31. Happy Death Day (2017)
Director: Christopher Landon
A young, pretty horrible college student finds herself reliving her birthday over and over again after being killed by a masked maniac in Happy Death Day.
While perhaps the “softest” horror on this list as a PG-13 effort with very little blood, the comedy and weird emotional core to Happy Death Day make it a surprise winner.
Even if it is somewhat derivative of Groundhog Day, Happy Death is some brilliant modern popcorn horror.
Watch if: you want a good slasher with a few great laughs.
Avoid if: you need blood in your horror.
MORE MOVIES: 10 Best Horror Anthology Movies Of All-Time
32. Hereditary (2018)
Director: Ari Aster
A24 always deliver something worth talking about with their horror output, even if they’re never movies that everyone can agree on. Hereditary is a perfect example of that, a slow-burn ride that’s enthused just as many people as it has, quite frankly, pissed off.
It’s easy to see why some may not like it: there aren’t many jumpscares and long periods where seemingly nothing happens. But Hereditary is a movie that requires patience, your hands gripping your thighs with tension more and more as the movie goes on. Ari Aster is a name to keep an eye on; Hereditary feels like just a small sample of what he’s capable of as a director.
From our Hereditary review:
“Ari Aster’s horror directorial debut is a masterclass in crafting unbearable tension and suspense that lay the foundation for terrifying conclusion audiences aren’t soon to forget.”
Watch if: you’re a patient person.
Avoid if: you’re quite antsy.
33. Host (2020)
Director: Rob Savage
Comfortably the shortest movie on this list, Host is lean, constantly terrifying horror that is the perfect capsule of 2020 as a year. Well, apart from the demons — that’s all Host.
Set during “The Event”, Host smartly uses its socially distanced Zoom meeting setup to great effect as a bunch of friends come together for an online seance. When someone doesn’t start taking things seriously, something starts letting them know that they really, really should.
Features the scariest use of Zoom backgrounds in history.
Watch if: you want a quick dose of nerve-jangling terror.
Avoid if: the thought of anything to do with Zoom reminds you of work.
34. The House of the Devil (2009)
Director: Ti West
A homage to old-school horror down to its very DNA, you feel like The House of The Devil was custom-made for VHS. Its certifiably against the grain of modern horror movie-making, which may perturb some, but Ti West’s career highlight will no doubt appeal to those who were brought up on a healthy diet of Hammer.
Despite being crazy low-budget, The House of the Devil also does a great job with its hideously great effects, too.
Watch if: you want some Fulci-inspired horror.
Avoid if: you can’t deal with a slow pace.
35. Hush (2016)
Director: Mike Flanagan
Is Mike Flanagan the best horror director working today?
While it isn’t necessarily the scariest movie you will ever watch, the way Hush approaches its heroine’s deafness makes for some very unique, tense scenarios.
Perhaps it loses some of its grim lustre once the killer is unmasked, but his patient stalking and his gleeful realisation of her condition chills me to the bone.
Watch if: you are a sound designer.
Avoid if: you live in the woods.
36. I Saw the Devil (2010)
Director: Kim Jee-woon
As brutal as they come, I Saw the Devil is part revenge movie and part cop drama, but it’s also one of the most unsettling horror movies you’re likely to see.
The disintegration of the hero as he hunts down his daughter’s killer will leave you asking who the real monster is. If you want to see the effects of revenge on good people, I Saw the Devil is the best film there is.
It’s a lot like an Asian version of Dead Man’s Shoes spliced with John Wick. If that isn’t high praise, I don’t know what it.
Watch if: you love Asian cinema and want to see one of its darkest offerings.
Avoid if: you…I don’t know. You really should watch it.
37. Insidious (2010)
Director: James Wan
Blumhouse and James Wan are the masters of taking old ideas and putting fresh spins on them. We always think we know what it happening in their movies, but it always smartly twists expectations and ramps up the jumpscares.
Insidious is a movie that, overall, isn’t anything incredible, but it has these perfectly terrifying moments that helped it to launch a franchise. The original is still the best, and one of the best modern horror movies of the last decade in the process.
Watch if: you enjoy classic horror.
