2022 has been rich with new horror movies, and thanks to the release of the newest Scream movie, fans have yet another human antagonist to root against.

Many, arguably the majority, of horror movies feature an villain that's either a ghost or demon or some other form of a supernatural entity. However, many of the best horror movies feature a human baddie. When humans are the true monsters, audiences can reflect on what led the humans to commit such horrible actions.

Get Out (2017)

Daniel Kaluuya crying in Get Out

After a fantastic run of comedy on Key & Peele, Jordan Peele's venture as a director has included terrifying films like Nope and Us as well as his classic debut film Get Out.

There isn't a clear antagonist throughout the majority of Get Out, just an eerie vibe and the feeling that something isn't right. Even after the reveal that something is amiss with the family, Chris doesn't dare to suspect his girlfriend until the evidence is too obvious to ignore. It's a heartbreaking and terrifying film that tackles both race and human desire as a whole.

Hush (2016)

Maddie working on her computer with a masked man behind her in Hush

Hush follows a lone woman, Maddie, who is a horror writer under attack by a serial killer. Maddie has been deaf since a battle with meningitis as a teen, meaning she must stop her assailant based on sight and her intellect.

One of the aspects of the killer in Hush that's surprisingly unique to the genre is his complete anonymity. Often horror movies give a backstory or clear identity to their villains. Even masked rogues often have a big unveiling where the protagonist discovers who they really are. Instead, Hush's killer is shrouded in mystery.

Creep (2015)

"Josef" barring a door in Creep

Creep follows a photographer hired to create a film for a man who claims to be dying. The objective of the video is a short film dedicated to the client's unborn son. However, the client gradually turns out to not be what he appears.

Creep is one of the most underrated horror movies out there, and its antagonist is one of the most bizarre horror movie baddies to date. The villain, Josef, is a terrifying figure who doesn't need the help of the supernatural. He's consistently unnerving throughout the film, and the script does an excellent job of gradually making the extent of Josef's maliciousness progress.

13 Cameras (2015)

Gerald in 13 Cameras (2015)

The story of 13 Cameras begins with a newlywed couple moving into a new house together. Slowly, they begin to discover that their landlord has been spying on them.

The landlord, Gerald, is an interesting antagonist because he doesn't start off inherently violent like many horror villains. Instead, his immorality comes from an invasion of privacy and the abuse of tenants. Part of the terror of 13 Cameras is how it seems so much closer to home than a wild serial killer on the loose.

Scream (1996)

Scream's Ghostface

The Scream franchise follows a series of serial killers who all wear the same Halloween store ghost mask. The films usually show some of the worst humanity has to offer.

There have been plenty of Ghostfaces throughout the years, many of them worthy of the title of the scariest horror movie serial killer. However, the original Scream had arguably the best Ghostface of them all. Sidney Prescott, the protagonist, goes to great lengths to uncover the horrifying mystery of who Ghostface truly is.

Saw (2004)

Tobin Bell as Jigsaw

If there's one film franchise known for gruesome horror deaths, it's Saw. The series follows a serial killer named Jigsaw who comes up with elaborate traps for people he believes to have sinned, testing them along the way to help them "appreciate life."

While Jigsaw appears to his victims as a scary puppet with a strange red spiral on his cheeks, the real villain is a normal human man. John Kramer, the overarching antagonist of the original movie and the franchise as a whole, is a diabolical character who ranks among the scariest in the genre.

Midsommar (2019)

Midsommar's Sweden natives

Midsommar is a unique horror film by Ari Aster who is also known for his first major work, Hereditary. Midsommar follows a group of American friends on a school-related trip to a festival in a small Swedish village.

Many of the best movies in the horror genre slowly introduce the horror rather than giving it to the audience all at once. Midsommar does this by starting with increasingly severe cases of culture shock before revealing that the small village their friend is from is essentially a cult that partakes in nonconsensual drugging and eventually human sacrifice.

The Shining (1980)

The Shining ending photo

Not only is The Shining a classic, but many sites like IMDb and Letterboxd have it as one of the highest rated horror films of all time.

While The Shining does contain supernatural elements, those elements merely push the protagonist/antagonist Jack to act more like who he always was. The film makes it clear that the monster inside of Jack always existed, and the happenings at the paranormal hotel aren't necessarily responsible. Ultimately, Jack has nobody to blame but himself for how things ended up.

American Psycho (2000)

Patrick Bateman in American Psycho.

The titular American Psycho in the classic film, Patrick Bateman, is a wealthy investor from New York who slowly loses touch with reality as the film progresses.

Bateman as a character is made almost impossible to empathize with from the beginning. Usually, movies with villains as the protagonist, like The Shining, make an effort to present the characters as likable before subverting audience expectations as the characters turn out to be monstrous. Instead, the audience goes into the film knowing Bateman is a terrible person through and through.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs.

Johnathan Demme and Ted Tally's adaptation of Thomas Harris's novel The Silence of the Lambs is up there not just with the best horror movies of all time, but among the greatest films overall.

Anthony Hopkins gives an iconic acting performance as imprisoned cannibal and former psychologist Hannibal Lecter. The Silence of the Lambs has another more active antagonist in Buffalo Bill, the serial killer that Hannibal helps the protagonist, Clarice, catch. The film is a chilling look into human psychology and was one of only three films ever to win the "Big Five" Academy Awards.

Next: 15 Best Horror Movies On Netflix, According To Rotten Tomatoes