined.
Anyone who considers themselves a thriller fan needs to watch this film (and pretend the terrible sequel doesn’t exist).
19. Errementari
This joint French-Spanish production has been adapted from the folktale of The Smith and the Devil.
Errementari is a fantasy horror comedy set around a quiet village in 1843. It follows an orphan girl as she slips into the home of a supposedly evil blacksmith rumoured to be in league with the devil.
The girl discovers what appears to be a boy trapped by the blacksmith. When she frees the boy, the girl sets in motion a bizarre series of events.
Errementari is a strange fever dream of a film. The story leans heavily into folktale territory and the direction, visuals, and script all work to make this an entirely unique film.
20. Stree
In this Bollywood horror comedy film, the people of Chanderi live in constant fear of Stree, the spirit of a woman who abducts men on festival nights.
Vicky is a tailor who one day encounters a mysterious woman named Gayatri. When peculiar things start happening in relation to Gayatri, Vicky takes it upon himself to unravel the secret behind the mysterious woman, and maybe even uncover the truth of Stree along the way.
Stree is a meticulous examination of gender roles within Indian society, taking painstaking care to criticize the gender dynamic without letting that critique get in the way of a heartfelt story.
21. Cargo
This Australian zombie horror follows a family in the wake of a recent pandemic. The family finds themselves stranded in rural Australia, struggling to avoid the roaming hordes.
After an accident that kills the wife and leaves him infected, the husband must find a safe home for their infant child to protect her from the zombies and himself.
A very refreshing take on the zombie genre, Cargo manages to distinguish itself by telling an incredibly personal tale in the midst of an apocalyptic event.
While the zombie design and the horror are well crafted, Cargo derives most of its conflict from the relationship between the characters and the father’s desperation to ensure the safety of his child.
22. Oculus
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Oculus |
Release Year | 2013 |
Watch time | 104 min |
Directors | Mike Flanagan |
Cast | Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Katee Sackhoff, Rory Cochrane |
Domestic Box office | $27.70M |
IMDb Rating | 6.5 |
Metascore | 61 |
Writers | Mike Flanagan |
Music By | The Newton Brothers |
Cinematography By | Michael Fimognari |
Costume By | Russell Barnes |
This film follows two siblings, the sister leading life as a successful antique broker, while the brother is released from his long stint as a mental asylum inmate.
The siblings get together for the first time in years, only for the sister to immediately bring up the past.
Despite his reservations, the brother decides to humour his sister in her quest to prove that the traumatic events of their childhood were the result of a haunted mirror that feeds on the sanity of the people around it.
Oculus is the kind of mind-bending horror that makes you question everything about every scene in the film, while simultaneously delivering some truly terrifying scenes with a heartbreaking ending.
23. The Devil’s Advocate
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Devil’s Advocate |
Release Year | 1997 |
Watch time | 144 min |
Directors | Taylor Hackford |
Cast | Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones |
Domestic Box office | $60.98M |
IMDb Rating | 7.5 |
Metascore | 60 |
Writers | Andrew Neiderman |
Music By | James Newton Howard |
Cinematography By | Andrzej Bartkowiak |
Costume By | Bruno Rubeo |
A renowned and exceptional lawyer living in Florida with his wife is offered a job at a famous New York City law firm with a powerful boss.
Seeing it as the biggest opportunity of his career so far, the lawyer accepts and relocates to New York with his wife.
Things start to go wrong at both work and home in his relationship with his wife.
He soon starts considering that his boss might be behind his misfortunes and that his boss might be the devil himself.
The Devil’s Advocate is a widely recognized classic thriller, praised for its psychological prowess as well as its great performances.
However, it is strangely underrated for its effective horror, which is exceptionally well done and worth the entire 2+ hours of runtime.
24. Gerald’s Game
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Gerald’s Game |
Release Year | 2017 |
Watch time | 103 min |
Directors | Mike Flanagan |
Cast | Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Chiara Aurelia, Carel Struycken |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.5 |
Metascore | 77 |
Writers | Mike Flanagan |
Music By | The Newton Brothers |
Cinematography By | Michael Fimognari |
Costume By | Patrick M. Sullivan Jr. |
The second entry for Mike Flanagan on this list (it won’t be the last) with another great Stephen King adaptation, this time for the great psychological horror-thriller story of Gerald’s Game.
It follows a couple as they prepare to partake in a kinky game, only for the husband to suddenly fall dead.
Handcuffed to the bed with no chance of escape, Jessie starts to slowly lose her mind as she hears strange voices and sees eerie visions.
A slow burner with a sense of inevitability, Gerald’s Game plays with the perception of the audience as much as it plays with the sanity of Jessie.
At the end of its 103-minute runtime, this film will leave you questioning whether anything you saw was real.
25. Creep
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Creep |
Release Year | 2014 |
Watch time | 77 min |
Directors | Patrick Brice |
Cast | Patrick Brice, Mark Duplass |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.3 |
Metascore | 74 |
Writers | Patrick Brice |
Music By | Kyle Field Eric Andrew Kuhn |
Cinematography By | Christopher Donlon |
Costume By | Dane A. Davis |
Rounding up this trilogy of great found footage horror is 2014’s Creep. The film follows Aaron, a videographer who answers an online ad.
He drives to a stranger man’s home to film his life for a day. The stranger is looking to make a movie for the child who is yet to be born. Just when it seems like things might go without a hitch, the stranger’s requests start becoming more and more bizarre.
Just like its critically acclaimed sequel, the first Creep is a masterclass of subtly unsettling psychological horror that becomes more pervasive with each passing moment.
All the praises of the sequel apply, with a great script, great performances, and a unique idea at the centre of it all.
26. As Above, So Below
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | As Above, So Below |
Release Year | 2014 |
Watch time | 93 min |
Directors | John Erick Dowdle |
Cast | Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge, François Civil |
Domestic Box office | $21.20M |
IMDb Rating | 6.2 |
Metascore | 38 |
Writers | John Erick Dowdle |
Music By | Keefus Ciancia |
Cinematography By | Léo Hinstin |
Costume By | Louise Marzaroli |
A great found footage horror film, only this one is supported by supernatural horror. This film follows a team of archaeologists as they search for the fabled Flamel’s Philosopher’s Stone.
Their hunt takes them to the famed Catacombs beneath Paris. The assembled crew seeks to document this historic mission, not realizing that their descent into the catacombs might as well be a descent into hell itself.
As Above, So Below is the best supernatural horror-found footage since the Blair Witch Project.
This film has one mandate, and that is to scare the hell out of its audience, and it takes that directive very seriously, forgoing anything that does not serve this purpose to the fullest.
27. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Guillermo del Toro unveils eight macabre tales within his Cabinet of Curiosities. Each episode, handpicked by the master of horror, dives into a unique realm of fright.
From Lovecraftian nightmares of forbidden art to grotesque encounters with otherworldly rodents, expect the unexpected. Prepare for a chilling anthology where nightmares bleed into reality, sanity is tested, and the darkness reveals its most fascinating and terrifying forms.
This cabinet doesn’t offer safety, only spine-tingling exploration of the deepest shadows. Del Toro himself acts as the enigmatic host, guiding you through these tales of the bizarre and horrifying, where monsters hide in plain sight, art bleeds into reality, and curiosity can be a fatal lure.
28. Creep 2
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Creep 2 |
Release Year | 2017 |
Watch time | 78 min |
Directors | Patrick Brice |
Cast | Karan Soni, Mark Duplass, Desiree Akhavan, Kyle Field |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.5 |
Metascore | 75 |
Writers | Mark Duplass |
Music By | Julian Wass |
Cinematography By | Desiree Akhavan Patrick Brice |
Costume By | Bobby Guard |
In this sequel to 2014 original (more about that later), the serial killer of the first film returns as he once again puts into motion a scheme to lure in unsuspecting videographers to their deaths.
