Let the debate begin…
As the first quarter of the 21st century comes to a close, this seems like the perfect time to take stock and examine what the world of horror cinema has had to offer during that period. The rules are simple: any horror film released on or after January 1, 2000, is eligible. Let’s dive in…
50. Freddy vs Jason (2003)
The showdown that the world had been waiting for. It was also the first horror film that I saw at the cinema (I bought a ticket for something else and snuck in).
Director Ronnie Yu does a good job in honouring both franchises with a film that is nasty, goofy and a whole lot of fun. It lacks the visceral power of both sets of source material, but Freddy vs. Jason is way more watchable than nearly all the other sequels for both Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
The film is worth watching for the scene in which Jason cuts Kelly Rowland’s character in half alone. Possibly the most satisfying death scene in either franchise. Mainly because it marks the moment in which Rowland’s character finally shuts the hell up.
49. Censor (2021)
Directing from her own script (co-written by Anthony Fletcher), Prano Bailey-Bond created a film that managed to be shocking, chilling and heartbreaking. Censor is both straightforward in terms of plot but ethereal in terms of execution – a technique that evokes former past masters such as Dario Argento and even George A. Romero.
Niamh Algar is particularly impressive as the protagonist, and a supporting cast of Michael Smiley, Vincent Franklin and Sophia La Porta pulls together to ensure that Censor‘s twisted vision is able to fully hit home by the film’s dark conclusion. And what a conclusion it is. The kind of ending that left me cringing at shadows and jumping at the sound of creaking floorboards.
48. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Written, directed and starring Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, What We Do In The Shadows is a hilarious and original concept that has no business maintaining the standard that it does for nearly 90 minutes. A faux documentary about a collection of hapless vampires is potentially a one-note joke, but in the hands of Clement and Waititi, it becomes laugh-out-loud funny and extremely clever, whilst being more of a homage to the vampire genre rather than just a straight parody.
While it has been overshadowed somewhat by the superior TV series of the same name that followed in this film’s wake, the source material is still one of the best horror/comedies of the era.
47. Green Room (2015)
Survival horror is a tough genre to master, as too often a film is played for shock and gore with nothing much else to offer. Films such as Hostel and Last House on the Left become notorious for their notoriety in a weird never never-ending cycle of blood and guts. To make a survival horror film work, there needs to be something to set it apart from its peers, whether that be concept, characters or, in this case, Patrick Stewart.
Green Room takes an unfashionable horror subgenre and turns it on its head to make something fresh, vibrant and incendiary. Director/writer Jeremy Saulnier fashioned a surprising horror gem with the considerable talents at his disposal, and Green Room acts as a fitting end to the career of Anton Yelchin, who tragically passed away in an accident shortly after filming.
46. Halloween (2018)
Halloween is a franchise that has struggled in terms of sequels because, really, what is left to say about Michael Myers after John Carpenter’s legendary original? He is pure evil. He feels nothing. He can’t be stopped. To stretch this out over ten films seems a little daft. With this in mind, the only way for David Gordon Green to reinvent this franchise was to ignore all the other sequels and reboots and start again with a direct sequel to the original Halloween.
By reuniting Michael Myers and Laurie Strode and allowing Michael more screen time than he has perhaps ever enjoyed in a Halloween movie, David Gordon Green and co-writer Danny McBride have given the fans what they want. And it’s mostly glorious.
45. Annihilation (2018)
This is a big, ambitious movie with big, ambitious ideas that some people will undoubtedly label pretentious. As with Darron Afonofsky and Mother!, however, the pretensions are worth indulging for the visual and visceral experience that they inspire. Like that film, things start off pretty normal. Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and some other forgettable actors make their way into the jungle in a kind of female-led Predator remake. What starts out as a straightforward monster movie soon becomes a trippy and philosophical meditation on consciousness, the universe and Portman’s furrowed brow.
One of the great successes of Annihilation is that while it doesn’t seem to know which genre to settle in, it pulls off every outfit that it tries on. The parts that feel like a horror film are genuinely creepy, the sci-fi elements feel like hard sci-fi, we’re talking Ridley Scott sci-fi here, and the more meditative moments are classy and humanised, mainly because of how good Jason Leigh and Portman are.
44. Creep (2014)
Unsettling, unique and… well… creepy, with Creep, Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass crafted a horror film that stood out for its probing approach and tension building. Like all great horror films, Creep is a film that stays with you well after the credits have rolled. Having since spawned an excellent cinematic sequel, as well as two series of a similarly accomplished TV adaptation, it would appear that Peachfuzz is here to stay.