Avoid if: you have a fear of Darth Maul.
38. The Invisible Man (2020)
Director: Leigh Whannell
If you like over-analysing ever empty space in a horror movie and constantly being on edge while not really knowing why, The Invisible Man is the one for you.
Arguably better than the original adaptations of H. G. Wells’ classic novel (and definitely better than Hollow Man), The Invisible Man will leave you gripping your armrest during every quiet moment. It never really feels like Elisabeth Moss’ abusive ex is more than just a few feet away.
The Invisible Man may have been a big “surprise” for some people, but anyone who knows Whannell’s work knows that he is one of horror’s brightest talents.
Watch if: you like surprises.
Avoid if: you don’t like surprises.
39. The Invitation (2015)
Director: Karyn Kusama
Too many slept on The Invitation when it was released. It’s easy to see why — it’s a little light on scares and doesn’t exactly follow the template for a successful modern horror movie. But what it does have in abundance is tension that will leave you questioning every action of the most peculiar collection of dinner guests.
By the time the credits roll shortly a jaw-dropping final shot, don’t be surprise to have cramp from just how tense The Invitation made you.
Watch if: you are a patient person.
Avoid if: you need all-action.
40. It Follows (2014)
Director: David Mitchell
Dodgy final ten minutes aside, It Follows is the perfect example of how broad and wide the net is now for horror movies. It’s almost crazy that nobody thought of making a movie based on a killer STD before that follows you around everywhere, but we’re glad it happened.
It’s not a scare-a-minute affair, It Follows is more of a movie that burrows into your brain and refuses to leave. Speaking of “it”…
Watch if: you like lo-fi horror that takes its sweet time.
Avoid if: you want to have sex for the next month.
41. IT (2017)
Director: Andrés Muschietti
Considerably better than anybody thought it would be, the adaptation of Stephen King’s cult classic horror novel left a lot of cinemagoers suddenly very afraid of clowns.
Sure, the CGI is going to age just terribly, but Bill Skarsgård’s vision for Pennywise and a talented bunch of actors portraying The Losers’ Club meant that it was more than competition for the TV series.
By the way, did you just notice that IT follows It Follows on this list? Almost like it was totally intentional.
Watch if: you want to catch the next generation of Hollywood actors.
Avoid if: coulrophobia has you good.
42. Kill List (2011)
Director: Ben Wheatley
A strange mixture of horror and crime thriller, Kill List is basically a reworking of classic British horror movies.
Ben Wheatley pays due to his inspirations, the most obvious being The Wicker Man, while also bringing some strange but welcome twists to the table.
Imagine if In Bruges went down a decidedly darker and more pagan route and you aren’t a million miles away from Kill List.
Watch if: you can deal with genre-bending horror.
Avoid if: you can’t deal with the slow-burn.
43. Let the Right One In (2008)
Director: Tomas Alfredson
It’s light on scares, but Tomas Alfredson’s Swedish vampire classic is about as perfect a movie can be while also being sensitive towards the two young actors at its heart.
Let the Right One In is a love story told through necessary violence and a minimalistic but gorgeous style.
It’s a patient and continually evolving movie that has (somewhat miraculously) successfully been adapted by Hollywood and for the stage.
Watch if: you love foreign horror.
Avoid if: Twilight was too gory for you.
44. Mandy (2018)
Director: Panos Cosmatos
Two words can make an entire nation either twitch with disgust or come alive in reverence: Nicolas Cage.
The professional lunatic is on something of a tear with his output of late, and Mandy represents him at his volatile, manic best.
When his partner is captured by a cult, Cage must do all he can to find her in this neon nightmare — even if that includes a fight with chainsaws. It makes a little more sense in the context of the movie.
Watch if: Nicolas Cage gives you the good willies.
Avoid if: Nicolas Cage gives you the bad willies.
45. Martyrs (2008)
Director: Pascal Laugier
If you’re of a squeamish disposition, watch the first half of Martyrs and then walk away — you won’t like what you see. Years after watching this revenge movie turned something almost undefinable, I still think back on it and get shivery.