This time, his target is Sara, a video artist craving shocking stories. After meeting the serial killer in a secluded cabin, Sara suspects that she has made a fatal mistake.
A sequel earning just as much critical acclaim as the original is somewhat of a novelty in horror, especially where found footage films are concerned.
Creep 2 earns the praise through its witty writing, dark humour, tight script, and great performances.
29. Beetlejuice
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Beetlejuice |
Release Year | 1988 |
Watch time | 92 min |
Directors | Tim Burton |
Cast | Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Annie McEnroe |
Domestic Box office | $73.71M |
IMDb Rating | 7.5 |
Metascore | 70 |
Writers | Michael McDowell |
Music By | Danny Elfman |
Cinematography By | Thomas E. Ackerman |
Costume By | Bo Welch |
This classic horror film follows a deceased couple Adam and Barbara as they unsuccessfully try to fend off an annoying family that has moved into their old home.
Frustrated and harassed by the new homeowners, Adam and Barbara resolve to get rid of the family by employing the help of a malevolent spirit, Betelgeuse.
Beetlejuice is an undeniable classic of the comedy-horror genre. Tim Burton brings his signature gothic and uncanny direction style to the table, supported brilliantly by great performances from Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin.
If you are a horror fan and have not watched this film, you owe it to yourself to rectify that right away.
30. May the Devil Take You
This Indonesian supernatural horror film follows a young woman who is searching for answers to her father’s mysterious illness.
Hoping to discover the truth, she visits her father’s old villa. However, the answers she finds there are more horrifying than anything she could have expected.
Indonesian horror cinema continues to deliver great horror after great horror as it vies for the crown of the best horror cinema in Asia.
May the Devil Take You is yet another exhibit that proves that point, dispensing great scares, unsettling moments, and a great mystery to cement its place in the greats of Asian horror cinema.
31. Aterrados
In this Argentine horror film, strange events occur in a seemingly ordinary Buenos Aires neighborhood.
This catches the attention of a doctor specializing in the paranormal, who decides to investigate further with the help of her colleague and an ex-police officer.
All you need to see to be sold on this film is look at its horrific poster.
If that is not enough to convince you, watch the trailer. The visuals in the supernatural scenes and the deaths are sickeningly scary.
Even the title of the film translates to ‘Terrified’, and the film delivers on that promise in spades.
32. Veronica
A teenage girl Veronica grapples with the death of her father as her single mother tries her best to provide for her children.
During a solar eclipse, Veronica and her friends attempt to communicate with the spirit of her father using an Ouija board.
But things go wrong as Veronica passes out during the ritual. When she starts experiencing an eerie phenomenon around her, Veronica suspects that the ritual has allowed sinister demons to come through.
Veronica is in the upper echelon of Netflix’s original horror and supernatural horror in general.
The terror this film presents is persistent and the acting really sells the horror to perfection.
33. Andhaghaaram
This Tamil supernatural horror thriller revolves around three seemingly unconnected men and their individual entanglements with the occult.
Selvam is a blind librarian with familial ties to the occult. Vinod is a cricket coach who feels guilty about the apparent possession of his friend.
Dr. Indran is a renowned psychiatrist whose family was massacred by a patient. They are drawn closer to each other in their individual quests for redemption.
Yet another great Tamil-language horror film that delivers chilling horror alongside a mind-boggling mystery. Rarely have reveals and payoffs felt more well-earned than with Andhaghaaram’s twists, which lead to an absolutely shocking climax.
34. Mama
After surviving an accident on a snowy road, two young sisters are forced to live in an abandoned forest cabin where they are watched over by an ominous entity the girls call Mama.
When their uncle shows up years later to retrieve them, the dark presence follows the children to their new suburban home.
Mama is one of the few feature-length adaptations of an excellent short horror film that matches the quality of the original.
The film has no shortage of jump scares and terrifying moments, but what sets this film apart is the surprisingly emotional and heartfelt story at the center about a mother’s love for a child.
35. Crawl
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Crawl |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 87 min |
Directors | Alexandre Aja |
Cast | Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Morfydd Clark, Ross Anderson |
Domestic Box office | $39.01M |
IMDb Rating | 6.1 |
Metascore | 60 |
Writers | Michael Rasmussen |
Music By | Max Aruj Steffen Thum |
Cinematography By | Maxime Alexandre |
Costume By | Lucy Eyre |
In this disaster horror, Hayley attempts to save her father from getting caught in a category 5 hurricane in Florida.
No good deed goes unpunished though, and Hayley and her father find themselves trapped in the house as the hurricane hits, flooding the entire area.
They soon realize that the floodwater is the least of their troubles when they discover the alligators lurking underneath.
Crawl is one of the tensest disaster horror films out there. The special effects and direction regarding both the flood and the alligators puts you on edge and makes for a knuckle-biting watch as the characters struggle to survive with the odds stacked firmly against them.
36. Roh
This Malaysian supernatural horror is set in a remote forest, in an era long ago.
A mother struggles to provide for her two children after the disappearance of her husband.
One day, a strange girl shows up at their doorstep looking for shelter. Soon after, terrors in the night start haunting the family.
Roh captures the unique quality of a scary folktale. Everything from the acting to the setting to the cinematography exists to serve this idea.
Much like folklores, Roh will settle in your thoughts as you absorb the horrors that unfold on screen, only to find yourself thinking back on the story for weeks to come.
37. Ravenous
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Ravenous |
Release Year | 1999 |
Watch time | 101 min |
Directors | Antonia Bird |
Cast | Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, David Arquette, Jeremy Davies |
Domestic Box office | $2.06M |
IMDb Rating | 7 |
Metascore | 46 |
Writers | Ted Griffin |
Music By | Damon Albarn Michael Nyman |
Cinematography By | Anthony B. Richmond |
Costume By | Bryce Perrin |
A small, remote village in upstate Quebec is terrorized by a flesh-eating plague that breaks down residents’ bodies and turns them against their loved ones.
A scrappy band of survivors join forces to flee into the woods and away from the infected hordes of zombies.
As far as zombie movie tropes are concerned, Ravenous does not break the mold. What it does achieve is that it creates a disquieting classic zombie story with a band of survivors battling to reach safety, and it does that to perfection.
If you are in the mood for an engaging, classic, zombie plot, there aren’t much better than Ravenous.
38. Cam
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Cam |
Release Year | 2018 |
Watch time | 94 min |
Directors | Daniel Goldhaber |
Cast | Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters, Devin Druid |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 5.9 |
Metascore | 71 |
Writers | Isa Mazzei |
Music By | Gavin Brivik |
Cinematography By | Katelin Arizmendi |
Costume By | Christina Flannery |
This horror mystery follows a cam girl with a growing fanbase. Despite working in the pornography business, Alice has certain principles she will not break just to get ahead by pulling cheap stunts.
That all changes however when a mysterious new girl who looks just like Alice takes over her channel and starts pushing boundaries real Alice had put in place.
Cam is a measured and sincere look at the lives of sex workers and the kinds of problems they face every day.
They can often only rely on themselves in times of crisis. This film is not just about the social commentary though, as the mystery and horror are elevated by the sense of isolation the main character feels.
39. It: Chapter Two
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | It Chapter Two |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 169 min |
Directors | Andy Muschietti |
Cast | Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa |
Domestic Box office | $211.59M |
IMDb Rating | 6.5 |
Metascore | 58 |
Writers | Stephen King |
Music By | Benjamin Wallfisch |
Cinematography By | Checco Varese |
Costume By | Paul D. Austerberry |
In this conclusion of the modern adaptation of Stephen King’s It, the Losers Club comes back together again to fulfill the pact they made with each other 27 years ago.