43. It Follows (2014)
Boasting a truly original and ingenious concept, It Follows is not for the faint-hearted. A terrible demon passes from one person to another through sexual contact. While the setting of the film is never revealed beyond it being somewhere in Michigan, this could easily be Halloween’s Haddonfield or A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Springwood, such is the vintage feel to It Follows. Mixing archaic and new technology, as well as the lush, old-school cinematography, makes for an unsettlingly weird viewing experience
It Follows is weird, unnerving, and memorable. A modern horror classic.
42. Suspiria (2018)
A young American dancer (Dakota Johnson) joins a mysterious Berlin dance company at some point in the 1970s. Mentored by the uncompromising Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton), the young dancer becomes embroiled in evil and witchcraft.
The acting here is astonishing. As is Luca Guadagnino’s assured direction. Tilda Swinton takes on three roles in Suspiria, one of them being that of an old man, and she performs each so successfully that I didn’t know two of them were her until the credits rolled. Dakota Johnson is the real star though, as the ill-fated Susie. She oscillates between being vulnerable and self-assured at various points throughout the movie, making it difficult to ever pin the character down, something that becomes important in the, frankly, bizarre, conclusion.
41. Grave Encounters (2011)
While the first half of Grave Encounters appears to follow the same well-worn path as many other found footage movies, the second half is truly phenomenal and extremely harrowing. Of all the films on this list, this is perhaps the only one that has yet to receive the credit it deserves, having been dismissed as just another found footage movie at the time. It’s due for a reevaluation. The sequel is pretty good too.
40. Final Destination 3 (2006)
This film is the moment when everything comes together for the Final Destination franchise. It has the best cast, the best protagonist in Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Wendy Christensen, and it also has the best theme song in the shape of The Vogues’ creepy classic ‘Turn Around, Look at Me’. The rollercoaster scene at the start is an all-timer, and the other death scenes are imaginative and memorable. Having our two main characters actually witness all of the deaths adds a pleasing new dimension, and while it’s a shame we never see Tony Todd onscreen, we do still hear his voice a couple of times throughout the movie, which provides a satisfying throughline with the rest of the franchise.
Final Destination 3 is that rarest of beasts – a horror sequel that actually surpasses the original. This third entry is genuinely frightening in places (indeed, it is responsible for my wife’s lifelong fear of rollercoasters), it is perfectly paced, and it’s a whole lot of fun. Undoubtedly, the best Final Destination movie.
39. A Quiet Place (2018)
A terrifying, unnamed creature stalks what is left of the human race. Totally blind but with incredible hearing, the monsters can be avoided only through complete silence. The Abbotts are a resourceful family led by real-life husband and wife duo John Krasinski and Emily Blunt. Krasinski also directs.
The concept of film that is almost entirely without sound was a hard sell, but so many modern horror films rely on a single hook and still become hugely successful. The key is in the execution, of course. The fact that the Abbott family contains three children is what makes the tension so unbearable that you can feel it whispering nefarious evils in your ear. As a teacher, I can attest to the fact that you can’t keep children silent for more than thirty seconds before one of them farts or falls off their chair. This universal truth allows A Quiet Place to foster a feeling of brooding inevitability without ever becoming predictable or forced. A horror sensation that sparked a full-blown franchise.
38. Sinners (2025)
We begin with a cold open of preacher’s son, Sammie Moore (Miles Caton), stumbling into his father’s church covered in blood and with deep cuts across his face. We then flashback to Sammie meeting up with his cousins, twins Smoke and Stack Moore (Michael B. Jordan pulling a double shift), on their way to open a juke joint in an abandoned saw mill in Clarksdale, Mississippi. We see the twins gallivanting around their home state, recruiting old friends and former lovers to work in their place (Miles Caton, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Delroy Lindo et al) and then… Jack O’Connell shows up playing one of the coolest vampires ever committed to film. A word too for Hailee Steinfeld, who steals every scene in which she appears.
Sinners genuinely offers a completely new take on the vampire subgenre, whilst also serving as confirmation that Coogler has now entered the upper echelon of modern Hollywood filmmaking. This is the kind of film that you want to rewind and watch again the second the credits have finished rolling. Pure cinema.