Part of the New French Extremity wave of truly visceral filmmaking, Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs was such a unique and gripping idea that Hollywood commissioned an American remake and then promptly ruined it.
Watch if: you are a gorehound.
Avoid if: any kind of gore makes you sick.
46. Midsommar (2019)
Director: Ari Aster
A young couple going through a bad time take a trip to an unusual Swedish festival along with all of his friends. That’s it. That’s all we’re saying.
Just like Hereditary, saying any more about Ari Aster’s follow-up would be to give it away, but just know that you won’t walk away from the cinema without some kind of opinion, or it may even just leave you speechless.
From our Midsommar review:
“Don’t be fooled by its gorgeous sun-scorched scenery, Midsommar is here to ruin your relationship.”
Watch if: you’re single.
Avoid if: your relationship is going through a rocky patch.
47. The Mist (2007)
Director: Frank Darabont
Who wants to feel thoroughly depressed for an hour and a half? Frank Darabont’s bleak tale of otherworldly invaders holds almost no sign of positivity or hope, which is compounded by an almost unbelievable event that I don’t want to spoil here.
Despite coming out over a decade ago, The Mist’s warnings on leadership and religion couldn’t ring truer than ever. Swerve the TV show, though.
Watch if: you want to see a movie that wonderfully twists its source material.
Avoid if: you’re religious.
48. The Mortuary Collection (2020)
Director: Ryan Spindell
As we’ve seen a lot over the last few years, anthology horror seems to be a subgenre that is very, very tricky to get right. The Mortuary Collection doesn’t struggle for a second.
Clancy Brown plays a mortician who’s relaying the stories of how his “patients” died to Sam, a young woman attending a funeral, across four different shorts.
What’s remarkable about The Mortuary Collection is that there isn’t a single dud among all its shorts with the central narrative working remarkably well to keep you invested throughout. Plus, as is almost always the case, Clancy Brown rules.
Watch if: you want to see best in class anthology horror.
Avoid if: Clancy Brown is too powerful to handle.
49. The Orphanage (2009)
Director: J. A. Bayona
If you thought Children of the Corn was spooky, you should probably swerve The Orphanage. Whereas that cult classic was ultimately just, ahem, corny fun, J. A. Bayona’s Spanish film showed a real maturity in handling its themes, including some gruesome kills that you won’t forget in a hurry.
The Orphanage deals with loss and love with grace, so make sure you don’t miss out on one of the greatest imports for modern horror this century.
Watch if: you can deal with creepy children.
Avoid if: you can’t deal with creepy children.
50. The Others (2001)
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
To explain why The Others is so great would be to spoil the whole experience. What I can say, however, is that The Others nails its aesthetic and mood, as well as offering approachable horror — it’s basically a good entry horror movie for anyone who’s squeamish.
As a bonus, Nicole Kidman’s turn as the matriarch is one of the rare times when an A+ actor doesn’t sleepwalk their way through a horror movie.
Watch if: you’re trying to get into horror movies.
Avoid if: you’re a gorehound.
51. Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)
Director: Mike Flanagan
The original Ouija movie was just plain bad, a half-assed trip down cliche lane about nothing at all that released to capitalise on Halloween. Origin of Evil, meanwhile, was one of the best horror movies of 2016, helped in no small part thanks to the steadying hand of Mike Flanagan.
It doesn’t hurt that Lulu Wilson totally disappears into the role of the beleaguered younger daughter; she carries Origin of Evil on her back at such a young age. Not the strongest movie on this list, but certainly one that a good scares per minute ratio.
Watch if: you can deal with creepy children.
Avoid if: you can’t deal with creepy children.
52. Paranormal Activity (2007)
Director: Oren Peli
As convoluted as the canon and the series as a whole may have become after the nineteenth movie was release, there’s no denying that the very first Paranormal Activity was something of a marvel.
It takes its sweet time to get going, but once it does, the scares come thick and fast; all the more of an impressive feat considering it was made –supposedly– on the tiniest of micro-budgets. Watch this entry and then watch no more PA movies. You will thank me later.
Watch if: you loved Blair Witch.
Avoid if: you like exceptional acting.
