The 25 Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
My 25 personal favorite horror movies of 2000-2024
Honorable Mentions:
Annihilation (2018)
Split (2017)
It Comes At Night (2017)
The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (2017)
Green Room (2015)
Under The Skin (2013)
Antichrist (2009)
Cloverfield (2008)
Saw (2004)
The Ring (2002)
Dahmer (2002)
Honorable Mentions:
Annihilation (2018)
Split (2017)
It Comes At Night (2017)
The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (2017)
Green Room (2015)
Under The Skin (2013)
Antichrist (2009)
Cloverfield (2008)
Saw (2004)
The Ring (2002)
Dahmer (2002)
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25 titles
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsNatalie PortmanMila KunisVincent CasselNina is a talented but unstable ballerina on the verge of stardom. Pushed to the breaking point by her artistic director and a seductive rival, Nina's grip on reality slips, plunging her into a waking nightmare.I know this movie may not meet the standards of a traditional horror movie. I still think Aronofsky made this movie so scary and thrilling, that it deserves its place. I even think it is perhaps the most haunting movie on this entire list.
- DirectorLynne RamsayStarsTilda SwintonJohn C. ReillyEzra MillerKevin's mother struggles to love her strange child despite the increasingly dangerous things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.We Need To Talk About Kevin is one of the very few movies that still haunts me, like when I first started watching horror movies. This is one of my all time favorites and if you haven't watched it, then you are in for a treat. A truly amazing movie.
- DirectorAri AsterStarsFlorence PughJack ReynorVilhelm BlomgrenA couple travels to Northern Europe to visit a rural hometown's fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.I don't think this movie is for everyone. Mainly because of all the 1-2 stars review this movie has gotten from many people. I personally really believe that this is a true modern masterpiece that is completely original. Easily one of the best horror movies I have ever seen.
- DirectorJordan PeeleStarsDaniel KaluuyaAllison WilliamsBradley WhitfordA young African-American visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.One of the only movies I have ever seen that managed both to be incredibly scary, and unbelievable funny at the same time. A definite must-watch for any horror fan.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsAntonio BanderasElena AnayaJan CornetA brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.Made by the always great Pedro Almodovar, this movie is one you won't forget and will most likely watch more than once. Great acting, great screenplay, great direction, basically great everything.
- DirectorAri AsterStarsToni ColletteMilly ShapiroGabriel ByrneA grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences.A seriously disturbing horror movie that will keep you to the edge of your seat. Truly scary, extremely well written and brilliant directing. I have nothing negative to say about this movie.
- DirectorRobert EggersStarsRobert PattinsonWillem DafoeValeriia KaramanTwo lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.One of the best movies of 2019, I have personally seen. It is very odd, in the best way possible and I just loved it. I would suggest to watch it with subtitles (if possible) because the way they talk can be very hard to understand.
- DirectorDan TrachtenbergStarsJohn GoodmanMary Elizabeth WinsteadJohn Gallagher Jr.A young woman is held in an underground bunker by a man who insists that a hostile event has left the surface of the Earth uninhabitable.This movie was quite honestly 10x better than what I had expected. I had known this movie for a while before I saw it, but I am so glad I finally watched it. I do not want to spoil anything, so all I can say is, it is an absolutely brilliant movie that anyone should watch.
- DirectorAlejandro AmenábarStarsNicole KidmanChristopher EcclestonFionnula FlanaganIn 1945, immediately following the end of Second World War, a woman who lives with her two photosensitive children on her darkened old family estate in the Channel Islands becomes convinced that the home is haunted.Definitely a very dark movie, with an absolutely brilliant performance by Nicole Kidman. I have only seen it once, but I will definitely watch it again soon. Because it was just what I consider a truly great horror movie.
- DirectorJemaine ClementTaika WaititiStarsJemaine ClementTaika WaititiCori Gonzalez-MacuerViago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are struggling with the mundane aspects of modern life, like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.This movie may be the funniest horror movie I have ever seen. This movie will probably not make you scared, but it will without a doubt make you laugh. A superb mix of comedy and horror and also just a really damn good movie.
- DirectorJordan PeeleStarsLupita Nyong'oWinston DukeElisabeth MossAdelaide Wilson and her family are attacked by mysterious figures dressed in red. Upon closer inspection, the Wilsons realize that the intruders are exact lookalikes of them.Made by the brilliant director Jordan Peele who also made, Get Out (2017), gets it totally right with this incredibly scary movie. It is not a comedy-horror like his last movie, it is just straight-up horror. It is a really great movie, that I personally think deserves a lot more recognition. Definitely worth a watch.
