I often hear that modern horror movies are terrible and lack the originality and scare-factor of the films from the “Golden Age” of horror. Every decade produces terrible horror movies and great horror movies, and this decade is no different. So I present here what are, to me, the very best horror movies since the year 2000.
An underrated werewolf movie which brings to mind the classic Carrie, Ginger Snaps is a coming-of-age story with a difference. This movie doesn’t deliver many scares, but has a very good story line and is highly original in a genre starving for new ideas. Ginger Snaps isn’t for everyone but it is well worth a look.
An original, fun, slasher-type movie, Final Destination delivers high on the gore, scares and plot twists and it all makes for a very entertaining way to spend and hour and a half of your afternoon.
Love it or hate it, Saw was original and brought horror back to today’s audiences. The horror industry today would not be the same without this film, and for that I place it at unlucky 13 of my list.
I first noticed Bill Paxton in the vampire film Near Dark. He was by far the stand-out actor of that film. Little did I know how multi-talented he was. Here he directs a great little mystery thriller/horror with a fantastic script. He also does a brilliant job acting in it and we can expect great things from him in the future. Frailty had little box office success, but is a fantastic film. Do not pass it up.
The Descent is a film to watch with friends. The horror is a slow build up, and then suddenly you are immersed in it. It delivers high on the scares and has a great atmosphere. If you ever wanted to go cave diving, see this film… It might just change your mind.
In today’s anything-goes society it is hard to be controversial, extreme or shocking. Hard Candy is all three. It is the story of a 14 year old girl who meets Jeff, a 30 year old pedophile, at a cafe where she is invited to his home. Oh Jeff… What have you gotten yourself into. A superb performance from Ellen Page who would later become the fiery Juno, very well paced, full of plot twists and loaded with worthwhile social commentary. If you haven’t already seen this one, see it soon.
The Pang Brothers deliver a beautiful and chilling ghost story that would later be butchered by an American remake. The original is fantastic and I highly recommend it to fans of such films as The Sixth Sense and The Others, and any fan of J-Horror.
A chilling haunted house type story that is highly underrated. Brad Anderson, director of the amazing ‘The Machinist’, delivers a film to be watched alone and in the dark for maximum effect. It is one of the more unsettling films I have ever seen.
28 Days Later is one of the better ‘rapid-infection’ films out there. It has many scares, original ideas and is a feast for the eyes. Some of the scenes are simply breathtaking. I am assuming most people have seen this film, but if you haven’t, don’t put it off any longer.
In my mind, this is the scariest ghost film ever made. The sound the ghosts make unsettles me every time I think about it and it is a stand out in Asian horror. If you like long lasting, non-gory scares then this is the film for you.
I did not have very high hopes for this when I walked into the theater, but it is one of the most beautiful, touching and downright disturbing horror films I have ever seen. It is a future classic and I hope the Americans, with their upcoming remake, don’t butcher it. By the way, the current DVD release has dreadful subtitles. My advice is to put off buying it until they release the original theatrical subtitles for the film.
This existential horror film is not for the faint of heart. It has lots of gore, many torture scenes and is absolutely relentless. It is also a deep and powerful film that keeps you glued to the screen and, at the same time, begging it to stop. There is about a plot twist every 5 minutes and if the first two sequences don’t get your heart racing, I don’t know what will.
Was anyone expecting this film to be good? I mean, how good can a film be when it’s about monsters, with tentacle and claws galore, that live in a mysterious fog? The answer is very good and this is one of the standout films of this decade. The first 2/3rds of the film are fun, fast paced and tense, but it is the last third of this film that makes it one of the most horrible and horrifying horror movies ever made. The Mist gets a 10/10 from me and is a must-see for every horror fan.
[REC] is a zombie-type film that is actually scary. Indeed it is the only film of its kind that I find scary. The hand-held camcorder theme (ala The Blair With Project) is usually annoying, but it works really well in [REC]. It has a bizarre ending and is unforgiving and relentless. If you can get a copy, do so. Also, do not watch the terrible American remake ‘Quarantine’ first. [REC] is far superior and the American’s do not do justice to it.
Inside is the standout film of the last 10 years to me. It is the only film that has ever had me trembling in my seat, yelling out loud at the screen, feeling physically ill and at the same time thoroughly enjoying it. Call me obsessive but I have seen this film 5 times now and it never disappoints. It is pretty short (only 80 minutes) and has some classic horror movie moments. It is well written, fantastically directed and beautifully acted and is the single most scary horror film I have ever seen. In terms of stylishness and directing expertise it reminds me of The Shining. Every self-respecting horror fan owes it to themselves to see this movie.
@Bengaalse Tijger (101): Wait,…what?