53. Planet Terror (2007)
Director: Robert Rodriguez
A glorious pastiche of the pulpy horror movies of yore, Planet Terror doesn’t deliver bring the scares whatsoever, but it does bring an infectious personality and a spectacle so utterly overblown that it’s hard to not be won over by it.
When your leading lady has a machine gun strapped to her amputated leg and blows the hell out of deformed creatures, you know you’re in for a wild, offbeat ride.
Watch if: you love B-movies.
Avoid if: you like Fergie.
MORE MOVIES: 10 Best Body Horror Movies To Squirm Your Way Through
54. Pontypool (2008)
Sadly, Pontypool is not the cinematic adaptation of the goings on in a small Welsh town but rather the onset of a strange phenomenon that turns everyone into zombie-like vessels.
Stephen McHattie kills it as the washed-up DJ protagonist, which, when combined with its novel take on the apocalypse and its approach to language, makes Pontypool a slow-burn success.
A follow-up is currently on the cards, a whole decade after the first movie released.
Watch if: you want some slow-paced “zombie” horror.
Avoid if: you need action scenes.
55. Ready or Not (2019)
Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Samara Weaving deserves every role. Every role ever. While there’s no doubt Ready or Not would have been great without the Australian, her turn as the bride in distress is what elevates it to that next level.
When young lovers get married at the groom’s family’s estate, it’s not long before the superstitious Le Domas’ put the bride in their crosshairs.
Featuring great performances throughout the cast (including a welcome return to the big screen for Adam Brody), Ready or Not is a bloody, absolutely brilliant ride that has one of the most satisfying final scenes in movie history.
Watch if: you want to know what Adam Brody’s been up to.
Avoid if: you recently made a pact that you have doubts about.
56. REC (2007)
Directors: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza
A movie so good that Hollywood decided to almost immediately remake it, REC did for found footage movies what The Exorcist did for exorcism movies.
While many point to The Blair Witch Project as the dawn of the subgenre, it was REC that re-popularised and re-energised it with one of the most intense final fifteen minutes you will see in any horror movie.
Maybe take your dog to the vet after watching this.
Watch if: you want to watch the best of found footage.
Avoid if: you’ve seen one too many found footage movies.
57. Saw (2004)
WATCH: Rent
Director: James Wan
My heart says Saw II, my head says the original Saw; it’s arguably where the idea of the franchise was at its most focused and most effective.
When two strangers wake up in a dilapidated bathroom, they must work together to escape with the looming threat of the maniacal Jigsaw to contend with.
Featuring an all-in performance from Cary Elwes and a twist so memorable that they did it for every single movie that followed, Saw is probably the pinnacle of “torture porn” in this century so far.
Watch if: you love twisty horror.
Avoid if: you’re very protective of limbs.
58. Scare Me (2020)
Director: Josh Ruben
Scare Me may be the most controversial inclusion on this list as far as horror purists are concerned. It’s not perfect, but Scare Me has so much love for the horror genre, backed up by a trio of fantastic performances, that it’s hard to resist.
When a failing writer comes across one of the biggest writers in the world during a wilderness retreat, they spend the night telling each other scary stories. There are no vignettes here, though: the writers act out their stories themselves, sound effects and all.
Scare Me is a charming movie with lots of clever twists that’s carried by Aya Cash, who’s surely one great character away from global domination.
Watch if: you don’t like your horror to be too serious.
Avoid if: you hate improv.
59. Severance (2006)
Director: Christopher Smith
Severance is a horror-comedy that probably doesn’t get the love it deserves outside of the UK.
Danny Dyer is on rare form as the drug-addled lad at the center of a serial killer rampage during an office retreat in the middle of nowhere in Europe.
It’s silly and hilarious, but it brings the scares and blood when it wants to. Plus, it shows you where not to put a severed leg.
Watch if: you loved Shaun of the Dead.
Avoid if: you are on shrooms.
60. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Director: Edgar Wright
I don’t know what to say to you if you haven’t seen Shaun of the Dead yet. Over a decade since it was first released, it’s constantly showing on television and just seems to grow and grow in adoration as the years pass.
