Horror movies have been set in everything from abandoned towns to suburbia to outer space, but films set in New York City are unique. With NYC as the setting, horror movies can take advantage of distinctive backdrops such as the subway system and Times Square. With historical buildings and crowds of people, New York City provides plenty of setting material for horror movies.
With plenty of horror movies releasing in 2023, there is no shortage of gore, serial killers, and supernatural, but very few feature the Big Apple. Whether monster movies destroying buildings, serial killers stalking victims on busy streets, or ghosts in hotels, these are the best horror movies set in New York City.
10 Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)
Jason Voorhees is a stowaway aboard the SS Lazarus as he stalks a group of high school students in Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. As Jason brings his terror to the streets of New York City, he leaves countless bodies in his wake. Though certainly nowhere near being the best Friday the 13th movie, Jason Takes Manhattan is still worth watching as Jason is far away from his watery grave at Camp Crystal Lake, with an entirely new setting for his killing spree.
Friday the 13th’s new movie and TV series will bring Jason back to life but will likely leave Jason’s Manhattan setting in the past. With locations like busy city streets, a subway, and even the sewer, Jason Takes Manhattan fails to utilize the bustling city meaningfully. However, it still manages to be a typical Jason slasher, and the ending is an NYC twist on Jason’s Crystal Lake death.
9 American Psycho (2000)
American Psycho is a satirical horror film based on the novel of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis. Starring Christian Bale as a New York City investment banker who moonlights as a serial killer, American Psycho chronicles Patrick Bateman’s murders and attempted confession. Bale’s performance is disturbing yet darkly humorous as Bateman struggles to understand the reality of his crimes.
Portraying the private investigator looking into the murders, Willem Dafoe’s scenes are so unsettling that they add to the intensity of American Psycho. Bateman has it together on the outside with his job, money, and a fancy apartment, but is a monster on the inside. Bateman’s connection to Wall Street and his perceived reality is vital to the story, as American Psycho is a social commentary on capitalism just as much as a horror story.
8 1408 (2007)
Based on the short story by Stephen King, 1408 follows a skeptical author who investigates haunted locations. Starring John Cusack as Mike, the author travels to The Dolphin hotel in New York City only to discover a room where over fifty people have died. Mike quickly experiences supernatural events and is prevented from leaving the hotel room.
1408 is a psychological horror film with Mike trying his best to survive the attacks of the hotel room. Smile secretly borrows from 1408 most crucial scene. Faced with ghosts of previous occupants, extreme temperatures, and being given an “out” with a noose, 1408 is a story of the survival and endurance of the human mind and body.
7 The Midnight Meat Train (2008)
The New York City subway becomes a bloodbath in The Midnight Meat Train. Starring Bradley Cooper as a photographer, Leon, who needs to capture grittier moments, Leon happens across what he thinks is a butcher killing subway riders late at night. However, The Midnight Meat Train seems like an average serial killer movie until the unexpected ending when Leon gets more than he bargains for.
The Midnight Meat Train repeats Candyman’s ending, and it works. The monsters, combined with the suspicious symbol, turn Leon’s concerns about the subway into more than just conspiracy theories and effectively ruin his life. As a result, The Midnight Meat Train may cause audiences to think twice about riding the subway late at night.
6 The Devil’s Advocate (1997)
The Devil’s Advocate stars Keanu Reeves as a Florida lawyer named Kevin who receives a job offer from a New York law firm. After moving to the big city, Kevin and his wife grow apart as he’s always working to prove guilty clients are innocent. A huge twist comes after people keep dying unexpectedly, and it’s no coincidence.
With the theory that Keanu Reeves is trapped in a time loop, the ending of The Devil’s Advocate is open to interpretation and could have multiple meanings. The twist impacts Kevin’s life significantly, and his life will never be the same again. The Devil’s Advocate is worth watching for powerful performances by Reeves and Al Pacino.
5 Cloverfield (2008)
Posed as a found footage film, Cloverfield follows a group of friends in New York City as giant monsters invade and attack the city. Buildings are destroyed, and people are just trying to survive in any way possible while also recording what’s happening as the monsters take over. Though Cloverfield isn’t the typical serial killer or gory horror movie, it relies heavily on alien monsters and has plenty of scares.
A proper Cloverfield sequel has taken so long, but it’s difficult to have a story bring such intense emotions through the characters that make found footage movies seem so realistic. As characters are lost, the fear about survival can be felt by remaining characters. Cloverfield is one found footage movie that just works.
4 Scream 6 (2023)
Scream 6 is perhaps the newest horror movie taking place in New York City. As Ghostface leaves Woodsboro for the Big Apple, the killer becomes more vicious and utilizes typical NYC settings such as the subway and alleyways. Scream 6 is a good addition to the franchise with unexpected killers while bringing back legacy characters like Gale Weathers and Kirby.
Though Sidney Prescott is missing in Scream 6, Sam and Tara can carry the story with some unlikely survivors from 2022’s Scream. The new setting of NYC is more exciting than suburban Woodsboro, and Ghostface really is different and more brutal. Scream 6 is changing the franchise with more intense chases and deaths while paying homage to the original.
3 Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
The psychological horror film Jacob’s Ladder finds a soldier experiencing hallucinations in New York City after returning from the Vietnam War. Jacob slowly descends into madness as the VA hospital tells him there’s no record of him, and he begins seeing strange things like tentacles emerging from a homeless man and alternate realities. Jacob’s Ladder is a wild ride trying to determine what is actual reality.
Jacob’s Ladder was remade in 2019 with an update to the movie to reflect a soldier’s military service in Afghanistan. However, the paranoia remains, and Jacob’s Ladder is a twisted look at the effects of war and death. Jacob’s Ladder is perfect for horror fans who love psychological twists and turns.
2 Black Swan (2010)
Starring Natalie Portman, Black Swan is a psychological horror film chronicling a ballerina’s descent into madness as she competes for the leading role in the Swan Lake production with the New York City Ballet company. Nina struggles with what is reality and what is all in her head. Black Swan is ultimately about mental illness and the struggle for perfection.
The ending of Black Swan is open to interpretation if Nina dies after the final performance. However, considering the twists of reality throughout, it’s also possible that the ending is not complete reality and is up to the viewer to decide. It may take a few watches of Black Swan for viewers to realize what is and isn’t Nina’s true reality.
1 Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Rosemary’s Baby is an unsettling story about a couple moving into a New York City apartment building with suspected occultist neighbors. When Rosemary becomes pregnant, her paranoia takes over, thinking her neighbors have something to do with the terrible pregnancy. Rosemary’s Baby is the worst-case scenario for any parent, showing how Rosemary should have trusted her maternal instinct.
Having become a staple in the horror genre, AHS: Murder House even mirrors Rosemary’s Baby. The plot is disturbing, and it’s easy to question how Rosemary does not see through the neighbors sooner because all the signs are there. Rosemary’s Baby is a classic horror staple about paranoia, witchcraft, and Satan.