37. Saint Maud (2019)
The most frightening thing about going mad is the fact that you don’t know you’re going mad. Even the mad must feel the knowing tug of sanity from time to time – an admission that something has gone very wrong, and that they are now very sick. Those glimpses of understanding must be the most maddening thing of all. Religious fervour is easy to mock, and yet it afflicts thousands around the world. We live in an age in which a religious belief can inspire someone to cut off the head of another human being. No horror film can be as gruesome, as sickeningly insane, as that. Saint Maud sure does try, though…
Morfydd Clark throws herself into the titular role with what deserved to be award-winning gusto, and first-time writer/director Rose Glass utilised every trick in the book to allow Clark’s stunning performance to take centre stage. Subtle visual effects combined with a menacing score ensured that Saint Maud was a truly nail-biting experience. I never once felt comfortable. I never once felt safe. This is what horror is all about.
36. Get Out (2017)
It is a sad but undeniable fact that racism is not only still an issue in the Western world but also that it appears to be on the rise. Not just from ignorant shitheads but from people in power; police officers, judges, landlords, etc. The arts, and cinema in general, have always been an effective way to express disgust and fear, but the horror genre is not exactly known for much insightful social commentary beyond the message that teenage girls should be scythed down and chopped into pieces if they get their boobs out on camera. It is this social commentary, however, that makes Get Out feel such a gut punch.
There are so many horror films that have so little to say. This makes it doubly refreshing when a film like Get Out arrives and demands that people confront an issue, even if it makes them feel uncomfortable. Especially if it makes them feel uncomfortable. Jordan Peele was already at the forefront of the American comedy scene when this film was released; he is now one of the most important voices in horror cinema, too.
35. Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Once you bottle lightning, you can’t catch it again. The Evil Dead became a horror phenomenon because of its limitations rather than in spite of them. Necessity is the mother of invention, and then up-and-coming filmmaker Sam Raimi invented a whole world of deadites, chainsaws and cursed books. Evil Dead II was Raimi and Campbell throwing absolutely everything at the screen to see what would stick. The result is a dizzying, chaotic ghost train flying thrillingly off the rails. The rest of the franchise has plenty of great moments, Ash’s bravado in Army of Darkness, the grisly conclusion to Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead, and the second and best season of Ash vs Evil Dead, but nothing has ever recaptured the magic of the first two films. The great thing about Evil Dead Rise is that it didn’t try to.
Lee Cronin’s successful sequel managed to stay true to the spirit of the original whilst also forging its own path.
Groovy.
34. Heretic (2024)
Hollywood superstars usually find themselves in a horror film at the start of their career (Johnny Depp, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Aniston) or at the end (Donald Pleasence, Gregory Peck, Max von Sydow). Hugh Grant is an actor most famous for numerous frothy romantic comedies, but Father Time comes for us all eventually, and the romcom’s loss is horror’s gain in this instance, as he really is phenomenal here. He performs a similar balancing act as Josh Hartnett in M. Night Shyamalan’s recent effort Trap – having to perform two very different sides of the same coin and doing both convincingly.
Heretic is a stylish, thoughtful and often chilling film that looks stunning, deals with some big ideas and has moments of true horror. I loved it.
33. The Lodge (2019)
The Lodge wears its influences on its sleeve, but if you can pull off a cross between The Shining, The Omen and the films of M. Night Shyamalan and still come out with a film that feels innovative and original, then you must be doing something right. Co-directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz manage to combine startling religious imagery with bluntly effective acts of violence, whilst still finding the time to throw in some believable character development and a plot that twists and turns to a thrilling conclusion. Whenever I came close to figuring out what was happening, the rug was pulled out from under me and, once again, I was left staring open-mouthed at my TV screen.
The Lodge stuck with me long after the credits had rolled, and it brought to mind my own childhood terror of religious iconography. Most pertinently of all, it scared me. That’s what we’re all here for after all.
32. Late Night with the Devil (2023)
Late Night with the Devil is so effective because while it draws on the ’70s aesthetic, it is also steeped in the lore and traditions of the early internet age. Internet staples such as the Max Headroom signal hijacking, the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge and conspiracy theories surrounding Bohemian Grove are all evoked here. Directing duo Cameron and Colin Cairns expertly weave all of these disparate strands together to create something utterly unique. It’s a wild ride and an ingenious premise, but the whole thing would fall apart without an incredible turn from David Dastmalchian in the lead role. Obviously, the film was nominated for zero Oscars because horror, but the Chicago native should 100% have been in the running for Best Actor.
31. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
The Cabin in the Woods boasts a genuinely unique and ingenious premise that allows writer Joss Whedon and director Drew Goddard to have their cake and eat it. They are making a point about gratuitous nudity and ultra-violence whilst still utilising both of these things at every opportunity. When the camera slowly pans up to Hutchison’s hot pants, we know that Goddard is mocking horror tropes about the male gaze whilst still indulging in them. It’s a neat trick. The performances are great across the board, with the young cast having to essentially play their characters as deliberate cliches, whilst Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford provide the laughs. For horror geeks, there are references to The Evil Dead, The Ring, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hellraiser and many, many more, and these easter eggs ensure that The Cabin in the Woods retains its rewatchability even when you know the twist.
