Being a horror lover is a frustrating affair. You keep digging for that one movie that actually gives you the creeps, but the overwhelming majority of horror movies is boring, horribly cliche or a waste of your time in one or another way. Making a film that manages to scares the shit out of you seems close to impossible nowadays.
Which is not to say great horror films aren't being made anymore. You just have to be patient, every once in a while a great one still pops up. In case you don't have the patience; we here's a list of the best ones of last year, PLUS a list of the 10 most scary/interesting films the decade so far. We strived for diversity here; you'll find both solid formula projects and edgy independent productions here. Enjoy!
| horror movies | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Popular actors | Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson & Kate Dickie |
| Trending movies | It Follows, Goodnight Mommy & The Visit |
Anticipated 2017 horror movies to watch
It Comes at Night (Friday June 9, 2017)
Director Trey Edward Shults Cast Joel EdgertonRiley Keough
Christopher Abbott
In a world struck by an unmentioned pandemic, Paul lives in the woods with his wife and teenage son. When all of a sudden a young father stumbles upon their doorway, Paul's meticulously crafted safety net seems to crumble. A truly gripping post-apocalyptic thriller. Don't expect too much jump scares; 'It comes at night' is first and foremost a harrowing tale of how far people are prepared to under extreme circumstances. ...Read more
Amazon A Cure for Wellness (Thursday February 16, 2017)
Director Gore Verbinski Cast Jason IsaacsDane DeHaan
Mia Goth
An ambitious young executive is sent to retrieve his company's CEO from an idyllic but mysterious "wellness center" at a remote location in the Swiss Alps but soon suspects that the spa's miraculous treatments are not what they seem....Read more
Get Out (Friday February 24, 2017)
Director Jordan Peele Cast Allison WilliamsLakeith Stanfield,
Daniel Kaluuya
This really might be the most anticipated horror of 2017 in the art house community, as it seems like a genre film that goes deeper than just being scary and plays into subtle social fears. It's about a black men who visits stereotypical American suburbia to meet the parents of his new white girlfriend for the first time. It starts of pleasant, but underneath the surface something sinister is taking place. ...Read more
Train to Busan (Monday March 13, 2017)
Director Sang-ho Yeon Cast Yoo GongSoo-an Kim
Yu-mi Jung
While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan. A slick business man who cares about no one but himself, is forced to work with others and thereby regain the trust of his daughter when the Zombie endemic hits the inside of the train. These are not slow zombies for a change, but very fast zombies that work in huge groups. It sometimes is almost to funny and over the top to be scary, but it is thrilling as hell. ...Read more
Best horror movies on Netflix or DVD in 2017 & 2016
2010's best rated horror movies out on DVD, Bluray or streaming on VOD (Netflix, Amazon).The Witch (Friday February 19, 2016)
Director Robert Eggers Cast Anya Taylor-JoRalph Ineson
Kate Dickie
In 1630’s New England, a devout farmer family moves to an isolated plantation on the edge of a vast wood. And soon unsettling things start to happen. Their newborn son vanishes into thin air, their harvest fails miserably, and terror and paranoia falls upon them. Don’t expect any scare jums here. The Witch is a beautifully shot, dark fairytale that’ll get under your skin right from the very first second....Read more
It Follows (Friday March 27, 2015)
Director David Robert Mitchell Cast Maika MonroeKeir Gilchrist
Olivia Luccardi
After having sex, a young girl from a Detroit suburb is 'infected' with the most peculiar STD; she is being followed by 'It', which can take any human shape thinkable. It's is slow, but deadly and will always keep coming. The only way to get rid of if, is to pass it on to someone else by having sex. On paper, you might not give much for this film, but in the hands of David Robert Mitchell, it became a modern classic. With its effective camera shots and fantastic 1980's aesthetics, It Follows is unlike anything you've seen and will hunt you for a long time....Read more
Stoker (Friday March 1, 2013)
Director Chan-wook Park Cast Mia WasikowskaNicole Kidman
Matthew Goode