Saw is probably my favorite horror movie franchise ever, despite what everyone says. It makes Halloween fun. When you can’t go trick or treating anymore, it’s something to look forward to every year.
I know [REC] is on here, which I have never seen, but Quarantine was the last film in a long time to scare me so relentlessly. I was afraid to go back to my car that night. I woke up the next morning, still terrified of the dark.
And I agree 100% with the Mist. People hate it, but it is the epitome of horror. The ending just leaves you with such a terrible feeling, which is what horror movies should do.
@Jason (40): Earlier today I read your comment and it made me wanna watch The Orphanage – which I just did. I just wanna thank you for the suggestion cause this movie is absolutely AWESOME!
Glad I came back to this site some new very interesting items which I wanted to know more about. Great work on your site.
At (86) Maxx The Slash
I am a huge horror movie fan, and although i have to agree that Hard Candy wasnt exactly a horror film, it was def creepy and distrubing enough to be one. But i have to say that your discription of the movie is a little wrong. Ellen Page’s character wanted to kill the pedophile because he was the last person to see and talk to her friend before she was killed by someone. Ellen Page’s character was certain that it was the pedophile that was responsible for her friend’s death. Especially suince she rooted through his stuff and found a whole bunch of child *****ography. Yes, it was a little extreme of a reaction, but her character was supposed to be a pyscho, that’s why it was so creepy that this young girl was such a sadistic killer.
I agreed with most of the movies on this list, and i have seen a majority of them. I must watch Inside, that sounds like a great movie! But i have to say that my favorite movie of all time, and the scariest one I have ever seen, Dead Silence, should have a space on here!
And to all those that thought Drag me to Hell was good, um, it was really the most ridiculous thing thats tried to pass for a horror movie ever. It was more funny than scary, i laughed my a*** off the whole movie.
Pity you didn’t add Ringu (the Japanese version, not the American version) or Repo! The Genetic Opera. Holy shizz those movies scare the crap out of me.
I have a friend whose been trying to get me to watch Let the Right One In for AGES. She told me that it was a love story, but now that it’s a horror movie, I’m thinking of kicking her ass now.
Great list! I hadn’t heard of nr. 1 before I read this and now I’m going to see it as soon as possible. A note though, I would have had The Mist at nr. 2 and Rec at nr. 3. The Mist is really one of the best horror movies I’ve ever seen, I’m hard pressed to find any fault with it whatsoever.
“Drag me to hell” had a few very beautifully creepy scenes like when she goes down into the parkhouse and the silken handkerchief follows her around, but most of the time it was just plain disgusting – like a rotten-denture-fetishist had made it, and the “scary” parts was that nasty old hags face jumping at you from the screen, like a silly youtube amateur scary video.
I was surprised how great “session 9″ was, I liked the “ring” and “the eye”, both the original and the remake, I would habe included “the devils backbone” and the immortal “flatliners” in the list. But I get sick by films that just consist of torture and murder. F** it, is there not enough brutality in the world?
get rid of hard candy for sure, a unique movie but it was so thick with it’s own self worth and holier than thou mentality it just came off as absolutely pretentious and hard to watch.
What about the ring? Original or remake we only need one but it gave birth to the grudge and the eye, those movies are completely pale in comparison. Martyrs and Inside are out of the same mindset so I don’t think we need both representing that section (there are a lot to choose form in the last 9 years so make sure to represent a lot of different bodies of work.) How bout The Host? Classic monster movie done right, I think it was the single highest grossing Korean film ever made.
Or Splinter?
I personally hate the descent and think it’s horror movies with the lowest common denominator, and it doesn’t have anything to offer that I haven’t seen before.
House of a 1000 Corpses for uniqueness?
Dawn of the dead remake for showing us it can be done right and improve on the original?
High Tension?
Let the right on in should be first by the way, not really scary but one of the best movies ever made and especially for it’s content (it’s so easy to make vampire movies bad).
Also, another comment to make is, the young boy on “The Mist” was the best actor in that movie. He deserves an award for is crying scene!!
Good list, I’ll definitely have to watch a few of these.
I love “Hard Candy”. I didn’t know it was considered a horror film; I thought it was more of a suspense… Well, either way, it was creepy, so I guess it counts.
One I would add would be “Drag Me to Hell.” It was a PERFECT horror in my opinion: fast-paced, tightly-plotted and scream-out-loud-scary! I would also add “The Ring” because, honestly, nothing has ever terrified me like that movie. I haven’t seen most of these, but I’m going to rent “Frailty” tonight after reading about it.
The best thing that horror movies can do is instill a sense of something being wrong–when the monster is slashing at someone, that’s scary, but you can mentally deal with it. What a good horror movie does is unhinge that deepest part of your mind that puts the world into order. When a movie chills you to the bone before a single drop of blood has been spilt, you know you’re in for a good time.