More important than the satirical elements, however, is the fact that this movie is just a hell of a lot of fun, and at just over 90 minutes, the pacing is perfect. The various homages clearly come from a place of love, and it is this that ensures that the whole thing never becomes too smug or meta – an iconic horror masterpiece.
30. Speak No Evil (2022)
What I love about horror films is that no matter how many of them I watch (and I watch far too many), no matter how many of them I sit through with barely a flinch, no matter how many identical 80s slashers I endure (and enjoy), it is the only genre that genuinely has the ability to shock me. And while finishing a horror movie and feeling like I’ve been slapped in the face has become a rare experience, that just means that when it happens, it’s even more special. Anyway. Bottom line. This film is fucking brutal.
Despite the slow build, Speak No Evil is a wildly entertaining film with a haunting and violent conclusion. There are moments here that I’ve been turning over in my head since the credits rolled and while this film’s most memorable moment is perhaps a little too close to that famous line from The Strangers for comfort (if you were being generous you might describe it as a homage), I am delighted to say that this is a film that genuinely gave me nightmares. Now, that is horror.
29. Midsommar (2019)
Dani (Florence Pugh) attempts to heal her deep trauma and shitty relationship with Christian (Jack Reynor) by going to stay in a remote Swedish village during an ancient Pagan festival. As you do. Things quickly turn nasty as sex, drugs and Nordic trolls take their toll on our soft, American heroes.
Firstly, there are parts of Midsommar that are genuinely incredible. The psychedelic scenes are visceral, powerful and sickeningly realistic in their portrayal of experiencing a bad trip. The violence is bone-crunchingly raw, and the performances are strong across the board. Florence Pugh continues her seemingly unstoppable rise as the tortured protagonist, but Jack Reynor more than holds his own as the self-serving and spineless yin to Pugh’s desperate and clingy yang. Together, theirs is a relationship that is the definition of toxic. Dani allows for Christian’s continued shitty behaviour because she is terrified of losing him. This dynamic is explored ruthlessly until a grisly and unforgettable conclusion. One that is slightly derivative of The Wicker Man but still remains effective and shocking.
28. Longlegs (2024)
Using Seven and Zodiac as a jumping-off point, Longlegs is a dark and twisted ode to the ‘golden age’ of serial killers. Longlegs’ make-up recalls the clown garb employed by John Wayne Gacy, the Satanist angle is a nod to Richard Ramirez, and the coded letters are obviously indebted to the Zodiac Killer. Cinematically, Longlegs has more in common with The Silence of the Lambs than it does the slasher subgenre, and this lends the whole experience a darkness that is often absent from modern-day horror movies. Writer-director Perkins is not afraid to stare into the abyss, and he produces several sequences here that are true nightmare fuel.
While not quite the all-encompassing horror bonanza that the hype machine suggested, Longlegs is a singular and innovative slice of suburban terror that is tough to shake off – a bleak fairytale of a movie.
27. Talk to Me (2022)
Talk to Me was one of the freshest and forward-thinking horror films of 2022. The nihilistic, nasty tone and jet-black humour bring to mind the work of Ari Aster, but this is very much its own thing. The directing team of Danny and Michael Philippou made their name as VFX artists on films such as The Babadook and also through their work creating short films on YouTube – perhaps most famously the incredible work they produced for a video that questions what a Street Fighter brawl would look like in real life. It’s awesome. They have now been signed up to direct an actual Street Fighter movie. The world is a wonderful place sometimes.
That VFX background serves the Philippou brothers well, and while Talk to Me is often drained of colour (think The Witch or Hereditary), the movie itself is anything but lifeless. The horror set pieces here are vibrant and distinct. This is assured filmmaking, especially for a duo making their feature film debut.
26. Smile 2 (2024)
If Smile was Finn’s The Evil Dead, Smile 2 is very much his Evil Dead II. He throws everything at the screen here, including camera tilts, brutal long takes, and some gnarly practical effects, and the result is a two-hour thrill ride that deserves much more love in the horror community than it has currently received. For me, Smile is presently the most effective horror franchise out there, and yet it is constantly overshadowed by lesser films. There are moments of visual ingenuity here to match anything in Nosferatu, and much of it is nightmarish in the extreme. That being said, both this film and the source material struggle to stick the landing, although the final scene here is pleasingly nihilistic and cruel.