Spurned on by a tragedy, the friends return to Derry to face the terrifying clown Pennywise once more and to finally end his reign of terror for good.
Unfortunately, the first chapter of It isn’t available for streaming on Netflix. So, if you have not seen the first film, you must seek it out as this duology is best experienced together.
It: Chapter Two is a satisfying and bone-chilling conclusion to the story of Pennywise and the Losers Club.
40. The Final Girls
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Final Girls |
Release Year | 2015 |
Watch time | 91 min |
Directors | Todd Strauss-Schulson |
Cast | Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Adam Devine, Thomas Middleditch |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.6 |
Metascore | 59 |
Writers | M.A. Fortin |
Music By | Gregory James Jenkins Eddy Zak |
Cinematography By | Elie Smolkin |
Costume By | Katie Byron |
In this horror-comedy, a young girl Max and her group of friends go to watch a cult classic slasher film called Camp Bloodbath, starring Max’s deceased actress mother.
During the screening, the theatre the friends are in catches fire. The group cuts through the screen to escape the fire only to discover that they have somehow been transported into the film.
The Final Girls pays homage to the tropes of classic teen slasher movies while simultaneously deconstructing and satirizing them.
The horror is presented sincerely but is alleviated by the dark comedy that runs through the very DNA of this film.
Fans of teen slashers will find this incredibly fun to watch.
41. Oxygen
Set in the near future, the French horror Oxygen tells the story of a woman who wakes up in a cryogenic chamber with no recollection of how she got there.
She soon realizes that her peril does not end there, as the oxygen in the chamber is slowly running out.
She must find an escape before the air runs out. A futuristic update on the likes of Buried, this film is yet another proof of how good low-budget horror films can be.
Oxygen is set almost entirely in one small location and the camera work does everything to elicit a sense of claustrophobic dread from the audience.
42. The Purge: Anarchy
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Purge: Anarchy |
Release Year | 2014 |
Watch time | 103 min |
Directors | James DeMonaco |
Cast | Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez |
Domestic Box office | $71.96M |
IMDb Rating | 6.4 |
Metascore | 50 |
Writers | James DeMonaco |
Music By | Nathan Whitehead |
Cinematography By | Jacques Jouffret |
Costume By | Brad Ricker |
Every year, the United States government sanctions a 12-hour period of nighttime in which people can commit any crime they want to, including murder without fear of repercussion. Leo is a sergeant who lost his son in an accident.
He plans to get revenge during the mayhem. However, instead of accomplishing his mission of revenge, he ends up becoming the protector of four innocent strangers who will not survive the night without his help.
Arguably the best in the entire franchise, Anarchy pairs back on the suspenseful horror of the first and focuses a lot more on the action aspect of the action-horror genre and is all the better for it.
43. Fear Street: Part Three – 1666
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Fear Street: Part Three – 1666 |
Release Year | 2021 |
Watch time | 114 min |
Directors | Leigh Janiak |
Cast | Kiana Madeira, Ashley Zukerman, Gillian Jacobs, Olivia Scott Welch |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.6 |
Metascore | 68 |
Writers | Phil Graziadei |
Music By | Marco Beltrami |
Cinematography By | Caleb Heymann |
Costume By | Scott Kuzio |
The third and final film in the trilogy is set primarily in 1666 and recounts the events that started the Shadyside curse.
The truth of the witch Sara Fier is revealed as the story rolls along to its stellar conclusion.
The final piece in the puzzle of the complicated past of Shadyside and Sunnyvale is revealed, with shocking consequences for the present.
The final entry into the series ramps up the horror and violence even more, with direction, set, and costume design of the 1600s village matching the high quality of its 20th-century counterparts.
Easily the most emotionally resonant of the three, 1666 delivers heart-breaking moments and gut-punching reveal aplenty on the way to a satisfying conclusion.
44. Fear Street: Part Two – 1978
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Fear Street: Part Two – 1978 |
Release Year | 2021 |
Watch time | 109 min |
Directors | Leigh Janiak |
Cast | Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, Ryan Simpkins, McCabe Slye |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.8 |
Metascore | 61 |
Writers | Zak Olkewicz |
Music By | Marco Beltrami |
Cinematography By | Caleb Heymann |
Costume By | Scott Kuzio |
The second part in the trilogy serves as a part prequel, part sequel to the first as a portion of the film is set in 1978 and recounts the events of Camp Nightwing.
The story follows the Berman sisters as they navigate the tense environment of the joint camp of Shadysiders and Sunnyvalers as a killer emerges and starts brutally murdering teenagers.
The second part of Fear Street is an even bloodier and more brutal serving than the first.
The supernatural mystery of the series is delved into even further and seemingly unrelated events start to coalesce to form a more complete picture.
45. Fear Street: Part One – 1994
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Fear Street: Part One – 1994 |
Release Year | 2021 |
Watch time | 107 min |
Directors | Leigh Janiak |
Cast | Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Julia Rehwald |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.2 |
Metascore | 67 |
Writers | R.L. Stine |
Music By | Marco Beltrami |
Cinematography By | Caleb Heymann |
Costume By | Scott Kuzio |
First, in a trilogy based on a horror series by R. L. Stine, 1994 is set in the titular year in a town called Shadyside as the community is shaken by the brutal murders of teenagers in a mall by another teenager.
This is just one more incident in a string of similarly violent and inexplicable murders in Shadyside.
When a group of teenagers discover the supernatural force behind these seemingly unconnected murders, they must battle the ghosts of past serial killers if they hope to survive and break the curse.
Since the other films in the trilogy are also on this list, all you need to know here is that this is a fun and surprisingly violent film that is a must-watch for fans of supernatural slashers.
46. Inhuman Kiss
In this Thai romantic horror, an innocent teenage girl inherits a curse that causes her head to detach from her body at night to hunt for human flesh.
The complications in her life do not end there, as she is torn between the affections of two childhood friends and must battle the demon within her to keep them safe from herself.
A romantic horror on this list, Inhuman Kiss earns its place by being a perfectly balanced collaboration of horror and romance.
Despite being a good horror film, it is the strangely sweet earnestness of its central plot and relationships that set this film apart.
47. Game Over
This film follows a handicapped game designer suffering from PTSD and living alone with her housemaid.
The nyctophobic Swapna has to fight her inner demons to stay alive. However, it is not just her inner demons she must fight when a serial killer enters her house and forces her to play a sick and twisted game for survival.
Game Over is another brilliant addition to the psychological slasher horror genre in Tamil cinema.
The film is dark, violent and holds back no punches in delivering on the promise of the inhumanity of the twisted antagonist.
48. It Follows
Teenage Jay falls for a mysterious guy who leaves her with more than just heartache. After their intimate encounter, a shapeshifting entity latches onto her, an unstoppable force disguised as anyone she knows.
Only Jay sees its menacing forms, relentlessly stalking her with murderous intent. With nowhere to run and no one to truly believe her, Jay must find a way to break the curse before she becomes “it’s” next victim.
Trapped in a waking nightmare, Jay must find a way to break the curse before It claims her life, or pass it on to another unsuspecting soul.
49. Mother!
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Mother! |
Release Year | 2017 |
Watch time | 121 min |
Directors | Darren Aronofsky |
Cast | Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfeiffer |
Domestic Box office | $17.80M |
IMDb Rating | 6.6 |
Metascore | 75 |
Writers | Darren Aronofsky |
Music By | Matthew Libatique |
Cinematography By | Andrew Weisblum |
Costume By | Isabelle Guay |
An author and his wife lead a tranquil existence in a burnt-out house. However, when uninvited guests come barging in, the couple’s life turns chaotic.
