It’s hard being a fan of horror, since the vast majority of the movies being released is crap. So please make sure to watch these standouts! And truth be told, the amount of quality horror movies is increasing yearly. Production value goes up, as well as the artistic value.
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!
- New horror movies in 2018
- Best horror movies of 2017
- 2010-2018: Must-watch horror movies on Netflix or DVD
New horror movies in 2018
Top movies up for release in 2018Hereditary
DIRECTOR: Ari Aster CAST: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro
Ellen Graham was a reclusive, eccentric women. When she dies at old age, strange things start happening to her daughter's family. 'Hereditary' has been hailed as this century's 'Exorcist' or 'Rosemary's Baby'. Read more
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Amazon | All Release dates Summer of ’84
DIRECTOR: François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell CAST: Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Gruter-Andrew
It's easy to call 'Summer of '84' another nostalgic 80's horror VHS homage. The story, evolving around four goofy teenagers trying to track down a serial killer, doesn't particularly bring something new to the table. But for everyone who loved 'The Goonies', 'Stand By Me' or more recently 'Stranger Things' will definitely have a good time with this one. Read more
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Halloween
DIRECTOR: David Gordon Green CAST: Judy Greer, Jamie Lee Curtis & Virginia Gardner
Four decades later, Jamie Lee Curtis is back in a new Halloween movie. Thankfully, 'Halloween 2018' isn't a continuation of the increasingly bad Halloween sequels that came out lately. Read more
RATING: 91/100
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates The Strangers: Prey at Night
DIRECTOR: Johannes Roberts CAST: Christina Hendricks, Bailee Madison, Martin Henderson
After the modest success of 2008's 'The Strangers', a sequel was inevitable. 'The Strangers: Prey at Night' evolves around a family that, due to unforeseen circumstances, is forced to spend the night in a secluded trailer park. And yes, again three psychopaths turn up. With creepy masks and all. If you're in for an entertaining invasion flick, you'll find lots to enjoy here. Read more
RATING: 78/100
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Winchester
DIRECTOR: Michael Spierig & Peter Spierig CAST: Helen Mirren Sarah Snook Jason Clarke
Sarah Winchester is the heiress of the Winchester Rifle Company. She lives in an enormous mansion in California. At some point, she started to believe that the house was haunted by all the souls of the people who died at the hands of the Winchester rifles. Helen Mirren stars in this interesting horror movie which was inspired by true events. Read more
RATING: 79/100
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Netflix 
Amazon Best horror movies of 2017
Top rated 2017 horror moviesIt
DIRECTOR: Andy Muschietti CAST: Bill Skarsgård Jaeden Lieberher Finn Wolfhard
Pennywise is back! Everyone who grew up in the late 80's/beginning of the 90's probably had nightmares about that creepy clown. It was about time for another adaptation of Stephen King's beloved horror story. And the result didn't disappoint; Billy Skarsgard is absolutely stunning as the clown from hell and the 80's vibe of the movie is just perfect. Read more
RATING: 88/100
RELEASE DATE: September 5th, 2017
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates It Comes at Night
DIRECTOR: Trey Edward Shults CAST: Joel Edgerton Riley 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
RATING: 85/100
RELEASE DATE: June 9th, 2017
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates A Cure for Wellness
DIRECTOR: Gore Verbinski CAST: Jason Isaacs Dane 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
RATING: 84/100
RELEASE DATE: February 16th, 2017
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Get Out
DIRECTOR: Jordan Peele CAST: Allison Williams Lakeith Stanfield, Daniel Kaluuya
Get Out might seem like a genre film, but goes deeper than just being scary and plays into subtle social fears. It's about a black guy who visits the parents of his new white girlfriend for the first time. His parents seem perfectly fine, stereotypical liberal people at first. But the longer he stays at his in-laws, the more unsettling things start to unravel. A brilliant movie that is scary, hilarious AND thought-provoking at the same time. Read more
RATING: 85/100
RELEASE DATE: February 24th, 2017
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Train to Busan
DIRECTOR: Sang-ho Yeon CAST: Yoo Gong Soo-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. Read more
RATING: 87/100
RELEASE DATE: February 24th, 2017
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Best horror movies on Netflix or DVD in 2018
2010's best rated horror movies out on DVD, Bluray or streaming on VOD (Netflix, Amazon).The Witch
DIRECTOR: Robert Eggers CAST: Anya Taylor-Jo Ralph 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
RATING: 90/100
RELEASE DATE: February 19th, 2016
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates It Follows
DIRECTOR: David Robert Mitchell CAST: Maika Monroe Keir 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
RATING: 90/100
RELEASE DATE: March 27th, 2015
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Stoker
DIRECTOR: Chan-wook Park CAST: Mia Wasikowska Nicole 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
RATING: 90/100
RELEASE DATE: March 1st, 2013
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates The Invitation
DIRECTOR: Karyn Kusama CAST: Logan Marshall-Green Emayatzy 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
RATING: 85/100
RELEASE DATE: April 8th, 2016
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates The Babadook
DIRECTOR: Jennifer Kent CAST: Essie Davis Noah 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
RATING: 84/100
RELEASE DATE: May 30th, 2014
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates You’re Next
DIRECTOR: Adam Wingard CAST: Sharni Vinson Joe 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
RATING: 83/100
RELEASE DATE: November 24th, 2011
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Goodnight Mommy
DIRECTOR: Severin Fiala & Veronika Franz CAST: Lukas Schwarz Elias 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
RATING: 80/100
RELEASE DATE: September 11th, 2015
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Lost River
DIRECTOR: Ryan Gosling CAST: Christina Hendricks Iain 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
RATING: 80/100
RELEASE DATE: April 10th, 2015
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates La Piel Que Habito
DIRECTOR: Pedro Almodovar CAST: Antonio Banderas Elena 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
RATING: 80/100
RELEASE DATE: October 14th, 2011
Netflix | Amazon | All Release dates Trolljegeren
DIRECTOR: André Øvredal CAST: Otto Jespersen Robert 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
RATING: 79/100
RELEASE DATE: June 10th, 2011
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