The Descent is the best horror movie I’ve seen in the last few years. Black Christmas isn’t included on the list but in my opinion its a fun slasher flick. Its not the smartest horror film but it definitely delivers on gore and chills.
any list of good horror films which includes The Mist has to be regarded as questionable… The Ring could have been substituted for anything on the list and I would have agreed with it
Good list, but I must disagree with you on The Mist, which I found to be predictable and boring. Also, where the hell is The Ring!!!!!!?? Its the one remake that the Americans did right.
I’ve seen all of these, hooray! Martyrs and Rec are absolutely amazing, as is The Eye, not the craptastic remake with a ghost restaurant though.
What an impressive list !!! I’m afraid I’ve never seen “Inside”, but I am going to check it out ASAP !
Awesome pics. I’ve seen a few but now want to see the rest. I’m sure someone else must have mentioned it, but if not, another great horror flick is The Devil’s Backbone.
“Let the right one in” is a real good movie, in a time when vampires are already an overused subject in all sorts of stupid plots (take “Twilight” for example)
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Once again, a proof that Americans insist on screaming and blood, thinking that will do all the scary stuff.
Very good list
Glad to know some many here appreciate Session 9. It is simply an outstanding film, and definitely one to watch alone and in the dark to get the maximum effect.
This list blows goats it is shallow racist towards America and short sighted. Here’s a good one for ya “life in Europe if America had not been an ally in WW II” it is a true horror…
I meant to say “so many” instead of “some many.” So much for my proofreading skills.
I always liked “Disturbia,” because it seems to me more intelligent most other horror movies. I’m surprised it didn’t even make the list.
rcs #142: “racist towards America” Honestly? No wonder people think Americans are stupid…
For some reason i was thinking High Tension was in the 90′s but yeah 2003, should deffinatly be on this list. Excellent movie with a great twist (someone should a do a plot twist list. Does Ginger snaps and the Decent really be on this list? I liked the Decent as it was quite original plot wise butnot sure if its really that great.
The strangers was pretty Creepy, one of the better films to come out of the states and even has a few similar scenes to Inside.
@rcs (142):
your yanking my chain right buddy? half the films on the list are american and im not even sure they all deserve to be there. have you seen any of these movies?
@aaa (144): Disturbia is a horror movie? i thought it was just a suspense thriller, but still is nice, reminds me of a simpsons episode hehe.
Im starting to think this should have been a top 20 list.
The Orphanage
Dawn of the Dead Remake
Silent Hill
High Tension
The Host
Cloverfield
Wolf Creek
The Strangers
House of 1000 corpses
Drag me to Hell
To many to mention, i need to go and buy some dvds
@bearded defender (148):
100% agree, to quote Southpark “Simspons did it ! Simpsons did it!”
Take a long look at this list and you will see why people say horror films suck now.Further your contempt for America shows how ignorant you are of Americans outside of the corporate sector. We’ll show you something horrific! We are the original terror of the Japanese.
The “Final Destination” movies are pretty damn creepy. I admit, at first I wrote them off as more “wink-wink, we are skewering the horror genre, aren’t we clever” crap (like “Scream”-I HATE that movie and blame it for very nearly ruining the horror genre) but they aren’t like that at all. The tanning salon scene in “Final Destination 3″ is the stuff of nightmares. Horrifying.
Another good horror movie from the 2000s is “The Convent”, about a Catholic high school taken over by demons. I don’t know anybody who’s seen this movie, but it’s definately worth checking out if you can find it. Scary stuff.
i have literally just finished watching REC and it was really good, the ending was shocking. i’ve also watched the mist, i only watched it because there was nothing else on tv, and im so glad i did because it was terrifying – mainly because of the way the people in the film reacted to the horror. it was an impressive insight to the way people react to the supernatural (i wanted to slap that woman!) and the ending is absolutely heartbreaking. i’m sure i could think of some other great horror movies (i love the genre) but its late lol. although i do remember watching a film called Madhouse when i was younger which is the only film to scare the crap out of me – great list.
sweet list, love #6, 7, 12, 13 and 14…not sure about the high ranking of the mist. and i noticed no sixth sense, but overall, great list.
Man I’m really excited by these “little known” movies on the list, AND the ones added in the comments (the orphanage & the machinist)
Really lookin forward to checking them out
I remember seeing INSIDE on another list. I am STILL too terrified to watch it.
I must comment on The Mist though. LOVE Stephan King. Was really excited for the movie & was horribly let down. The twist was great, but it wasn’t the movie that got that right-that was King’s work. I’m totally confident that the book is far superior. Movie was awful. BUT agreed that it’s totally original & cool. But perhaps better suited for a Best Horror Fiction list? Eh?? *hint hint*
WTF? No House of 1000 corpses?
