But this just forced horror filmmakers to reinvent the genre, and throughout the 2010s, critics began to take notice of the rise of prestige horror films. Consequently, the last 20 years have produced dozens upon dozens of memorable horror movies.
RELATED: Best Horror Games from the 2010s
Updated January 21, 2023 by Russ Boswell: Historically, January tends to be a dumping ground for F-grade horror movies, although 2023 has been better than usual thanks to a few 2022 leftovers like The Menu and a few great newcomers. What are the best new horror movies?
24 A Quiet Place (2018)
In 2018, John Krasinski (of The Office fame) brought audiences one of the most visceral and nerve-wracking films in decades. The premise follows a family as they struggle to survive an onslaught of monstrous alien-like creatures that attack at the slightest sound. In order to keep everyone safe, the family lives as quiet a life as possible, utilizing tricks and engineering to muffle as much noise as they can. Thanks to the eerie quietness in many of the scenes, A Quiet Place expertly builds tension throughout, ending in a climax that is heart-racing and panic-inducing.
23 Krampus (2015)
The Christmas season doesn’t usually breed thoughts of monsters and Horror, but a scary Holiday-theme story can actually work incredibly well when done correctly. 2015’s Krampus is a great example of a terrifying Christmas film, with just enough Comedy to offer some jolliness and reassuring laughter throughout the tense and sometimes gory moments. The film does a great job of staying grounded enough in reality by offering a look at a fairly dysfunctional family during one fateful Christmas Eve. The end result is a 98-minute fright-fest that sees the enigmatic Krampus terrorizing the group and picking them off one by one.
22 Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
Another holiday offering, Trick ‘r Treat is much more at home during the spookiest time of the year. Those that enjoy anthology films (that feature a series of short sometimes interconnected stories) will definitely want to put this film at the top of their watch list. Although it wasn’t as successful as it should have been in 2007, it has since developed a cult following thanks to its unique stories and creepy premises. An overarching plot is woven throughout as viewers are introduced to a cast of characters spread across multiple mini-horror stories.
21 Kill List (2011)
Although it starts off as a grounded drama about an ex-killer’s attempts to go straight, Ben Wheatley’s Kill List soon devolves into full-on horror when the lead is targeted by a terrifying cult in the woods.
As is typical for Wheatley’s work, Kill List culminates in one of the most disturbing, harrowing endings in recent memory. It leaves audiences feeling cold – in a good way.
20 It Comes At Night (2017)
The apocalyptic event that ended the world before the events of It Comes at Night is never specified, because it isn’t important. This is a character-driven story about a family reluctantly taking in another family during an extremely dangerous, hostile time and trying to figure out if they can trust them.
RELATED: Free Horror Games That Are Perfect
Writer-director Trey Edward Shults masterfully builds up the tension throughout the movie, while keeping the audience disoriented by the layout of the house, similar to Kubrick’s depiction of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining.
19 The Ring (2002)
There have been a handful of horror films over the years that were so terrifying they managed to root themselves firmly into the genre, attaining a legendary status that has movie-goers talking about them for decades after their release.
It’s only been 20 years since The Ring hit theaters, but it’s definitely managed to influence the genre enough that fans are often referencing it (and other films like it) well into the modern age of horror cinema. The idea of a cursed videotape has been explored through other films and The Ring helped to jumpstart both the “found footage” and Japanese sub-genres in America.
18 The Babadook (2014)
The 2010s were so overflowing with elevated horror that Scream 5 even poked fun at the movement. Typically relying on atmosphere rather than jump scares, these movies use horror to dive into their characters’ psyches. The Babadook is one of the stronger and scarier examples of this sort of story.
RELATED: Best Horror Ghost Movies
A single mother, who has yet to properly grieve the death of her husband, struggles to deal with her son’s growing obsession with an imaginary friend. Before long, she begins to fear that maybe the “imaginary” part is not accurate.
17 M3GAN (2023)
Killer dolls are a horror trope for a reason, but the concept has an uneven track record since these films can quickly become unintentionally funny. M3GAN gets ahead of this possibility by actively adopting a comedic touch, while still delivering scares and thrills. After losing her parents, Cady moves in with her scientist aunt, a decent person who does not have all that much interest in taking care of a child. To keep her company, Cady finds a friend in M3GAN, an A.I. robot designed to look like an uncanny little girl.
RELATED: M3gan: Every Death In The Movie, Ranked
M3GAN does not take itself seriously, a decision that pays off beautifully since it encourages the film to embrace its premise’s inherent silliness. Horror-comedy movies are difficult to pull off, but this feature manages to satisfy both genres.
16 Terrifier 2 (2022)
2016’s Terrifier is a decent slasher flick elevated by a fantastic villain. Terrifying, grotesque, and weirdly funny, Art the Clown deserves to go down as a horror great, and the enigmatic killer found a project worthy of his presence in 2022’s sequel. Terrifier 2 far exceeds expectations, both in terms of quality and ambition. Clocking in at nearly 2.5 hours, Damien Leone crafted a slasher epic that threatens to transcend its genre.
