The 23 Best Horror Movies Of The 21st Century (So Far)

There are a few elements that are vitally important to building a good horror movie. Scares, for sure. If you’re not at the very least tense, let alone jumping out of your seat, then it’s not good horror.

But all the massive, cool kills in the world don’t make a good horror movie. Fun, yes… The joint experience of screaming at the same time with a packed audience, followed by nervous giggles and laughter, is why horror has often been seen as the theme park ride of the cinematic experience.

A good horror movie needs something more to it, beyond the thrills and the chills. A character you can root for. An actor or actress on the cusp of becoming great, fighting back against a monster who has already slaughtered all their friends. A monster with an iconic design that seeps into the greater culture. A subtext that either smacks you in the face (“Wait, are you saying the monster is society??“), or is so subtle you don’t realize it until afterward, unnerved as you can’t sleep, rolling scenes from the film over and over in your head.

To be clear, despite the talk of “elevated horror,” this has all been present since the dawn of the genre. Look at the craft inherent in the classic Universal monster movies, or in John Carpenter’s Halloween. Rosemary’s Baby, Silence of the Lambs, Night of the Living Dead… These are movies that didn’t just provide a little spooky time here and there — though they did that too — they helped redefine the craft of filmmaking for the 20th Century.

…So what about the 21st Century? We’re still in the relatively early years. But the new canon of horror is as strong as it has ever been. How we talk and think about scary movies has changed rapidly in the past 23 years, with fans and critics alike coming to the realization that horror deserves as much respect and critical attention as any other film classification. That has seeped into how filmmakers approach horror, too. Studios know horror is big business, and creators can use that near-guaranteed box office draw (one of the few remaining in our current COVID world) to experiment in a way that would have seemed nearly impossible decades prior.

With that in mind, let’s take a look back through some of the movies that helped define the 21st Century in horror. Will this list change rapidly over the years? Almost certainly. But from 2000’s American Psycho to 2022’s X, these are the horror movies we’ll look back on as changing the game in the early part of the century.

Without further ado, here are the 23 best horror movies of the 21st century… So far.

1. ‘The Cabin In The Woods’ (2012)

   The Cabin in the Woods pulls off the rare trick of commenting on the entire genre of horror, while also working as a horror movie itself. The self-aware plot follows a group of stereotypical teenagers who travel to a remote cabin in the woods, only to find themselves terrorized by masked killers. Seems cliche so far, right? That’s because, as it turns out, this is just one of many horror scenarios worldwide caused by an organization that regularly sacrifices humans to appease the otherworldly entities who would otherwise destroy Earth. Full of twists, turns, and so many scares, The Cabin in the Woods is the best self-aware horror movie since Scream. — Alex Zalben

   WHERE TO WATCH the cabin in the woods

2. ‘The Lodge’ (2019)

   The Lodge takes the cake for best Christmas horror movie! The 2019 psychological horror movie stars Riley Keough as Grace Marshall, a cult survivor and the soon-to-be wife of divorced father-of-two Richard Hall (Richard Armitage). The patriarch decides to take his children and his fiancé on a trip to a remote cabin in the woods for the Christmas holiday. He drops them off and heads to work for a few days, promising to return shortly. Now, let me paint the picture: it’s snowy, the cabin is in the middle of nowhere, and the two children hate their dad’s new beau. So, what do they do to pass the time? They keep to themselves and isolate her. As the story continues, a series of strange events occur that are connected to Grace’s dark past. The movie forces viewers to question whether Grace is a reliable narrator and of sound mind, and fear for the two young children left in her care. It’s a chilly, minimalist horror flick with an unpredictable ending that’ll leave you feeling rattled and devastated. This watch is not for the faint of heart. — Raven Brunner

   WHERE TO WATCH the lodge

3. ‘The Babadook’ (2014)

   True, The Babadook belongs on this list because it’s a sharp, incisive slice of horror that treads into themes that often remain shrouded in darkness. But you can’t talk about The Babadook without talking about how the little Australian movie that could completely upended how we interact with horror in the age of social media. Despite its modest box office, The Babadook persists in pop culture almost as a 21st-century Freddy Krueger, an instantly identifiable icon of the genre largely due to events outside the film. A viral tweet here, a Drag Race mashup there — it’s hard to think of a modern monster with more followers. — Brett White