With their tranquil existence disrupted, the shocking events that unfold test and fray the relationship of the husband and wife to its limits.
Darren Aronofsky’s direction and storytelling are not suited to all audiences. That is why this film isn’t placed higher on this list.
However, it is difficult to deny the mind-bending, deeply thought-provoking brilliance of his work. Mother! is no different in that regard.
The horror here is one that will borough into your brain and make you uncomfortable, but your eyes will still be glued to the screen in anticipation of what comes next.
50. Happy Death Day 2U
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Happy Death Day 2U |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 100 min |
Directors | Christopher Landon |
Cast | Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Phi Vu, Suraj Sharma |
Domestic Box office | $28.05M |
IMDb Rating | 6.2 |
Metascore | 57 |
Writers | Christopher Landon |
Music By | Bear McCreary |
Cinematography By | Toby Oliver |
Costume By | Bill Boes |
Tree Gelbman is the survivor of a time loop in which she was repeatedly murdered by a sadistic killer.
But maybe dying over and over again was preferable to what lies in her future.
Finding herself in a similar, yet somehow worse situation than last time, Tree has had enough and sets out to end the loop for good.
A darkly funny comedy horror that derives most of its humor from the absolute brutality of the situation that the main character finds herself in.
The central mystery is very well done, and the film is filled with some of the most imaginative kills ever.
51. Bulbbul
The Indian supernatural horror film is about Bulbbul, a child bride who grows up to become an enigmatic woman with a strict rule over her household.
The brother of the groom returns home after many years away to find the child bride now grown up and in charge after the death of her husband, apparently at the hands of a female demon.
He is not the only victim though, as the entire village is plagued by mysterious deaths.
A story that feels like something out of a folk horror tale, Bulbbul delivers a surrealistic atmosphere through its direction and a deep mystery filled with dread and great plot twists.
52. The Swarm
This French horror provides a great spin on the genre of creature horror. The film follows a single mother who breeds locusts as a high-protein food.
However, there are complications as she has trouble getting them to reproduce. That is until she finds they have a taste for blood.
A truly creepy yet thought-provoking view of the perils of single parenthood as well as the profession of breeding.
The object of horror, a swarm of locusts, is biblical in its terror and the film reminds the audience of this fact by presenting the swarm as a truly terrifying force of nature.
53. Babysitter
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Babysitter |
Release Year | 2017 |
Watch time | 85 min |
Directors | McG |
Cast | Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Robbie Amell, Hana Mae Lee |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.3 |
Metascore | — |
Writers | Brian Duffield |
Music By | Douglas Pipes |
Cinematography By | Shane Hurlbut |
Costume By | Kristen Vallow |
From the sequel back to the original, Babysitter follows Cole as he is left alone at his house with a hot babysitter to watch over him.
Things seem to be going fine until Cole makes the mistake of staying up past his bedtime.
This is when he spies the babysitter with other members of a satanic cult who will do anything to keep him quiet forever.
With tighter pacing and narrative than the sequel, Babysitter delivers just as many thrills, shocking moments, and delicious violence but with an even better story focus that provides even better twists and turns throughout.
54. Babysitter: Killer Queen
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Babysitter: Killer Queen |
Release Year | 2020 |
Watch time | 101 min |
Directors | McG |
Cast | Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving, Jenna Ortega, Emily Alyn Lind |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 5.8 |
Metascore | 22 |
Writers | Dan Lagana |
Music By | Bear McCreary |
Cinematography By | Scott Henriksen |
Costume By | Mary Claire Hannan |
A sequel to the 2017 Netflix original, Killer Queen follows Cole trying to live a normal life two years after the incidents of the first film.
School is no less of a nightmare than the satanic blood cult he defeated in the past.
The nightmare only gets worse though as the satanic cult makes a return and Cole must once again find a way to outsmart them.
While it is not exactly a highly thought-provoking contemplation of the human condition, Killer Queen is nonetheless a supremely enjoyable horror slasher with some very shocking moments and devilishly imaginative kills.
This is another good choice for a movie night with friends.
55. The Perfection
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Perfection |
Release Year | 2018 |
Watch time | 90 min |
Directors | Richard Shepard |
Cast | Marie Maskell, Allison Williams, Christina Jastrzembska, Glynis Davies |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.2 |
Metascore | 60 |
Writers | Richard Shepard |
Music By | Paul Haslinger |
Cinematography By | Vanja Cernjul |
Costume By | John Marcynuk |
In this horror thriller, Charlotte, a once-promising music prodigy reconnects with her former mentors, only to find them taken with a talented new pupil.
A troubled Charlotte seeks out Elizabeth, the star pupil of her former music school. The encounter sends both musicians spiraling down a sinister path with terrible consequences.
The perfection is elevated by the high quality of its acting, cinematography, and sound design.
The highlight is the performances of the two leads that portray the subtle tension between the two characters brilliantly.
That is to say nothing of the various twists and turns of the story, which you need to experience for yourself.
56. Alive
This South Korean zombie film follows the story of a lone survivor in the wake of a virus outbreak that ravages the city.
The lone man stays locked inside his apartment at first, cut off from the rest of the world.
He soon realizes though that if he is going to get help, he needs to make his way through a city overrun by zombies.
Despite a good depiction of a zombie apocalypse, the real reason #Alive works as well as it does is because of the charismatic performance by the actor playing the relatable lead character.
#Alive slots right next to Train to Busan in the tradition of great Korean zombie movies.
57. The Block Island Sound
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Block Island Sound |
Release Year | 2020 |
Watch time | 99 min |
Directors | Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus |
Cast | Chris Sheffield, Michaela McManus, Neville Archambault, Ryan O’Flanagan |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 5.3 |
Metascore | — |
Writers | Kevin McManus |
Music By | Paul Koch |
Cinematography By | Alan Gwizdowski |
Costume By | Natalie Como |
In this indie science fiction horror, the residents of Block Island start noticing unusual phenomena.
Tonnes of dead fish are beached on the coast randomly. Birds fall out of the sky, already dead before even hitting the ground.
Amidst all this strangeness, a fisherman appears to slowly lose his mind as his son watches on helplessly.
The fisherman’s daughter soon arrives to investigate the dying wildlife. But things only become more mysterious.
The film leans heavily into its multiple layers of mystery. The first half is a slow-burn psychological horror, but things become truly bizarre as the film nears its mind-bending conclusion.
58. Pizza
Kunal, a pizza delivery boy who does not believe in the supernatural, finds himself stuck in a house during a delivery.
He witnesses horrifying events, including murders, that force him to reconsider his conviction. He struggles to leave the house as the very forces he had once decried close in around him.
Pizza is another good entry into Indian horror cinema. The film is full of scary and terrifying moments.
However, what sets this film apart from its contemporaries is the truly shocking final twist that any horror fan absolutely must experience for themselves.
59. The Bar
In this Spanish language dark comedy horror, a loud gunshot and two mysterious deaths trap a disparate group of regular citizens in a dilapidated central bar in bustling downtown Madrid.
Paranoia and suspicion start setting in, forcing the terrified strangers to turn on each other as the body count keeps rising.
The Bar walks a tightrope between absurdity and a competent thriller and does so very well.
The film feels like a perfect car crash that keeps you guessing just as much as it keeps you laughing.
Perhaps the greatest strength of this film though is the tense dynamic between the motley crew of characters.
60. Doctor Sleep
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Doctor Sleep |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 152 min |
Directors | Mike Flanagan |
Cast | Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 7.3 |
Metascore | 59 |
Writers | Mike Flanagan |
Music By | The Newton Brothers |
Cinematography By | Michael Fimognari |
Costume By | Maher Ahmad Patricio M. Farrell |
A sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel, The Shining, Doctor Sleep follows Danny Torrance as he struggles to run from the traumatic events at the Overlook hotel.