Like its predecessor, Terrifier 2 embraces gore wholeheartedly, so much so that certain scenes might be too disgusting for some people. However, if someone enjoys a rollercoaster bloodbath, this might be the best horror movie of Halloween 2022.
15 It Follows (2014)
Inspired by a recurring nightmare from his childhood, David Robert Mitchell brought one of the most inventive original premises of the decade to life in It Follows. It’s about a sexually transmitted parasite that causes a supernatural entity to follow the affected party until they either pass it on to someone else or die.
Although it wasn’t intended to be, It Follows ended up being interpreted as a perfect metaphor for STDs and their attached social stigma.
14 The Descent (2005)
In the opening act of The Descent, a group of friends explore an uncharted cave and get trapped in a cave-in, which is terrifying enough. Then, they discover a race of flesh-eating mutants living down there that want to maul and eat them.
Neil Marshall’s blood-soaked sophomore feature is expertly paced, taking the time in its first half to establish the characters so that their evisceration in the fast-paced second half has more impact.
13 You’re Next (2011)
Adam Wingard asked his screenwriter friend Simon Barrett to write a home invasion movie for him to direct because the real-life terror of a home invasion was the only thing in horror movies that truly scared him anymore. Barrett wrote You’re Next as a home invasion thriller-turned-slasher that also comments on the excess of the rich with a pitch-black comic bite.
RELATED: Times Horror Movie Villains Crossed Over Into Video Games
Although the distributor messed up the movie’s release and it went mostly unnoticed, You’re Next is one of the most unique, subversive, and captivating slashers ever made.
12 Saw (2004)
In 2004, horror viewers would be granted one of the most twisted, gory, and downright sinister psychological thrillers of the decade. Saw was leagues above films of its time thanks to incredible acting, expert cinematography, and the introduction of a “villain” that would quickly rise through the ranks and sit alongside some of the most recognized horror icons of all time.
Tie all of this together with a twist that many never saw coming and it’s easy to understand why Saw was such a prominent part of the 2000s (and why it produced so many sequels).
11 X (2022)
In recent years, if a horror movie is produced by A24, quality is basically assured. Ti West’s X not only stands alongside the company’s greatest productions but is also a contender for the best modern slasher movie. A group of hopeful filmmakers arrive at an isolated farm to shoot a porno, and they quickly butt heads with the land’s owner.
Aesthetically, X is ripped right out of the ’70s exploitation scene, utilizing a gritty style that complements the story. Well written, acted, and directed, the 2022 film is a love letter to horror’s past and a showcase of the genre’s contemporary potential.
10 Train To Busan (2016)
Since audiences tired of seeing Romero’s dawdling zombies, many movies about the undead have had their hordes of flesh-eaters sprinting toward their living, breathing prey. But few have made sprinting zombies as effectively terrifying as Train to Busan.
There’s as much of a focus on action as horror in Train to Busan, one of the most exhilarating zombie movies ever made, while the train setting allows for some social commentary about class warfare.
9 Barbarian (2022)
Toward the end of 2022, a bunch of great horror movies made the rounds. Due to being readily available on HBO Max, Barbarian garnered quite a bit of attention, and deservingly so. Set in Detroit, Tess arrives at a place she rented for a short stay, only to discover the home was double-booked and that a guy named Keith is already inside. With nowhere to go and stuck in an unsafe neighborhood, Tess has no choice but to stay with Keith, a situation that immediately puts her on the defensive.
Barbarian is a film of two halves that are split down the middle by a rather jarring scene. The first part slowly builds tension by tapping into Tess’ and the audience’s natural fears regarding Keith, while the second half follows a more conventional horror structure.
8 The Witch (2015)
The perfect antidote to modern horror cinema’s overuse of cheap jump scares, Robert Eggers’ The Witch is all about atmosphere. A family is banished to a farm in the middle of nowhere due to their religious beliefs and they’re subsequently terrorized by a nearby witch.
RELATED: Most Iconic Movie Witches
Eggers’ film has a sophisticated sense of restraint that can rarely be found in horror films, and this restraint makes the payoffs more effective.
7 Let The Right One In (2008)
The most famous vampire romance might be Twilight, but the greatest is Let the Right One In. By focusing on the characters – a bullied child and the vampire he befriends – director Tomas Alfredson deftly balanced the story’s horror and romance elements.
Both the bullied kid and the vampire are outsiders, and the movie draws this parallel between them to make their relationship ring true.
6 REC (2007)
The late 2000s saw the boom of “found footage” horror, a sub-genre that gave audiences chills and thrills thanks to the first-person perspective that made all the tense action seem downright personal.
2007 amplified this genre to the next level with the release of REC, a Spanish-made film that had audiences squirming in their seats thanks to the claustrophobic and uncomfortable scenes. This title took a different look at “zombie Horror” and twisted it into something far more horrifying than any other film featuring the living dead.
5 Drag Me To Hell (2009)
Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell is unapologetically over-the-top, in the best possible way. After crossing the wrong person, Christine finds herself cursed to go to hell in three days, and the journey might be as horrifying as the destination.
Raimi specializes in campy B-movies, and Drag Me to Hell fits snugly alongside the director’s classics like Evil Dead 2. The movie is a non-stop rollercoaster ride with barely a dull moment to speak of.