   WHERE TO WATCH the babadook

4. ‘Creep’ (2014)

   Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass’ sensational 2014 film Creep is an unsettling mix of horror and sneaky humor. The found footage masterpiece centers on a videographer (Brice) who answers an online ad to record a video diary in a remote town for a dying man (Duplass). The textbook definition of a hidden gem, Duplass imbues his performance with a destabilizing mix of bizarre and (no pun intended) creepy behavior, resulting in a transfixing cocktail of intrigue. Go out of your way to watch Creep, which is currently streaming on Netflix. — Josh Sorokach

   WHERE TO WATCH creep (2014)

5. ‘Signs’ (2002)

   Even with a hit-or-miss filmography, M. Night Shyamalan is still one of the most prolific horror directors of the 21st century. And while his most recent contributions to the genre include the one about the beach that makes you old, you can’t discount the impact of 2002’s Signs. A sincere exercise in atomic-age pulp horror, Signs sets all of the blockbuster events of an alien invasion elsewhere. Instead, it narrows in on one family’s struggle to survive against inhuman invaders. While it’s most remembered for the worst birthday party video of all time, the overall influence of Signs — like this year’s No One Will Save You — is still seen in horror today. — Brett White

   WHERE TO WATCH Signs

6. ‘X’ (2022)

   A lot of ink has been spilled about A24 and “elevated horror.” But Ti West’s X puts all that aside to create a nasty masterpiece (nasterpiece?) of a movie that works as a slasher film, and as a treatise on the intersection of cinema and pornography. Featuring a star-making turn from Mia Goth in two roles, X follows a group of guerilla pornographers who try to surreptitiously film at a remote farmhouse. Naturally, the twisted, near-senile owners of the farm don’t take kindly to it all, and the killing starts. While X fires that lizard part of your brain with gruesome kills, lurid sex scenes, and some extremely hilarious dialogue from Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, and the rest of the cast, it also shows how the rise of indie film and the rise of indie porn are inextricably entwined. Also, don’t discount that this kicked off A24’s trilogy of horror with Pearl and the upcoming MaXXXine, something that is quickly transforming the beloved studio into more of a blockbuster machine. So in terms of the lasting impact from X, your mileage may vary. — Alex Zalben

   WHERE TO WATCH X (2022)

7. ‘The Strangers’ (2008)

   Directed and written by Bryan Bertino, The Strangers is a 2008 psychological horror film about a young couple being hunted by three masked strangers during their stay at a remote cabin. While the movie doesn’t necessarily reinvent the slasher genre, justice is served as the two leads are sadistically tormented during a cat-and-mouse game that establishes an obvious winner from the beginning. The movie is an unforgettable, gory romp with a high creep factor, big jump scares, and a simple setting. After watching this one, you’ll never want to even look in the direction of a cabin again. — Raven Brunner

   WHERE TO WATCH the strangers

8. ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004)

   Edgar Wright’s inventive ode to the zombie movie not only skewered the genre’s cliches but nailed them like few other films ever could. The movie follows listless London salesman Shaun (played by film co-writer Simon Pegg) as he realizes he is living in a real-life zombie apocalypse. Shaun of the Dead is certainly the touchstone of 21st-century horror comedy, but it’s also quietly devastating. By exploring the zombie genre on a grounded scale, the loss of supporting characters and the film’s nihilistic ending feel all the more tragic. Which is why, once again, it’s incredible that Shaun of the Dead holds up as both a chilling horror film and a hilarious quotable comedy. — Meghan O’Keefe

   WHERE TO WATCH SHAUN OF THE DEAD

9. ‘Train to Busan’ (2016)