Elsewhere, a group calling themselves the True Knot possess similar abilities and hunt down anyone with the shining to live longer.
When Danny finds a girl with the shining, he must do all he can to protect her from the evil True Knot who seek to take her life to extend their own.
Doctor Sleep is a brilliant spectacle of a horror film, entirely deserving of carrying on the legacy of Kubrick’s ground-breaking adaptation of a classic horror story.
61. Hostel
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Hostel |
Release Year | 2005 |
Watch time | 94 min |
Directors | Eli Roth |
Cast | Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eythor Gudjonsson, Barbara Nedeljakova |
Domestic Box office | $47.33M |
IMDb Rating | 5.9 |
Metascore | 55 |
Writers | Eli Roth |
Music By | Nathan Barr |
Cinematography By | Milan Chadima |
Costume By | Karel Vanásek |
Three American friends travel to Europe looking for the best, rowdiest, and most memorable time of their lives.
On this trip, the young men are convinced by a stranger to visit a hostel with promises of a great time.
The friends slowly realize that the hostel’s unremarkable exterior is hiding a sinister secret within.
Eli Roth is at his revolting best as a director and storyteller here. He found the inspiration for this film when he came across some real-life examples of horrific violence.
He does that inspiration justice with sickeningly realistic effects and gore in Hostel. This film is well-deserving of its spot alongside the likes of Saw and Final Destination.
62. Apostle
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Apostle |
Release Year | 2018 |
Watch time | 130 min |
Directors | Gareth Evans |
Cast | Dan Stevens, Richard Elfyn, Paul Higgins, Bill Milner |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.3 |
Metascore | 62 |
Writers | Gareth Evans |
Music By | Aria Prayogi |
Cinematography By | Matt Flannery |
Costume By | Tom Pearce |
In the early 1900s a prodigal son, Thomas Richardson returns and learns that his sister is being held for ransom by a cult.
Thomas travels to the idyllic island where the cult lives with the intention of rescuing her.
As he infiltrates the community, he learns that the cult is just as corrupted as the society they shun.
But that’s not all as he uncovers an even greater evil inhabiting the island. Apostle is the kind of horror that may not be the scariest as you are watching it, but it sits with you long after the credits roll, making you think about the story.
63. The Army of the Dead
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Army of the Dead |
Release Year | 2021 |
Watch time | 148 min |
Directors | Zack Snyder |
Cast | Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera, Omari Hardwick |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 5.8 |
Metascore | 57 |
Writers | Zack Snyder |
Music By | Junkie XL |
Cinematography By | Zack Snyder |
Costume By | Sophie Neudorfer |
From a unique take on vampires to a refreshing take on a zombie plot. Zack Snyder’s return to the genre that made him popular is an amalgamation of the direction style that is a signature of Snyder films and the stomach-churning bloody fare that was Dawn of the Dead.
This film follows a team of thieves as they make their way into a Las Vegas overrun by zombies in hopes of pulling off the heist of the century.
An effective zombie film with amazing action sequences and bewildering plot twists, Army of the Dead is a must-watch for both zombie and Snyder fans.
64. Blood Red Sky
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Blood Red Sky |
Release Year | 2021 |
Watch time | 121 min |
Directors | Peter Thorwarth |
Cast | Peri Baumeister, Carl Anton Koch, Alexander Scheer, Kais Setti |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.1 |
Metascore | 43 |
Writers | Stefan Holtz |
Music By | Dascha Dauenhauer |
Cinematography By | Yoshi Heimrath |
Costume By | Lenka Ryllova |
This film follows a seemingly ill woman as she boards an overnight transatlantic flight with her son.
The expectations of flyers hoping for a peaceful journey are crushed when a band of terrorists hijacks the flight, putting everyone’s life at risk.
What they didn’t count on was a mother with a monstrous secret who will do anything to protect her son.
Blood Red Sky is perhaps the most unique take on a vampire film in a long time.
The film presents the audience with a monstrous creature more akin to Nosferatu than the current mainstream image of a vampire, and the film is suitable brutal, and full of thrills.
65. He Never Died
Jack is a cannibalistic immortal who has gone to great lengths to seclude himself from people and create a routine to suppress his urges for human flesh.
Things seem to be going well until one day when he meets with his daughter Andrea.
However, circumstances lead to his long-suppressed cannibalistic urges rising to the surface. Jack sends Andrea away in hopes of protecting her only to find out that she was kidnapped soon after.
Now, Jack must carve a path of vengeance through mobsters to save his daughter. This film offers up violence at each turn while subverting genre expectations by having the audience follow and relate to the monster instead of his victims.
66. Secrets in the Hot Spring
Three young men meet by accident at a mysterious hot spring hotel in this Taiwanese horror-comedy.
The three soon find themselves opposed by hidden spirits. They must band together to confront the supernatural happenings at the hotel and discover the secrets of the hot spring hotel.
A deeply funny comedy that takes neither itself nor the horror genre, seriously. The performances are wonderfully campy and hilarious.
However, Secrets in the Hot Spring is by no means a standard dumb comedy. It is instead a well-made film with a smart plot that gives plenty of clues towards its big reveal to reward observant viewers.
67. A Classic Horror Story
An Italian horror film that sees five people traveling in a camper van crash into a tree.
When they come to, they find themselves stranded in the middle of a forest with a wooden house nearby.
They can find no signs of the road they had previously been driving on and must contend with the unknown wilderness to find an escape.
A Classic Horror Story is a wonderful amalgamation of folk horror with the aesthetics of a southern gothic tale.
The film leans into its name, using all the classic horror tropes but subverting them beautifully to create an artistic gem of a horror film.
68. Slaughterhouse Rulez
Set in a high society boarding school, the story follows a new student who is seen as an outsider due to not being part of a refined family.
There is much ethical debate regarding a mysterious fracking site close to the school. However, few could have imagined the horde of monstrous creatures that emerge from their underground lair after being disturbed by the operation and proceed to wreck shop.
The students must put their differences aside and band together to fight for survival. A fun slasher that starts out with some seemingly serious subplots but quickly starts leaning into comedy and over-the-top violence.
The result is a genuinely hilarious comedy horror.
69. Resident Evil: Vendetta
In this sequel to the films and video games, Leon Kennedy teams up with another mainstay of the franchise Chris Redfield.
The two of them, with the help of Professor Rebecca Chambers, seek to put an end to the sinister plans of an evil mastermind who seeks to unleash a deadly virus on New York City.
After the disappointment that was 2016’s live-action Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, the CG-animated Vendetta gave fans of the franchise a chance to get back into the films through an action-filled plot that delivers plenty of scares.
A fan pleaser that harkens back to the greatness of video games.
70. Resident Evil: Damnation
This animated film follows Leon Kennedy, the popular protagonist within the video game franchise. On a mission in Eastern Europe, Leon decides to go against the government’s order to retreat to investigate rumors of bioweapons being used in the civil war in the Eastern Slav Republic.
Upon sneaking into the area, he realizes that things might be more complicated than he had thought.
One of the best Resident Evil films, Resident Evil: Damnation captures the balance of horror and action that is a staple of the videogame series that gave it birth.
Seeing Leon and Ada realized in a great animated film is a treat for fans and non-fans alike.
