# Scariest and Most Thought-Provoking Horror Films of the Past Decade
Future cult classics? Welcome to WatchMojo.world, and today we’re counting down our picks for the scariest and most thought-provoking horror films of the past ten years! Our countdown includes:
1. **"The Invisible Man" (2020)**
2. **"The Wailing" (2016)**
3. **"Prey" (2022)**
4. **"A Quiet Place" (2018)**
5. **"Hereditary" (2018)**
6. **"It" (2017)**
7. **"Get Out" (2017)**
8. **"The Witch" (2015)**
9. **"Midsommar" (2019)**
10. **"Halloween" (2018)**
Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
Future cult classics? Welcome to WatchMojo.world, and today we’re counting down our picks for the scariest and most thought-provoking horror films of the past ten years! Our countdown includes:
1. **"The Invisible Man" (2020)**
2. **"The Wailing" (2016)**
3. **"Prey" (2022)**
4. **"A Quiet Place" (2018)**
5. **"Hereditary" (2018)**
6. **"It" (2017)**
7. **"Get Out" (2017)**
8. **"The Witch" (2015)**
9. **"Midsommar" (2019)**
10. **"Halloween" (2018)**
Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the scariest and most thought-provoking
00:09horror films of the past 10 years.
00:11This will not include any movies that can primarily be classified as thrillers or comedies.
00:23Number 20.
00:24Talk To Me
00:25Pure pressure can be a killer, a fact Mia comes to know all too well.
00:29In Talk To Me, the protagonist and her best friend Jade learn about a strange new trend
00:33amongst their friend group.
00:35Although it initially seems like it may just be a fun party trick, it is soon revealed
00:38to be a terrifyingly real gateway to the undead as Mia grabs hold of a hand and comes face
00:43to face with a corpse.
00:52Despite the horrifying implications, Mia becomes addicted to the thrill of possession, hoping
00:56that she can find her recently deceased mother amongst the crowd.
00:59Sophie Wilde is giving her all in the film's lead role, pivoting from spine-chilling horror
01:04to devastating displays of grief with ease.
01:15Number 19.
01:16Halloween
01:17Rebooting a beloved franchise is a tricky task.
01:19When Rob Zombie tried his hand at rebooting Halloween in 2007, it became a box office
01:24success but a critical failure.
01:26Thankfully, David Gordon Green's 2018 requel fared better on both fronts.
01:31Although the director's sequels Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends have been met with
01:34mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, Green's initial Halloween was a smash hit.
01:46It kept the spirit of the original film alive while adding a modern sense of humor that
01:50helped connect the 1978 story with a new generation.
01:53It also brought back Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Castle as Laurie Strode and Michael Myers,
01:58resurrecting an iconic acting match-up that hadn't been seen in 40 years.
02:13Number 18.
02:14Prey
02:15The prequel we didn't know we needed.
02:17As the seventh film to be released in the Predator franchise, it's understandable
02:20that some fans approached Prey with a healthy amount of skepticism, but the film's dedication
02:25to melding franchise lore with historical authenticity led to it being one of the film
02:29series' most beloved entries.
02:38Even the toothbrushes were meticulously crafted to be era-accurate.
02:41At a time when CG reigned supreme, Prey also opted to use practical effects for its iconic
02:46antagonist, and it paid off in a big way.
02:49The film has one of the franchise's most fearsome depictions of the Predator, and the
02:53suit's real-world physicality adds a layer of authenticity to the acting that can be
02:57lost in CGI-heavy productions.
03:06Number 17.
03:08Suspiria
03:09As an American remake of an Italian cult horror film by one of the best directors in the business,
03:13Dario Argento, Suspiria had the odds stacked against it that it ended up being one of the
03:18most interesting horror films to come out of 2018, is nothing short of a miracle.
03:25While it's true the film was divisive, it's hard not to appreciate its bold narrative
03:33departure from its predecessor.
03:34It is not a remake interested in simply redoing what came before, it evolves the material
03:39and twists it into something new.