   2016’s Train to Busan is a prescient masterpiece about the ways in which humanity both miraculously endures and instantly crumbles in the face of a seismic event. The film follows workaholic dad (Gong Yoo) as he travels with his young daughter (Kim Su-an) on the train to Busan. However, as soon as the train leaves the literal station, a zombie apocalypse hits Korea like a tidal wave. The film is gorgeous and grotesque in its economic storytelling and features a cast of South Korean stars who would soon pop in Squid Game, Parasite, and even the MCU. It’s a testament to the hold that not only the zombie genre but also Korean cinema has had on us in the 21st century. — Meghan O’Keefe

   WHERE TO WATCH train to busan

10. ‘US’ (2019)

    Get Out may have demonstrated that comedian Jordan Peele can write and direct a horror movie (more on that later on this list) – but Us proved him to be an ambitious and distinctive filmmaker. His 2019 sophomore effort introduced a complicated, terrifying plot that exists far beyond memes and stereotypes. Us follows a family that is attacked by menacing doppelgangers and discovers that their existence extends far beyond what they could’ve ever imagined. The movie hits on topics of trauma, abuse of power, and privilege, but refuses to spoon-feed the lessons to the audience, instead intertwining them in a movie laced with pure, unadulterated horror and an unforgettable performance by Lupita Nyong’o as two polar opposite women… One of whom is a vengeful murderess. — Raven Brunner

    WHERE TO WATCH US (2019)

11. ‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009)

    Despite a criminally inaccurate marketing campaign—which painted it as the sexy, sleazy, “Megan Fox nudity” movie—Jennifer’s Body has, in recent years, finally found its audience as a feminist cult classic. Written by Diablo Cody and directed by Karyn Kusama, it’s a tonally perfect horror comedy about a toxic teen girl friendship between Amanda Seyfried and Megan Fox. It just so happens that one of those teens is also a murderous succubus. From 9/11 allegories to the not-so-subtle sapphic undertones, Cody and Kusama captured exactly what it felt like to be a teen in the early 2000s, and made a kick-ass horror film in the process. — Anna Menta

    WHERE TO WATCH jennifer’s body

12. ‘Final Destination 2’ (2003)

    What first comes to mind when you see a log truck or even think of the word “log”? There’s only one answer: Final Destination 2, baby! The popular horror franchise has cemented itself in cultural relevance for its bizarre, mind-blowing death sequences. And the most memorable one occurred in the 2003 sequel directed by David Ellis. In this installment, A.J. Cook’s Kimberly Corman has a premonition where she witnesses a chain snapping on a log truck and an avalanche of large logs falling off the truck on a busy highway. The vision lasts for two minutes of pure horror as countless deaths and car collisions play out on screen. Unlike many of the other death sequences in the series, this one feels strangely realistic. In addition to the iconic scene, Final Destination 2 grossed out a majority of critics, who poorly reviewed the movie, criticizing its mindless deaths and sickening torture. To many enjoyers of the genre, those aspects are exactly what constitutes a good horror movie. Now, in retrospect, it’s foolish to deny one of the most celebrated death scenes in the entire genre. Final Destination 2, for as long as log trucks exist on this sweet, beautiful Earth, you will always be famous… and feared. — Raven Brunner

    WHERE TO WATCH final destination 2

13. ‘Drag Me To Hell’ (2009)

    You can’t have a horror list without Sam Raimi. The iconic director of the Evil Dead movies came back to his devious roots after the blockbuster Spider-Man trilogy with Drag Me To Hell. In the flick, a loan officer played by Alison Lohman pisses off an old Romani woman, and gets cursed to be tormented for three days before getting, per the title, dragged into hell. Naturally, she doesn’t want that to happen. Along with her boyfriend, stealth Horror King Justin Long, she fights back against the curse… Only to — spoilers — get dragged into Hell. Not only is the movie hilarious (reader, I have never laughed harder in a theater than at the final title card of this film), but it proved that Raimi was made for quick, nasty little horror fables like this one. — Alex Zalben

    WHERE TO WATCH drag me to hell

14. ‘The Descent’ (2005)