71. Vampires vs. the Bronx
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Vampires vs. the Bronx |
Release Year | 2020 |
Watch time | 85 min |
Directors | Oz Rodriguez |
Cast | Jaden Michael, Gerald Jones III, Gregory Diaz IV, Sarah Gadon |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 5.6 |
Metascore | 76 |
Writers | Oz Rodriguez |
Music By | Brooke Blair |
Cinematography By | Blake McClure |
Costume By | Lori Johnson-Guirard |
This 2020 comedy horror follows a group of teenagers from the Bronx. In an Attack the Block-like twist, things take a turn for the worst when the neighborhood is attacked by a gathering of vampires.
The teenagers decide that despite the threat to their own lives, they are the ones that need to fight off the vampires and show them why no one messes with the Bronx.
A refreshingly light and fun romp in the vein of Attack the Block, Vampires vs. the Bronx does well to distinguish itself in the genre.
Clocking in at 86 minutes, this film is a breezy watch for adult and young viewers alike.
72. The Maid
The Maid is a Thai supernatural slasher horror. It follows a new maid of a royal house, named Joy.
The maid she is replacing disappeared under murky circumstances. The former maid is not gone though, as her spirit now haunts the house, terrorizing its residents.
Joy takes it upon herself to discover the mystery behind the disappearance of the former maid and the truth behind the haunting.
This is one of the best Thai slashers. The film has plenty of twists and scares to keep the audience interested throughout.
However, the biggest strength of the film is how smoothly it transitions from supernatural horror to a slasher.
73. The Call
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Call |
Release Year | 2020 |
Watch time | 97 min |
Directors | Timothy Woodward Jr. |
Cast | Lin Shaye, Tobin Bell, Chester Rushing, Erin Sanders |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 4.2 |
Metascore | — |
Writers | Patrick Stibbs |
Music By | Samuel Joseph Smythe |
Cinematography By | Pablo Diez |
Costume By | Ching Tseng |
This Korean horror thriller revolves around Seo-Yeon as she returns to her family home following the protracted illness of her mother after many years away.
Upon her arrival, she receives a mysterious call, seemingly from two decades in the past.
Seo-Yeon is excited by this revelation at first, but she soon realizes that this connection to the past might not be a blessing after all.
The Call is a great psychological thriller with mysterious supernatural elements. The focus of the film on the psychological battle between the protagonist and antagonist through time temperance makes it, unlike any other horror film.
74. The Dead Don’t Die
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Dead Don’t Die |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 104 min |
Directors | Jim Jarmusch |
Cast | Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tom Waits, Chloë Sevigny |
Domestic Box office | $6.56M |
IMDb Rating | 5.5 |
Metascore | 53 |
Writers | Jim Jarmusch |
Music By | Carter Logan |
Cinematography By | Frederick Elmes |
Costume By | Kendall Anderson |
In this comedy horror film, a quiet and ordinary town called Centerville finds itself in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.
The residents are unsure of how to deal with this threat, and the two officers, played by Bill Murray and Adam Driver, must do their best to keep the townspeople as safe as they can.
Even when they themselves don’t know how? This film is director Jim Jarmusch’s first attempt at a comedy popcorn flick, and it succeeds wonderfully.
This is the definition of the kind of film you watch in the living room with friends or family over a bowl of popcorn.
75. Insidious: Chapter 2
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Insidious: Chapter 2 |
Release Year | 2013 |
Watch time | 106 min |
Directors | James Wan |
Cast | Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Barbara Hershey, Lin Shaye |
Domestic Box office | $83.59M |
IMDb Rating | 6.6 |
Metascore | 40 |
Writers | Leigh Whannell |
Music By | Joseph Bishara |
Cinematography By | John R. Leonetti |
Costume By | Jennifer Spence |
Picking up right where the first chapter left off, the second film follows the Lambert family as they move to the old house of Josh’s mother in the hopes of recovering from the past trauma.
However, it does not take long for the past to catch up to them as they are once again haunted by the terrors they sought to escape.
They must unravel the secret in their past that has left them connected to the spirit world.
Another stellar delivery by James Wan. The film has mystery and horror aplenty as Wan weaves the narrative of a family in peril.
76. Final Destination 5
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Final Destination 5 |
Release Year | 2011 |
Watch time | 92 min |
Directors | Steven Quale |
Cast | Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, Arlen Escarpeta, Miles Fisher |
Domestic Box office | $42.59M |
IMDb Rating | 5.8 |
Metascore | 50 |
Writers | Eric Heisserer |
Music By | Brian Tyler |
Cinematography By | Brian Pearson |
Costume By | Caroline George-Kohne |
A premonition helps Sam and his colleagues escape death in an accident on a collapsing bridge.
Since this is a Final Destination film though, the escape does not last long, as death returns to reap the toll it’s owed.
When the friends start dying in brutal ways one after another, the survivors must find a way to break the chain.
Final Destination 5 brings with it the expected brutality of a film in the series, then takes it up a notch.
The film takes full advantage of its 3D release, and that is the best way to watch the film, with all its gore being in your face, literally.
77. Dead Silence
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Dead Silence |
Release Year | 2007 |
Watch time | 89 min |
Directors | James Wan |
Cast | Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Michael Fairman |
Domestic Box office | $16.81M |
IMDb Rating | 6.2 |
Metascore | 34 |
Writers | Leigh Whannell |
Music By | Charlie Clouser |
Cinematography By | John R. Leonetti |
Costume By | Julie Berghoff |
Following the brutal death of his wife, Jamie Ashen decides to return to his hometown of Ravens Fair.
He believes that the answers to his wife’s mysterious death lie in the strange town.
He soon finds out about the legend of the murdered ventriloquist who is believed to still haunt the town.
In his quest for answers, Jamie discovers the curse that killed his wife. Now he must lift the curse if he is to survive.
Dead Silence is another great horror film from the heavyweight team of James Wan and Leigh Whannell.
The film delivers all the terror that is expected from these two and then some.
78. The Old Ways
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | The Old Ways |
Release Year | 2020 |
Watch time | 90 min |
Directors | Christopher Alender |
Cast | Brigitte Kali Canales, Andrea Cortés, Julia Vera, Sal Lopez |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 5.4 |
Metascore | — |
Writers | Marcos Gabriel |
Music By | Ben Lovett |
Cinematography By | Adam Lee |
Costume By | Dragan Radic |
A journalist of Mexican heritage returns to her ancestral home in Veracruz to investigate tales of sorcery and tribal culture.
Her homecoming is cut short though, as she is kidnapped immediately by a group of locals who seem to believe that she is the devil incarnate.
While the plot might seem familiar at first to horror experts, the film soon swerves into strange new directions.
At a 90-minute runtime, the film is extremely tightly paced, bringing new twists and terrors with each passing scene.
As a result, the film delivers good horror without overstaying its welcome.
79. Annabelle
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Annabelle |
Release Year | 2014 |
Watch time | 99 min |
Directors | John R. Leonetti |
Cast | Ward Horton, Annabelle Wallis, Alfre Woodard, Tony Amendola |
Domestic Box office | $84.27M |
IMDb Rating | 5.4 |
Metascore | 37 |
Writers | Gary Dauberman |
Music By | Joseph Bishara |
Cinematography By | James Kniest |
Costume By | Kris Fuller |
Another film from The Conjuring universe. Annabelle tells the origin story of the titular doll as it goes from a creepy-looking but harmless doll to the object of abject terror.
After the runaway daughter of their neighbors comes back as a member of a satanic cult, a young pregnant couple finds themselves targeted for ritual killing.
They manage to survive the attack, but the dying cultist manages to let evil make its home in the Annabelle doll.
Annabelle is a more standard Conjuring universe horror film, which means it is filled with scares and good horror scenes throughout.