Smile 2 lived up to the promise shown in the first film and added an extra layer of menace that suggested that this is a franchise that could run and run. I sincerely hope it does. Give me Smile 6 – Smiling in Space. I’ll be there.
25. Hell House LLC (2015)
The concept of having a horror film set inside a ghost walk is an ingenious and very modern idea. Throw found footage, viral video and the hint of a religious cult into the mix, and you have something that perfectly captured the horror zeitgeist back in 2015. There are a bunch of films that have tried to capture this kind of mood before, with only varying degrees of success. Grave Encounters makes for the most obvious bedfellow, and while Hell House LLC is certainly indebted to that masterpiece, it also very possibly surpasses it.
Even more impressive is the fact that this film came from the twisted mind of first-time writer/director Stephen Cognetti. He had the assured visual style of somebody far more experienced, thus allowing the story to be as creepy as possible without always relying on jump scares or gore. The introduction to the Abbadon Hotel is still the best film in the franchise.
24. The Black Phone (2021)
The Black Phone comes from the mind of horror writer, and son of Stephen King, Joe Hill. And for King fans, there are plenty of familiar themes and motifs. The quiet horror of small-town America (domestic abuse, bullying, prejudice, etc). A world that parents don’t understand. Children banding together against a common enemy. The supernatural. All are present and correct. Derrickson even leans in to the King comparisons with several direct references to It and The Shining. That being said, this very much feels like an original work. Abducted children are not new ground for a horror film to break, but the aforementioned supernatural aspect adds a fresh perspective, as does Hawke’s chilling performance – aided by a spectacular series of masks created by practical effects legend Tom Savini.
The Black Phone, despite all of its visual bombast, is occasionally a little too predictable, but it does confirm that Derrickson does his best work when sticking to what he knows best. And that thing is making people feel terrified to step outside of their own home.
23. Gerald’s Game (2017)
Stephen King adaptations are always a bit of a lottery, but on a scale of The Dark Tower to IT, Mike Flanagan’s effort is certainly closer to the latter than the former. It is difficult to make an engrossing movie that takes place entirely in a bedroom (no porn jokes, please), and Flanagan answers that challenge emphatically.
Gerald’s Game works not just as a meditation on escaping from the aftermath of abuse but also as a feminist fable, a gross-out horror and a psychological thriller. Flanagan deserves infinite credit for combining all those disparate elements into one satisfying whole.
22. IT (2017)
Visually, IT was one of the most inventive horror films in years (despite an over-reliance on CGI). All the main set pieces from the first part of the book are captured beautifully; the few that are missing work fine in print but could easily have come across as being ridiculous on the big screen. Muschietti often references some of the missing scenes with visual cues that show that he is clearly a big fan of the source material.
To the main event. Pennywise, the dancing clown, is one of the most iconic characters in horror history and pretty much invented the fear-of-clowns trope. Any adaptation of IT ultimately stands and falls on Pennywise. Luckily, Bill Skarsgård absolutely nails it. He is psychotic, terrifying and obscene, often within the same breath. It is a performance that recalls Heath Ledger’s Joker whilst still being glorious in its own right. In a film of high points and vindicated decisions, Skarsgård is probably the best thing about IT.
21. Bring Her Back (2025)
Nominally a psycho-biddy horror in the vein of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? or The Taking of Deborah Logan, Bring Her Back explores the raw heartache of grief and the panicked confusion of childhood through the lens of body horror, occultism and psychological horror.
Bring Her Back is a terrifying thrill ride that contains some of the most tense moments of horror that I have witnessed for ages – particularly in the show-stopping third act. The performances of the four main cast members are genuinely phenomenal (if this were not a horror film, Oscar nods would surely be forthcoming for both Hawkins and Wong), and this ensures that we are fully invested by the time shit really hits the fan during the unforgettable conclusion. The final shot – which I won’t spoil here – is both devastating and poignant – the kind of parting shot that stays with you long after the credits have rolled.
20. The Substance (2024)
While there are shades of everything from The Picture of Dorian Grey to Severance to Society by way of David Cronenberg and the apocryphal tale of Edward Mordrake, The Substance is very much its own thing. Starkly feminist but in a way that is more a tortured howl of anguish than didactic sloganeering, The Substance provides the canvas for Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley to deliver a pair of career-best performances.
Moore is stunning here, it has to be said. Her grief at losing her looks and her body is palpable, to the point where some scenes are genuinely uncomfortable to sit through. Qualley, an actor who surely has an Oscar nomination in her own future, is just as compelling in a layered and nuanced role that requires her to function as Elizabeth’s neuroses and also as her own entity.
