Favorite 20 Horror Movies of the Last 20 Years
As we roll into 2020, there have been a lot of lists on the internet and YouTube proclaiming the so-called “best” horror movies of the past decades. Incredibly subjective, I disagree with many of these choices. I love horror of all kinds – from classic Universal to 80’s B-flicks and bloody gorefests to atmospheric indies. I should watch more foreign horror, but until recently I didn’t have glasses with a decent enough prescription to read subtitles on the screen.
Personally, I don’t care for a lot of Hollywood Horror, those PG-13 cash grabs about a family moving into an old house where an evil waits ready to possess the children. Hauntings, zombies, and slashers rarely do much for me. That's cool if you dig 'em, but they're not my thing. In most cases I’ll be drawn to any tale that’s original, one that brings something even remotely new to the genre, or at least does it with a different spin.
Below are my twenty favorite horror movies of the past twenty years. They’re probably not yours, and that’s okay. Horror is wonderfully diverse. These are the twenty that do it for me. They are movies that excited me, and more importantly, lingered with me far after they were over. There are some honorable mentions at the end. So, in chronological order…
#01. The Descent (2005)
This movie still remains in my Top 5 favorite horror movies. The early scenes in the caves are just as terrifying as the monsters later on to me. Claustrophobia and isolation are played up well in this film, equal to the dread and the violence. The monster designs are exquisite, the actors top notch. Speaking of actors, I still find this all-female casts to be skillfully and realistically handled. We need more of this.
#02. Slither (2006)
There have been numerous other horror comedies over the past twenty years, some far more successful, but this one has a special place in my heart. All the events are absolutely absurd, played out by almost cartoonish characters, with a gross-out level I can only applaud. To watch it now and see some major actors in this is hysterical, even more so when you realize this was a James Gunn film before he rose to fame.
#03. 30 Days of Night (2007)
One year before the Twilight movie was released and ruined vampires for a decade, this movie got them right. Predatory and animalistic, these creatures are almost feral in their pursuit of the humans in an Alaskan town. The makeup and sound design are unnerving, the blizzard a character in itself. I can only hope that when Vampires return to fashion, they take after this gang.
#04. Sunshine (2007)
Most people know director Danny Boyle from his film 28 Days Later and its sequel, but I far prefer this oft-forgotten gem. Involving a space mission to the sun, and a distress beacon from a long-lost craft, we devolve into madness and murder. The story itself is odd, filled with twists, and sometimes you’re left a bit confused. However, it’s visually grand and presented by a stellar cast.
#05. The Strangers (2008)
I don’t consider this film to be a slasher flick, at least not by any standard definition. It’s wonderfully nihilistic and raw. The only motive ever given by the killers are those famous three words, allowing you to understand that this could happen to anyone at anytime. It’s what make the movie far superior to You’re Next in my opinion, as well as the bland sequel to this movie. The sheer realism of it all makes it disturbing.
#06. The Collector (2009)
Speaking of slasher flicks, I have no idea why I like this movie so much. I’m pretty sure the production company simply wanted to start their own franchise in the Saw era, but desired something more along the line of Freddy and Jason. Yes, our boy the Collector is creepy, but I think it’s because this movie is shot so well. It’s a very “pretty” movie, with interesting angles and a good use of color.
#07. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Incredibly divisive, I think this is one of the most important genre films of the last twenty years. Completely deconstructing American horror troupes and what they means to us, they gets examined with tongue firmly in cheek. Funny, fascinating, and frightening, no one can deny it had something to say. I would love to see the team behind this tackle another movie similar to it in some manner.
#08. Butcher Boys (2012)
I can vividly recall watching this movie for the first time, wondering exactly what it was about. As the story progressed, I found myself wondering, were the antagonists serial killers? Vampires? Wait, are they cannibals? Then the final scene came and the whole movie replayed in my memory. It was a contemporary and urban retelling of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and it was brilliant.
#09. Spring (2014)
A lot of folks went crazy over The Endless, but this earlier flick by Benson & Moorehead speaks to me on way more levels. Beautifully shot in Italy, the supernatural and science are woven together with history. However, it is essentially a romance, heartbreaking and intimate, a realistic portrayal of these people even as the horror sets in. The dialogue and motivations ring true, allowing this movie to be something truly special.
#10. Last Shift (2014)
A rookie cop is supposed to watch over an old station house on its final night before it’s shut down. Unfortunately, a bunch of cultists died in there during a shootout years back, and they decide to return from whatever hell to cause trouble. Veering into cosmic horror, the cop goes into a psychological spiral as the visual aberrations intensify. Bleak and graphic, more people should see this.
#11. Baskin (2015)
While we’re on the topic of cops, this Turkish horror film is one of the most graphic and unsettling things I’ve had the pleasure of watching. A squad of officers receive a call to investigate an abandoned property, and things go downhill from there. Hedonistic death cults, psychic powers, time loops, and way too many frogs are just some of the things thrown as us. This movie is completely insane.
