Horror movies are a staple in most households, whether they be the newest installment in the Nightmare on Elm Street series or a family-friendly Disney film like Hocus Pocus. There's something about the horror genre that allows the audiecne's energy to flow faster with thrills, scares, and some laughter along the way.
Horror entered the mainstream of Hollywood in the 1970s and became the bigger moneymakers in the 1980s that would spawn rabid fans, numerous sequels, and conventions celebrating all that is horror. However, there are still some horror movies even the seasoned and professional horror movie buffs haven't heard of or seen, all of which are guaranteed to excite and frighten.
Inside (2007)
In 2007, the French horror genre gave birth to an utterly horrifying movie called Inside, which still packs a powerful punch almost fifteen years later. This movie mashes a few different horror tropes into one sinister movie, including a home invasion that is reminiscent of the original Halloween, a haunting, a mysterious stranger with a creepy background, and an almost full-term pregnancy that results in some ultra-violent sequences with scissors, shotguns, and a pregnant belly.
The Beach House (2020)
This Shudder original film titled The Beach House is a psychological horror film of epic proportions that plays out as if Stephen King and HP Lovecraft went on vacation together to the beach where their imagination and terrifying creations came to life and terrorized four people relaxing on the sand. The story follows a young couple and an older couple who meet at a luxurious beach house for some much need rest and relaxation.
After some good food, drinks, and drugs, a mysterious mist, hallucinations, and otherworldly creatures start to appear that cause possession and self-surgery in a fight for survival. It's a great, new horror film that should linger on the tongue for a good while.
Eat Locals (2017)
Eat Locals is a British vampire horror-comedy from 2017 that mixes Dog Soldiers and Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels in the best ways. There's even a heavy dose of actors from Guy Ritchie movies involved, including actor/director Jason Flemyng and Dexter Fletcher.
An un-blind Charlie Cox even shows up here as a small group of vampires hole up in a small rural English village in order to transform a human into their vampire family, but the military shows up and a Mexican Standoff ensues. Blood, guts, bullets, and an old granny with an anti-aircraft gun can be expected in this thrilling, original, and funny movie.
Versus (2000)
Before the film Midnight Meat Train graced theaters, Japanese film director Ryuhei Kitamura made an insane horror film called Versus which mixed supernatural evil forces, samurai, the Yakuza, and zombies all in one film.
All set in in the Forest of Resurrection, an escaped convict and the Yakuza battle hordes of zombies with samurai swords and any weapon they can get their hands on while dealing with a sinister leader who wishes to unleash evil upon the world. It's an energetic and thrilling film, to say the least, that mashes up some great genres perfectly.
Nightwatchmen (2017)
A combination of an Edgar Wright movie and a vulgar Seth Rogen comedy, The Nightwatchmen is raunchy, gory, and full of enough toilet and pot humor for two films. The Nightwatchmen in question are a few security guards who decide to let a wrong delivery stay the night at their warehouse, which is a coffin housing a beloved television clown.
Turns out, the clown is a sadistic vampire with 28 Days Later type speed who bites and infects everyone at the building. The result is a hilarious and super fun action-horror romp that will conjure up big gross-out moments and huge belly laughs.
Raw (2016)
This dramatic French horror film called Raw was the talk of the town while on the film festival circuit and for good reason. This small, simple tale of family and loyalty follows two sisters who head to university specially designed to become a veterinarian.
In the best and perhaps most sadistically beautiful ways, this coming of age story reveals itself slowly as the main character becomes entrances with eating human flesh. With each bite, her cravings for blood and muscle are only enhanced, culminating in a savory and tragic reveal of friendships and family.
The Transfiguration (2016)
The Transfiguration is one of the best and most subtle vampire horror movies in ages. It's laid back with its horror genre tropes and explores other societal issues that were prevalent in Baltimore at the time. This film is like a two-part episode of HBO's The Wire, but with a little kid vampire who doesn't have an avenue to go down or someone to talk with about his state with the exception of one teenage girl who helps him out when needed.
The parallels and symbolism that are drawn in this setting are uncanny and brilliant in every element of film-making. It's a must-see.
You Might Be The Killer (2018)
A wonderful little take on the horror slasher genre stalked its way to audiences in 2018 called You Might Be The Killer that followed a group of friends who are all camp counselors at a summer camp where all hell is breaking loose.
Sam is the lead counselor and calls his best friend Chuck, a horror movie buff, for advice and help. As Sam explains the situation, Chuck can only come to the conclusion that her best friend just might be the slasher on the run. With a great cast including Alyson Hannigan, Keith David, and Fran Kranz, this smart, witty, funny, and scary horror film is highly entertaining.
Bad Taste (1987)
Before Peter Jackson became a permanent resident in Middle Earth with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, he was known mostly for his shocking and gory films from the 1980s. His first feature film was Bad Taste, which he made with his friends on weekends over the course of four years that lead to a cult following, critical acclaim, and his upward journey to some of the biggest films ever made.
It all started with a film about aliens from outer space invading New Zealand and harvesting humans for their intergalactic fast-food franchise, and it came complete with one of the grossest scenes involving vomit ever to be filmed.
Cropsey (2009)
Cropsey took the world by storm in 2009 and is a documentary with all the ingredients of a straight-up horror film. The catch is that it's all real, even if it seems totally unbelievable.
The documentary begins to explore a boogeyman of sorts, terrorizing people in the New York area for a number of years, becoming an urban legend to scare kids and adults alike. It turns out all the grizzly stories and horrific crimes were true and committed by a man named Andre Rand. This documentary hauntingly tells the accounts of these terrifying disappearances and murders through the lens of a stylized horror movie.