Horror movies possess that special ability in enticing audiences by appealing to the more instinctive fears and deeper emotions in them. The genre has been one of great change over the decades, offering everything from psychological thrillers to supernatural tales. Below, we delve into a few of the best-rated horror movies ever created in film history, which terrified viewers while earning critical praise for telling a story, being directed, and-most importantly-keeping the audiences unsettled.
1. His House (2020)
This terrifying ghost story centers around a young refugee couple from South Sudan who make their way to resettle in the U.K. They find themselves in a government-provided rental home in shambles, unnerving enough, but the couple grapples with racism, classism, and xenophobia that permeates their new environment. Still haunted by terrible events they encountered trying to flee Sudan, mainly of a dead daughter, they find their new home occupied by something even more sinister. His House is terrorizing and yet thought-provoking, with an overwhelming surprise ending that sends the viewer thinking over the whole narrative. That exploration of trauma, of what it does to the human mind, feels remarkably timely and engaging, aided by great performances from the first to the last.
2. Malevolent (2018)
Not one of the best horror movies on Netflix because of a weird mid-point tone shift, still Malevolent houses one of the best streamer’s horror performances. Pre- Midsommar Florence Pugh plays Angela, a grifter posing as a medium to convince people that she speaks with spirits. But things start to get dicey when those supernatural forces turn out to be real. Not the faultless film in the world, one would say, but worth seeing because of her devoted performance-she would give herself fully to the role and carry much of the tension on her shoulders.
3. Things Heard & Seen (2021)
Starring Amanda Seyfried and James Norton as Catherine and George Claire, this supernatural thriller follows the story of a couple relocating from Manhattan to a small town in upstate New York, where George has landed a teaching engagement. The family moves into a historic farmhouse, and strange and eerie events start happening. It marries the haunting of the house quite effectively to the more gradual disintegration of the marriage of the couple, as it tries to tackle how the unrepaired relationship connects to the ghostly presence. With plenty of supernatural scares, Things Heard & Seen differs in manner by which it goes deep into the troubled union-hence giving it a different depth compared to the usual standard haunted house fare.
4. Under the Shadow (2016)
Set amidst the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, Under the Shadow is an Iranian horror film that received critical acclaim for its intelligently deploying supernatural elements to make valid social commentary. Narges Rashidi stars as a young woman struggling to survive in a war-torn city amidst daily struggles and oppressive social conditions placed upon her. If that is not enough, she is also being haunted by malevolent forces in her house. This film uses the metaphors of horror for both external warfare and an internalized fear of oppression from society so well that this makes it stand out even in the genre.
5. Cam (2018)
What really sets Cam apart is the straightforward originality of the premise, which true Horror fans rarely ever get to see. Madeline Brewer plays the title character, Alice, a rising cam girl with the online handle of Lola. Things in her career take a dark turn when she wakes up one morning to find a mysterious doppelgänger having taken over her account and streaming content as her. As Alice fights back to reclaim her digital self, the film wrestles with big ideas like digital personas and identity, and generally with the unnerving nature of the internet. While a few plot elements aren’t fully wrapped in that pretty, neat bow, Cam manages a little better than most when it comes to handling timely topics, serving up something a little new for horror fans.
6. The Conjuring (2013)
A flagship horror movie for modern times, The Conjuring barely needs an introduction. This movie tells the story of the Perron family who relocate to a very remote farmhouse and find it terrorized by something dark and malevolent in nature. But what really sets The Conjuring apart from other haunted house movies is in the execution-from Wan’s assured direction to great performances from Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren. It’s a masterclass in the art of building tension, with some of the most intricately designed scares that will haunt people for a long period of time after the credits roll.
7. Thanksgiving (2023)
For fans of 80s and early-90s slasher movies, Thanksgiving brings on all the gore and the thrills. The film is directed by Eli Roth based on a fake trailer that Roth himself made for 2007’s Grindhouse. Originality of plot and character development in the movie is not really a point, though; this is a fun blood-soaked love letter to the slasher genre. Fans of the genre will no doubt get a kick from trying to catch all the many references and Easter eggs sprinkled about. The movie itself does not take itself seriously, hence being an enjoyable ride for genre fans. Plus, it stars Addison Rae, adding a fresh layer of pop culture relevance to a genre often mired in formula.
8. Cargo (2018)
Cargo manages to do a few things differently to tell its zombie apocalypse tale. Martin Freeman plays a father who, during a worldwide pandemic that reanimates the dead, becomes infected and has 48 hours to find a safe haven for his infant daughter before the infection overwhelms him, stranding him in rural Australia. More about the humanity beneath the apocalypse than zombie-filled action, this taut emotional drama sees Freeman provide perhaps one of his most personal performances to date, with the theme of sacrifice, survival, and parental love giving Cargo a particularistic hue in comparison to other zombie films.
9. Gerald’s Game (2017)
An adaptation of a Stephen King novel, Gerald’s Game is one of those rare cases where the movie is probably better than the book. The plot unfolds around Jessie, played by Carla Gugino, and her husband Gerald, portrayed by Bruce Greenwood, who take a weekend retreat at a cabin with a view to reconnect their troubled marriage. However, after cuffing Jessie to the bed, Gerald suddenly dies of a heart attack, leaving Jessie utterly stranded and without a trace of company. It’s driven by Gugino’s powerhouse performance-she’s constantly forced to overcome one series of physical and psychological terrors after another in the hope of escaping her predicament. King’s novel is notorious for its difficult ending, which the film handles with aplomb, making this a highly charged and thrilling psychological thriller.
10. Alive (2020)
People who do not particularly enjoy their horror covered in blood and gore may want to try the South Korean zombie film Alive, which relies more on psychological tension than on zombie action. On a minimal scale, Operated is a story of a young gamer, played by Yoo Ah-in, who finds himself alone in his apartment when a zombie virus breaks out. He decides to lock himself up in his apartment and survive with whatever little he has. Rather than concern itself with battles against the undead, Alive is emotionally draining in its extreme isolation and, as such, turns the zombie genre into an emotional and reflective take. Where the movie really shines is in its heart and with a much more introspective take on usual zombie fare; hence, it would be perfect for those viewers who aren’t hard-core horror fans.
Conclusion
It’s an eclectic mix of psychological thrillers, supernatural haunts, and slasher flicks. From the cerebral social commentary to an emotionally stirring tale to just plain something to terrify the senses, horror fans find something from these films.
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