    Genre legend Neil Marshall, who really doesn’t get the credit he deserves stateside, turned an entire generation off of spelunking with The Descent. The 2005 horror movie follows Sarah (Shauna Macdonald), who recently lost her husband and child in a car accident, as she reluctantly agrees to join a group of her girlfriends for a weekend exploration of an Appalachian cave system. When their leader, the brash Juno (Natalie Mendoza), leads them into a system of unknown caverns, disaster occurs. They encounter a hungry and monstrous colony of cave dwellers known as “crawlers” who hunt them down one by one.  With claustrophobic cinematography, bloody kills, and fully formed characters, The Descent is a ruthless and gripping film that still feels fresh nearly 20 years later. — Karen Kemmerle

    WHERE TO WATCH the descent

15. ‘The Conjuring’ (2013)

    Cinema of the 21st century has been defined largely by the rise of not just franchises but cinematic universes. It’s a concept that lends itself to superheroes and sci-fi. But horror? That’s hard to do — just ask Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe. Instead of banking on superstars, horror vibe-master James Wan inadvertently created a blockbuster franchise out of the true-ish tales of Ed and Lorraine Warren, two middle-aged ghost hunters, and the dolls and demons that plague them. After the schlock and gore of ’00s horror, 2013’s The Conjuring gave us a ’70s-style ghost story that consistently prioritized earned scares and go-for-broke performances (looking at you fearfully, Lili Taylor). Yes, The Conjuring ultimately gave us spinoff franchises in Annabelle and The Nun, but the original film stands on its own as a kind of timeless ghost story, proof that we’re always going to be scared of what goes bump in the night. — Brett White

    WHERE TO WATCH the conjuring

16. ‘It Follows’ (2014)

    It Follows is a sneakily scary, unsettling horror film in which the villain is, simply put, a haunting STI. The inventive 2014 release puts a new spin on the horror trope that teens (and specifically girls) who have sex are the first to die. David Robert Mitchell’s film was released in a pre-#MeToo era, when feminism was splashed across Buzzfeed headlines and Time was boasting about the “best year for women since the dawn of time.” Fittingly, It Follows’ female protagonist, Jay (Maika Monroe), has sexual autonomy. But, it comes with a catch: when she has sex with her boyfriend for the first time, she’s plagued by an unknown entity that she can only get rid of by hooking up with someone else. As such, we get a Final Girl like no other — one whose story begins after she has sex and who explores what it means to try and retain ownership of her own body. It Follows carved out a singular spot for itself in the 21st-century horror canon, paving the way for more complex, flawed women in later releases like Ready Or Not, The Invisible Man, and Midsommar. — Greta Bjornson

    WHERE TO WATCH it follows

17. ’28 Days Later’ (2002)

    Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later is a landmark British horror movie for many reasons—expert craftsmanship, compelling performances, and chilling atmosphere to name a few. Most significantly, the film introduced the concept of “fast-moving” zombies to the genre. 28 Days Later vividly recreates writer Alex Garland’s apocalyptic vision in which legions of unfortunate souls are infected with a rage virus that compels them to chase down and brutally kill the innocent. Cillian Murphy stars as Jim, a hospitalized bike messenger who wakes up from a coma 28 days after the initial outbreak.  He then must navigate a deserted and dangerous London with a few other survivors (Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, and Megan Burns) to find a safe haven. Fast-paced and brutal, 28 Days Later has earned its spot in the horror pantheon. — Karen Kemmerle

    WHERE TO WATCH 28 Days Later

18. ‘Saw’ (2004)

    It’s no surprise that the modern horror classic Saw ranks so highly on our list. James Wan’s 2004 trailblazer introduces viewers to the demented Jigsaw Killer while finding new ways to produce cerebral and visceral scares. Saw earned mixed reviews upon its release, but the film’s complex storytelling, shocking ending, and indisputable cultural legacy (nine sequels!) are undeniable. — Josh Sorokach

    WHERE TO WATCH saw

19. ‘American Psycho’ (2000)