03:41If nothing else, its transformation of Tilda Swinton into the unrecognizable Dr. Joseph
03:46Klemperer is something to be admired.
03:49Suspiria's lack of a Best Makeup nomination at the Oscars was criminal.
03:58Number 16.
04:00The Black Phone
04:07Beginning with its immaculately edited opening credits sequence, The Black Phone completely
04:11immerses audiences in its late 70s setting and builds on the real-world fear of child
04:17abduction.
04:18The late 2010s popularity of Stranger Things led to a boom in modern horror period pieces
04:22starring foul-mouthed teenage characters, and The Black Phone is one of the better stories
04:26to emerge from the trend.
04:28Based on a short story of the same name, the film portrays the capture and survival of
04:32a young boy named Finney who finds a phone that connects him to the unnamed grabbers
04:36past victims.
04:37It's difficult not to become invested as each call adds another piece to the complex
04:41puzzle of information necessary for his escape.
04:51Number 15.
04:53Terrifier 2
04:54Horror is one of the few genres where audience members walking out can be seen as a badge
04:58of honor.
04:59This movie didn't just have people walking out, it apparently had some moviegoers leaving
05:03in ambulances.
05:08Being on a crowdfunded budget of $250,000, Terrifier 2 was something of a passion project
05:14for Damian Leone who had been developing its antagonist, Art the Clown, for close to two
05:18decades prior to its release.
05:20Clearly, the director's dedication paid off as the film became a surprise hit despite
05:24its polarizing gore and violence, earning over $15 million in profits.
05:29Actress Lauren Lavera played no small part in this mainstream success, providing the
05:33Terrifier franchise with its first fully fleshed out final girl, Sienna Shaw.
05:49Number 14.
05:50The Wailing
05:51As a South Korean horror film with a runtime approaching three hours, The Wailing may appear
05:55to be an intimidating watch to more casual moviegoers.
05:59Unfortunately, this supernatural horror is so intense and tightly written that you won't
06:03want to peel your eyes away.
06:07It focuses on the spread of an infection that causes people to harm those around them indiscriminately.
06:13Thought to be brought into Cooksung by a demon taking the form of a Japanese man, the disease
06:17leads to mistrust among the community as a series of motiveless murders pile up.
06:22At one point, an intense exorcism is even attempted to rid the protagonist's daughter
06:26of the supposed infection, but it cannot stop the unrelenting horror brought by the red-eyed
06:30demon.
06:42Number 13.
06:43Barbarian
06:44There's no denying Barbarian's dark sense of humor, but its well-crafted scares still
06:48place it firmly in the horror category.
06:51An Airbnb mix-up begins this sordid tale of decades-old secrets, and to say that travelers
06:55Tess and Keith are unprepared for what awaits them in their unexpectedly shared living arrangement
06:59is an understatement.
07:05A series of narrative twists and turns keeps the characters, and viewers, on their toes,
07:11as the film slowly unravels the barbaric truth behind the Brightmoor home that the true monster
07:15is not the disfigured woman keeping people captive, but her relatively normal-looking
07:19father is just one of many brilliant subversions by this clever modern horror.
07:32Number 12.
07:33The Autopsy of Jane Doe
07:35It opens with a mystery.
07:36Father-son coroners Tommy and Austin have been tasked with finding out what happened
07:40to create the horrific crime scene in the film's opening.
07:48The first autopsy is more graphic than one you'd see on a primetime crime show, but
07:52otherwise fairly run-of-the-mill, but when they start examining the Jane Doe, they begin
07:56to find anomalies.
07:58Dread begins to set in as more and more interior injuries fail to match up with the condition
08:02of the corpse's body.
08:04By the time Tommy and Austin realize something supernatural is afoot, it's already too
08:09late.
08:10The film's horror concept is uniquely terrifying, and its open-ended final scene is sure to
08:14leave viewers on edge long after the credits roll.
08:25Number 11.
08:26Pearl
08:27In 2022, Ty West gave us two original horror films, X and Pearl.
