Even though 2022 has offered some of the most innovative horror movies in a long time, such as Nope and X, if the horror fan goes back in time, they'll realize how much they seem to be inspired by horror movies from 20 years ago.
From unconventional slashers to alien invasions, 2002 offered a range of different stories and styles within the horror genre. Most importantly, it was a year that shaped plenty of horror tropes that would be used throughout the whole decade.
Signs
M. Night Shyamalan's filmography offers a little bit of everything: ghost stories, unconventional superheroes, airbenders, and in Signs' case, creepy aliens. What differentiates this movie from other sci-fi stories about otherworldly beings is Shyamalan's strong thematic pull; the aliens are a constant threat, but they execute their plans in the background, blending into the shadows that surround the farm.
A rural family is troubled by mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something wicked might be threatening their peaceful life. Shyamalan delivers horror through suggestions, in scenes where meticulous details are inserted to induce fear. However, Signs' final twist is known to be divisive, which puts viewers in a spot of love it or hate it.
Ju-On: The Grudge
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Ju-On: The Grudge introduces one of the scariest and deadliest curses in the horror genre, inspiring famous American remakes throughout the years. In the film, the mysterious and dangerous spirits of a mother and son take part in a terrifying curse that marks and pursues anyone who steps foot in the house the spirits reside.
Ju-On deals with vengeance in a creative and frightening way, using it as a vehicle for the rage that keeps tormented souls haunting the realm of the living. The movie is one of the most important of 2002 because beyond delivering effective horror scenes and an atmosphere of constant fear, the two entities that embody Ju On's curse remain as one of the most iconic villains in horror history.
The Eye
Inspiring an American remake and setting up the path for a successful Hong Kong-Singaporean franchise, The Eye has arguably some of the scariest scenes ever put onscreen. The movie follows a blind girl who gets a cornea transplant to get her vision back, but she soon realizes she got more than she bargained for after she begins to see dead people.
There's one particular spine-chilling moment in which the protagonist finds herself locked inside an elevator with a sinister spirit slowly floating towards her. Different from plenty of horror movies that use jump scares as a recurring resource to scare viewers, The Eye terrifies its viewers with ease by crafting tension-filled scenes at a slow pace.
In My Skin
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A hidden gem within the body horror genre, In My Skin is a clever slow-burn movie often uncomfortable to look at, and probably a huge inspiration for another popular French horror, Raw, After suffering an accident that leaves her seriously injured, the successful Esther begins to lose her grip on reality and grows increasingly obsessed with her body.
A narcissistic story, at first sight, the movie only gets weirder, as Esther's fascination with her body causes her to enjoy inflicting the most unbelievable injuries to herself, quickly spiraling out of control.
May
May is the kind of movie best going in blind for a bloody surprise as the plot unravels. In a slow-burn narrative, viewers follow a lonely young woman, May, and her increasingly desperate attempts to connect with the people around her. Almost like a character study, the movie dives deeply into May's frustrations and traumas, showing how they shaped her shattered psyche.
Flirting with body-horror tropes and carefully crafting tension, the film offers one of the most complex female characters of the 2000s; a troubled, unpredictable woman on the verge of madness, yet viewers can't help feel but feeling connected to her, almost as accomplices on her downward spiral.
Blade II
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Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, a master in blending fantasy and horror, Blade became even more bloody and stylish in his hands. The anti-hero returns to form a tricky alliance with the vampire council in order to defeat the Reapers, terrifying creatures that are feeding on vampires.
The choice of Del Toro proves to be extremely efficient every time the Reapers are onscreen. The action sequences offer hints of horror that make the scenes even more thrilling, and the Reapers' design looks as cool as it looks frightening, doing justice to the creature's lore; dangerous, elder beings much more deadly than the conventional breed of vampires.
Red Dragon
While Red Dragon's narrative leans much more on the psychological side of horror, the movie delivers plenty of terrifying moments; the final 20 minutes, in particular, will leave any viewer at the edge of their seat.
Released 11 years after The Silence Of The Lambs, Red Dragon is actually a prequel to the classic film and delves into Hannibal Lecter's evil genius. The protagonist is Will Graham, a retired FBI agent who was once almost killed by Hannibal, now forced to face him again hoping to use his insights to track a new serial killer. As expected from Anthony Hopkins in his most iconic role, he steals the show to himself every time he's onscreen, in one of the most intense Hannibal adaptations to this day.
The Ring
One of the most popular horror movies of all time, The Ring is also a great example of effective American remakes, remaining faithful to the source material while delivering it with a new voice. In the film, anyone who watches a mysterious tape becomes the receptor of a curse that kills them seven days later. When a journalist becomes the next victim, she must run against time in order to stop the curse.
The Ring presents an engaging investigative narrative spiced with great scares, and Naomi Watts nails it in the lead role. The film manages to create a chilling and anxiety-inducing atmosphere that hangs over the main character as she becomes increasingly desperate about the fate that awaits her in a few days.
28 Days Later
28 Days Later has one of the most satisfying horror movie aesthetics, offering fast-paced editing and chaotic transitions to deliver the desperate feel of a zombie apocalypse. After waking up in a world haunted by bloodthirsty, insanely fast creatures lurking on every corner, a sole survivor finds out humans might be as dangerous as the zombies.
With one of the most memorable opening sequences of all time, 28 Days Later is also a masterclass in creating tension; every single frame is haunted by a feeling that something bad is about to happen. Cillian Murphy kills it in the main role as he wanders across a post-apocalyptical London to find absolute chaos everywhere.
Resident Evil
Fans can discuss as much as they want about how the franchise has lost its course throughout the years, but the first Resident Evil was spot-on. Addressing plenty of elements of the game in a unique cinematic style added to an iconic Milla Jovovich knocking down zombies with massive guns, the film is a claustrophobic horror that takes advantage of its limited spaces to mix action and thriller in an engaging way.
Set in a special military unit, the remaining survivors of a deadly outbreak fight their way through hundreds of scientists that have mutated into flesh-eating creatures, in a desperate attempt to make it out alive.