The Substance was the first horror movie since 2017’s Get Out to be nominated for Best Picture, and it once again proves that if you want innovation in modern-day cinema, then the horror genre is pretty much the only place you will find it – an instant classic.
19. The Ring (2002)
One of the few examples of an American remake turning out superior to the source material (in this case, the 1998 Japanese horror film Ringu), Gore Verbinski’s adaptation of The Ring is one of those horror films that was such a phenomenon upon release that it immediately entered the lexicon of popular culture. The iconography, the infamous death video itself, Verbinski’s direction, the performance of Naomi Watts… all of these things come together to create a horror film that is memorable, influential and genuinely frightening.
18. The Witch (2015)
The best part of a horror film should be the growing sense of dread that has you reaching for the light switch whilst simultaneously making you more gripped. The Witch captures that panic and terror and bottles it, ready to unleash hell at any moment. It is an exhilarating but uncomfortable sensation.
Horror films tend to get lost in trying to find an angle or a unique concept, but The Witch shows us that this is not always important. The story is a simple one, but when combined with the gut-punching score and the quality of the acting, it is wonderfully effective.
17. Barbarian (2022)
Beautifully shot and lit by cinematographer Zach Kuperstein, Barbarian has several elements that feel familiar, drawing on influences as disparate as Hush, Don’t Breathe, Wrong Turn and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but from these sources, director Zach Cregger produces something pretty daring and unique. It helps that the cast does a great job across the board, particularly Georgina Campbell and Justin Long, the latter of whom appears as a disgraced director in the second half of the movie, but this is a team effort that sees everyone involved firing on all cylinders. This film also served as the introduction to a director who could well go on to dominate the genre for years to come.
16. Nosferatu (2024)
It’s a bold undertaking to adapt one of the most celebrated and important horror films in history, particularly as Werner Herzog has already attempted a remake back in 1979, but while Eggers is clearly reverential of the source material, he’s also a bold enough filmmaker to bring his own vision to what is a well-worn tale. While all of his films look beautiful, this one is perhaps the most visually striking of all of them. The desaturated colours and stark blues and greys are truly mesmerising and Eggers could teach pretty much every other modern-day director a thing or two about how to properly shoot nighttime scenes without losing clarity.
There are some truly terrifying sequences and moments throughout, moments that kept flashing back into my mind days after watching the film for the first time. Nosferatu had a massive marketing campaign and plenty of hype, but on this occasion, it was justified. Quite simply, it is one of the best vampire films ever made.
15. Smile (2022)
Smile is a movie that is visually inventive and imaginative throughout. It also boasts an Elizabeth Moss-like performance in the leading role from a deeply affecting Sosie Bacon, and the supporting cast do a good job in grounding the film in its more surreal moments, particularly Kyle Gallner as an ex-boyfriend and confidante, and Kal Penn as a sympathetic boss. Aside from the cast, the sound editing is phenomenal.
Sure, this is a film that wears its influences on its bloody sleeves. The Ring, It Follows and The Babadook all loom large, as does Candyman and the Final Destination franchise, but the difference is that Smile goes to places that none of those films dare to tread. This really is as dark as mainstream horror movies get. A truly disturbing piece of work.
14. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
The first half of The Autopsy of Jane Doe very much lives up to its no-nonsense title. Indeed, this segment of the film is more like a mystery crime procedural than a horror film. The two men stand over the unknown woman’s naked and prone body and begin to cut her open. Øvredal keeps these scenes interesting through a mixture of moody lighting, creepy sound design and grotesque practical effects. When things do take a turn for the supernatural, Autopsy becomes something akin to 1408 or Grave Encounters. A never-ending hallucinogenic nightmare that is made all the more terrifying by seeing a man as measured and competent as Brian Cox losing his shit left, right and centre.
This is a short and nasty horror film that incorporates body horror, the occult and psychological terror. A quietly excellent horror movie.
13. The Invisible Man (2020)
The visual effects are throughout The Invisible Man are simple but devastatingly effective, and director Leigh Whannell knows how to draw gasps without always resorting to extreme gore or jump scares (although there is plenty of both on offer here too). This is not just Whannell’s baby, however. Elisabeth Moss remains as confidently affecting as she was in her breakout role as Peggy Olson in the inimitable Mad Men, and she is once again wonderful here as the hapless Cecilia. Her constant and heart-wrenching struggle to cope, as various atrocities unfold around her, brings to mind Virginia Madsen’s similarly classy performance as Helen in the 1992 horror masterpiece Candyman.
