Top 20 Best Horror Movies of the Century So Far
20. Black Swan (2010)
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Darren Aronofsky was already a veteran director in Hollywood by the time 2010 came around, but he really made his mark in the horror world with “Black Swan”. Exposing a more macabre side to the world of professional ballet, the film stars Natalie Portman as Nina Sayers, a young dancer with the New York City ballet company who shoulders the immense pressure of playing the dual role of both the black and white swan in a production of “Swan Lake”. As the stress of her position begins to chip away at Nina’s mental health, she becomes a danger to herself and others. It makes for an intoxicating and magical viewing experience, and an essential entry in 21st century horror.
19. The Descent (2005)
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If you or any of your friends ever debated going spelunking into uncharted caves, 2005’s The Descent should provide some much needed discouragement. Upon the journey into the abyss... things go horribly wrong. It quickly becomes a struggle to survive against the abominations that are stalking them. ‘The Descent’, as a title, can be interpreted both literally and as descent into madness, with plenty of gore, a claustrophobic setting and more creepy crawlies than one’s sanity can handle. The fear of what lies beneath has since become a popular theme in horror, and we might have this British classic to thank for it.
18. The Strangers (2008)
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Our next entry is a tense and chilling horror movie that might not be as graphic or action packed as other films on this list, but one that plays on our fears of humanity. “The Strangers” is a realistic movie about two everyday people being tormented for no reason whatsoever. It was also inspired by real events, including the Manson murders, lending it an even scarier degree of credibility. While ghosts and elaborate trap-making serial killers are fun, they take place outside of our everyday existence. “The Strangers” reminds us that darkness and depravity does exist, sometimes literally in our own backyards.
17. “Let the Right One In” (2008)
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With Nordic noir thrillers on the rise, audiences were not surprised when John Ajvide Lindqvist, Sweden’s answer to Stephen King, became an overnight sensation. There was also no doubt that his screenplay, based on his own novel, was gonna be a hit. But it didn’t only become a hit; it took the world by storm. The big screen adaptation of his atmospheric tale of a young bullied boy who befriends a young vampire was an immense critical and box-office success, winning plenty of awards and immediately green-lighting an American remake. It plays less like a vampire movie and more like a snowy arctic fever dream, though it’s still got plenty of horror elements as well.
16. “Drag Me to Hell” (2009)
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“Drag Me to Hell” saw the long-awaited return of Sam Raimi to the genre that gave him his humble beginnings with “Evil Dead.” The idea came from a script he’d been working on with his brother Ivan throughout the decade during which he was working on the “Spider-Man” trilogy. This morality tale follows a young loan officer who regrettably refuses an extension for an old gypsy woman, who in turn puts a curse on her so that she will be dragged into hell in three days. The director more than delivers all the nasty fun you’d expect from him.
15. “A Quiet Place” (2018)
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John Krasinski has proven himself to be quite versatile in the past decade, but no move has been more surprising than his foray into directing horror. “A Quiet Place” takes a solid premise - a world overrun by blind monsters who hunt via heightened sense of hearing - and mines it for all its worth. The sound design is used masterfully, drawing you into the world of the film and making you fear the slightest pin drop. Krasinski and his cast, including his spouse Emily Blunt, all deliver committed performances that serve as the film’s beating heart. You grow attached to the Abbott family, and this attachment creates real and terrifying stakes.
14. “The Witch” (2015)
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Period piece horror films are hard to pull of. In order to really get under a viewer’s skin, we need to somehow relate to the setting and the experiences of the characters on screen. It’s safe to say that most cinemagoers aren’t a farming family living in New England in the 1630s.Yet filmmaker Robert Eggers managed to craft a deeply unnerving film - one that scares with ambience, psychological dread and off-screen threats rather than cheap scares. Simply put: “The Witch” is terrifying, captivating and impressive all at once. And with Eggers’ follow up film, “The Lighthouse”, similarly blowing critics away, this young director seems poised to bring us quality horror films for decades to come.