Watch this zombie classic as soon as you can and join the rest of us in quoting every line of its script until our dying days. Dogs can look up, by the way.
Watch if: you’re the king of the zombies.
Avoid if: you’ve got red on you.
61. Sinister (2012)
Director: Scott Derrickson
Forget about Ethan Hawke being half-conscious throughout, Sinister deserves its spot on this list because of the ingenuity of its projector scenes.
While the scenes surrounding these moments are somewhat basic and rote, the gruesomeness and shock factor whenever the Oswalt patriarch sits down to watch a new slide are what distances Sinister from a lot of its competition.
There’s a good reason why I haven’t mowed my lawn in a few years.
Watch if: you want a horror movie with a great gimmick.
Avoid if: you’re a landscaper.
62. Slither (2006)
Director: James Gunn
Only Ginese people truly understand why Slither is so underrated.
Perhaps it was caught up in the trend of horror comedy movies at the time, but James Gunn’s wormy ride never really resonated with cinemagoers in a big way.
Luckily, it’s found a cult following in recent years. How can a movie featuring Michael Rooker turning into Willy Wonka’s most sadistic creation not be?
Watch if: you love horror comedies.
Avoid if: you like to soak in the tub.
63. Stake Land (2010)
Director: Jim Mickle
Just like 30 Days of Night did a decade prior, Stake Land reminded everyone that vampires are creatures to be feared.
The ones you will find in Jim Mickle’s cult favourite border on feral and are completely primal in their instincts, so much so that they have a lot in common with their zombie cousins.
There’s a good core to Stake Land that reminds me a lot of The Battery, but it has the budget and gorgeous cinematography to boot. It’s bleak, but that’s the post-apocalypse for you.
Watch if: you want vampire movies with an edge.
Avoid if: you don’t like the idea of a dead serious Zombieland.
64. The Strangers (2006)
Director: Bryan Bertino
Technically speaking, The Strangers doesn’t do anything particularly new for the horror genre.
It’s as cliched as you’d expect from a home invasion movie, but there’s something about it that makes it rise above its ordinary foundations.
It could be that its antagonists are chilling, causing carnage for a couple of innocent people for a reason that is simple and just totally menacing.
Watch if: you want some old-school horror.
Avoid if: you’re home.
65. The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
Director: Adam Robitel
Just as it looked like the found footage craze was bottoming out with mediocre after mediocre movie with no new ideas, along came The Taking of Deborah Logan to somehow present fresh and thrilling scares.
While its visuals are what most people talk about, the utter dedication to the lead role shown by Jill Larson anchors her descent into darkness masterfully.
Watch if: you love found footage.
Avoid if: you’re approaching retirement.
66. Thirst (2009)
Director: Park Chan-wook
South Korea’s Park Chan-wook certainly knows how to make a beautiful movie, but Thirst may just be his most eye-catching effort to date. Drenched in sleek, gothic visuals, Thirst is a vampiric tale that deals in themes of religion and love, as well provide some helpful lashings of the ol’ ultraviolence.
The Oldboy director knows how to make movies unlike anyone else, and Thirst deserves to be a part of his brimming filmography of success. One of the best horror movies that has gone sadly underrated by many.
Watch if: Twilight was too soft.
Avoid if: Twilight scared you.
MORE HORROR: 50 Best Horror Games Of All Time
67. Train to Busan
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Just when it looked like the zombie craze was over, along came Train To Busan to change minds. Like a cross between World War Z (but good) and The Raid, Busan is a rollicking journey on a train packed with the infected. It’s fast and frantic, but it’s also very human.
In the midst of everything, Busan also manages to grow a relationship between a father and daughter and to also deal in even-handed social commentary. Essential.
Watch if: World War Z was too neutered for you.
Avoid if: you’re a commuter.
68. Triangle (2009)
Director: Christopher Smith
A movie that flattered to deceive at the box office on release but found a new lease of life through word of mouth, Triangle is a surprisingly deep and twisty horror movie. To explain why would be to ruin its main hook, which it utilises very well, so be sure to catch this underrated gem when you can.
I can guarantee that you will need to talk to someone about Triangle once the credits roll, if only to try and find out what the hell just happened.