The combination of Whannell’s innovative direction and Moss’ assured performance ensured that The Invisible Man will go down as one of the best remakes of the 21st century so far. It also features one of the most upsetting scenes that I’ve ever seen in any horror film. If you know, you know.
12. Black Swan (2010)
Black Swan dropped at a time when Darren Aronofsky was probably the most exciting director in Hollywood and Natalie Portman one of the most lauded stars. The combination of the two of them at the top of their game led to an unforgettable cinematic experience that was deservedly nominated for five Oscars, with Portman the sole winner for a performance that is probably the high point of her career.
While Aronofsky’s star has faded somewhat in the years since Black Swan was released, the film itself is just as compelling and affecting as it was upon release.
11. Scream (2022)
What’s the point of a reboot anyway? If it’s to keep the fans happy whilst trying to attract fresh blood, then this film fails miserably. This is a love letter, not to the slasher genre like the original Scream film was, but to the Scream franchise itself. Sure, there are numerous nods and references to other horror films throughout (Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th are all namechecked either directly or indirectly at some point), but the real purpose here seems to be to shoehorn in as many references to other Scream films as humanly possible. This is clearly a film made for the fans by the fans.
The magical trio of Dewey, Gale and Sid return to Woodsboro, of course, with only Wes Craven missing behind the camera (a considerable loss but one more than made up for by the formidable directing duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett) and indeed, it is Dewey’s death scene that provides the movie’s most affecting moment. The new cast members do a decent job in harking back to their forefathers, with Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera particularly effective as the Carpenter sisters, and the screenplay from James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick stays just the right side of homage. About as good as the fifth entry in a horror franchise can possibly be.
10. Weapons (2025)
As with Barbarian, Cregger provides a heady mix of extreme violence, laugh-out-loud comedy and beautiful cinematography. In lesser hands, the tonal whiplash would dull the impact of the scarier moments, but Weapons finds the perfect balance between horror and obsidian humour, helped along by some stunning performances – particularly from Garner and Brolin. The latter is truly excellent, and it’s hard not to think that Pedro Pascal leaving the film due to scheduling issues caused by the writer’s strike was actually a blessing in disguise. I can’t imagine him being as intimidating and vulnerable as Brolin is here.
Weapons is the kind of film that demands multiple viewings. It contains multitudes. It’s layered and nuanced and troubling, and it boasts loads of disparate elements all competing to be heard. This film and Barbarian have marked Cregger out as the next great horror auteur on the conveyor belt. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
9. Mother! (2017)
Mother! is genuinely a waking nightmare from start to finish. Aronofsky captures the blind, bewildering panic of a nightmare perfectly and having the story unfold through the eyes of the Mother (Jennifer Lawrence – none of the characters are named) allows the feeling of dread to linger and accumulate before finally exploding into what is surely one of the most upsetting conclusions ever committed to film.
This film is beautifully shot, artfully made and features some incredible acting. Lawrence is as vulnerable as we have ever seen her, and Javier Bardem matches her with a turn that is as sinister as it is gentle. If art is expressing your emotions through your passion, then Mother! is one of the finest examples of that I have ever seen. If good cinema is something to be enjoyed, however, this film can lay no claim to that. A lot of people will hate it, but everyone should watch it. This is quite simply as powerful and visceral as cinema gets.
8. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
To truly parody something successfully, you need to really love that thing in the first place. This is why the Scream films work, but the Scary Movie franchise doesn’t. It is clear from every frame of Shaun of the Dead that Pegg and Wright adore the genre. Sure, there are nods to the past masters (Romero, Fulci and Ken Foree are all namechecked in one way or another), but more than anything, it’s the mood and atmosphere that Wright creates that makes this film such a perfect piece of cinema. And it is perfect. At less than 100 minutes, not a single line of dialogue is wasted. As with Sam Raimi and The Evil Dead, this is a director bursting with innovation who gleefully paints every frame with invention and care.
Shaun of the Dead is a horror comedy that is both funny and frightening. It has moments of real pathos alongside the callbacks and the puns. Pegg is electric. The supporting cast excellent. Put simply, Shaun of the Dead is a film that demands superlatives. The best horror/comedy ever. One of the best British films ever. Heck, one of the greatest films ever. A genuine masterpiece.
7. Sinister (2012)
Regularly described as one of the most frightening films ever made, Sinister is horror legend Scott Derrickson’s calling card, and it remains shocking all these years later. The films within a film that we are forced to endure are genuinely nightmarish, Ethan Hawke is excellent throughout, and the show-stopping ending is what confirms that Sinister is a stone wall horror classic. You’ll never look at a lawnmower the same way again.