13. “Evil Dead” (2013)
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Horror reboots can be extremely hit or miss. Most suck, but some, like “Evil Dead,” manage to successfully bring the story and characters to modern audiences. While the first “Evil Dead” delivered some genuine scares in 1981, this reboot completely does away with the original’s sense of humor, as it is interested solely in scaring and revolting its audience. Telling the story of a detox trip gone wrong, this brutally terrifying film will have you thinking twice about reciting random incantations from books found in mysterious cabins – if you were ever thinking about it. Seriously though, even for horror fans, “Evil Dead” is not for the faint of heart.
12. “Final Destination” (2000)
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Amidst the slasher craze of the 2000s, New Line Cinema took it one step further, and turned Death himself into the antagonist. Based on an abandoned “X-Files” script idea, the twisted story follows a group of teens that narrowly escapes a fatal plane explosion. Well, Death is feeling cheated and decides to kill them off anyway in bizarre Rube Goldberg-like ways. With a villain you never see, a cruel moral to the story of never being able to escape death, and some of the most creative cinematic kills, this box office smash gets major props from the horror community.
11. “The Babadook” (2014)
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Parenting can be a scary thing, especially when you’re doing it alone. But when trying to raise a child while simultaneously navigating the grief of losing a partner... well, that must be downright maddening. These are the core themes at work in this remarkable horror film written and directed by filmmaker Jennifer Kent. As single mother Amelia Vanek, Essie Davis does an incredible job conveying the deep exhaustion felt by her character. This is a thoughtful, provocative and thoroughly human horror film that also has one of the most original and unconventionally scary movie monsters in recent memory. Director William Friedkin, director of “The Exorcist” went so far as to say that he had (quote) “never seen a more terrifying film”.
10. “The Ring” (2002)
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During a decade that was drowning in terrible American remakes, this gem easily stood out, mostly because of the talent behind it. With the brilliant director who’d be behind the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise and future Oscar-nominated Naomi Watts in the lead role, you had a sure-fire hit. A psychological horror flick about a vengeful ghost who uses a videotape to kill her victims, this is a movie that took everything that was already great about the original and built upon it; more backstory, more human emotion, and more deadly thrills. In terms of influence, few films have had as pronounced effect on the horror genre as “The Ring”.
9. “It Follows” (2014)
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The 2010s were basically a renaissance for horror movies - especially those centering on the misadventures of teens. Rather than exploitative slashers with paper-thin plots, we’ve been treated to some carefully crafted and effective entries like “It Follows”. There’s still plenty of teenage lovemaking, sure, but there’s also deeper questions about the anxieties of teen sexuality and STIs. “It Follows” is a impressively-shot film featuring some creative wide-angle cinematography and a clear homage to horror filmmakers like John Carpenter. The movie is further amplified by Maika Monroe’s performance in the lead role. Ultimately, “It Follows” is just a really compelling horror film that operates on both a supernatural and psychological level. Plus, it has a great score.
8.“The Cabin in the Woods” (2011)
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Yes… this film, at times, feels more comedic than overtly horrific, but we’d like to remind you that it’s still got some solid scary moments. What really earns this movie a spot on this list however, is how deftly it manages to subvert expectations. And really, isn’t that the hallmark of a great horror film? “The Cabin in the Woods” initially comes across like any old supernatural or slasher teen horror flick. But below this so-called “cabin” lies an elaborate government conspiracy - one that makes the whole thing not only feel like a brilliant love letter to the horror genre, but a few dozen different movies fighting one another for screen time. It’s chaotic, brilliantly crafted and just a whole lot of fun.
7. “Saw” (2004)
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The one that started it all. Although torture porn became huge thanks to the “Saw” films, the original independent feature has little to do with its insanely bloody and unnecessarily complicated sequels. “Saw” was more detective thriller than torture porn; more psychological torture than bodily torture. The complex puzzle and mystery behind these two men stuck in a room with a dead body plays out more like a demented Samuel Beckett play. Still, there are tons of cringe-worthy moments, from a brilliant script that keeps you guessing to a jaw-dropping ending you will never forget. And, considering it birthed a franchise of more than 8 films, “Saw’s” legacy is basically as big as it gets.