80. Annabelle Comes Home
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Annabelle Comes Home |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 106 min |
Directors | Gary Dauberman |
Cast | Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman |
Domestic Box office | $74.15M |
IMDb Rating | 5.9 |
Metascore | 53 |
Writers | Gary Dauberman |
Music By | Joseph Bishara |
Cinematography By | Michael Burgess |
Costume By | Lisa Son |
The seventh film in the conjuring Universe follows the daughter of the paranormal investigators Ed, and Loraine Warren.
Judy Warren is left at home with her babysitter, and all the haunted objects, chiefly the Annabelle doll.
When the Warrens are delayed in returning home, Annabelle seizes the opportunity to cause mischief and frees all kinds of evil to attack the girls, who must do all they can to live through the night.
Annabelle Comes Home is different from the usual Conjuring fare. The threats are more over-the-top but in the best way possible and it’s fun to see what horrors the Warrens have got hidden away from the world.
81. Dabbe: The Possession
While preparing for her wedding, the bride Kubra gets possessed by demons. Upon finding out about this, her psychiatrist friend Ebru arrives to try to cure her.
It is only with the help of an exorcist that Ebru is able to make some progress.
But just when things seem to be going well, their lives devolve into greater danger as the true horror is revealed.
Dabbe: The Possession is the fourth, and arguably the best film in the long-running Turkish horror series by Hasan Karacadağ.
The series is all about Jinn which gives it a unique flavor to the usual western supernatural horror.
82. Deep Blue Sea
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Deep Blue Sea |
Release Year | 1999 |
Watch time | 105 min |
Directors | Renny Harlin |
Cast | Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Samuel L. Jackson, Jacqueline McKenzie |
Domestic Box office | $73.65M |
IMDb Rating | 5.9 |
Metascore | 54 |
Writers | Duncan Kennedy |
Music By | Trevor Rabin |
Cinematography By | Stephen F. Windon |
Costume By | Debra Echard |
This is the second-greatest franchise with the sharks as the primary antagonists. The first film in the series follows a group of scientists as they search for a cure for Alzheimer’s.
They believe that the secret of the condition can be solved by genetically altering shark brains.
The altered sharks become highly intelligent and start hunting down the researchers as they struggle to make it out alive.
Like Jaws, Deep Blue Sea effectively captures the threat of sharks looming in the water, looking for a kill.
Unlike Jaws, this film does not take its premise too seriously and is as a result a more fun watch.
83. Don’t Listen
The film revolves around a family of three as they move to a new house.
Little do they know that their neighbors call it “the house of the voices” and with good reason.
The young son Eric loses his life under mysterious circumstances. Not long after, the father Daniel starts to hear a plea for help.
Prompted by the strange happenings, Daniel decides to seek the help of a paranormal expert. Don’t Listen is a fresh take on a genre that can often be cliched.
The film does a good job of maintaining its mystery and the horror that follows is even better.
84. Urban Legend
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Urban Legend |
Release Year | 1998 |
Watch time | 99 min |
Directors | Jamie Blanks |
Cast | Jared Leto, Alicia Witt, Rebecca Gayheart, Michael Rosenbaum |
Domestic Box office | $38.07M |
IMDb Rating | 5.6 |
Metascore | 35 |
Writers | Silvio Horta |
Music By | Christopher Young |
Cinematography By | James Chressanthis |
Costume By | Carolyn ‘Cal’ Loucks |
This horror slasher follows Natalie in the midst of her university days. After being introduced to urban legends born of the town surrounding the campus, Natalie realizes that details of some student deaths bear a striking similarity to the various urban legends.
Suspecting a supernatural influence at first, she soon realizes that the murders are not the work of evil spirits but of a serial killer.
Urban Legend is an underrated classic that deserves to be mentioned alongside the likes of Scream.
As effective at campiness as it is at horror, Urban Legend can be enjoyed by laymen, but horror experts will likely have more fun watching it.
85. Psycho
A Tamil-language psychological slasher thriller about a psychopath, who goes on a murder spree, targeting only women.
He eventually kidnaps Dagini, a female radio jockey. Failing to protect her due to his blindness, Gautham, Dagini’s lover decides to try to rescue her with the help of a former police officer.
Psycho is just as dark, sick, twisted, and full of suspense and thrills as its namesake.
The film has plenty of blood and violence, but it is the pervasive story that is the true highlight here.
This film will leave you feeling unsettled about the depths of human depravity.
86. I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
This Canadian gothic horror film is set in the 1800s. A live-in nurse arrives at a house to care for an elderly author who lives a secluded life.
However, the nurse’s life turns into anything but peaceful, as she starts to suspect that the house is haunted by phantoms from the author’s past.
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House is a traditional supernatural gothic horror that wears its influences proudly.
The plot is a mystery surrounding events from the past and hints to which could be in the author’s work.
A great film for viewers who prefer a slower-paced gothic tale.
87. Homunculus
Another horror film from Takashi Shimizu, director of such classics as The Grudge, this film tells the story of a middle-aged homeless man.
Susumu Nokoshi is offered money by a medical student on the condition that he has to volunteer for a surgical procedure involving drilling a hole in the skull.
Upon waking up, Nokoshi realizes that he now has the ability to see people’s innermost traumas.
Homunculus is based on the manga by Hideo Yamamoto. The film brilliantly captures the insanity of the manga.
It might be too long or too weird for some, but for fans of bizarre and interesting films and manga, this is a must-watch.
88. Doom
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Doom |
Release Year | 2005 |
Watch time | 105 min |
Directors | Andrzej Bartkowiak |
Cast | Karl Urban, Rosamund Pike, Dwayne Johnson, Deobia Oparei |
Domestic Box office | $28.21M |
IMDb Rating | 5.2 |
Metascore | 34 |
Writers | Dave Callaham |
Music By | Clint Mansell |
Cinematography By | Tony Pierce-Roberts |
Costume By | Richard Roberts |
In this adaptation of the classic first-person shooter, a team of space marines travel to Mars to investigate some strange happenings and missing personnel in a research facility.
They instead end up finding themselves under attack from ferocious monsters. The mission turns into a race against time to stop the monsters from escaping the research facility to wreak havoc on the world.
While not being entirely faithful to its source material (a theme with most adaptations), Doom does a good job of translating the over-the-top action of the series into live-action.
89. The Bridge Curse
Based around a seemingly haunted bridge on the campus of a Taiwanese university, this film tells the tale of university students planning a brave initiation of fellow classmates.
They decide to hold the initiation on the campus bridge rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a woman.
Terror strikes when the legend of the vengeful spirit proves to be real. The strength of this film comes more from its mysterious plot than the standard horror.
The plot twists are made more intriguing by how the film is structured around 4 different timelines as the movie jumps back and forth, delivering good horror alongside a great mystery.
90. Ma
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Ma |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 99 min |
Directors | Tate Taylor |
Cast | Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers, Juliette Lewis, McKaley Miller |
Domestic Box office | $45.37M |
IMDb Rating | 5.6 |
Metascore | 53 |
Writers | Scotty Landes |
Music By | Gregory Tripi |
Cinematography By | Christina Voros |
Costume By | Megan Coates |
Ma is a psychological thriller-horror featuring great performances from the likes of Octavia Spencer and Luke Evans.
A group of teenagers is befriended by an enigmatic but seemingly fun and harmless Sue Ann.
Ann proves to be an enjoyable company for the teens, even letting them party in her basement.
Things take a turn for the worst though, as Ann’s seemingly harmless intentions give way to a twisted plan of revenge.
Ma is a violent thriller fuelled by the idea that none of our bad deeds go unpunished.
Spencer as Ann gives an incredible performance of a woman with understandable motivations who goes too far in her quest for revenge.
91. The 8th Night
This new Korean horror film follows a monk as he struggles to stop the resurrection of two ancient malevolent spirits who have been locked away for 2500 years.