Watch if: you enjoy twisty horror.
Avoid if: Groundhog Day confused you.
69. Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
Director: Michael Dougherty
Anthology movies are tricky to get right; there are always some sequences that are worse than others and tend to bring the product down as a whole. There’s no such issue with Michael Dougherty’s Halloween-themed horror movie, which features one of the smallest but most frightening villains ever.
All of the short movies that comprise Trick ‘r Treat are great, but my personal favourite has to be The Principal.
Watch if: you can deal with creepy children.
Avoid if: you can’t deal with creepy children.
70. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010)
Director: Eli Craig
What would you do if you somehow found yourself wandering into a cliched horror movie? That’s exactly what happens when a bunch of accident-prone teenagers start dying all around them, leading the group to believe that the pair are out to get them.
What follows is a cavalcade of one-liners, over-the-top gore, and a reminder that you shouldn’t base your opinion on someone by their appearance.
Watch if: you love Shaun of the Dead.
Avoid if: you’re over horror comedies.
71. Us (2019)
Director: Jordan Peele
Following on from his seminal Get Out, Jordan Peele returned in 2019 with Us: a horror movie specifically designed to mess with your head. When a family is stalked by twisted versions of themselves, they must do all they can to protect themselves — the better the devil you know, and all that.
Us was made to be discussed and detailed, so try to watch it and not immediately look up who to talk about it with in your contacts.
Watch if: you love some thinkings with your horror.
Avoid if: you want a straight up, no-frills bloodbath from your horror.
72. The Void
Directors: Jeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski
Granted, it may fall apart in its latter stages and become something of an Even Horizon homage, but everything leading up to that point was a tense and brutally beautifully wink back to the eighties.
When a cult descends on a hospital, strange things start happening to those trapped inside. Not a movie that everyone will agree on, but certainly a visual feast and one of the best cosmic horror movies around.
Watch if: you can’t resist a good bit of hyper style.
Avoid if: you need your horror movies to be consistently good throughout.
73. The Wailing (2016)
Director: Na Hong-jin
Utterly bizarre and equally brilliant, The Wailing is a South Korean horror that starts off simply enough before coming one of the most enterprisingly complex and captivating movies you’re likely to see this decade.
When a series of bodies and strange occurrences start happening around a small town, it’s up to a cynical, almost useless cop to stitch it all together with devastating consequences. It’s a long one, but The Wailing is something that you can’t tear your eyes away from for even a second.
Watch if: you want to feel rewarded for your patience.
Avoid if: you don’t have three hours to spare.
74. The Witch (2015)
Director: Robert Eggers
When I first watched Robert Eggers’ The Witch, I hated it. Very much. But I think the marketing campaign misled me into thinking it would be something that it wasn’t, so let me boil it down for you.
The Witch is a slow-burning, fantastically detailed look at witchcraft with a puritan New England family at its center. It looks gorgeous and is arguably more of an arthouse flick than one suitable for the mainstream, but don’t let that dissuade you from diving in. Give it a second chance if it doesn’t strike you at first; it’s worth a second descent.
One of the best horror movies to feature a talking goat, that’s for sure.
Watch if: you’re studying cinematography.
Avoid if: you need a fast pace.
75. Wolf Creek (2005)
Director: Greg McLean
What if Crocodile Dundee was an insufferable psychopath hellbent on murdering tourists? That’s the basic idea behind Wolf Creek, and an idea that it does very well.
Mick Taylor’s laugh may well be one of the most unnerving sounds in all of horror, not harmed by just how brutal he is as a killer. It’s purposely exploitative and pulpy, which just add to its charm.
Watch if: you know what a knife is.
Avoid if: you want to visit Australia.
76. You’re Next (2011)
Director: Adam Wingard
By flipping horror movie conventions on their head, You’re Next is a slasher movie that came out of nowhere to become one of the most original horrors of the 2010s.
It’s not all that scary, but the way it handles the heroine in distress and the eclectic cast of characters makes it a fun watch. You will laugh a lot during You’re Next and then immediately feel bad about it.
Watch if: you love unconventional horror.
Avoid if: you turn off easily.
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