6. “It” (2017)
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Adapting the works of Stephen King is no small feat, but with 2017’s “It”, filmmaker Andy Muschietti did the source material proud. Bill Skarsgård was perfectly horrifying as Pennywise, bringing the infamous dancing clown to life with a sinister flair and manic energy to great effect. Though it relied on jumpscares, the film delivers on the horror front without compromise, and in no small part thanks to the looming sense of dread that Pennywise brings to the town of Derry. However, this horror film is also elevated by the excellent performances of its young ensemble cast. And that’s what really earns this film a spot on our list. Seriously though, clowns are still the stuff of nightmares...
5. “28 Days Later” (2002)
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Like Stanley Kubrick before him, Danny Boyle is the kind of prolific director that likes playing with different genres. After the major successes of “Trainspotting” and “The Beach,” he set his eyes on horror, and boy did he leave his mark. A different take on the zombie film, “28 Days Later...” is an apocalyptic contagion masterpiece, with a brilliant narrative, haunting opening sequence, and devastating scenarios featuring the breakthrough performance of a young Cillian Murphy. While the virus in question is turning people into violent mutating creatures, it turns us into a blubbering mess behind the couch.
4. “The Conjuring” (2013)
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After unleashing not one but two horror major franchises upon the world with “Saw” and “Insidious”, filmmaker James Wan delivered one of the greatest haunted house films in years. Unlike most of the movies on our list, “The Conjuring” doesn’t necessarily feel like it pushes the boundaries of the genre. In fact, it’s decidedly old-school. What makes it so worthwhile, however, is its attention to detail. It’s an incredibly well-crafted and expertly paced film with well-developed characters that we really care about. Wan’s knack for building tension and breaking it with terrifying scares is a testament to his horror movie experience. In short, it’s the perfect supernatural horror film, one with superb scares and a whole lot of replay value.
3. “[REC]” (2007)
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We’re starting to see a pattern: take an established theme, put it in some very talented hands, and watch something refreshing come to life. Rising Spanish horror directors Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero brought the found footage style to a zombie-virus outbreak and gave the world this dizzying roller-coaster ride in which we trail a news crew that has been following the fire department. It all seems like a boring night until they’re locked up in a tenement building where the residents are starting to get a little violent and a little undead. For it’s influence and legacy in the found footage subgenre, REC takes our number 3 spot.
2.“Get Out” (2017)
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We’re definitely witnessing a new generation of horror auteurs leaving their mark on the genre. But arguably no horror filmmaker working today is more exciting than Jordan Peele. His highly-anticipated second feature, “Us”, solidified his status as one of the most influential voices in the genre, but it’s his directorial debut, “Get Out” that takes our Number 2 spot. Wholly original, and terrifying in the most unexpected of ways,“Get Out” delivers scathing yet profound social critiques; it’s particularly effective at highlighting liberal racism. Not only that, but “Get Out” is also a tightly-crafted film - expertly shot and well-paced. Add to that a uniquely unnerving ambience, and great performances all around, and you’ve got a modern horror masterpiece. Before we get to our number 1 Horror Movie of the Century So Far, here are a few honorable mentions: Paranormal Activity (2007) You're Next (2011) Green Room (2015) Under the Skin (2013) Mandy (2018) Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
1. “Hereditary” (2018)
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This is the sort of movie that people were praising and warning each other about in the same breath. A deeply disturbing supernatural and psychological horror film, “Hereditary” follows a family haunted by the death of their grandmother; but it’s so much more than that. Not only is it extremely unsettling to watch, it’s also chock full of unforgettable moments that will most likely give you nightmares. It’s not a pleasant viewing experience, but there’s no denying that the film is a true work of art, both narratively and visually, while also serving as the performance of a lifetime for Toni Collette. Where “Hereditary” might feel like the more focused film, director Ari Aster’s 2019 follow-up “Midsommar” also deserves a nod for managing to be equally unnerving despite its more colorful setting.