    Director Mary Harron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, didn’t pull any punches with American Psycho. She eviscerated Wall Street in her satirical psychological thriller that follows the slow descent of a wealthy, 1980s New York City banker, Patrick Bateman. Christian Bale’s performance as a buttoned-up serial killer with a skincare routine and a manic charm was magnetic and captivating, like a car crash you can’t turn away from—and it launched his film career. American Psycho is hilarious, disturbing, unsettling, and brilliant in its take-down of the delusional, out-of-touch, and psychotic men of finance. — Anna Menta

    WHERE TO WATCH AMERICAN PSYCHO

20. ‘Hereditary’ (2018)

    Hereditary changed moviegoers when it opened in the summer of 2018. People left screenings starting every new conversation with a whispered, “Have you seen Hereditary yet?” You know a horror movie is legendary when seeing it in the theater feels like a dare. A family drama gone hellishly wrong, Ari Aster’s Hereditary challenges you to endure the fallout of the harshest, most gruesome thing that can happen to a family. It challenges you to wait, knowing that literal demons lurk around every corner. It challenges you to watch Toni Collette’s incendiary performance as a mother, thrashing in vain against her hell-borne lineage. It’s Halloween 2023. Have you watched Hereditary again? — Brett White

    WHERE TO WATCH hereditary

21. ‘The Ring’ (2002)

    Gore Verbinski’s The Ring didn’t just kick off a decade of copycat American films, focused on creepy girls and timed curses; it also ushered in a foreign horror adaptation frenzy that continues to this day. The American adaptation of 1998’s Ringu stars Naomi Watts as Rachel, a journalist and mother asked to investigate the mysterious deaths of teenagers who all allegedly watched the same cursed VHS at the same time. What follows is a twisted tale full of supernatural horror, agonizing child abuse, and one of the most visually arresting villains in horror history: Samara (Daveigh Chase). But what left audiences feeling the most unsettled was probably protagonist Rachel’s final, awful choice. — Meghan O’Keefe

    WHERE TO WATCH THE RING

22. ‘Get Out’ (2017)

    It’s no exaggeration to say that Jordan Peele’s directorial debut changed the game. Get Out was a culture shift, you had to be there: Rave reviews, sold-out theaters of rowdy crowds, and four Oscar nominations (including Best Picture). It was a genre movie that earned a level of mainstream critical respect not seen since 1991’s Silence of the Lambs. Some credit it with launching a new wave of “elevated horror,” aka horror movies for intellectuals. It’s true that Get Out seamlessly applies horror tropes to real-world horrors of racism, and the result is a brilliant commentary on the so-called “post-racial” America. (Bradley Whitford would have voted for Obama for a third term, but he’s also actively murdering Black men.) But Get Out is anything but pretentious intellectualism—it’s pure fun. The talented cast, the sharp script, and the pitch-perfect pacing keep you hooked from start to finish. It launched Peele’s career as an auteur horror filmmaker, and it’s more than earned a top spot on the best horror movies of this century. — Anna Menta

    WHERE TO WATCH get out

23. ‘The Mist’ (2007)

    Frank Darabont’s 2007 adaptation of the classic Stephen King novella is absolute cinematic perfection. Proving yet again after The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile that nobody gets the whole King vibe like he does, Darabont crafted a 126-minute story of what happens to humanity when the world falls apart. After a brief introduction to our main characters, David (Thomas Jane) and his eight-year-old son Billy (Nathan Gamble), we’re quickly taken into the movie’s supermarket location as various townspeople look to escape the vicious, tentacled (and otherwise) monsters lurking in an encroaching mist. Given the movie almost entirely takes place in the supermarket as the small society created there spirals out of control, Darabont builds the tension to nearly impossible heights; and ends it all with possibly the biggest gut-punch ever committed to the silver screen. A few years later, Darabont would go on to help create the mega-franchise The Walking Dead on TV, which shares some of the same DNA as The Mist — and cast members, including Jeffrey DeMunn, Laurie Holden, and Melissa McBride. But from Jane’s harrowing performance as a put-upon father to Marcia Gay Harden’s fanatical Mrs. Carmody, none of these actors have ever been better. Few perfect movies exist. This is one of them. — Alex Zalben

    WHERE TO WATCH the mist