08:33Part of a film series also titled X, the movies had unique, well-rounded characters and aesthetics
08:38inspired by films of the past.
08:39While there is some debate as to which entry comes out on top, we tend to prefer the technicality
08:44or terror that is Pearl.
08:46Taking cues from the classic Hollywood era, particularly The Wizard of Oz, Pearl is a
08:50spine-chilling subversion of a visual style typically associated with screwball comedy
08:54and exaggerated melodrama.
09:01And of course, the translation of Pearl from the murderous granny in X to a bright-eyed
09:06German immigrant with big dreams could not have been achieved without the trilogy's
09:10star, Mia Goth.
09:11She absolutely kills it.
09:18Number 10.
09:19The Invisible Man
09:20Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman are among Universal's more recognizable classic
09:33monsters.
09:34Typically, The Invisible Man doesn't get nearly as much love from the studio, so it
09:38was interesting to see his story updated for a more contemporary crowd.
09:42Unlike the 1933 film, 2020's The Invisible Man does not cast its titular character as
09:47the protagonist, opting instead to follow the deteriorating mental state of a woman
09:51who is terrorized by him.
09:53This radical perspective change allows for the movie to act as a metaphor for the horrifying
09:57reality of abuse and its traumatizing effects.
10:00It's a whole new layer of depth to a once simplistic story of a man corrupted by power.
10:08Number 9.
10:12Raw
10:13College can be an important time of transition and self-discovery.
10:16Unfortunately for Justine, her first week at veterinary school leads her to discover
10:20a taste for human flesh.
10:27The main character of Raw, Justine initially struggles against her newfound craving before
10:32finally giving in to her desires in increasingly daring ways.
10:35The movie depicts this descent in gory, grotesque detail that is certain to make even the most
10:40seasoned horror fans squirm in their seats.
10:42The fact that Raw is the feature debut of its director, Giulio DiCorno, only makes its
10:47skin-crawling horror all the more impressive.
10:50Following in the footsteps of David Cronenberg, DiCorno has brought back the body horror better
10:54than ever.
10:58Number 8.
10:59A Quiet Place
11:00If you've ever wondered how long you can hold your breath, try this 90-minute horror
11:05on for size.
11:06While we don't advise doing this literally, it may be hard to stop yourself as the palpable
11:10tension builds in A Quiet Place.
11:12In lieu of much-spoken dialogue, this film relies on a thrilling score and expert sound
11:17design to build its apocalyptic world.
11:19This is because the film's nameless alien antagonists use super-hearing as their primary
11:23means of finding prey.
11:30While some films of this nature may have relied on the written word for communication between
11:35characters, A Quiet Place is notable for casting a deaf actress in a leading role and teaching
11:39its hearing cast to appear fluent in American Sign Language.
11:50Number 7.
11:51It Follows
11:52Having sex in a horror film is a recipe for disaster.
11:55In Scream, Randy even lists it as the first of three rules to surviving a horror movie.
12:06It Follows takes the trope up a notch, giving its characters the ability to pass their nightmarish
12:11stalkers on like STDs.
12:13Understandably opposed to transferring her fate over to an unsuspecting victim, Jay does
12:17everything in her power to try and kill off her ever-changing followers without hurting
12:21anyone else.
12:28Her quest plays out like a bad dream that's impossible to wake up from, complete with
12:32an unclear sense of time and space.
12:34We'd hate to be a part of it, but we'd be lying if we said we didn't want one of
12:37those shell phones.
12:39Number 6.
12:40A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
12:42For her first feature-length film, Anna Lily Amarpour invites audiences into an enchanting
12:47black-and-white world that plays with societal ideas about vampires and womanhood.
12:51Its small crowdfunded budget forced Amarpour to be creative in the film's construction,
12:55but didn't hinder its stylish visuals or its strong feminist themes.
13:04She even shot the Iranian-set film in California to avoid any censorship of its content, which
13:10includes controversial subjects like sex work, drug use, and generational trauma.