Korean mastermind Chan-Woon Park (Old Boy) made his American debut with Stoker, a highly stylized and elegant film about India, a teenage girl who lives with her mother (a very creepy Nicole Kidman) in a lavish Californian villa. Her father has just died in a car crash, when suddenly her uncle Charlie appears. Charlie is charming and well-dressed, but underneath these layers of civilization appears to something much darker. A strange alliance between the traumatized girl and the sleeky uncle emerges. ...Read more
The Invitation (Friday April 8, 2016)
Director Karyn Kusama Cast Logan Marshall-GreenEmayatzy Corinealdi
Michiel Huisman
A man visits a dinner party, hosted by his ex-wife and her new lover. But right from the start, he can’t shake the idea off that something sinister is about to happen. In thrillers, the unexpected is usually quite expectable. The great thing about ‘The Invitation’ is that you’re waiting for a twist, as is usual in these kinds of films. But there never really is a twist, which is all the more shocking in the end. ...Read more
The Babadook (Friday May 30, 2014)
Director Jennifer Kent Cast Essie DavisNoah Wiseman
Daniel Henshall
‘The Babadook’ is one of those rare, low-budget horror debuts we encounter once in every five years or so. The unnerving story of a widowed mother with her young son, both slowly crumbling under the fear of a mysterious book that comes to life at night, is just spot on. Director/writer Jennifer Kent does what horror filmmakers rarely do so effectively; that it is often ourselves we should fear....Read more
You’re Next (Thursday November 24, 2011)
Director Adam Wingard Cast Sharni VinsonJoe Swanberg
AJ Bowen
Adam Wingard is without a doubt one of the most prolific and interesting independent horror filmmakers of our times. 2011’s ‘You’re Next’ was a major departure from his earlier mumble-gore work and gained quite some mainstream attention. And rightfully so. The film, about a family reunion ruined by bloodthirsty attackers wearing animals masks, is suspenseful, gory AND darkly funny. ...Read more
Goodnight Mommy (Friday September 11, 2015)
Director Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz Cast Lukas SchwarzElias Schwarz
Susanne Wuest
Two boys live with their mother in a stylish, luxurious bungalow at the edge of a forest. One day, she comes home after a cosmetic surgery, her head covered in bandages. The twins grow suspicious of her; is she really their mother? A chilling psychological warfare between them sets out. A frightening, highly stylized modern horror story which will leave its viewers puzzled and disturbed....Read more
Lost River (Friday April 10, 2015)
Director Ryan Gosling Cast Christina HendricksIain De Caestecker
Matt Smith
When Ryan Gossling announced he was about to make his directorial debut, lukewarm reactions fell upon him. Even worse when the film came out; according to many, 'Lost River' was the sum of obvious influences. A bit of Lynch, a bit of Nicolas Winding Refn and a pinch of Harmony Korine. Indeed, Gosling's first effort as a director feels as a homage to the mentioned filmmakers, but in a good way. 'Lost River' is a creepy fairytale with lots of memorable scenes and stark images. ...Read more
La Piel Que Habito (Friday October 14, 2011)
Director Pedro Almodovar Cast Antonio BanderasElena Anaya
Jan Cornet
Horror movies are typically made by directors who exclusively do horror. So when a filmmaker who’s usually in the art house business suddenly decides to try something else, this raises eyebrows. When Pedro Almodovar’s ‘La Piel Que Habito’ came out in 2011, the critics were severely divided. A loud and extravagant Frankestein-ish horror? Well yeah, that’s exactly what it is, and its briljant. Antonio Banderas stars as a twisted plastic surgeon trying to create the perfect synthetic skin. In order to do so, he needs a guinea pig… ...Read more
Trolljegeren (Friday June 10, 2011)
Director André Øvredal Cast Otto JespersenRobert Stoltenberg
Knut Nærum
What would be the result if you’d crossbreed ‘The Blair Witch’ with some Scandinavian folkloric tale? Well, ‘Trolljegeren’ probably comes pretty close. One of the finest found footage horror films you are likely to find, this Norwegian gem evolves around a bunch of journalists traveling to the far north of the country in pursuit of giants trolls. The film is scary at times for sure, but it’s biggest strength is the faux earnestness of the whole project. ‘Trolljegeren’ proves scary movies can be funny too....Read more
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