6. Pearl (2022)
Mia Goth, excellent playing a dual role in X, is even better here, delivering an iconic horror performance that instantly places her alongside such luminaries as Sissy Spacek, Shelley Duvall and Kathy Bates in the annals of great female horror performances. While David Corenswet and particularly Tandi Wright are also great, this is very much Goth’s film, and the character that she and director Ti West have created here really is one for the ages. As an audience, we are smitten with Pearl. We want to save her. We want her to succeed. We are also disgusted by her. Scared of her. In awe of her. It really is an astonishing performance.
Pearl was snuck into theatres with little fanfare and wowed horror fans with its daring and innovative approach. An utter triumph.
5. 28 Years Later (2025)
Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, reuniting here for the first time since Sunshine in 2007, have a clear vision here and something visceral to say about modern-day Britain. Memory and nostalgia are key themes, with Garland forcing us to confront not just what we choose to remember, but why we choose to remember it. In one scene, we see legend and myth being born in real time, despite the protestations of someone who was actually there. What use are facts in the face of nostalgia, however?
28 Years Later takes plenty of big swings (the final five minutes proved to be particularly controversial – I loved it), and nearly all of them come off. This is proper filmmaking. Artistic. Courageous. Powerful. Unique. Exceptional cinema.
4. Skinamarink (2022)
Filmed using grainy handheld or static cameras, Skinamarink is mostly shot in complete darkness using extreme close-ups. This means that we never get a full idea of the geography of the house that the children are in. Certain shots are repeated over and over again, random pieces of Lego scattered across a carpeted floor, an old television playing black and white cartoons, but each time they are a little different, a little more sinister. And in this film, there really are faces everywhere. You have to squint to make them out, but you know that they are always there. Watching. Waiting.
I endured this film in the comfort of my own home, and I genuinely can’t imagine how someone could sit through it in a cinema. The sound design is ingenious and increasingly ominous, and I don’t think I’ve been this frightened watching a horror film since I was a kid. Some people won’t be able to stomach the experimental filming style, but if you can get past that… you are left with a truly evil film.
3. The Long Walk (2025)
While the wartime-esque bond that the boys share in The Long Walk is the crux of the film, it is the tragedy that really defines it. The characters walk as men, but they die as boys, screaming and crying in the dirt. Each shot that rings out across the group is felt by both characters and audience. There were moments here in which I was literally watching through my fingers. The violence, while never gratuitous, is brutal and visceral. The message is clear. In the Long Walk, as in life, anyone can win, but only the minority actually will. It’s a clear indictment of late-stage capitalism that is always present without ever becoming obvious.
The Long Walk is not just a ‘good’ King adaptation. For my money, this is the best adaptation of King’s work of the 21st century, just beating out The Mist, IT – Chapter One and Gerald’s Game. It is, in fact, one of the best King adaptations ever made. While it’s difficult for me to provide a level-headed opinion on a story that has never been far from my thoughts since I read it as a teenager, perhaps the highest praise I can lavish upon The Long Walk is that it somehow exceeded my expectations.
2. Hereditary (2018)
Fear is really about three things, fear of the unknown, fear of physical harm and the fear of going insane. Hereditary plays on all of these fears in a way that is genuinely exhausting at times. Just being frightening doesn’t necessarily make a film good however. Luckily, the disorientating cinematography, combined with a career best performance from Toni Collette, ensures that Hereditary is more than just a very effective haunted house attraction. It is an exciting director combining superbly with a talented and determined cast.
Hereditary is a degradation of its characters. It is cruel, and it is bleak. Ari Aster’s film forces us to consider if this is something we really want to watch. What kind of person are you?
1. 28 Days Later (2002)
While 28 Days Later explored many of the same themes as the zombie films that came before it, several key differences set Boyle’s masterpiece aside from the rest. The scenes of a desolate and empty central London have become iconic and acted as a grim precursor to similar scenes during the COVID crisis. As Jim, Murphy offered a glimpse of the craft and intensity that would lead to him becoming a bona fide movie and TV star due to his work in the BBC production Peaky Blinders and various film projects with Christopher Nolan.
28 Days Later is a groundbreaking zombie film and a classic horror film. It is also a film that changed the face of pop culture forever. Without 28 Days Later, there would be no second golden age of the zombie film. Its influence is so vast and far-reaching that by the time the belated sequel 28 Weeks Later was released in 2007, the world had moved on to different zombies in different cinematic universes. The success of 28 Years Later has brought this first film in the franchise screaming and howling back into the public consciousness. It remains a masterpiece.