- DirectorLars von TrierStarsMatt DillonBruno GanzUma ThurmanIn five episodes, failed architect and vicious sociopath Jack recounts his elaborately orchestrated murders -- each, as he views them, a towering work of art that defines his life's work as a serial killer in the Pacific Northwest.This movie is probably the most underrated movie on this entire list. It is very close to what I would consider a masterpiece. It is very tough to watch, but it is without a doubt one of the best serial killer movies I have ever watched. So if you like serial killer movies, then this movie is a definite must-watch.
- DirectorJennifer KentStarsEssie DavisNoah WisemanDaniel HenshallA single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.'The Babadook' was so much better than what I had expected and hoped for. It was seriously well made and even managed to truly scare me, which almost never happens for me. Just absolutely brilliant.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsJennifer LawrenceJavier BardemEd HarrisA couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.Made by one of my favorite directors of all time, with amazing actors and a very interesting story. You should definitely watch this movie more than once to fully grasp it, but IMO it is worth like 10 watches. Absolutely brilliant.
- DirectorJames WanStarsPatrick WilsonVera FarmigaRon LivingstonParanormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.This is a movie almost everyone knows, and I would actually say it deserves its popularity. It was much better than I expected, and it's simply a really good horror movie.
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsCillian MurphyNaomie HarrisChristopher EcclestonFour weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.This movie is one of my all-time favorite zombie movies. I actually think most zombie movies I watch are pretty terrible, but this movie just did the trick for me. 100% worth watching.
- DirectorJee-woon KimStarsLim Soo-jungYum Jung-ahKim Kap-suAfter being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.I have only seen this movie once, but I clearly remember being blown away by it. It was dark, thrilling, mind-twisting and really scary. You always think you know where this movie is going, but then it just goes somewhere completely else. It is just an amazing movie.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsSimon PeggNick FrostKate AshfieldThe uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.This movie is really a lot more fun, than it is scary, but it does have it's dark moments. It was actually surprisingly good, and it was just as funny the second time I saw it, so I would definitely say it is worth checking out.
- DirectorJeff NicholsStarsMichael ShannonJessica ChastainShea WhighamPlagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.This movie is really, really amazing. Brilliant performance by Michael Shannon. I would without a doubt recommend this to everyone I know.
- DirectorJohn KrasinskiStarsEmily BluntJohn KrasinskiMillicent SimmondsA family struggles for survival in a world where most humans have been killed by blind but noise-sensitive creatures. They are forced to communicate in sign language to keep the creatures at bay.This movie was actually a lot better than what I had expected. John Krasinski really did a great job, both directing and acting.
- DirectorDrew GoddardStarsKristen ConnollyChris HemsworthAnna HutchisonFive college friends head out to a remote cabin for a getaway, but things don't go as planned when they start getting killed. They soon discover that there is more to the cabin than it seems.This movie was way better than I had anticipated it. I really thought there was a huge chance this movie would suck, but to my luck I enjoyed pretty much every minute of it. It wasn't completely perfect IMO, but it was still really good.
- DirectorRobert EggersStarsAnya Taylor-JoyRalph InesonKate DickieA family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.I think the witch was pretty good, even though it wasn't that scary for me. I didn't really love it, but I definitely think it is a great movie. I also think I probably need to see it again, because I did have a hard time fully understanding it.
- DirectorTomas AlfredsonStarsKåre HedebrantLina LeanderssonPer RagnarOskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl.This movie is very special and unique, I know people that love it and people who absolutely hate it. So it is a big hit and miss. I personally thought it was very good, but I could understand why some people are not crazy about it.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsSally HawkinsOctavia SpencerMichael ShannonAt a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.Made by the brilliant director Guillermo Del Toro, who also made, Pan's Labyrinth 2006. I thought it was really good, but compared to his other movies I didn't really think it was as good. Still a good movie.
- DirectorRuben FleischerStarsJesse EisenbergEmma StoneWoody HarrelsonA shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting bruiser in search of the last Twinkie and a pair of sisters striving to get to an amusement park join forces in a trek across a zombie-filled America.This movie is just a nice easy-going, comedy-horror movie. It is definitely not a masterpiece, but I don't think that matters, because it is very enjoyable and entertaining.