13:15An eerie atmosphere haunts every moment of this slow-paced horror, adding a healthy dose
13:19of fear to its significant social messaging.
13:38Number 5.
13:39It
13:40Unless you've been living in the sewers this past decade, you're likely aware of
13:47this 2017 Stephen King adaptation.
13:49Upon release, the film held the record for the R-rated film with the biggest theatrical
13:53opening, boasting over $200 million in profits.
13:57While some of the success can be attributed to the movie's extensive marketing campaign,
14:01it also must be said that it's just that good.
14:10Bill Skarsgård brilliantly brought to life Pennywise, striking fear into a new generation
14:15with updated scares and a whole new look, while the teen actors helped carry the film's
14:19necessary emotional weight.
14:20Along with Skarsgård, Sofia Lillis received the brunt of the film's praise, including
14:24several individual award nominations.
14:38Number 4.
14:39The Witch
14:43Robert Eggers' slow-burn horror might not be for everyone, but for those in tune with
14:47his dark aesthetic and sinister sensibilities, it's nothing short of a masterpiece.
14:51Set in 1600s New England, The Witch focuses on an exiled family who become the victims
14:56of a series of devastating misfortunes, beginning with the death of their newborn child.
15:01Though it's hard to believe given the plethora of top-notch performances she's delivered
15:05afterwards, the film also starred Anya Taylor-Joy in her feature film debut as the family's
15:09daughter, Thomasson.
15:18Eggers would later go on to highlight the talents of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson
15:22in the tense psychological thriller, The Lighthouse.
15:30Number 3.
15:31The Babadook
15:32Whether or not you see The Babadook's titular antagonist as a metaphor for grief or depression,
15:37or both, there's no denying its extraordinary take on the horror genre.
15:41Notably, it is a film that is as sympathetic as it is scary, a breath of fresh air in a
15:45sea of genre films eager to undermine their mentally unstable heroes.
15:49This makes it stand out from the crowd of not only its predecessors, but those who attempted
15:53to mirror its success with similarly analogous monsters.
16:03The delivery of the fearsome Babadook's background is equally inspired, as the audience
16:07introduced to his mythology through the unsettling illustrations in a children's story.
16:22Number 2.
16:23Get Out
16:29After establishing himself as an actor and comedian, Jordan Peele made a surprising career
16:34turn with Get Out.
16:35Beginning as a darkly comedic psychological thriller, the film's biggest antagonist initially
16:39appears to be racism.
16:41This is of course still the case by the film's end, but its shocking last act twist really
16:45brings the terror to a whole new level.
16:47With an instantly gripping script and stellar performances, it should come as no surprise
16:51that Get Out became one of the few horror films to be nominated for Best Picture at
16:55the Oscars.
16:56Peele would follow this success up with the equally impressive Us and Nope, becoming one
17:01of the decade's best and most consistent horror directors.
17:10Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
17:14Green Room
17:15A punk band realizes too late that something ain't right about their new venue.
17:25Megan
17:26Miss Dolly's dance moves are deadly.
17:37Doctor Sleep
17:38Mike Flanagan mixes King's words and Kubrick's vision for this unique, shining successor.
17:51T-10
17:52A compelling argument for practicing abstinence with cars.
18:02Host
18:03COVID restrictions inspired this creative computer horror.
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18:29Hereditary
18:30Annie is not okay.
18:42Following a sudden death in the family, the grieving mother begins lashing out at her
18:45son Peter and turning to supernatural means to communicate with the one she lost.
18:50The already horrific situation ramps up in intensity, culminating in a climax that still
18:55gives us nightmares.
18:56The film's uniquely volatile portrayal of generational trauma was a smash hit for indie
19:00studio A24 and even heralded by one critic as the scariest movie of 2018.
19:10Director Ari Aster's follow-up folk horror, Midsommar, took things up a notch in the shock
19:14department.
19:16Hereditary remains his masterpiece and the gold standard for all horror films that follow
19:19in the next decade.
19:21Did we miss any of your favorites?
19:23Let us know in the comments!