#12. The Witch (2015)
A slow-burn movie has to have good pacing and great actors, something The Witch pulled off with ease. I was invested in this period-piece horror, intrigued to see where it would go. The music here was captivating, making everything so much more ominous, adding to the dread that built as the story unfolded. Some might find horror like this boring, but it doesn’t have to be all jump scares. And that ending is everything.
#13. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
I went into this with pretty low expectations, assuming another clichéd haunting movie. What I got was a tight, creepy film with really only two actors who slowly make increasingly strange discoveries about the mysterious corpse on their slab. The twists were well-played with the script an original take on what could’ve been something far less entertaining. Definitely a pleasant surprise.
#14. The Void (2016)
I love this movie. Some say it’s little more than an homage to all things John Carpenter, and even if that’s true, I have no problem with that. I love John Carpenter. Everything about this movie resonates with me – creepy cults, dimensional portals, mutated monsters, cosmic hell, outer gods, etc. It even uses mostly practical effects, which is nice to see in a time of glossy CGI. Another of my Top 5 favorites.
#15. The Ritual (2017)
Based on the book by Adam Neville, I found this movie wonderfully original and beautifully shot. A group of buddies go on a hiking trip in the Scandinavian forest to memorialize the passing of a friend, only to run afoul a Norse legend. What starts out as psychological terror quickly turns supernatural, the creature design remarkable. Along with this, Josh Malerman’s Bird Box and Tim Lebbon’s The Silence, I can only hope Netflix begins adapting more modern horror novels into films.
#16. Annihilation (2018)
When it comes to adaptation, a big one was this movie based off the book by Jeff VanderMeer. Concerning a small portion of the United States that’s experiencing a strange event altering not only plants and animals, but reality itself, teams have been sent in to investigate. Visually stunning, the movies forces us to address questions about our own sense of identity and existence itself.
#17. Starfish (2018)
A captivating film staring primarily a single actor for 90% of the film as she attempts to find a series of mixtapes containing hidden frequencies that will piece reality back together. Bleak and beautiful, it’s shot in a stark manner that makes it feel all too real. Well, except for the monsters. The soundtrack is utterly amazing, a major thematic element to the story. This is arthouse horror unlike I’ve ever seen.
#18. Suspiria (2018)
Don’t yell at me. I saw the original Argento film years ago, and loved that fever trip. Honestly though, this Suspiria is so drastically different in plot and mood, I don’t really recognize it as a remake. That said, I enjoy this film on its own merits. It’s dark, sexy, and totally weird. I couldn’t stop thinking about the mythology this had set up, and how much I wanted to see it explored further.
#19. Us (2019)
Okay, Jordan Peele. I liked Get Out, but I feel this movie is far superior. Sure, there are a lot of plot holes, but I don’t care. The visuals are iconic and the entire thing not only found me discussing it with my girlfriend for an hour in the parking lot after, but actually a bit freaked out when I got home. That doesn’t happen. This movie made me feel something, and that’s pretty rare.
#20. Midsommar (2019)
Since we’re ending this with new hot directors, it only makes sense to drop Ari Aster. I think I’m one of the few people who despised Hereditary, so I was nervous for this one. Honestly, I think it might have just been the subject matter in his previous film, because this one connected with me. The character evolution, the folk horror, the cinematography, all of it made for a compelling movie.
There were a handful that came close to making the list. A number of these had even been on the Top 20, then eventually got bumped off as I recalled more movies during the writing of this article. I hate to call them Honorable Mentions, so let’s just refer to them as the Next 10.
#21. Session 9 (2001)
#22. The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
#23. Pandorum (2009)
#24. YellowBrickRoad (2010)
#25. Absentia (2011)
#26. Contracted (2013)
#27. It Follows (2014)
#28. The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)
#29. Train To Busan (2016)
#30. Wounds (2019)
For anyone that is a fan of horror movies and enjoys seeing them discussed and dissected, there are a number of fantastic channels on YouTube that I highly recommend. I’m subscribed to all three of these and pretty much devour whatever content they throw at me.
FoundFlix
Host Chris Dandridge produces high-quality reviews of horror films where he summarizes and breaks down elements of the plot, theme, and characters. Posts come out about once a week and are anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes long, depending on the material. Covering everything to current Hollywood hits to cult classics, he is honest with his opinion and explains why he’s come to his conclusions. Some of the best horror content on the internet.
Dead Meat
Hosted by James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca, the channel is best known for the satirical Kill Count, where James summarizes a horror flick in a comedic fashion while taking note of how many people have died and in what manner. However, their podcast is far more engaging, an in-depth look at either a movie or a concept each week by the two former film school students. Here they’ve delved into everything from the Final Girl and Jump Scares to Creepy Kids and Movie Gimmicks. They’re the most popular Horror channel on YouTube.
Top 5 Scary
Hosts Jack and Lucy cover movies, but they also reach out into books, games, history, mythology, and anywhere else they can find horror. Each video is around 10 minutes long, listing a top 5 of whatever they’ve decided to explore that day. We’re talking such topics as vast as The King in Yellow, Korean Urban Legends, Horror Movie Twists, SCP Aquatic Monsters, and Unsolved Events. There’s a true passion here for the subject matter along with an incredible amount of research.