The evil spirits seek freedom so that they may possess people and torture humanity. With a bit more focus on action than your traditional supernatural horror movie, The 8th Night consistently delivers unsettling imagery and atmosphere.
Some of the scenes are downright bone-chilling, especially since the stakes established here are far greater than most films of its kind.
All of this helps craft this film into something quite unique in the genre.
92. Bird Box
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Bird Box |
Release Year | 2018 |
Watch time | 124 min |
Directors | Susanne Bier |
Cast | Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich, Sarah Paulson |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 6.6 |
Metascore | 51 |
Writers | Eric Heisserer |
Music By | Trent Reznor |
Cinematography By | Salvatore Totino |
Costume By | Jan Roelfs |
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where most of the population has been wiped out by an unseen entity (unseen because seeing it brings insanity and death), Bird Box tells the tale of a family fighting to survive in this new world.
In her desperation to protect her children, Malorie must embark on a perilous journey where the danger comes in the form of more than just the enigmatic entity.
A fresh take on the post-apocalyptic genre, Bird Box delivers some great unsettling moments while also presenting a study of how far people will go when faced with such terrible circumstances.
93. In the Tall Grass
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | In the Tall Grass |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 101 min |
Directors | Vincenzo Natali |
Cast | Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted, Patrick Wilson, Will Buie Jr. |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 5.4 |
Metascore | 46 |
Writers | Vincenzo Natali |
Music By | Mark Korven |
Cinematography By | Craig Wrobleski |
Costume By | David Edgar |
In collaboration with Joe Hill, this movie by Stephen King is an adaptation of a novella of the same name The story is about a brother and sister duo who enter a field of tall grass after hearing a young boy cry for help.
They soon realize that they are not alone in the grass. An evil presence lurks that is not only hunting them, but it also will not let them escape the grass. Another adaptation that takes some liberties with the source material to keep the audience guessing.
The direction does a great job of visually communicating the vastness of the field while at the same time making it feel claustrophobic.
94. Eli
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Eli |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 98 min |
Directors | Ciarán Foy |
Cast | Charlie Shotwell, Kelly Reilly, Max Martini, Lili Taylor |
Domestic Box office | — |
IMDb Rating | 5.7 |
Metascore | — |
Writers | David Chirchirillo Ian Goldberg Richard Naing |
Music By | Bear McCreary |
Cinematography By | Jeff Cutter |
Costume By | Andrew W. Bofinger |
Eli, an 11-year-old boy battling a rare disease is taken to a mysterious secluded medical facility to be subjected to an experimental treatment.
The place initially seems promising as Eli is even able to remove his bubble suit that he has always had to keep on due to his condition.
Things are not as they seem, however, as the facility slowly transforms from a place of salvation to a prison.
Eli is a slower-paced horror film that places more focus on leaving the audience unsettled long after the credits than jump scares, though there are still a good few of those peppered throughout.
95. Van Helsing
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Van Helsing |
Release Year | 2004 |
Watch time | 131 min |
Directors | Stephen Sommers |
Cast | Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh, Shuler Hensley |
Domestic Box office | $120.18M |
IMDb Rating | 6.1 |
Metascore | 35 |
Writers | Stephen Sommers |
Music By | Alan Silvestri |
Cinematography By | Allen Daviau |
Costume By | Cindy Carr |
This 2004 action gothic horror film stars Hugh Jackman in the titular role of the legendary monster hunter.
An amnesiac Helsing is sent to Transylvania to stop Dracula from completing his mysterious evil plans.
There aren’t too many actions gothic horror films, but Van Helsing is definitely one of the best in the genre.
This film has no shortage of great creature designs for vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein, and much more.
This film is certainly not lacking in gore and terrifying moments. The plot is brimming with mysteries and great action.
All of that is held together by some stunning visuals and sets throughout the movie.
96. Pet Sematary
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Pet Sematary |
Release Year | 2019 |
Watch time | 101 min |
Directors | Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer |
Cast | Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow, Jeté Laurence |
Domestic Box office | $54.72M |
IMDb Rating | 5.7 |
Metascore | 57 |
Writers | Stephen King |
Music By | Christopher Young |
Cinematography By | Laurie Rose |
Costume By | Vincent Aird |
In this adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel, the Creed family moves to a new house in the countryside.
Soon after arrival, the family loses their cat. It is after this incident that Dr. Louis Creed is approached by the kind old neighbor, who takes him to the Pet Semetary.
While done in goodwill, the gesture ultimately unleashes evil and pain on the Creed family.
Pet Semetary is an examination of grief and the lengths people can go when they are in denial just as much as it is a good horror film.
Even if you have read the Stephen King novel, the film changes enough to keep the plot interesting while keeping the spirit of the story.
97. Insidious: Chapter 3
Entity | Detail |
---|---|
Title | Insidious: Chapter 3 |
Release Year | 2015 |
Watch time | 97 min |
Directors | Leigh Whannell |
Cast | Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson, Leigh Whannell |
Domestic Box office | $52.22M |
IMDb Rating | 6.1 |
Metascore | 52 |
Writers | Leigh Whannell |
Music By | Joseph Bishara |
Cinematography By | Brian Pearson |
Costume By | Lori Mazuer |
Another good horror fare from director Leigh Whannell who has done a lot to make his mark on the horror genre.
This film changes tact and focuses on the psychic Elise Rainier from the original story.
It serves as a prequel to the story of the Lambert family. Rainier is approached by a young girl who wants to get in contact with her recently deceased mother.
Things don’t go as planned, however, as the girl is possessed by an evil spirit instead.
Even if you have watched all other films in the series, Insidious: Chapter 3 brings a unique take on the plot, by introducing a protagonist who fights back against the evil spirit.
98. Get Out (2017)
Actors Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, and Bradley Whitford have delivered stellar performances in Get Out. Thanks to them, the feature film was able to receive various nominations and wins, including Academy Awards, USA, AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, and Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA.
Talented young African-American photographer Chris Washington decides to visit his white girlfriend Rose Armitage’s parents in Upstate New York. While her parents come across as extremely accommodating and understanding, Chris feels a little uneasy, assuming this to be jitters about their daughter bringing home her interracial partner.
As the weekend progresses, the warm surroundings turn hostile and sinister. When conversations with the Armitages and their neighbours turn uncomfortable and somewhat terrifying, Chris realises it’s time to leave. But, will he be allowed to go?
99. The Invisible Man (2020)
The Invisible Man premiered in theatres in 2020. Directed by Leigh Whannell, this movie features Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Harriet Dyer in the lead. If you have a particular liking for drama-horror movies, then you can try this title.
The Invisible Man received a score of 7.1 on IMDb and 72 on Metacritic. Cecilia Kass decides to escape her violent and controlling relationship with wealthy optics engineer businessman Adrian Griffin by drugging him.
After managing to flee she takes shelter in her childhood friend’s house. Two weeks after her escape, Adrian seemingly commits suicide and leaves her a fortune of $5 million, which his lawyer brother Tom handles.
Meanwhile, a series of coincidences in her life which turn lethal and terrifying lead Cecilia to decide on unmasking the invisible terror traumatising her.
100. Menendez: The Day of the Lord
The Day of the Lord is a Spanish-language film about the titular Menendez, a retired priest recently released from prison and placed into a house where he lives in seclusion.
One day, Menendez is visited by a friend who claims that his daughter has been possessed by a demon.
Reluctant at first, Menendez eventually agrees to perform an exorcism. The film presents a mystery about why the priest was in prison in the first place.
Exorcism is a path for Menendez to atone for past crimes and the guilt of his past actions haunts him throughout.
The Day of the Dead is a different take on The Exorcist’s tale of a priest helping a young girl, but with some unique twists along the way.