Tale of Two Sisters. See it. It’s brilliant.
“The Signal” should be on that list somewhere
@bearded defender (148): Maybe your right, I always considered it a horror, but now that I think of it, I’m not so sure.
@rsc (150): You really are retarded, first of all, the Asians have always kicked the American’s asses (perhaps you are familiar with the Vietnam war?), and second the “original terror of the Japanese” would probably be China as they fought each other long before the Americans. (Before you jump to any biased conclusions, I’m Canadian.)
I agree that The Ring should be added (maybe a top 20 list?) … I would also suggest OldBoy — very atmospheric and very scary.
I was suprised that Let the Right one in didnt get nominated in the foreign sections of the Academy awards. It really *****es me off how Horrow films get looked over these days.
@rcs (150):
Let me Guess, you voted for Bush both times right? You probably even scribbled his name down in Byro on the screen during the last Election.
If you’ve never seen the made for tv version of Ju-on, I can’t recommend it enough. The acting, makeup, and effects are so much more chilling and realistic it is unbelieveable.
LoL I only watched two out of 15. That was The Grudge and SAW(but SAW 3). And I agree with rla5137 The Ring should be added in this.
@rcs (150): dude, you sound like Big Brother just wound up the key on their mechanical mouthpiece.
Entertainment, and horror in particular, are a VERY universal theme, and if you want to wax politic why don’t you head over to one of the very heated debate lists here at site.
Where have I been? I haven’t heard of many of these titles. Going to look into Martyrs and Inside.
I highly recommend Hard Candy but wouldn’t call it Horror. Definitely suspense.
Saw parts of Hostel and thought it was utter rubbish.
What was SAW original for again?
The least convincing acting of Cary Elwes career?
A plot that was completely nonsensical and ridiculous?
An extremely boring script with an extremely un-anticlimactic payoff?
A gimic that is basically ripped off from Se7en(Oh wait that’s the opposite of original).
You could have cut Danny Glover’s character completely out of the movie and it wouldn’t have made any difference to the plot. The movie just sucked, no two-words about it.
Haha, Drag Me to Hell ruled! It was so reminiscent of the original Evil Dead series!
Why has no one mentioned 1408 or Rose Red? Most of the movies on this list, I found extremely dull. I haven’t been able to be scared by anything lately, and really only a fan of older stuff. this modern era, imo, is not good for horror, all the people capitalising on the communist teenagers and snuff films.
Final Destination: laughable, Fun for the whole family deaths
Hostel: To extreme, also not much plot development.
Drag Me To Hell: lol
Dawn of the Dead: Epic Fail. Original was better, more impending doom!
Then again… I’m a Stephen King nerd, so IDc what you say, lol.
and also The Exorcism of Emily Rose may not be the best exorcism movie but it definitely has its fair share of creepiness.
ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm no “The Ring”? MUCH better than The Grudge. Dark Waters was good too.
@mweb25 (170): @TheOneWhoLoledLast (169):
You guys are making me want to spend the weekend watching Horror movies. Emily Rose was quite disturbing and i think another film that was way underrated and Im Sorry im a huge fan of the Dawn of the Dead remake, how can you deny Zombie Baby. Hell i even like the Texas Chainsaw and Halloween remakes. Friday the 13th errrrrrrr not so much.
ONE MISSED CALL?
I’m not sure if these would be “top 15 of the 2000s”, but I found these to be rather creepy yet very underrated, “Home Movie” and “Calvaire”.
Home Movie was an interesting take on the whole hand-held camera style. It had Adrian Pasdar from “Heroes” and a couple’s two children’s slow descent into pure evil. It was pretty creepy, especially if satanic little kids tend to really freak you out.
Calvaire was really weird and disturbing, althought a little slow at times.
And I agree with the House of 1000 Corpses comments, it deserves mention, it’s definitely entertaining.
I actually hate the mist, it’s predictable wit a horrible ending.
Saw deserves a better credit.
and I think you did a great job putting this list together!
All of these are winners…also really enjoyed “the exorcism of Emily Rose”…
thank god hostel wasnt on this. that movie and part two were so horrible
The Mist? I hated that movie… [REC] was the best on there. Quarentine (Remake) sucked.
Well, i liked this list. And i am too a fan of scary movies so i will have to look at these.
I definitely{[sp] thought Saw was gonna be higher up though.
I was expecting more saws for some reason. Ahha.
no 30 days of night? i mean its not the greatest movie but its definately one of the most scared ive ever been during a movie. everytime those damn vampires got on screen i would just squirm and fidget and shake until they left. the whole time i was watching i was begging for it to end so i wouldnt have to watch it anymore.